EDC flashlight recomendation

Thanks for the help and suggestions. I learned a lot about knives through you all and now I'm trying to learn about flashlights. I think the search is part of the fun. I understand that similar to knives there is no "best" it's a question as to what is best for what purpose. I did ask ask at CPF as well. Most of what I read there is greek to me at the moment but I'll get it eventually. The plan is to do my homework, make the right decision and cry once. That didn't work out so well with knives LOL. My collection continues to grow. Primary use would be EDC. I think due to battery life issues I may be better served with an EDC and something else dedicated to safety as powernoodle suggested. Size isn't as much of an issue as I could keep it in my purse. As far as lumens I need enough to have a negative impact on vision without having to scroll through modes to access that feature. I need enough throw to scan a treeline that surrounds the parking lot (50-100 yards?). I am not able to carry a weapon to work. I've had some issues for which my employer temporarily hired off duty police officers to get us to our cars safely. I'm the last to leave at night. As far as batteries go I'd prefer AA or eneloops. I'm open to the other battery options. I have no experience with them but I'm concerned they get hot. As far as other considerations LED, under $150, made in USA is proving to be difficult so far, wide throw for a large wooded backyard and hiking, SOS/beacon/strobe. A plus would be if it could tail stand and have an optional red filter. I was leaning towards Titanium. It's pretty :) and not so tactical in appearance but function trumps aesthetics. As far as the switch something that clicks vs twists and I'm guessing tail mounted would be best. Voltage step down? vs the light turning off when the battery is low is a nice to have feature.

So far these interest me:
Fenix PD35 although it lacks the tail stand. Possibly too bright for edc?
Zebra SC62 has a battery indicator and is available in grey, pictures of light pattern look great. Concerns are the usability/comfort of the recessed switch (long nails)
Thrunight TN12 - tail stand,press and hold to access strobe
Nitecore P12 -battery indicator, memory to access strobe from off, has SOS and becon
Eagletac D25 ti - attractive, tail stand, multiple modes, glow in dark, easy interface? Enough lumens?
 
I have been carrying a L3 Illumination L10 AA light, and a 4sevens Quark AA. I have recently been switching over to rechargeable 18650 lights, (Sunwayman C20C) and looking for a single RCR123's. I am looking at a Olight single RCR123, S10. It looks like a great little light.
 
floridaclipper said:
Fenix PD35 although it lacks the tail stand. Possibly too bright for edc?
Thrunight TN12 - tail stand,press and hold to access strobe
Nitecore P12 -battery indicator, memory to access strobe from off, has SOS and becon
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Nothing's "too bright" for EDC, as you have different modes. Out of those three I recommend the Nitecore P12. It can tail stand (unlike the PD35), it's cheaper than the PD35, and as you mentioned it has strobe memory, a low battery/voltage indicator (very useful), and my favourite: moonlight mode (super useful at night). Mine went through the washing machine and came out unscathed.
 
I owned a ThruNight... it also survived the wash.
 
You may want to take a look at the two Prometheus models. A little pricey but very powerful in AAA.
 
I have the thrunite tn12,this an awesome light-5 modes with memory circuit so you can choose which mode to leave it in.
moon setting is.1 lumen for 1585 hrs of runtime is amazing(you can actually still see well in the dark on this setting)
or you could go with 280 lumens/5 hour mode ,lots of light for sure.

the pd35 is great also, I like the 50 lumens mode for a 38 hour runtime.memory circuit

the pd 30 is also an excellent light i keep mine at 48 lumens/11 hour runtime it is really a nice.

all the above have glass lens which is important to me ,do not like a scratched lens
 
For edc its hard to beat the olight baton series. It comes in several different options, but with size not being an issue the s30r is a good choice. It runs on an 18650 battery, which is rechargeable and offers you the most runtime in an edc sized light. It has moonlight mode, well spaced low medium and high, and immediate access to turbo and strobe from off. Turbo will give you a whopping 1000 lumens if you need to light up a parking lot.
The best part is you can just drop it on the included charger at the end of the night so its always topped up and ready to go. No need for a separate charger or removal of the battery.
The switch Is side mounted and can be a bit tough to find quickly, so it would be wise to keep it in your hand with your thumb on it when in the parking lot, that's the only downside I see. As a plus, there is a lockout, so if you hold the switch for 2 seconds or so, it'll require you to hold it for another 2 seconds to make it turn on. This would be useful for having it loose in your purse and not worrying about it turning on while you go about your day. Plus, it tailstands :D.
 
I would go with the sc62. I also own the sc52, and the amount of light the 62 emits blows away the 52. The runtimes are also much better, and somehow it is not much larger. I can post up a pic tomorrow of both of them together if you would like.
 
u812 said:
I just got one of the AAA brass Maratac lights from Countycomm.
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This light is on my keychain along with a SOG Crosscut. Minimal heft, 3 output levels, just a great all-around pocket-sized small flashlight that has a readily attainable power source. Mine is copper but that's simply aesthetics.
 
I decided to get a Fenix e15 for every day carry, 170 lumens is plenty bright for the $30 :D
 
Picked up a Energizer brand LED light at Home Depot the other day on a whim. It has a plastic body and uses two AA batteries (end to end). It is rated at 250 Lumens (5 hr rating) on high and 30 lumens (50 hr rating) on low. No strobe or other settings that I never use. I have been using it around the house and it seems like a pretty good light for $25. It is small enough to carry in a bag but not really practical as an EDC in your pocket. The plastic sort of turned me off, but it seems to work great. Probably going to pick another one of these up at Home Depot next time I visit a store. They have three different models that are all the same physical size (about 6.5"L x 1" dia). I doubt this will excite many folks here, but it seems like a pretty good light.
 
I just picked up a Fenix E25.

I wanted something for around $30 that was bright, took AAs and was not a small palm size torch, but not a huge Maglite either.

It's pretty Good. 260 lumens max output. Light, bright and sturdy.

The power button might be a deal breaker for some - front mounted and of the 4 lightness modes the 260 lumen burst mode is only achieved by holding the power button.

Still a great torch and the high setting of 130 lumens is fairly bright. More of a concentrated thrower, not much of a flood with this light.
 
Big fan of the Streamlight ProTac 2AAA for EDC. Not even noticeable clipped next to the knife and handles just about anything I need.
 
Be careful,
Last December I decided I needed a light..
UWe0p2nl.jpg


Zebra SC62W on the way. And I'm eyeballing the Armytek Tiara headlamp..;)
Cheers
 
I carry my Fenix PD22 in my jeans pocket every day. I have a PD32 that I carry in my briefcase. I also have an LD01 that I used to carry everyday and I would still carry it if I didn't like the PD22 so much.
 
I LOVE my little Fenix E01. I've tried the E05 and I have an AA Peak LED Solutions Keno Bay. The Peakis bright as is the E05, but the shorter run times are a turn off. The E01 is a great combination of small enough size that it goes on the keyring that I don't leave home without, good enough brightness to see my immediate surroundings well in the dark, outstanding run time, and rugged reliability. I love reliability. The E01 has traveled thousands of mies with me cross country, and worked for me under a wide variety of conditions. Last year on a cross country road trip, we stopped at Carlsbad Caverns. It was during the government shutdown fiasco, and the guided tours in the caverns were off, so it was self guided only. Maintenance was down and some of the lights down there on the walkway wee out, leaving parts of the narrow asphalt path in deep darkness. The little Fenix lit up the walkway just fine. Being 700 feet down under ground, it was back, but the E01 was a champ. I've become try attached to that little light.

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I picked up a close out HDS and its been great. Love the UI and its small size.


 
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