What is the best small flashlight?

Saunterer said:
Amen, brother.

http://www.novatac.com/
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+1 for the novatac
easy to use and switch from blinding bright to very dim. and dial it up and down for just the right amount of light. and it has strobe and SOS modes hidden away in the menu too.

runtime on low is something like 19days continuously (on all day and night)

Fenix lights are pretty good to, i like my P1CE, but its runtime is a little short

and surefires are very good solid well designed flashlights.
 
The lights you guys have shown look great. Thanks!

After around a dozen keychain cheapies, I've settled on Browning's Black Ice. Not bad for $12 and 18 months.
 
I have not gotten the bug for high-end lights yet; I mostly use a pair of garden variety AA Maglites. One has the LED upgrade, the other has the ordinary bulb. I have head straps for them to wear has head lamps.

I also have this tiny Petzl E Light head lamp, which is stashed on my motorcycle.
 
Mostly I use the AA minimags I've had around and converted to the Nite-eze LED's. They work pretty good for finding my way around the house in the dark or lighting up the trail in the woods for the dog's last walk of the night.

I also use the Dorcy AAA pocket light alot, and most of the family has one on them. Dorcy makes a good little light for a reasonable cost.

Maybe I'm missing something, but why should a flashlight cost over 50 dollars?
 
I used to be a Maglite nut until I was introduced to the better lights. The first high end light I bought was a Surefire E1E $78 and 15 lumens. One night I found out how poorly the output was on it compared to a Eveready headlamp.($12 from Walmart) I then started looking for a better EDC light. Then I read about the Fenix P1.($40 and 55 lumens) Nice flashlight and just like the E1E I've accidently turned it on & wasted a battery. (Pants pocket carry.) Thats my only gripe about the twist lights. I've done the same with my Fenix E0.($20 and 5.5 lumens) This one is my emergency light. It uses one AAA battery and weighs very very little.

As for why should a flashlight cost $50? Too be honest with you I like the option for having such a good output in a small package. That is why I'm willing to spend the money on a good light. There is now a Fenix P1 Cree edition for the same cost as the original P1, same run time, and has 90 lumens output.

As for 123a batteries the cheapest ones I have found come directly from Surefire. $21 for 12.
 
AA LED Maglites are better than converting a standard to an LED brighter and more durable dropped one with the conversion and the bulb broke
 
http://www.pentagonlight.com/item_detail.cfm__id.489

I love this for a small light. Plenty of light to move around with. 3 hours on a single AA plus it comes with a red or blue filter (depending on flashlight color you get) that is great for maintaing night vision (not the electronic kind but the pilot kind).

I've had one for months now and constantly turn to it over any other flashlight I have and that's a bunch.

I do love my Surefire G2 for really lighting up things but this little Pentagon light is hard to beat. Mine also came with a small button compass in the butcap.

Charlie
 
BigFrov said:
AA LED Maglites are better than converting a standard to an LED brighter and more durable dropped one with the conversion and the bulb broke
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Been meaning to pick one up, just have three of the old ones from years ago converted it seems a bit extravegant. But at 20 dollars and made in U.S.A., I don't think I'll hold out much longer. I read where they even kept the spot/flood focus on the new ones. The only thing that might bug me with the new ones is the shorter run times. # 1/2 to 4 hours with the new LED vs 15 to 17 with the Nite-eze conversion.
 
I have a Fenix LOD that I got from the Fenix Store for around $50.00. For a light that uses ONE AAA battery. It sure puts out the light. I chose the AAA which twists on/off over the AA which has a "clickie" button because of the size. I carry this light always in my pocket and I never even know its there. It also has 5 modes. Low, medium, high, strobe and SOS.
 
i've been resisting the nice flashlights. i like my maglight, photon, and victorinox. the victorinox is the brightest of the three. the fenix l2d q5, which is highly recommended by my good friends, would be my choice if i get into it. then the cr2 ion.
 
I have a Dorcy luxeon flashlight.It's extremly bright.It uses 3 AAA's too(those lithium batteries are expensive!)It's about 6" long.Think it was about $25 at Walmart.Best flashlight I ever owned.
 
I bought two of these little Browning flashlites about 15 years ago. They have been carried everywhere without a single problem of any kind. I have gone through a lot of lites since I bought these but theses are the only ones that still work every time.

knifeandgun126vx2.jpg
 
I'm thinking about getting a Pentagon Molle light or an Inova Bolt 2xAAA.
I don't like those 2xCR123-pipebombs anymore (my brothers "tactical flashlight" exploded - now I know why they're called "tactical"...) and I stopped to believe that a flashlight has to put out 60-tactically-correct-lumens to be considered useful.
At the moment I'm still using my less dangerous 1xCR123 Nuwai QIII, my Minimag with Niteize dropin and my Magled 2C - oh and there's always a Peak Matterhorn on my keychain which I absolutely love. I'd like to replace both the Nuwai and the Minimag with something practical, that runs on regular batteries or NiMHs and a good switch.
There is something about Fenix that I don't like, but I can't quite figure it out. I just don't trust them. I want something american made. ---> Pentagon or Inova.
 
