Adventure Sport Custom High Output Maglites

I don't do too many posts about new lights but I did purchase one recently that I was absolutely thrilled with so I thought I'd do a review. It's an Adventure Sport high output LED Maglite conversion. Adventure Sport is pretty well known in the flashlight world for converting Maglites and Surefires to lithium ion powered high output flashlights. What do they mean by high output? 2,000 to 5,000 lumen LED lights! Your average incan Maglite is around 100 lumens and LED around 300 lumens so these are 10 to 50 times brighter than those.

You're probably wondering why do I need something that bright? Well, I'll be honest most folks don't and it's not that practical but they sure are fun! I have mine mainly for the wow factor and occasionally camping and exploring the woods late at night. The really nice thing about these conversions is that they are programmable and offer different mode groups. This means you can use the light on low, medium, and high modes which makes the light a whole lot more practical. A list of the modes as well as models is available on their web site at: http://asflashlights.com/18-led-upgrades-for-maglite I often find myself using the 1%, 25%, 100% mode group which provides 40 lumens, 1,000 lumens and 4,000 lumens on my 4,000 lumen conversion.

Adventure Sport currently offers 2 flavors, a 2,000 lumen conversion or a 5,000 lumen conversion. The 2,000 lumen unit can be used with 3D cells on a stock incan Maglite or on one of the 1 cell cut down lithium ion models sold by Adventure Sport. The 5,000 lumen conversion can be used with 6D cells on a stock incan or a 2 cell lithium ion model sold by Adventure Sport. These conversions are of the 3 LED variety which cast a ton of light. I have an older 4,000 lumen single LED XHP-70 conversion with 2 lithium ion batteries. It's a shame Adventure Sport no longer produces these because they throw much farther than the 3 LED models. Shown below is my Adventure Sport.

So how bright are they exactly? Well, see for yourself. Shown below are pics of a stock incan 2D rated for around 30 lumens. A Malkoff drop in 3D rated for around 600 lumens and the Adventure Sport conversion on full blast at 4,000 lumens. The tree is about 30 feet away from my position. In the last pic you can see how much brighter the paver patio is due to the enormous amount of spill from the XHP-70 reflector.

Not only does the light shine bright but the parts are quality as well. The heat sink is machined from a solid chunk of copper, a PVC sleeve is added, and the tail spring is recessed into the end cap to make room for the 26650 batteries which are slightly longer and thinner than D cells. The new 3 LED setups are sweet as well and quality is second to none.

So, what's the verdict? Well I gotta be honest, I find myself using the 40 and 1,000 lumen modes the most. For working around the house or on a car sometimes even 1,000 is too bright. A lot of the light winds up being reflected back and is rough on the eyes. I find myself using my Malkoff with a 600 lumen LED the most and 600 lumens is about perfect for most work. The wow factor on these lights is second to none but the price is a little tough to swallow for most at $200+. If you have to have the baddest light on the block or are doing frequent search and rescue this is the light for you. If you're planning to use it for work there are probably better suited, less expensive lights. All in all it is a heck of a light and I wouldn't be without one in my stable. I plan to buy a 2,000 lumen 1D soon.

You can't go wrong with Matt at Adventure Sport. Check out his Youtube channel too at: https://www.youtube.com/user/ForgivenMatt He does awesome, fair reviews on competitors lights and flashlights in general.

As always I'm looking to buy Vari-Beams and Vintage/Rare Mags. Please let me know if you have any, top dollar paid.