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Reviewer's
Impressions:
The PALight Survival by Safelight Industries is a great little
light in a convenient package. It has features that make it
a reliable all-purpose personal lighting device. A good candidate
for use as a common household or glovebox light, as well as
for use around the campsite.
The fit and finish of the PALight reviewed was quite good
with no obvious defects in this area. All of the parts fit
together tightly and since the body is all rubber it naturally
seals itself against the elements fairly well.
The PALight appears to be very durable. Since the body is
made of soft rubber, it handles drops (or perhaps I should
say "bounces") without any difficulty. The lens
is recessed behind a raised lip, protecting it from anything
except direct impact from a protruding object.
The plastic focusing lens on the unit reviewed did have some
minor imperfections, but these seem to have little or no effect
on the light output. The soft rubber body makes the light
comfortable in the hand and easy to grip. The central metal
band is easy to remove for battery replacement, but I would
recommend only sliding it up or down the body a little bit
to avoid bending it too much.
Light output is good, and is exactly what would be expected
from a single white LED behind a focusing lens. The light
is sent out in a narrow, focused beam which allows it to light
more distant objects than other single white LED lights. On
the down side, you may need to scan the light around a little
to get a clear picture of what you are looking at since there
is little or no "secondary beam" around the central
bright area.
The various lighting modes that are available serve different
purposes. The dim setting is sufficient for lighting when
the eyes are partially dark adapted or when battery conservation
is necessary. The bright setting is good for most short to
medium range tasks. The strobe setting is good for getting
attention, especially when the light is either pointed directly
at the subjects you are trying to get the attention of, or
when the included red cone is placed on the light. The "constant
glow" locater feature has its advantages and disadvantages.
If pointed up at the ceiling it acts as a good night light
for the kids (or anyone for that matter) once the eyes are
dark adapted. Some people may find it to be too bright to
keep on the nightstand. I found that I could actually use
the dim glow for navigating around in my house at night. It
provided just enough light to help me avoid banging my shins
on the furniture.
Beam quality is relatively good, with just a little bit of
blotchiness and a few "beam artifacts" around the
central beam (see beam picture, above).
Although I would not purposely throw this light in a pond
or stream, it should be able to survive this treatment provided
it is fished out and shaken off. All of the parts fit together
tightly and since the body is all rubber it naturally seals
itself against the elements fairly well. I would have no reservations
about taking the light out in the rain.
The lanyard that comes with the PALight is of good quality
and has a breakaway safety latch. The plastic pack that the
light comes in is reclosable in case you want to keep the
entire package together in an emergency kit for the household.
A number of other accessories, including belt sheaths, magnetic
bands, and belt clips are available.
+ + + Pluses: Water resistant, Tough/impact
resistant, Long battery life, 4 operational modes, Lightweight,
Stands up, Nice accessories
- - - Minuses: Not completely watertight,
Beam is rather narrow
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