Best Flashlight?

ARC AAA is a good first buy. Put it on your keychain and you are covered for any short term need.

Then watch the boards here and at CPF for a like new SureFire E2e and you will have a real torch that will provide the throw you will want.
 
I carry an Arc AAA and a Surefire A2. An Arc LS would also be good if you don't need to light up distant objects.
 
I've found that the lights from Arc and Inova serve my purposes best of all.
Sure Fire makes a blindingly bright light, but bulb and battery life are very low and the price is somewhat high.
Streamlight has some very good offerings, as does C. Crane.

Paul
 
what Surfire do you all recommend to complement a pistol for defense duty?

G2Z nitrolon or Z2 combatlight?
 
I've really been enjoying my Arc 4. I bought one that was seconds and I'm severely pleased. Versatility is through the roof. Carry it on my belt 24/7.
 
I was reading about how nice and small Arc AAA is, but how bright is it? I think someplace it says 4 lumens. That's not too bright, I think. How far would that beam project, just in front of my feet or a bit farther? Just trying to get an idea of what to expect. Looks very nice and tiny though... :)
 
If you have a white coin-cell led, think of how bright that is when you first turn it on. The ARC AAA stays that bright. It's ideal for shining into a computer or under a couch, reading, walking at night without stepping on rattlesnakes. Not useful for seeing what's making that noise fifty feet away -- that's what the Surefire is for.
 
I think the key to what you are looking for is portability as an EDC. The ARC AAA is probably the best key chain light available -- get one of these.

As for an additional light that you are likely to carry daily and has reasonabably good brightness and throw while still being small, I recommend the expensive ARC LSH or ARC 4. If the $100 and higher price tag is too high here, then take a look at Streamlight's Twin Task with 1 lithium battery; it's larger than the ARCs, but, much less expensive.
 
definitely Surefire!

They are a little overpriced but you get what you paid for. I EDC the L4 and an arc AAA. The L4 is good for anything from checking out my backyard to shining under the hood at night. While the Arc is good for small needs like going to the bathroom at night.
 
Sundsvall said:
You should also consider the Pelican M6 Lithium and M6 LED.
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I'm glad someone mentioned the Pelican. I wrote a review here a while back. I think the Pelican M6 LED is probably one of the best bang for the buck lights out there right now. You're looking at a bulb that won't burn out like an incandescent and the M6 LED is one of the farthest throwing LED lights. The M6 LED bulbs are also very white--especially when compared with an incandescent light and are rated (on Pelican's website) at 41 lumens for a 40 hour burntime. It has a "clickie" lockout tailswitch (click on/off) and is backed by Pelican's lifetime warranty. The fact that it uses Lithium batteries (CR123's) are both advantage and disadvantage. Disadvantage is that they're not as common and more expensive than regular alkaline batts, but the advantage is that they run longer with (I believe) a steadier discharge curve and aren't affected by temperature as much as alkalines.

Personally I think the L4 + Arc AAA is the best EDC out there but the L4 is $110+ and it's difficult to get and even harder to get with an LED as white as the M6 LED. In any case an Arc AAA goes with pretty much everything.

Good luck in finding your light (keep an eye on your wallet :p ), and just remember going through all of the lights looking for the "perfect" one is half the fun of it ;) .
 
G2 Surefire goes for around $30 and has 65 lumens and runs for around an hour. Underwater Kinetics also has some good stuff
 
lol :) I actually just spotted G2 Surefire and thought hey! neat! :)

What's the difference between that and E2E anyways, besides the metal construction and lack of the clip? Looks the same from the website, same 60-lumen range output, same buttons at the back, or am I missing things?

E2E still looks awfully good to me, maybe I'll be able to get one used.
 
Vess said:
lol :) I actually just spotted G2 Surefire and thought hey! neat! :)

What's the difference between that and E2E anyways, besides the metal construction and lack of the clip? Looks the same from the website, same 60-lumen range output, same buttons at the back, or am I missing things?

E2E still looks awfully good to me, maybe I'll be able to get one used.
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There's a few minor differences--the first of which is size. The G2 is bulkier than the E2/E2e. The G2 has a lexan lens compared to the Pyrex lens on the E2e (I believe the E2 has the same Lexan lens). The difference between lenses is how well they handle heat as the Lexan lens can melt (not likely, but it does happen). The G2 also has the option of using the P61 high output lamp assembly which, according to the Surefire site, runs at 120 lumens for 20 minutes. Conversely, the E2/E2e has the option of running a low output MN02 lamp assembly rated at 25 lumens for 2.5 hours.
 
I bought the Pelican M6 LED based on my impressions of the M6 Lithium and Zenghost's review of the M6 LED.

I have to say that it is almost exactly what I was looking for:

Bright (41 lumens)
No bulbs to change (LED)
Adjustable focus
Long battery life (40 hours on one set of batteries)
machined aluminum body
Lifetime guarantee
Low price

If it had been smaller, have a borafloat optic, and a Hard Anodized body then it would be perfect.

IMO this is the best deal for the money.
 
Vess,
Like you, I live in Toronto and survived the 'great blackout ' last summer. Since then I've carried with me at all times a yellow (for ultimate burn time) and Turqoise (for brightness-signalling) Photon II. Both are also good comprimises for reading in low-light conditions.

I've also puchased a CMG Infinity Ultra that I carry in my bag to the office. After significant consideration, I chose this light because of its combination of easy to obtain battery (any corner store or gas station will have them), long burn time, durability/water-resistance and price/value.

While the Arc AA/AAAs are undoubtedly great lights, they have a Sun/Moon mode that kicks in at 5rs and 10hrs respectively--my understanding is that the CMG would burn at full brightness well past these times. Both Arcs are also more expensive.

My search of CPF after the blackout also indicates that that long burn times were of more value than brightness (remember, some areas had no power for nearly a week; and some people had to walk to the suburbs to get home).
 
I'd like to second the idea of having a multi-LED headlight for emergency use. I've got a Photon Fusion and LOVE it, though I wouldn't recommend it for an EDC emergency light. With a headlamp you always have both hands free, which is extremely handy. I use my Fusion on low to read at night sometimes, and it's great on bright for taking out the garbage. Plus, it has a red LED if you need to save your night vision, and strobe functions for emergency signaling. The only problem is that it's kind of big, which is why something like the Petzl Zipka (retractable headband version of the Tikka) would be better to stuff into a Maxpedition Fatboy for emergency lighting.

Photon II's are cheap and light enough that everyone should have one on their keychain... sounds like it would have helped you through the blackout, though it's less handy than a headlamp.
 
Sundsvall said:
I bought the Pelican M6 LED based on my impressions of the M6 Lithium and Zenghost's review of the M6 LED.

I have to say that it is almost exactly what I was looking for:

Bright (41 lumens)
No bulbs to change (LED)
Adjustable focus
Long battery life (40 hours on one set of batteries)
machined aluminum body
Lifetime guarantee
Low price

If it had been smaller, have a borafloat optic, and a Hard Anodized body then it would be perfect.

IMO this is the best deal for the money.
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I'm glad you got some use out of my review, Sundsvall. As far as the borofloat lens, I'm assuming you already knew/know about the Borofloat and UCL lenses for the PM6/PM6 LED at FlashlightLens.com , but regarding the HAIII, you just may get your wish.
 
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