testtest

carry flashlights

P

papa

Hellcat
Founding Member
Ok as the title states how many here carry a flashlight as a EDC along with your firearm and knife and what is it?

I started out in 2007 with a Surefire 6P. Then I bought A Surefire E1L to carry in my pocket. I soon found that the unprotected tailcap switch was way to easy to be turned on when I suddenly had a very hot front pocket. After doing some searching I bought a Fenix PD20 ( rated 180 Lumins on turbo ) which I have in my front pocket at this time. I also carry a Streamlight Microstream in my front shirt pocket all the time.

I also own a Surefire 9P , Z2 , and a G2Z.

Before buying the above lights , I had several sizes of D - cell Mag-lites.
 
papa said:
...I soon found that the unprotected tailcap switch was way to easy to be turned on when I suddenly had a very hot front pocket.
Click to expand...

Ah, yes, the hot-pocket trick!!!!! :love:(y)

I'm a "flashaholic." I think I've always been, since I was a kid. I think maybe some part of me is still afraid of the dark? :oops::p

My current EDC is either a Surefire LX2 during the weekdays (the low on this one is a better match for my on-the-job use) or a EDCL2-T for weeknights/weekends.

Prior to the EDCL2-T, I used an EB2-T since 2015.

I'd been using my old Surefire E2D (which I purchased when it first came out as an incandescent back in the early 'oughts) host/Malkoff VME/M61 update before switching to the LX2 in 2011. I actually think my first true "EDC" was that old incandescent E2D.......

I love flashlights, and once it dovetailed with my newfound love of shooting, it was all over -

16105636_1311608988881979_530883273499176972_n.jpg


^ This was the EB2-T, at a local low-light class a few years back. My EDC (XDm9 3.8 Compact) has worn a Surefire XC-1 for a few years now (and it's on-gun for this class, there's another picture in a different thread with me using it), but I still like to shoot with the handheld to keep in-practice (particularly as my handheld has so much more throw than the XC-1).

I now almost always buy my lights in pairs - one copy for carry, one to train with. Even though modern LEDs are so stout (and the higher-end makes go to such pains as to really reinforce the electronics with potting and the like), I still cringe when I purposefully let go of a light in training. I guess that's the old incandescent user in me!

I can't quite afford the baller money to get another Modlite, though - just the OKW and PLH heads plus 18650, 18350, and handheld bodies kinda killed my light budget for the year. :p Besides that, they're kinda overkill and lumens-racer'ish for my rather boring-life needs. The color temperature is way better on the neutral PLH versus either of my EDC2L-Ts or EB2-Ts, but it's not so much better that I'd give up the run-time of the EDC2L-T. The throw is certainly outstanding on the OKW, but I really don't have a need for that in my daily life (in whose context that light-sabre output is actually unusable).

Yeah, I love lights. There's more than a couple fistfulls of Fenix lights around the house, and there's another few Surefires on various home-defense weapons and as emergency lights in the trunks of the cars, too. :)
 
Funny you should ask.... We put emergency lights in all the family members stockings this Christmas. Has a bunch of white leds in the middle and flashing red leds in a triangle pattern. I have a ton of the little 3AAA flashlights all over the place. Next to my chair is a 5 cell aluminum head knocker and available too is a Ryobi One+ 18v lamp. Never
could keep a Maglite so I have pretty much gone with Harbor Freight disposables. No body seems to take those.
If I need some serious light I have a rechargeable 10 Gigawatt, that will light everything up, and singe some things too. Never tried it but I'll bet it could be cooked on.
To specifically answer the question I usually have one of the little 3AAA's in a pocket. They have a pretty good beam.
 
1234D074-1ABB-4FF9-BAB8-27A0851A7E39.jpeg
I wear this 750 lumin quantum pro with a tailcap in my single mag carrier (it’s a ten round Wilson combat). The carrier is angled so it doesn’t poke me in the ribs and to aid in a smooth draw. I have several of these lights with illuminated diodes, no bulbs to break! I have a lot of guns, I have a lot of knives, but I have way more flashlights!
 
1A0B9DA2-1551-4066-A075-4A5FE622D3F4.jpeg
I recently found these Streamlight rechargeables with a pocket clip and hat bill clip. It’s 250 lumens dual modes and a little less than four inches and only 5/8 thick! It rides daily in front of my spyderco, both clipped to my right pocket.
 
Hatfield said:
View attachment 268I recently found these Streamlight rechargeables with a pocket clip and hat bill clip. It’s 250 lumens dual modes and a little less than four inches and only 5/8 thick! It rides daily in front of my spyderco, both clipped to my right pocket.
Click to expand...
What kind of burn time do you get? How long to fully charge?
 
When you pull the lens cover forward it exposes the charging port, there are lights, one red as it’s charging and one green when it’s done. I think about two hours for a full charge. I use this light constantly, sometimes clipped to my hat for detailed gun work. The lens cover is O-ring sealed to protect the port. And it still worked after I fished it out of the toilet!
 
I charge it every couple of weeks. I haven’t run it down yet so I don’t know about burn time, it’s like the energizer bunny! The package said it could be recharged up to 300 times. And it’s an illuminated diode in there. Sorry I’m up late while this third shift EMT is building a gun for himself in my shop.
 
Hatfield said:
When you pull the lens cover forward it exposes the charging port, there are lights, one red as it’s charging and one green when it’s done. I think about two hours for a full charge. I use this light constantly, sometimes clipped to my hat for detailed gun work. The lens cover is O-ring sealed to protect the port. And it still worked after I fished it out of the toilet!
Click to expand...

