flashlight for the car

kamkazmoto

kamkazmoto

Joined
Sep 14, 2002
Messages
4,135
I am looking for a flashlight to replace the three cell maglight that resided in my trunk. I want a light that is more flood than spot and has the power of a 2 or 3 cell maglight. I prefer a led or led/conventional combination. My first thought was a Streamlight Twin Task powered my 2 cr123's but I thought that I better ask first. Any Suggestions.
 
Surefire G2 in any color but I would suggest yellow (easy to see). I have one for each vehicle. That's all you're gonna need. And it retails for less that $40. :)
 
mwelch8404 said:
What about the TT 3 C from Streamlight?
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Exactly!...I have one (silver), and it's an excellent light...HOWEVER, if you are looking for a light with "long-term-storage" ability, the Streamlight Twin Task 2L is worth a look, as it uses the 123 3V lithium batteries (and they have a LONG "shelf-life", and good resistance to cold weather).
 
bimmer said:
I have a G2 in my car (while i EDC a KL1). Good setup for me.
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You mean you just carry the head around with you?! Not much of a light output, huh? :p ;) :D
 
I keep a Lightwave 4000 in my car. 3 D cells w/ 10 LEDs. I keep a few in the house too in case of power outages.
 
If it's going to be kept in your car, possibly for long periods, and possibly used in the very cold, the only acceptable batteries are lithiums, not alkalines. That indicates something like the TwinTask 2L. You don't mention what this light will be for, exactly. If it's mostly for changing tires, then a headlamp might be the best bet. Something with multiple modes and either a luxeon LED or a halogen lamp, or a hybrid luxeon/halogen + 5mm LEDs.

If you want something handheld, something like the TwinTask seems like it'd be great. You can use the LEDs when you can, and the bright incandescent when you need it.
 
The flashlights in my car are a G2 and an AA mini-Mag. The Maglite has an LED conversion and a Nite Ize clip thingy on it. There might be some old flares hidden in my trunk, but I don't even know.

A light that you can hang from an open hood or stand on its tail cap for changing tires could come in handy. Bright lights can be useful for emergencies and looking under the hood during the day, when there's a lot of ambient light.
 
For flood I like the Streamlight 7LED or an Inova X5, or if you want to spend a little more then a Surefire L4, though the twin task 2L would be good too (I just don't like incan).

I'd also want to know the same thing as Joe--what's it going to be used for and what price range are you looking at?

In my car I have a red Infinity, an Ultra-G, Pelican M8 LED, Pelican Sabrelite LED, 2 x Turboflares, an Inova 24/7, and a Space Needle II and a mess of spare batts. I need to get a headlamp one of these days.
 
ZENGHOST said:
I'd also want to know the same thing as Joe--what's it going to be used for and what price range are you looking at?
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The light will be in the car for any and all emergencies, flat tires, minor repairs and the like. I am looking at long term storage and infrequent use so I would guess that lithiums are a must(?). I don't really want to spend for a Surfire A2 and would like to keep the price under $40 or so.
 
kamkazmoto said:
The light will be in the car for any and all emergencies, flat tires, minor repairs and the like. I am looking at long term storage and infrequent use so I would guess that lithiums are a must(?). I don't really want to spend for a Surfire A2 and would like to keep the price under $40 or so.
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How about one of those rechargeable spotlights from Home Depot or Lowes? They are about $20 each. That and an $8 Mini Mag in the glovebox should be fine.
 
A CR123A celled light isn't absoutely necessary for a good car light, since you can buy lithium AA cells, but other than the fact that normal AA cells will work, I'm not sure there's any real advantage for doing so. I suppose you could load a Twintask with cheaper alkaline or rechargable AAs, but keep a couple lithiums in the glovebox, but I don't know if fumbling around for working batteries is a good idea with a light that might be used in an emergency.

Best light for this job IMO is the Surefire L2, moreso than the L4 or any of the incandescents. It's as bright as the L4, but the dual output allows for a whopping 8 hours of lower-level light (which is still significantly brighter than a 2AA Mini-Mag) that's plenty to give you company if you've got to walk a couple hours in darkness. And since it's a glovebox light, the extra length isn't an issue. Expensive though, but the Twintask is a great alternative if you can't swing the extra cash.
 
I carry a Streamlight scorpion in the front of my truck and have one of those big rechargable spotlights in the back. I used to carry a 3D (or 4D? I forget) Maglight under the seat as it was a good whack somebody/something flashlight. But, I put it in the house when I got the Scorpion. Now I have a tire iron that expands (and feels) like an ASP baton under my seat. After my uncle saved my father by beating a couple wild dogs with a bat he kept under his seat long enough for my father to get off the trailor (he was tying down snowmobiles after a ride) and into the truck I won't part with carrying something I can swing. I always hear "well that is so stupid to carry a bat under the seat, as it is basically useless to fight with and you can probibly get arrested for it", but it saved my father and it my save me or my future son/daughter someday. I guess you can call it piece of mind.
 
My car kit includes a Surefire G2 for when I need a high-intensity beam and an Energizer Folding Lantern for when I need sustained light. The G2 will only run for an hour, but it puts out a strong, well-focused beam. The Folding Lantern uses flourescent tubes that can light an area for up to 40 hours.

I suspect that at some point I'll replace the G2 with a Streamlight Twin Task 2x123, just to have a little more flexibliity.

--Bob Q
 
a 4 or 5 cell 'C' maglite is a must imho, and a streamlight twintask 2X123 and a SF E2D would be great also. like to carry the mag in the car simply because its a helluva legal weapon, and pretty bright too.
 
bquinlan said:
My car kit includes a Surefire G2 for when I need a high-intensity beam and an Energizer Folding Lantern for when I need sustained light. The G2 will only run for an hour, but it puts out a strong, well-focused beam. The Folding Lantern uses flourescent tubes that can light an area for up to 40 hours.
--Bob Q
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I have never seen the folding lantern before. They look neat. Thanks
 
I EDC a surefire, but I dunno if I'd buy another one to stuff in a car considering the price of some of the better models.

If a Surefire G2 Nitrolin (~$25-35) is too steep, check out wal mart for a Brinkman Maxfire LX ($19.99) which appears to be a very highly regarded substitute (not as ruggid, but uses the same batteries, has the same type of tail cap function, and has the bright pre-focused light)

Here's a quick search from glocktalk about what people are saying about it
http://glocktalk.com/search.php?s=&...=2315690&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending
 
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