What flashlight should I keep at my bedside?

Dan Harris said:
Of all those mentioned, the G2LED would be my recommendation also. As a night time, go to light the user interface is critical. It must be simple. Press or twist a G2 and it’s on. No double clicks tap-taps or click holds.

The G2 combines simplicity with a great hand feel; and now with the LED option, long runtime. I've used Surefires for over 20 years and the G2LED is a great nightstand or house light. You will not be disappointed. :thumbup:

Hope this helps!

Dan
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Yes, I think the G2LED is the top runner. The UI is indeed my foremost concern for this nightstand light. I don't want to be fumbling with it when I'm half awake and need it to work and NOW. So far, it looks like the best option, thanks for the vote!:thumbup:

One more thing, what LEDs do people drop in their 4D maglites?
 
I have and like Fenix lights but keep a 3D LED Mag by the bed for the same reason as many of the other guys here; it doubles as a good club while throwing a decent beam. I lived overseas for a few years and a big Maglite was one of my first purchases when I got an apartment.
 
I keep a 4 D cell Mag light on the nightstand and charge up the batteries once a month, or more often if the light gets used alot. Most of the time I don't need that much light when I go to use the bathroom or to get a glass of water, I just use the solar rechargeable led flashlight
 
I got my first SureFire (A E2DL Defender) and it's been great. It's amazing how many times a light can help you out. 120 Lumens on high, 1.9 hrs, 10 Lumens on low, 76 hours. And that thing packs a punch if you hit something with the bezel.

Then I went out and bought the E1B Backup. Another amazing piece of work from SF. My 6D Mag just got obsolete. Sick of paying $15 every time I needed new batts. Check out www.knifecenter.com for some good discounts on Surefire flashlights.
 
I can second the e1b. I carry mine everywhere with me. Its a great choice for a bedside light too. Very very very simple operation. One click for bright two clicks for low...
 
* Exported from MasterCook *

SPAM CONFETTI PASTA

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Main dish

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Vegetable cooking spray
2 c Frozen corn, thawed
1 cn SPAM Luncheon Meat, cut in
-2″ strips (12 oz)
1 Red bell pepper, chopped
1 Green bell pepper, chopped
3/4 c Chopped red onion
1 1/2 c Whipping cream
2 tb Chili powder
1/4 t Pepper
12 oz Angel hair pasta, cooked
-and drained
2 Tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1/4 c Minced fresh cilantro

In skillet coated with cooking spray, saute corn, SPAM, bell peppers,
and onion over medium heat 5 minutes or until tender. Transfer
mixture to bowl; keep warm. To same skillet, add cream, chili powder,
and pepper. Bring to a boil; boil 5 minutes or until cream has
slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Pour over pasta and toss
well. Spoon SPAM mixture over pasta. To serve, sprinkle with chopped
tomatoes and cilantro.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I keep my Fenix L2D Q5, recon tanto, and a bottle of Laphroaig 10 next to my bed. Never know which one i am going to need in the middle of the night.

The Fenix L2D Q5 is a great light, good out put (180 lumens), simple 2AA setup and, durable and economical :)
 
thanks BoxANT! Been looking to get a L2D for a while now too, keep hearing good things about it:thumbup:
 
Whats the deal on all these lights? I have a couple small mag lights are there better light? I need info I want a really good light. I see so many recommendations here what are the best choice. I like small powerful with good battery life etc.
 
I have nev er heard of some of the lights mentioned in this thread. I want one for my my mom, who live in another state, also. She like flashlights in emergencies.
 
Haha keep mit that way! Don't be sucked into another hobby next door! Why I don't buy maglites anymore though they are a staple flashlight is because I can get something much more powerful (some maybe 10 times the output) and half their size.
 
rick43t3 said:
Whats the deal on all these lights? I have a couple small mag lights are there better light? I need info I want a really good light. I see so many recommendations here what are the best choice. I like small powerful with good battery life etc.
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If you're looking for reasons to upgrade from your mags, here's a couple:
Run time. Surefire (and other) lights have a higher run time, and better light output.
Durability: Surefire (and few others) have unconditional warranty on their lights. Call it bomb proofing.
Light geometry: Mag's are notorious for putting out light in a holey, uneven fashion. Surefire (and others) makes total internal reflectors (TIR) that put out smooth even beams with a tightly focused beam in the middle, with enough off spill to accommodate your perhiferal vision.

Some Surefire's to consider:
G2 LED, 6P LED

I personally sprung for the E2DL, higher output and a little longer runtime.

