Short Description:

The Expedition 300 is a 7 white LED light made by Tektite. This light is intended as general purpose medium range outdoor light which can be used for water activities such as diving.

The body of the light is made of tough ABS plastic with a Lexan lens. Inside the bezel is a second fresnel-type magnifying lens which helps distribute the beam more evenly. The bezel is surrounded by a rubber cap to protect the bezel area and to prevent light from spilling out of the side of the bezel. The rubber cover can be removed to increase the light spill from the bezel and to increase the visibility of the user. The plastic case has a lanyard hole on the end and it comes with nylon lanyard which includes a rubber cover for comfort and a cord clamp to tighten the lanyard on the user's wrist. On the sides there are strap connection points molded into the body. The body is grooved for grip.

The light is turned on and off by twisting the bezel. The bezel is not easy to twist due to the tight fit provided by 2 O-rings. This is what allows the light to be used for diving. Three C batteries power the light and they are included in the package. To change the batteries remove the bezel, remove the LED module and drop out the expired batteries. Insert new batteries positive up, drop the LED module back in and replace the bezel. The LED module requires no alignment other than having the LEDs point outward.

The beam produced is a medium range smooth flood. The unit tested has a slightly yellowish tint to the LEDs. The LEDs are potted in place with a white compound to prevent them from becoming mis-aligned if dropped. The white compound also reflects some of the light from the LEDs forward and out of the bezel.

Inside the light is a "catalyst pellet" which is supposed to neutralize any hydrogen gas which collects in the light due to its airtight seal as the batteries are used .

Reviewer's Impressions:

The Expedition 300 is a tough, no-nonsense dive light which would serve equally well on camping, hiking and rafting trips.

The light pattern provided by the 7 LEDs is surprisingly smooth with a very diffuse "hotspot". This is an effect caused by the fresnel lens found inside the Lexan bezel. The LEDs produce a very warm flood of light which is very comfortable on the eyes.

The Expedition 300 cannot be turned on with one hand. This is the result of the tight seal used to make the light watertight. The bezel needs to be tightly gripped to twist on and off. This task is actually much easier to accomplish if you remove the rubber bezel cover, exposing the ribbed Lexan bezel.

Removing the rubber bezel cover allows a lot of light to spill out of the sides of the bezel which is good for peripheral lighting and for making it easy to see the light's user in the dark. Replacing the cover keeps the light out of your eyes. An interesting feature of the cover is that even with it on, you can see a ring of light coming from the back of the bezel when the light is on. This serves well as an indicator that the light is on if it is set down on its bezel with the rubber cover on.

The only possible way I can see to improve this light would be to put a regulator circuit in the bezel to provide constant light output throughout the life of the batteries. However, adding a circuit would take away from the reliability that results from its simplicity of design.

This is a great example of a simple, dependable, durable, rough-outdoor-use LED flashlight. I can really see this light being used not only by campers, hikers, and divers but also by search and rescue teams, crew serving on oceangoing vessels, and anyone else who needs an extremely trustworthy light source in a rough environment.

As an added note, the Tektite lights have a trick if you want to stand them on end. Remove the black bezel rubber cover and place it large opening down on a flat surface. Push the tail of the light into the bezel cover from the top, lanyard and all. The black rubber cover acts as a stand to hold the light up!

The Expedition 300 is the civilian model of the Tektite light used by the Navy Seals, and I can see why they would choose to use it. I am very impressed by this light. Highly recommended.

(Rating updated April 2003 to reflect ongoing testing and update to rating system.)

+ + + Pluses: Very tough, very waterproof, protected LEDs, removable rubber bezel cover, strap attachment points, lanyard

- - - Minuses: requires 2 hands to operate the switch