Flashlight

[NateTheGreat]

One of our haunted houses this October may be a "flashlight" haunt where each group gets one flashlight to journey through a near pitch black haunted house. We were wondering who has had success with this or has any advice. Also - we would like to know of good flashlights to use that are inexpensive, have a long-lasting life, and are durable.

Suggestions? Advise? Concerns?

N

[BrotherMysterio]

One of our haunted houses this October may be a "flashlight" haunt where each group gets one flashlight to journey through a near pitch black haunted house. We were wondering who has had success with this or has any advice. Also - we would like to know of good flashlights to use that are inexpensive, have a long-lasting life, and are durable.

Suggestions? Advise? Concerns?

N

A "flashlight"? A whole flashlight? Boy, you're generous! Seriously.

At House of Torment's DarkStalkers, you don't get a flashlight. You get a glowstick. One glowstick. And the monsters will sometimes try to take it away.

At least with a flashlight, you can temporarily blind the monsters and try to escape. Not so with a glowstick.

Check out the link for more info.

C.

[sean]

One flashlight for the whole group.....That would be hilarious to watch (group members shouting where to point it). Try Harbor Freight, I picked up 100 flashlights for 99 cents each a few months ago...led with batteries included.

[Cliff]

we used them on our trail, biggest problem is keeping them out of the actors eyes. then being sure to get them back, we sent 4 lights with a group of 8 would lose some every night. also they will break out there phones and even some would have leds that would really blind our actors.

[BrotherMysterio]

we used them on our trail, biggest problem is keeping them out of the actors eyes. then being sure to get them back, we sent 4 lights with a group of 8 would lose some every night. also they will break out there phones and even some would have leds that would really blind our actors.

Ergo, the DarkStalkers approach of using a glowstick.

[Jim Warfield]

I Would Buy..

The smallest version of Ever Ready workhorse flash lights, now gone for good.
I would run masking tape around the lense after taking it apart and spray paint a bright color leaving it's "nose" easily identifiable as "Mine!. This helped with the "vanishing" flashlights... some.
If you go this route and your flashlights need new batteries, buy rechargable batteries and a charger. A quick charger can recoup in 15 minutes for 4 batteries but will not recharge unless the current is still the least bit present, but my old, slow charger will! (It's not fussy!)
If actors being "blinded" by the flashlights are a big problem, don't fully re-charge those batteries! Or haze the lense with some slight bit of paint or scratches.
I would be interested in how the Harbor-Flashlights held up ?
I bought a bunch of really cheap flashlights and they were junk very quickly, not worth the effort to buy them. They also had too many parts that got lost when working on them and then the light would not work, like a thin, plastic spacer ring around the screw -on lense. Why design in failure?

[NateTheGreat]

I haven't tried it yet, but I dont think that a glowstick would allow the customers to see enough of the gruesome sets we have in place. I could be wrong, but I think that a flashlight with a narrow light span would be much creepier. I intend to try it with a glowstick to see the costs and benefits. Also, we could encourage patrons to turn off their phones before entering to get rid of the cell phone problem. Lastly, there may be a way to add some kind of filter to the lens to dim it for the actors' eyes (or we could incorporate sunglass goggles into our actors' costumes)

[BrotherMysterio]

I haven't tried it yet, but I dont think that a glowstick would allow the customers to see enough of the gruesome sets we have in place. I could be wrong, but I think that a flashlight with a narrow light span would be much creepier. I intend to try it with a glowstick to see the costs and benefits. Also, we could encourage patrons to turn off their phones before entering to get rid of the cell phone problem. Lastly, there may be a way to add some kind of filter to the lens to dim it for the actors' eyes (or we could incorporate sunglass goggles into our actors' costumes)

Well, here is the basic breakdown of DarkStalkers from the HOT website.

Upon arriving each group (NOT each person) is given ONE glowstick. After all participants sign a waiver of liability the group enters over 10,000 square feet of total darkness where monsters and mayhem await.

It is up to your group to find its own way out. There is no preset path. Inside the depths of the darkness a horde of monsters roam freely, equipped with the latest in night vision technology, ready to reap havoc upon all those that enter.

As you navigate your way through DarkStalkers it is not uncommon for participants to get lost, separated from their groups, and/or have their glowsticks stolen by the terrors that lurk inside.

For some the experience lasts 15 minutes, for others the experience last for HOURS. This event is not for the faint of heart and is not recommended for those under the age of 13.

Important Information: There is no predetermined path, there is not time limit, and there is no escape. If your group cannot find its way out or if anyone becomes too frightened, we will NOT escort them out.

If your group’s glowstick is lost or stolen by a monster we will NOT replace it.

All who enter will be REQUIRED to sign a waiver before entering.

