Lighting

These lights, also known as High Intensity Discharge lights are typically used for lighting

outdoor spaces such as sporting grounds and streets. The technology replaces the filament of

an ordinary light bulb with a metal vapour gas. The light is emitted from an arc discharge

between two closely spaced electrodes, which is sealed inside a quartz glass tube. The light

produced is greater than a standard halogen bulb, while consuming less power, and more

closely approximating the colour temperature of natural daylight. While the exterior of

these lamps are quite rugged, the HID bulb itself is quite fragile and can be expensive to

replace.

A 10 watt HID torch can beam an impressive 450 lumens, which is about as bright as a 50 watt

Halogen bulb. It also emits a lot of Ultra Violet light so it would be a word of warning not

to look at the beam. With variations of these torches commonly used in diving, you will find

they are generally quite expensive and consequently not yet commonly used in camping

products.