I love the fenix p3d. As for why its over 50 bucks, well I don't know but I'll gladly pay it ! Its smaller then a AA mag and has 6 differant modes .

The lowest setting will get me to and from tree stands and run for 65 hours, need to track a deer at night ? The highest setting turns the woods into daytime ,and with no need to go get "fullsized" lights or lanterns .

I will never buy another lght without a strobe function !! As a fire Lt. I use it at work NOTHING i have ever used stops or slows cars like the strobe !! ditto for walking the dog at night hit that strobe and cars move over .
 
mneedham said:
Like a lot of folks here, I own a lot of flashlights but I haven't ever got a hold of the some of the expensive, high-tech stuff that I see advertised in Brigade Quartermaster and places like that. I used Maglites in the military, discovered LEDs and now use primarily what you see in the crappy pic (sorry). I love my photon key chains and gerber infinity, but the silver metal one from Wal-mart gets a lot use (going out back tothe wood pile at night). I also use a Princeton-tec Aurora head lamp that stays in my pack. My question is which flashlights do you guys use and am I missing the boat on the Fenix, Surefire, Blackhawk, etc?
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best for what mneedham? as you can see their are a lot of opinions and options, what will you mainly use it for? indoor/outdoor, emergency/edc, preferred battery type?? your like asking what's the best knife!
 
My small EDC flashlight for my pants pocket is the streamlight Key-Mate:
http://www.streamlight.com/product/product.aspx?pid=60

After carrying it for a while, I bought it for the wife and some friends.

It won't out-perform my Surefire 6PD, but when I need just a little bit of light, or when I need light for bit of time I reach for the key-mate.

I would also recommend getting the red filter that attaches to it. With the clear lens it's 10 lumens; when you snap on the red filter over it it's really just a bit of light, perfect for when you drop something in the movie theatre.
 
Thanks for all the info! I am now sure that I need to upgrade my flashlight.

Dantor, I use flashlight for navigating around my property a lot. I live in the sticks and need a flashlight to get from my parking place to the front of my house where the floods come on, I use a flashlight several times a night to get firewood (my woodshed is about 400 feet from my house), I use a flashlight a lot at work (I spent the morning in a crawlspace under a building), we have frequent power outages, investigating disturbances outside (occasional bear, etc.) camping, out by the fire pit at night, etc. I realize that I spend more time with a flashlight in my hand then a knife (hate to admit that!). The question is intentionally general, through the answers, I already have a sense that there are better lights than I have, and that members like Surefire, Fenix, Novatec, etc.. I don't know about anybody else, but these gear threads save me a lot of research! Thanks guys. BTW, I am also now looking at at those mini crank lights for my kits.
 
Fair enough. for crawlspaces a smaller light would be good then, they have great 1AAA lights out now, really bright and the prices aren't bad. like the Fenix LOD models, or if you don't need it so tough and a third the price, one example is; http://www.kaidomain.com/WEBUI/ProductDetail.aspx?TranID=3241

For outside you can go all out! SF's! and a ton of others. For more detailed info you could go to http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/index.php? and read till your hearts content!

As for the crank, they are nice, I have one but remember they are sealed batteries, once they go out, end of usable life, their done as in throw away the light.
 
mneedham said:
Like a lot of folks here, I own a lot of flashlights but I haven't ever got a hold of the some of the expensive, high-tech stuff that I see advertised in Brigade Quartermaster and places like that. I used Maglites in the military, discovered LEDs and now use primarily what you see in the crappy pic (sorry). I love my photon key chains and gerber infinity, but the silver metal one from Wal-mart gets a lot use (going out back tothe wood pile at night). I also use a Princeton-tec Aurora head lamp that stays in my pack. My question is which flashlights do you guys use and am I missing the boat on the Fenix, Surefire, Blackhawk, etc?
Click to expand...

Just bought a Sure Fire Z2 Tactical. I've been carrying a Streamlight Stinger XT
for 8 years and it is the overall best light I own. But the battery packs are expensive. I keep an extra charged and ready. Also, I keep a Mag-lite rechargeable in the truck and a 2-D cell Mag-lite for the rare day when the other two go toes up.

GB
 
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