Wind-up handle tucks neatly away when not in use

THE FREEPLAY SHERPA TORCH
Price: £ 34.99

Billed as the ‘never-ending light source’ the Sherpa can be charged off the mains or by means of the wind-up handle. It uses a 3.6v 1000mAh Ni-MH non-removable battery and an ultra bright 3.3v 1090mA and 140mA dual-filament, high pressure xenon filled bulb.

The dual-filament bulb allows it to be used on an energy-saving mode or with a full, very bright beam. You simple switch from one to the other according to what your requirements are, ie, low light for baiting up or bright light for packing up and wandering back to the car on a very dark night.

The flashlight incorporates a rechargeable battery with Freeplay’s failsafe wind-up technology to ensure a recharge capability providing you with a dependable flashlight in one compact and rugged unit.

Simply plug it into the mains to charge the internal battery to get an output of approximately 30 minutes on the ultra bright beam and five hours on the regular beam, or a quick wind of about 30 seconds gives some 5 to 8 minutes on the low beam.

Internal mechanical components are specified to industrial standards for repeated use and long life.

The Sherpa is available from Halfords, B&Q and all good electrical stores. For additional stockists information call Burton McCall on 0116 243 4644.

FISHINGmagic VERDICT

The weight of the torch isn’t stated but my digital scales recorded a weight of 91/2 ounces, which isn’t too heavy a weight considering that it carries a high capacity rechargeable Ni-MH battery.

The two beams from the torch are very different, the high beam giving a good, strong light and the low beam being just about good enough for situations where a low light is all that is needed.

The on/off switch is a type of toggle switch, toggling between high and low beam with the ‘off’ button lying between. Although you need to press this switch quite firmly to operate the torch it’s a good idea to put the torch inside something when in your rucksack to prevent accidentally switching it on.

Winding the handle to put some juice back into the battery when mains electricity isn’t available isn’t too arduous and there is no doubt that having such a facility when on a long session on an out-of-the-way venue is a great advantage. And that alone makes the torch a worthwhile purchase if you often find yourself in that situation.

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