Absolutely handiest item on a trip.

[T. Erdelyi]

I've carried a Peak LED or an ARC AAA on a ball chain around my neck for the last 15 years, I've had people make jokes and kids me about it but they've served me well and almost everyone whose made fun of me of jokes about it has benefited from that little light at one time or another, whether it was helping them find something they've lost in the dark or helping them to fix their car it's one of the handiest things I've carried, I use it many times throughout the day and night, mostly for the reasons of the op.

I was working in a brand new clean room in Texas Investments and the power went out, there were no emergency lights installed yet, there were open pits, piping and wiring crisscrossing the floor, a real mess when you could see, a nightmare when you couldn't.

I climbed down off of the wet bench I was working on at the back of the clean room, using my little light to find my way to the exit. Along the way I started accumulating people who froze because they couldn't see where to safely step. By the tone I got out the the change room I had 7 or so people following me.

 

[sodak]

:thumbup: I think there's a lot of wisdom in going with commonly available batteries. And the new LED tech has come so far that you can get a seriously bright light with a AA or two.

I have to admit that the AA and AAA have completely taken over my flashlights. All other flashlights have fallen by the wayside, and I made a conscious decision to standardize my stuff. Everything I use that takes batteries, flashlights, emergency radios, heart/blood pressure monitor, all take the AA/AAA batteries.

I hate to say this, but I'm pretty much done with my photon's, as much as I like them. Today I got some water inside mine, and while taking it apart and drying it out, got the wires bent and couldn't get it working again. The interior mechanism is pretty cheaply made. I might keep one on my keychain, but maybe not.

The little E01 is the perfect size to fit in my pocket without any worry of crushing it. I really like it, and as usual, your advice is spot on. Thank you Jackknife!

 

[NaturalMystic]

I hate to say this, but I'm pretty much done with my photon's, as much as I like them. Today I got some water inside mine, and while taking it apart and drying it out, got the wires bent and couldn't get it working again. The interior mechanism is pretty cheaply made. I might keep one on my keychain, but maybe not.

The little E01 is the perfect size to fit in my pocket without any worry of crushing it. I really like it, and as usual, your advice is spot on. Thank you Jackknife!

I've got a bunch of Photons and similar button style lights and I've stopped EDCing them also. I bought a bunch of spare cells but they're a PITA to finds spares for out in the field. I agree that standardizing your batteries is probably the smarter way to go. Easy to pull batteries from a remote or some other device in an emergency.

 

[NaturalMystic]

I hate to say this, but I'm pretty much done with my photon's, as much as I like them. Today I got some water inside mine, and while taking it apart and drying it out, got the wires bent and couldn't get it working again. The interior mechanism is pretty cheaply made. I might keep one on my keychain, but maybe not.

The little E01 is the perfect size to fit in my pocket without any worry of crushing it. I really like it, and as usual, your advice is spot on. Thank you Jackknife!

Sorry, double post!

 

[jackknife]

I hate to say this, but I'm pretty much done with my photon's, as much as I like them. Today I got some water inside mine, and while taking it apart and drying it out, got the wires bent and couldn't get it working again. The interior mechanism is pretty cheaply made. I might keep one on my keychain, but maybe not.

The little E01 is the perfect size to fit in my pocket without any worry of crushing it. I really like it, and as usual, your advice is spot on. Thank you Jackknife!

I too have tried the little Photon and such keychain lights. I never had good luck with them, and finding the 2016 batteries while out traveling was spotty. Problems with the wires fatiguing, function spotty, and most of all, trying to change batteries on the Photon 2 in the field, and having to deal with the 4 tiny phillips screws was the final straw. I arrived at the E01 after having mediocre luck at best with other lights. The metal Fenix is durable, and if I have to, I can feel around in my pack, find a spare battery by feel, and replace it by feel. I love simple reliable things. If it is finicky in function or maintenance, I toss it by the wayside.

Carl.

 

[wvriverats]

I have carried a Fenix for a few years now. I also use it, as much, if not more than my knife. I bought an ld01 and fell in love with it for a few years. Came across a stainless holiday version that my mom got me as a gift and I have never looked back. The stainless is a bit heavier, but I love it. All of my lights have been thru the washer and dryer several times with no issues. I love them! My girl still carries my first one in her purse.

 

[scotteboy]

good blade and flashlight always go with me and am constantly using both

 

[Squashfan]

Has anybody here purchased anything from sbflashlights? I am thinking about getting an L3 illumination L10 from them.

Also, what kind of batteries are you guys using in your AA/AAA lights? My lights are a Maglite XL50 and Fenix E11. I have been using standard energizers from the grocery store.

 

[jackknife]

Has anybody here purchased anything from sbflashlights? I am thinking about getting an L3 illumination L10 from them.

