I've been in the market for a small light, but am not at all experienced in this realm, so I'm hoping you guys can help point me in the right direction. What I have in mind is something really small. Something that I can put on my keys and not feel bulky. I'm usually rockin' regular jeans and already have my pockets more filled than I'd like.
In my left pocket I have my iPhone and a similar sized wallet, and in my right pocket I have my keys, lighter, chapstick, a pack of gum, and CRKT Drifter. I've stopped carrying my wallet in my back pocket because I just find it uncomfortable, and it shifts my posture and puts pressure on my lower back.
I'm looking for a light that I can carry around for EDC, ideally. I walk my dog at night in near pitch darkness and have been bringing a full size flashlight with me. It's not cutting it. I think I'd like something with a stronger spillbeam. I'm somewhat familiar with the products that 4Sevens puts out, but I'd love to know what else is out there. What do you guys think?
Help me find an EDC light?
What's your budget?
At the low end, I have a streamlight nanolight on my truck keys--cheap. Only issue is that it's not real bright, uses LR41 (hearing aid type) batteries, and the head tends to come unscrewed over time.
Higher up the scale is Fenix E01--absurdly bright for its size 3" x 1/2" and uses easily found AAA battery. (I actually don't have this light yet but it gets really, really good reviews)
The 4Sevens Quark mini is just incredible. Gets a bit hot when used on high for a while. Mine stopped turning off, so I sent it in for warranty work and I've been informed by 4sevens that this could take a long while to be resolved.
Higher yet (in quality, but affordable): Arc AAA--2.7" by .5". USA made and made to last. Waterproof to 100ft. Not super bright.
Prettiest: Peak El Capitain. Machined in US of solid brass (also aluminum or stainless). Bigger at just under 4" and takes AA battery--so probably not a keyring light. VERY bright for size and available in 2 beam patterns--medium and narrow though probably more realistic to say flood and medium. Surprisingly affordable.
At the low end, I have a streamlight nanolight on my truck keys--cheap. Only issue is that it's not real bright, uses LR41 (hearing aid type) batteries, and the head tends to come unscrewed over time.
Higher up the scale is Fenix E01--absurdly bright for its size 3" x 1/2" and uses easily found AAA battery. (I actually don't have this light yet but it gets really, really good reviews)
The 4Sevens Quark mini is just incredible. Gets a bit hot when used on high for a while. Mine stopped turning off, so I sent it in for warranty work and I've been informed by 4sevens that this could take a long while to be resolved.
Higher yet (in quality, but affordable): Arc AAA--2.7" by .5". USA made and made to last. Waterproof to 100ft. Not super bright.
Prettiest: Peak El Capitain. Machined in US of solid brass (also aluminum or stainless). Bigger at just under 4" and takes AA battery--so probably not a keyring light. VERY bright for size and available in 2 beam patterns--medium and narrow though probably more realistic to say flood and medium. Surprisingly affordable.
I started my search for pocket EDC light couple years ago. Ended up with Novatac 120T, which can be found around $100. The only thing I do not like about it is switch. I wish it was recessed. I carry it in right front pocket of my jeans along with c83 Persian and cell phone. The first setting is 120 lumen with 30 minutes run time on one 123 battery. Few times I accidentally switched on and realized only 10-15 minutes later, which kills battery.
Probably I will sell it and get Ra Clicky.
Probably I will sell it and get Ra Clicky.
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf"
My top choices Natives5, Calys, C83 Persian
My top choices Natives5, Calys, C83 Persian
Stainless Fenix LD01 or 4Sevens Revo for keychain use.
Small pocket light: Jetbeam BK135A. Three user-programmable output settings, not a whole lot bigger than the AA battery that powers it. Zebralight SC51 is nice and small too, but tends to turn on easily when carried in a pocket without partially unscrewing the tailcap.
Use lithium or rechargeable NiMH batteries. Avoid alkaline batteries in flashlights; they just can't provide enough oomph under load the way other chemistries can.
Small pocket light: Jetbeam BK135A. Three user-programmable output settings, not a whole lot bigger than the AA battery that powers it. Zebralight SC51 is nice and small too, but tends to turn on easily when carried in a pocket without partially unscrewing the tailcap.
Use lithium or rechargeable NiMH batteries. Avoid alkaline batteries in flashlights; they just can't provide enough oomph under load the way other chemistries can.
Newest :spyder: in hand: Halloween Handle Hap40 Endura and Delica.
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Monkeywrangler
- Member
- Posts: 462
- Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2008 8:30 pm
4Sevens Quark 1xAA tactical is a simple 2 stage programmable light. You pick the two levels from around 8 possible modes. Set it and forget about it. You can buy the optional headlamp accessories and turn it into a functional headlamp too.
Fenix L1DCE or LD10 / LD15 are similar lights.