It doesn't say it here, but I've read in other places that the monsters wear night vision goggles so that they can easily see the patrons, but the patrons can't see the monsters . . . at least, not until they're up close.

Also, while it doesn't say so, I'm sure if there are all these rules and stipulations, signing waivers and whatnot, then one of the caveats is that you have to relinquish your cell phone and other potential sources of light, tho, actually, trying to navigate total darkness with nothing more than a pen-light or whatnot could make for an amusing experience (at least on the part of the monsters).

One of the advantages of glowsticks is that they're cheap and easy to use, and for those customers who manage to retain their sticks, they can be branded so you can have a great souvenir or giveaway.

C.

[Greg Chrise]

This doesn't have a good sound to it. People without light will go for cell phones or worse yet bic lighters. Or not want to attend such silliness at all without bringing their own super lazer light. Maybe one completely dark room with monsters and no light can become very entertaining as the monsters simply stand in the way in total darkness. No flashlights or anything. Not a whole haunt where some might not have the benefit of not tripping over each other or things no one sees, falling into things they have no idea the shape of.

Flashlights may be a very good way to look at everything with tunnel vision and not be able to sense what is coming around you on the move. Or some things might actually be activated by light sensors to move or jiggle or jump? Anything beyond that is kind of a prank that isn't well thought out and won't be seeing any return customers. It is an unnecessary burden or situation people that have been put into that might not be quite so entertaining for some.

If 8 people took an hour to go through and you are limited to only so many in the haunt at a time your throughput is down to about 20 people per hour. In season it needs to be 4 to 6 people every minute or so.

Night vision and any source of light is instant blindness to the monsters. Light Amplification System=bad. It should only be in total darkness with ambient light of some kind.

You could do a thing where thankyou for coming, please deposit your flashlights and drive safely. Then after one room of light the lights go out on them for a time? This slows the bunny trail way down so there needs to be almost 3 paths of darkness to make up for the time absorbed by each group encountering a feel your way through experience.

I have always thought something more like an old lantern would provide more ambience. A glazed over lens with limited power to light up the whole room, plus people standing in the way of light. Nothing to point at someone's eyes.

[Jim Warfield]

Total Darkness= Amplified Problems

Even if there were night vision cameras recording every inch of the 10,000 sq, feet, you would still have to put a huge amount of plain old "Trust" into each customer (and employee?) left with the extreme freedom that such a setting would be providing.
How would anyone determine quickly enough if screams for help were genuine to be able to stop a fight or a molestation?
"People" will do what ever they think they can get away with , especially if some alcohol or other drugs are introduced into the formula.
A massive number of verified, trusted and adult employees and the aforemention videos cameras would be needed.
I would also be guessing many problems with the customers would arise when the fear and frustration levels drastically increase if no one is guiding them at all or looking out for anyone's welfare.
"Waivers" do not eliminate all responsibilty.

[BrotherMysterio]

Even if there were night vision cameras recording every inch of the 10,000 sq, feet, you would still have to put a huge amount of plain old "Trust" into each customer (and employee?) left with the extreme freedom that such a setting would be providing.
How would anyone determine quickly enough if screams for help were genuine to be able to stop a fight or a molestation?
"People" will do what ever they think they can get away with , especially if some alcohol or other drugs are introduced into the formula.
A massive number of verified, trusted and adult employees and the aforementioned videos cameras would be needed.
I would also be guessing many problems with the customers would arise when the fear and frustration levels drastically increase if no one is guiding them at all or looking out for anyone's welfare.
"Waivers" do not eliminate all responsibility.

I think HOT's DarkStalkers treats it as a special event, and not as a main event or regular haunt. Also, last season, they did it off season and not during the regular run.

C.

[spong8]

Darkstalkers memories

Yeah it is a special event for two nights or so after the main season. I worked one night at a Darkstalkers event and can tell you that it is a blast to work. Pretty much all obstructions, not including walls and large set pieces, are removed so that the tripping hazzards are decreased. Nothing like low tables, chairs, etc. were in the pathways. Out of the many people that came that night, we saw plenty of cell phones and plenty of contraband lighting. All of which, excluding cellular phones, were confiscated and could be obtained at the end of the dark maze. Not that that bright screen of a cell phone would do much of anything but give away their position to the actors, the darkness was thick as fog . Loved crawling along the floor and popping my head up into their light and then vanishing elsewhere. Took a bit to get used to the lack of light, but it was easy to tell where people were generally. Another thing was, the actors had control over how long certain people were in the haunt. If they got genuinely frustrated and weren't having fun, we'd simply escort them out. It was fun, but I don't see how it could be done as a regular haunt though. Well I could, but I prefer to see the sets under stage lighting and not from the light of a flash light or even glowstick.