Also, what kind of batteries are you guys using in your AA/AAA lights? My lights are a Maglite XL50 and Fenix E11. I have been using standard energizers from the grocery store.

I've been using the standard bulk pack of Energizers we get at Sam's Club. When we left for our cross country vacation in October, put a new battery in my E01. After all the use, it's just now ready to be replaced.

 

[fruitbat]

Because of this thread, I added one to my Christmas list. I think I'll be glad I did.

 

[N8N]

Has anybody here purchased anything from sbflashlights? I am thinking about getting an L3 illumination L10 from them.

Also, what kind of batteries are you guys using in your AA/AAA lights? My lights are a Maglite XL50 and Fenix E11. I have been using standard energizers from the grocery store.

Sanyo Eneloops, and a Maha C9000 charger. If you don't like rechargeables for whatever reason, Energizer Lithiums are good too. But I like Eneloops, they don't run down in storage so they act very much like alkaline, save that they don't leak and actually have lower internal resistance. I've changed all my battery powered devices over to various rechargeables (eneloops only come in AA and AAA sizes, for other sizes I am using Energy Century) because I like not having to run out and buy new stuff whenever a cell dies, and I had a lot of alkalines leak on me last year, which prompted me to go ahead and get rid of them all.

 

[Colog]

I've been carrying a Fenix LD01 at work for over a year now. I love it. 3 brightness levels. I turn the head until it's just about to turn on, then I just apply some lateral pressure and it comes on. I don't know if that's a built in feature, but I've been using it like that since I got it.

 

[moshow9]

I've carried a Peak LED or an ARC AAA on a ball chain around my neck for the last 15 years, I've had people make jokes and kids me about it but they've served me well and almost everyone whose made fun of me of jokes about it has benefited from that little light at one time or another, whether it was helping them find something they've lost in the dark or helping them to fix their car it's one of the handiest things I've carried, I use it many times throughout the day and night, mostly for the reasons of the op.

I was working in a brand new clean room in Texas Investments and the power went out, there were no emergency lights installed yet, there were open pits, piping and wiring crisscrossing the floor, a real mess when you could see, a nightmare when you couldn't.

I climbed down off of the wet bench I was working on at the back of the clean room, using my little light to find my way to the exit. Along the way I started accumulating people who froze because they couldn't see where to safely step. By the tone I got out the the change room I had 7 or so people following me.

This just goes to show a real life situation where it is better to have something and not need it, than to need something and not have it. Each light will suit someone differently, but there are plenty of size and other options that it does not make sense to not carry one daily if you are able to.

 

[Bruceter]

I've been carrying a Fenix LD01 at work for over a year now. I love it. 3 brightness levels. I turn the head until it's just about to turn on, then I just apply some lateral pressure and it comes on. I don't know if that's a built in feature, but I've been using it like that since I got it.

I used to do that but the motion of walking must have kept turning it on in my pocket and I ended up with a dead battery. I now make sure that it is unscrewed enough that pressure on the head won't turn it on.

Bruceter

 

[JulianHayes]

I know this is an older thread, but I am on a trip now, in Panama. a little becker remora has been VERY useful, as well as a SAK farmer and a fenix flashlight. The Becker is great, my brother in law asked for it (very unusual in my family) to devein dozens of shrimp today, and was amazed at how perfect it was. Also I brought a small pair of stones to sharpen the dull kitchen knives, and that made food prep so much easier. My mother, who hates all of my knives, was actually glad I did. A disposable lighter and some paracord also come in handy.

 

[knolan]

Has anybody here purchased anything from sbflashlights? I am thinking about getting an L3 illumination L10 from them.

Also, what kind of batteries are you guys using in your AA/AAA lights? My lights are a Maglite XL50 and Fenix E11. I have been using standard energizers from the grocery store.

SBflashlights is a CPF trusted quality online dealer. The L3 Illumination L10 is a great light for the money, especially since it's one of the few production lights currently offering the Nichia 219 High CRI emitter...the grail LED for tint snobs. The build quality is just okay, but is a simple twisty switch (thin walls, anno chips easily, and emitter centering is hit-or-miss) but seems very rugged otherwise and mine has never failed to function after many drops. It's also avail. in colors and 3 or 4 mode option, w/the latter offering a very useful firefly mode.

Try buying some Eneloop (brand) Ni-MH rechargables and a good charger and move away from alkaline's (alkaleak's). These are state of the art Ni-MH AA & AAA's and they won't leak and destroy your light/device...will hold a charge practically forever, and handle higher current loads much better than alkaline's. If you can't justify rechargables...lithium primaries are a good way to go for long life, and no leaks.