Those come in several different colors. I think the tan colored one , when turned on , always comes on at the highest lumin rating which is 250. Low is a 50 lumin rating. The others start out at the low rating.

The one I carry is the old style which is a bit shorter and only rated at 45 lumins.
 
Hatfield said:
When you pull the lens cover forward it exposes the charging port, there are lights, one red as it’s charging and one green when it’s done. I think about two hours for a full charge. I use this light constantly, sometimes clipped to my hat for detailed gun work. The lens cover is O-ring sealed to protect the port. And it still worked after I fished it out of the toilet!
Click to expand...
Hatfield said:
I charge it every couple of weeks. I haven’t run it down yet so I don’t know about burn time, it’s like the energizer bunny! The package said it could be recharged up to 300 times. And it’s an illuminated diode in there. Sorry I’m up late while this third shift EMT is building a gun for himself in my shop.
Click to expand...
Fished out of toilet! I won't go there! Pun intended!! Guess the clip is not fully reliable?
300 times may out last the seals or switch. I use the little one's from Harbor Freight. Three bucks for two and they are 70 lumen rated. Put some Duracell's in them and scatter them all over the house. Couple in the range bag.
 
I forgot to add that all of my bigger Surefire flashlights have after market bulbs that are supposedly rated at 1,000 lumens. I couldn't even leave the E1L alone. I bought a KX1 head rated 45 lumens ( original was 30 ) for it and a crenulated tail cap.

I am a firm proponent of being able to see what goes bump in the night. ;)
 
papa said:
I forgot to add that all of my bigger Surefire flashlights have after market bulbs that are supposedly rated at 1,000 lumens. I couldn't even leave the E1L alone. I bought a KX1 head rated 45 lumens ( original was 30 ) for it and a crenulated tail cap.

I am a firm proponent of being able to see what goes bump in the night. ;)
Click to expand...

^ +1. Modern low-light white-light theory is that when you hit the switch, what you want is basically for the sun to be shining. :)

The days of "XX lumens is too bright and will blind the user with backsplash/glare" are gone, and that outdated thinking, while still somewhat prevalent in the gun world, is now rightfully fighting a losing battle.


-----


Onboard charging is super-convenient, particularly for a daily-user.

That said, the somewhat limited lifespan (Streamlight notes that after ~300 charges, the Microstream USB will only charge to approx. 70%) can be a concern for some - however, given the relatively low cost of this light, even if it was recharged each day due to use, the end-user would still be getting 9 to 10 months of full-charge capability out of the light.

For those who are reluctant to make the jump all the way to onboard batteries for whatever reason, modern NiMH rechargeables such as Panasonic Eneloops (https://www.panasonic-eneloop.eu/en) are nothing short of amazing. Certainly, it requires bit more discipline in terms of maintenance (i.e. remembering that you have to charge the batteries once in a while), but their extremely high cycle capabilities (boasting some 2K+ recharge cycles cycles while maintaining >80% of capacity) low rate of self-discharge (>85% capacity retained after 1 year of storage at room temperature), and the ability to retain charge/usability at low temperatures (-4 deg. F.) makes these batteries even suitable for emergency preparedness. And unlike "traditional" rechargeable AA/AAA bateries, Eneloops are designed specifically to fill the role of Alkalines, at 1.2V nominal, they directly replace AA/AAA Alkalines spec'ed at 1.5V nominal - and typically provide both longer usage duration as well as greater low-temperature capabilities versus Alkaline.

Regardless, of whether or not you use rechargeables, it's important for everyone to remember that leakage of potassium hydroxide from Alkaline batteries can ruin the devices in which they are installed. For more valuable equipment that require AA or AAA batteries, I favor using lithium replacements - Energizer Ultimates - which removes this worry. Another "plus" of lithium primaries is that they have a longer storage/shelf life versus Alkalines. More, they are not insignificantly lighter than their Alkaline counterparts, and in lights which use 4 or more of these batteries, the weight savings can be significant.
 
2526B4A5-917C-46D2-B573-A8E4DB6F682A.jpeg
I have five of these, one for each vehicle and one at the front and back door, they are not expensive, but they throw 3000 lumens out of three illuminated diodes. They have rechargeable batteries or they take four 123-A batteries. They are nine inches long and kinda heavy, large enough so you don’t misplace it! The beam will hurt your eyes at 100 yards. To big to carry but great house lights and vehicle emergency lights.
 
^ Currently, rechargeable 18650s really are where it's at.

"Dual-Fuel" capable - being able to also use CR123 lithium primaries - is also a huge plus, particularly due to the long-term stability of these lithium primaries. Certainly, 18650s are nothing to sneer at in this respect, but CR123s remain king in terms of both low self-discharge rates and also cold-weather usability, both of which can be extremely important for long-term stored emergency lights.

-----

One thing I want to talk about as a flashlight geek is the difference between lumens and candlepower.

Think of lumens as how much power is being pushed across that die: raw energy, if you will.

Candlepower/candela/lux is how that light is managed.

The Elzetta YouTube page has a great explanation of these concepts:


And here's a great thread on CPF which will help in a deeper-dive:

Lux/Candela/Meters/Lumen Calculations

I'm sure this is already on here, but I couldn't find it. I'm looking for the equations relating lux, candela, lumen output, and meters (distance). I'm trying to do a quick and dirty brightness comparison to determine if I have the right product. I have two lights from the same company, one a...
www.candlepowerforums.com www.candlepowerforums.com

Pay special attention to posts 2, 4, and 8 in that thread. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top