For the past few years I have only dug on tides where we did not need artificial lights but they will be a must for the December digs. What is the best system you guys have found?

I got a nice $40.00 head lamp from cabelas called the alaskan.It has both LED lighting and regular white.Both have there place but I usually have mine set on regular white light over the LED for clam digging @ night.When using in the morning to dial in the drifter I use the LED setting.Good luck,
SZ

Gas lantern puts out a uniform medium grade light that's best for spotting holes. Once you find one, the lantern stays some distance from the hole, continuing to shine light obliquely onto the sand to reveal every contour, including that precious clam "show".

The ultra-intense new-fangled headlights will allow you to spot them from an oblique angle, but the instant you shine that light perpendicular to the sand over your clam hole, the brightness renders the sand completely featureless, leaving you with that "WTF? Where's my hole?" feeling.

Seen it happen way too many times.

The Coleman Northstar is one of the brightest propane lanterns that I've been around.
For a headlight I like the cheapo Energizer $12.99 at Wally World.
It has a slide switch (NOT the push button) which I like best.
Red-left____White-right

FnP is right, the new headlights make it tricky.

The best is if you can have a lantern holder and a digger, then switch places. If you are by yourself you can make-do with the headlight, I have done it a lot. A softer-wider beam is much better than the tight LED pinpoint beam, but those are harder to find.

Forget the damn brand, but some head lamps have an adjustable beam. Make a wide or tight beam. Bobs has them. They are awesome. Would be a good addition to a latern. And I think it would minimalize the effect doc mentioned. Sorry I don't know the brand, doesn't help much.

Money!

Who'da'hell wants to spend a night huntin' for clams alone anyway?

I always dig in the surf, I'm guessing that's gonna be a problem . ..

You will NOT be alone Doc. John and I are gonna be there. Then we need to go to your house and drink your scotch while you clean and cook the clams.

I prefer lights that fall over easily, get hot enough to burn holes in my rain paints, and usually peter out approximately seven minutes after official sunset.

Otherwise I go with a propane lantern, and like to have one person hold it and one person dig.

Fish on...

Todd

Another excellent strategy.... one lantern holder and two diggers.

The trio slowly and meticulously covers a swath across the beach with lantern dude/dudette in the middle flanked by two diggers slightly ahead and on either side about 8 ft apart.

Here's another eye-guy tip.
Learn to use the periphery of the illuminated area, NOT the center. And never look directly at your light source. Gazing upon a brighter area only screws up your visual dark-adaptation, making it much more difficult to function in the darker zone for at least another 2-3 minutes if you are young, perhaps 10 or more minutes if you are old.

I'm hoping my LED Lensor set on wide beam will do the trick this weekend. I hear ya about the tighter beam not showing the clams as well. No bueno. Dad built a couple stands for he and moms lanterns that allows the water to wash under the lantern. They get their limits in short order on the night digs...while I flail around in the surf. The LED Lensor could do the trick this year though

+1 on the propane lantern. Too much reflection from the headlamps if you're in the water. I fashioned a steel dowel with a handle and ground the other end to a point. Then used large hose clamps to hold the propane bottle to it. Solo I just stick it in the sand and it's held up high enough to survive a wave. With more people you hand it off when you find a show and are left behind to dig while the others continue the hunt.

Propane lantern is the best for all the reasons stated above.

I, however, am cursed with the damn things. I CANNOT manage to keep the mantles useable for any length of time but worst of all, partner present or not, they always end up, somehow, in the sand or in the water. Glass broken, carbuerator shot......toast!

My latest attempt is a coleman battery operated lantern. Same size as the propane jobs but takes 8 D-size batteries. Verdict's out on this one until it goes through it's first sea trials.

Headlamps are a distant third again, for the reasons stated above. Another thing I don't like with these is most that i have tried don't have decent battry life either, sometimes puking before I'm done digging. Ever try to change batteries in the dark?

Well, if you woulda went tonight with us you coulda gotten yer limits before dark. Clams were thick but not as large as the North Beach ones.

Lantern tomorrow night I would imagine. Today left Hoquiam at 2:45 PM and was done with 3 limits and back in the car at 4:05 PM.

fp

Coleman Northstar on a good stand

I'm too spastic on the beach and like to move around so the bulky ass lantern is to much;for this guy.My headlamp runs for ever on some good new batteries.If its a family affair or sausage fest then the northstar would be the one on a stand.Good luck,

SZ

Teamwork.

Its a lantern for me to... my dad and I fashioned a nice shepards cane that I strap it to and stick in the ground. Once I was rolled up the beach by a monster wave and the lantern stayed in the ground and barely quivered. You just gotta love the nightime digs!

Northstar for me, too. Couldn't find a replacement mantle so just ended up using a regular one. Worked for me.

What was that? Last year or the year before there was some Major wind on the beach. Shows were almost non-existant before the flood tide.
Only one broken clam in my limit, life is good.

razor clam guns and lantern stands

For the easiest way to dig clams and the best way to use your Coleman light, check this site out.