I can't advise about Inova, or Fenix lights, as I don't have any. From what I've heard, the build construction is sub par compared to SF, but cost wise they're good lights.
 
nutz_about_knives said:
My Nitecore Defender infinity works quite well. Quite tiny and bright! :thumbup: http://nitecore.com/products/ndi/
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Noshtero said:
I like the new breed of small tactical lights.

Nitecore D10
Fenix P2D Q5
etc...

These are small, bright, tough, and easy to operate. They'll set you back $50-60 though. In the world of flashlights, when you stack up against $200 streamlights and whatnot, $50's not bad, but it's still a lot more than a $10 mag lite.

My pick would be the Nitecore. The piston technology means you go from dim as can be (like 3 lumens) to full blast (130 lumens) all with thumb taps on the back end. It doesn't get much easier than that. Even the Fenix requires twisting the bezel to switch modes and whatnot. Not the Nitecore. Tap tap, it's 3 lumans. Tap tap&hold, it's 130 lumans. Tap&hold, and you brighten or dim to get any level inbetween.

This makes it double good for bedside. When you want to wake up and look at something, or stumble out to the kitchen, you don't want a flood beacon. When you have an intruder, or the power goes out, you do. The Nitecore will do both. I haven't seen another light with as nice a range of brightness. Most of the really bright tactical lights bottom out around 12ish lumens. The Nitecore goes down to 3. That's booklight bright. Perfect.
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I noticed this little notice on the Nitecore site:

Sales and Customer Service Center:

Room 1811, Choice Plaza, NO.448 South Guangzhou
Avenue, Haizhu District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China

Like I said before, China made products are a gamble. :barf: Surefire's go down to 3 lumens on their E1 Outdoor model, and 5 lumens on my E2DL/E1B is plenty for most tasks. No "tap tap". I'll either need a nice bright beam, or a little utility one.

The runtimes on those Nitecores are pretty much shit when you think about it. 130 lumens for 90 minutes and then it hit's 50% original output. After 90 minutes you're working with a 70 lumen beam or less. All my SF's hold their level of output for normally, 10-20 minutes past the rated time, then they gradually decline.

Another point I'd like to make, is that there is a large difference between "tactical" and "bedside someone just broke in." Tactical lights assumes that you're going to demand a lot from the light. You're going to drop it from 45 feet onto concrete. You're probably going to hit stuff (read: people) with it. You're going to slog it through mud and rain and snow. Oh yes, it also has to be blindingly bright.

If you're looking for a "tactical" light, go for Surefire's M lineup. All shock mounted. All insanely bright (500 Lumens on the M6). Very pricey as well, but this cost can be justified by how your using it.

If you're looking for a bedside light, you probably don't need much more then a little Fenix or one of the lower end SF's. G2/6P LED would do fine, and you won't break the bank. You get the quality and assurance that when you need it, it will work.
 
I have Fenix, NiteCore, Surefire, O-Light and others. They all are about the same when you want one for your mom. I don't notice that much difference in any of them, quality wise. I've run my NiteCore EX10 for right at 2 hours on high without any drop in output (CR123 primary). It will run 144 hours on low (3 lumens), and with a 10 year or so shelf life, 123 seems to be the ticket for your mom.

For your mom, the simplest is the best. Push the button, and the light comes on.

And btw, Fenix has this on their site:

Service Hot Line:

Tel:0086-755-2963 1163 29631183 29631193 29632273
Fax: 0086-755-2963 1181
Address: 8/F, 2nd Building, DongFangMing Industrial Center, 33th District, Bao'an, Shenzhen 518133, China
 
Josh K said:
Some Surefire's to consider:
G2 LED, 6P LED

I personally sprung for the E2DL, higher output and a little longer runtime.
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Man, I'd love to get the E2DL....I just don't have the coin for it right now:( I'm thinking the G2LED is a good first for me :)
 
I like the light Glock makes. The one with the laser, that's attached to my pistol. That's what I keep by my bed. That way, I have three choices with which to illuminate someone who ventures into my house- white light, a little red pinpoint, and a bright light at the end of a tunnel. All in the same package.
 
My suggestion is to go with a plain ole Surefire 6p. It's a great light and relatively inexpensive. Then, when you have a little more money later on, upgrade the same light with a bugout gear drop in. I recently picked up their "Cree Premium Plus" drop in. 170 lumens for 3 plus hours. It works very nicely and IMO provides the right amount of light for general tasks and the whole intruder thing.
 
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