 

[Arugess]

I too have tried the little Photon and such keychain lights. I never had good luck with them, and finding the 2016 batteries while out traveling was spotty. Problems with the wires fatiguing, function spotty, and most of all, trying to change batteries on the Photon 2 in the field, and having to deal with the 4 tiny phillips screws was the final straw. I arrived at the E01 after having mediocre luck at best with other lights. The metal Fenix is durable, and if I have to, I can feel around in my pack, find a spare battery by feel, and replace it by feel. I love simple reliable things. If it is finicky in function or maintenance, I toss it by the wayside.

Carl.

I've discovered that I can use a single 2025 that I can get a 5-pack of from Dollarama instead of 2 x 2016 cells in my Inova microlight. Perhaps the same substitution can be done for the Photon? The 2025s seem to be more easily found too.

 

[Echo63]

I've discovered that I can use a single 2025 that I can get a 5-pack of from Dollarama instead of 2 x 2016 cells in my Inova microlight. Perhaps the same substitution can be done for the Photon? The 2025s seem to be more easily found too.

CR2032 is a better fit

The numbers on the batterys actually mean something - the CR means its lithium, the first two numbers are diameter in mm and the last two are thickness (so 2016 is 20mm across, 1.6mm thick, 2032 is the same size, and twice as thick -3.2mm)

I always have a light or three on me - my all the time, not negotiable EDC light is a Muyshondt Aeon - 100 lumens or 90 mins, or 10ish lumens for 40hrs - from a little CR2 lithium cell (easily found at camera shops for a rediculous price, or mail ordered in bulk for pretty cheap)

A light, easily packable rain/wind jacket is also useful on a trip - if its small enough you always carry it

 

[Squashfan]

SBflashlights is a CPF trusted quality online dealer. The L3 Illumination L10 is a great light for the money, especially since it's one of the few production lights currently offering the Nichia 219 High CRI emitter...the grail LED for tint snobs. The build quality is just okay, but is a simple twisty switch (thin walls, anno chips easily, and emitter centering is hit-or-miss) but seems very rugged otherwise and mine has never failed to function after many drops. It's also avail. in colors and 3 or 4 mode option, w/the latter offering a very useful firefly mode.

Try buying some Eneloop (brand) Ni-MH rechargables and a good charger and move away from alkaline's (alkaleak's). These are state of the art Ni-MH AA & AAA's and they won't leak and destroy your light/device...will hold a charge practically forever, and handle higher current loads much better than alkaline's. If you can't justify rechargables...lithium primaries are a good way to go for long life, and no leaks.

I was thinking about going Energizer lithium for my Fenix E01/E11. But I thought I had seen a warning against using lithium batteries in most LED flashlights because of heat build up. What is that about?
And for a total flashlight noob what is the advantage of the Nichia 219? I was planning to get the XPG version because it comes in red and, IIRC, the XPG has ever so slightly better output.

 

[knolan]

I was thinking about going Energizer lithium for my Fenix E01/E11. But I thought I had seen a warning against using lithium batteries in most LED flashlights because of heat build up. What is that about?
And for a total flashlight noob what is the advantage of the Nichia 219? I was planning to get the XPG version because it comes in red and, IIRC, the XPG has ever so slightly better output.

The main danger with lithium primaries is when one uses them in a two or multi-cell light and the there is a sizable voltage disparity between the batteries. Simply put, the weaker cell can drain totally and reverse polarity potentially leading to thermal runaway and possible fire. It's very rare but happens, and in single cell lights there is little to no danger. NOTE* Quality lithium primaries and Li-ion's are actually quite safe (your cell phone, laptop, and tablet use Li-ion's) but the industry in general isn't well regulated and before you venture into lithium batteries you would be wise to read more about them at http://batteryuniversity.com ...just for safety's sake.

As far as emitters go, the CREE XP-G2 is a cooler tint than the Nichia 219 (high-CRI or "color rendering index", which is the version used in the L10) and will be roughly 7/15% brighter than the 219 that's true, although you'd hardly notice the diff in actual use due to the way we perceive light, but is still a fine choice. It's just that tint fanatics/snobs (lol) or those that have a need/desire for the very best color rendering, e.g. photographers, painters, electricians, etc. usually jump at the chance to buy lights with the 219 since it's currently the gold standard of neutral tint LED's and emits a very pleasing light similar to a late summer sun, or warm incandescent reading light that typically make colors pop. *Before the L10 came out there was almost no other recourse for flashaholics to obtain this emitter in a ready-made flashlight in anything other than a custom light, usually costing several hundred dollars! Another reason flashaholic's buy the L10/Nichia 219 version about as fast as they can make em'...it's considered a bargain at around a little under $30.

If tint means nothing to you and the most output is all you really want (and for 90% of the buying public, this is the case as online dealers routinely claim) then the XP-G2 would probably be a better choice, and even a few $$ cheaper....hope this helps answer your questions.