Flashlight on top of tent

[MDGross]

Possible scenarios:
1. It was to function as a beacon when the group fled the tent. If it was turned on, though, the batteries would eventually die. Yet the flashlight worked when found by the search party.
2. When the tent was moved to the slope by the people staging the tragedy, someone inadvertently left it on top of the tent. But assuming the tent was moved and pitched in daylight, why was someone carrying a flashlight?
3. The group was attacked at night and one of the attackers placed the flashlight on top of the tent, but then forgot about it.

Other explanations? Maybe this one flashlight is an absolutely crucial clue?!

[Monty]

Was there not the odd observation that it was found on top of a significant amount of snow?

[Игорь Б.]

Other explanations?

Фонарик был просто потерян при выбегании из палатки. Как и подсвечник, например.
Только фонарик нашли в 1959 году, а подсвечник в 2013. Если бы было наоборот, то получилось бы, что туристы выбегали из палатки со свечкой в руках.

Все находки на месте палатки в 2013 году:
https://disk.yandex.ru/a/bIMPyewW3VmKXn

Was there not the odd observation that it was found on top of a significant amount of snow?

Ничего удивительного:
http://1723.ru/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=5133&view=findpost&p=65877

[Manti]

A flashlight on top of the tent rules out katabatic wind, and meteorite explosion shockwaves. Unless.. it was placed there later.

But there were no other traces in the area, apart from the footprints leading down from the tent, so unless it was dropped onto the tent from a helicopter... the Dyatlovites must have left it there.

However.. another inconsistent thing is that one half of the tent has collapsed and the rope torn, so there had to be some strong force acting on that half of the tent. Was the flashlight found on the other half? What force can tear down one half but leave a flashlight in place on the other?

So based on this, the Dyatlov group must have left the flashlight on the tent but after the tent has already half-collapsed.

Another possibility I would consider is that multiple searchers have found the tent independently and the first of them have left the flashlight.

[Игорь Б.]

What force can tear down one half...

Эта сила - девять человек, вскочившие на ноги в палатке высотой 120 см. и отпрянувшие назад от входа. Лыжные палки, подпиравшие центральную часть и задний торец палатки упали.

P.S. Без печки центр палатки поддерживался лыжной палкой:
http://1723.ru/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=5133&view=findpost&p=98184

[Manti]

Yes, that could be it.

[Paf]

Flashlight battery can also suffer from the cold.
My bike battery has hard time not getting off at -30, but after half an hour inside, the battery is good again.

The lamp may have been discarded because out of battery -due to the cold at night- and then warming up enough (for the battery to recover) during the day it was found.

[MDGross]

Good point, Paf. It's reasonable to assume that the hikers warmed flashlights at night by placing them under the stove. That the flashlight still worked when found by Sharavin could mean that it was placed on top of the tent just a day or two before. If people did in fact stage the tragedy, then maybe they finished pitching the tent in the twilight or early evening and needed a flashlight. Then accidentally left it on top of the tent.
I dunno. But this small detail of a working flashlight could have significant meaning.

[Игорь Б.]

В СССР в 1950-е — 1960-е годы батарея имела торговое название КБС (карманная батарея сухая), а позже 3336 и «Планета».

В просторечии она называлась «плоская» или «квадратная батарейка». Существовали «летний» и «холодостойкий» варианты...

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%8F_3R12

Хранение элементов и батарей.
Все сухие элементы и анодные батареи, независимо от их типа и назначения, следует хранить в сухом, прохладном месте и при температуре, желательно, ниже нуля, не допуская отсырения батарей.

"Химические источники тока", А.П. Окатов, Госхимиздат, 1948

Поэтому Золотарёв не боялся носить фонарик не во внутреннем кармане в тепле, а снаружи, даже днём, когда фонарик был не нужен. Те батарейки лучше сохраняли заряд на холоде.

[Manti]

Didn't the searchers say half of the tent and also the bodies of Igor, Zina and Rustem had to be dug out from under hardened snow (nast)?
That needs time to form so rules out staging within the last week or two before the tent was found.

[ElizabethHarris]

Or the flashlight was put there by someone other than the 9 since it seems the bodies were moved soon after death.

[GlennM]

Is it likely a flashlight would be put on a tent while certain individuals relieved themselves at night?

[Manti]

I don't think so..

They could always retrace their steps to find the tent.Also, they could hear the others in the tent so find it "by ear".And, there would be light coming from the tent anyway as others are changing clothes, eating, preparing to write diaries etc. in there.

[ElizabethHarris]

I think it was put on top of the tent by someone who searched the tent after the hikers left it (a few minutes/hours after they abandoned it.) Wasn't it turned off when found it, with the batteries still charged? I also think another flashlight was found in between the tent and the cedar somewhere as if it was just tossed off and discarded when the batteries blew. I don't think any of the 9 would do this, batteries dead or not.

[GlennM]

What Elizabeth said.