What flashlights do you take with you?

Halfneck said:
Just upgraded my lights this year from the old AA Maglights.

Fenix L1T - In my daypack or on camping trips
Fenix LoD - pretty much in my cargo short pocket around the house non-stop.

I've also had a Red Photon light for years that is still going strong. I have a little attachment that secures it to my hat brim if I go camping.
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BINGO on the Fenix lights. For the money, you get a very robust "illumination/signal" tool, not just a flashlight. First off, if you're not considering LED's, you really need to. They typcially provide as much (or more) light as most incandescent bulbs, even rivaling many Surefire-type spot lights at their highest settings. They are inherently more robust than typical flashlights (those not designed as a weapons light). They don't burn-out...they have an extremely long life span. They are typically more efficient than regular lights as well, and with regulated lights, they have longer burn times.

Now the best part of LED's like Fenix, they are programmed with a few different light levels and some have a strobe function. The strobe function is a great alternate signal means at night. As for having selectable output levels, it's much more efficient to use the appropriate amount of light for the required task. I have several Surefires, and their older lights had only one output...HIGH BEAM. This is great for searching, self defense, etc., but if you're trying to keep a low profile and search a room or even inside your rucksack, you don't need 100+ lumens of output.

I won't get into all the different Fenix models, but look at their Cree offerings, find a battery type you like and give it a shot. I've been using several over here in Iraq and all have been giving great peformance. For the price, functionality, reliabilty and quality, you won't find too many lights in the same category. There are a bunch of smaller LED makers that put out great products in the same range, but you really have to look around (candlepowerforums)...so I'll add "ease of aquiring" to the Fenix list. My opinion is based on comparisons to several other lights I have...Surefire (Kroma, L2, G2 w/ LED conversion, C6, A2 Aviator), Gladius Night Ops (with a SSC P4 LED upgrade), LumaPower's great Cree LED lights, the new Novatac (Military version) 120EDC and a few other obscure LED lights.

The single AA or 3V Cree LED versions are excellent EDC lights that pack a lot of performance is a small package. The single AAA (LOD) model is excellent for a mid-sized PSK or key chain...still has the strobe function which is a great signalling asset. The larger two AA model is still smaller than a Mini Mag and at max ouput level rivals my 6V Surefire models.

I use lights daily, and I've found the Fenix lights just offer the most for your money. I wouldn't use them as a weapons light, but for 99% of your utility chores, they'll stand up to pretty tough abuse/use.

ROCK6
 
It depends on where I’ll be going to

If I will be in the 1st world or working around the US military I will carry my Surefire G2 with the optional bush button tail cap (I kept running my batteries down).

The Surefire is probably one of the best flashlights around but finding a SF123A 3Volt battery in places like Cambodia is pretty much not possible and if you do find one it will cost you 13 bucks a pop, it is only good if you have easy access to batteries. Bringing 3+ month’s worth of batteries with you is not really practical (well…not to me)

If I will be in a undeveloped or 3rd world country I carry a Mini Mag Light, AA batteries are cheap and easy to find anywhere in the world - KISS

And I always have a keychain LED light on my key ring
 
I keep a micro LED on my keychain and a Fenix P1 in my EDC pack. When I'm hiking, I have an Innova micro LED on my survival lanyard and use a Black Diamond Nightray for general illumination. The little Atom Cyclops headlamps are nice for a cheap and light (1 ounce) headlamp. They use coin cells, so you don't get any massive perfomance from them. I think they are great for a day hike backup and will fit in a small PSK. Princeton Tec, Petzl and Black Diamond make all kinds of good LED headlamps.

County Comm sells micro LED lights for $1, so you can have them all over the place for cheap. For $1.50, you can get ones with a spring clip.
 
Surefire E2E with KL1 LED head. Plenty bright and decent run time. Not to mention tough as hell. I put mine through the washing machine with no problems.
 
My headlamp/hand-held combo these days is a Petzl e+lite LED headlamp and a PALight Survival model. I usually do not need more than the lowest white light setting and the red light on the e+lite.
 
The brightest most versitile headlamp I have seen to date is the Princeton Tec Apex.

For a hand held I use the Princeton Tec Surge, its one of the cheapest, brightest with a decent run time on the market. Its also compact and is a dive light.

This combo is popular in the SAR world as they take regular AA batteries, take a beating and are among the brightest with decently long run times.

I also have a few Photon lights on zippers and in kits....

Skam
 
Fenix p2d, my favorite all round light, can throw lots of light if I need it.

Arc AAA, my light indestructable tourch that is always a back up

Scout head lamp, my favorite all round head lamp.
 
I've sidelined all my Surefire lights with the exception of the X-200 weapon light and gone to flashlights that run on AA and AAA batteries. There are lots of good lights out there, but you need batteries to run them and I've found AA and AAA batteries just about everywhere. Ditto on Rock6's comments re LED lights. All the lights I use are LED -- they're tougher and easier on batteries.
 
ras said:
I've sidelined all my Surefire lights with the exception of the X-200 weapon light and gone to flashlights that run on AA and AAA batteries. There are lots of good lights out there, but you need batteries to run them and I've found AA and AAA batteries just about everywhere.
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Agreed,

A common battery type and long run times is a huge consideration.


Skam
 
I have used Princeton Tec lights for years. I always take a little Blast, plus a four AAA one, can't remember the name. They are inexpensive and really tough. I recently got a Surefire Outdoorsman, mostly because it's cool but I wanted a really tough and bright aluminum LED light.
 
I use a gerber task light for EDC, after listening to yall I think I am going to check out one of the AA fenix.

I am a huge fan of the Inova T series, especially the T2, insane run time for amount of output. Surefire Z2 for tactical uses. Chris
 
Surefire e2e- high intensity incandecent
Mini-Maglite 2AA Lesser intensity, with LED. Long battery and bulb life.

1 each Surefire red and blue filter. The e2 filters also work with the maglite. I usually pack 2 extra 123 batteries as well.
 
For hunting: Browning 6V Xenon. Takes the 123's. I wouldn't go with a tactical for hunting as they only last a couple of hours before a battery change. This Browning is more than bright enough but will last for 6-8 hours.
 
AA/AAA batteries, as bright or brighter than Surefires, small and compact, long run time, inexpensive, rugged: Fenix.

A Fenix that fits in the palm of your hand can easily outperform 4D Maglites several times over in brightness or runtime. 1/3 the price of an equivalent Surefire. Modern LED technology is ridiculous.
 
znode said:
Modern LED technology is ridiculous.
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It is isn't it.:eek:

MY Apex headlamp is 60 lumens stock and I modded it for $12 and now its 100+ lumens with a 7 hr burn time on high. My Surge for $35 is cranking out 115 lumens but only has a 4.5 hr burn time. Its used more as a spot light that fits nearly in the palm of your hand.

This stuff just keeps getting better each month it seems.

Skam
 
Fortunately for the survival situations I envision, I don't need need a death ray, just enough light to moving without falling through a hole. My old UnderWater Kinetics 4xAA eLED has a near flat output for 20 hours on alkaline batteries, plenty to get you through a bad night. A light I really like a lot is the old Gerber Infinity Ultra -- only two modes, On and Off, but it holds peak brightness for about 25 hours and then continues at diminished brightness to over 100 hours; that on a single AA alkaline. Relatively inexpensive too. Fenix lights are nice, but simple is nice too.
 
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