Fenix L1DCE or LD10 / LD15 are similar lights.
Not Forgotten:
LCpl. John Dewey Killen III
MSgt. Timothy Roy Bodden
Don't the sun look angry through the trees?
Don't the trees look like crucified thieves?
LCpl. John Dewey Killen III
MSgt. Timothy Roy Bodden
Don't the sun look angry through the trees?
Don't the trees look like crucified thieves?
My brother and I are huge 4Sevens fans but just got one of these:
http://www.zebralight.com/SC51w-Flashli ... _p_45.html
The SC51w is the neutral light version of the SC51 (cool). It pushes 170 lumens out the front which is 30 less than the cool version. All on a AA battery!
The nice thing is the user interface which is a side-click button. You can go straight to full bright, straight to medium, or straight to low. When in each setting a double-click gets you to the alternative brightness (6 total). The lowest brightness is .2 lumens or so or basically "moonlight" which has a run-time of like 16 days.
We love the Quark line but these things are seriously cool and compact. The deep carry clip and side-clicky is hawt! The brightness on a single AA is very impressive.
http://www.zebralight.com/SC51w-Flashli ... _p_45.html
The SC51w is the neutral light version of the SC51 (cool). It pushes 170 lumens out the front which is 30 less than the cool version. All on a AA battery!
The nice thing is the user interface which is a side-click button. You can go straight to full bright, straight to medium, or straight to low. When in each setting a double-click gets you to the alternative brightness (6 total). The lowest brightness is .2 lumens or so or basically "moonlight" which has a run-time of like 16 days.
We love the Quark line but these things are seriously cool and compact. The deep carry clip and side-clicky is hawt! The brightness on a single AA is very impressive.
The light on my keychain was found in the impulse section of my local hardware store...it has an LED and a stack of hearing aid batteries in it...cost 6 bucks and works fine...it is the size of a soda straw but is only an inch long. Anything bigger than this and I could not tolerate it on my keys.
Because it can be a pain to pull my keys out every time I need a light (frequently with my job), I also carry a 20-30 dollar Streamlight Stylus Pro. It is VERY bright for most matters not related to tactical use, it takes common AAA batteries, and sports a swell warranty.
Personally I do not enjoy lots of features on a light. I have never thought that I would like to have a LESS light than a flashlight *could* produce, so I do not see utility in multiple brightness settings...although, I have never had a light so bright that it would not illuminate for a few hours of run time.
My Streamlight allows for instant on with a slight press of the switch (it turns off when released) or continuous "on" if you press hard and feel the click. That is the extent of features I feel I need.
This thing is about 5 inches long and slightly larger diameter than a Bic pen. Clips in a pocket nicely.
Hope this helps. It is my low(ish) budget solution that works great for me...here is a shot of the light with a Delica and my clip.
edit to correct battery specs
Because it can be a pain to pull my keys out every time I need a light (frequently with my job), I also carry a 20-30 dollar Streamlight Stylus Pro. It is VERY bright for most matters not related to tactical use, it takes common AAA batteries, and sports a swell warranty.
Personally I do not enjoy lots of features on a light. I have never thought that I would like to have a LESS light than a flashlight *could* produce, so I do not see utility in multiple brightness settings...although, I have never had a light so bright that it would not illuminate for a few hours of run time.
My Streamlight allows for instant on with a slight press of the switch (it turns off when released) or continuous "on" if you press hard and feel the click. That is the extent of features I feel I need.
This thing is about 5 inches long and slightly larger diameter than a Bic pen. Clips in a pocket nicely.
Hope this helps. It is my low(ish) budget solution that works great for me...here is a shot of the light with a Delica and my clip.
edit to correct battery specs
Thanks,
Ken (my real name)
...learning something new all the time.
Ken (my real name)
...learning something new all the time.
Here is my evolution of keychain light to date. Started with the ARC (middle) nice but only good for really dark and pricy. Got a fenix E01 cheep but again not bright. I now use the ATP A3 EOS.. and really like it. 3 modes up to 80 lums on high so its very good light for the size. Low 1.5 Med 18 and high 80. I keep it on med the most and for 25 shipped a pretty good deal.
-John
For a small key-chain and good all-round EDC, I'd say Maratac AAA or iTP A3 Upgrade. They are both made by the same company just packaged a little different. same LED, same driver etc. If you want to step up to a little larger and more powerful then go for a 4Sevens Quark AA or Fenix LD10. My recommendation there is the Fenix LD10.
If your REALLY looking to start moving up in the world, the new Fenix PD31 is simply amazing.. Once the flashlight collecting has sunk its hooks in, then grab the fun stuff like a Fenix TK35 or TK45.
If your REALLY looking to start moving up in the world, the new Fenix PD31 is simply amazing.. Once the flashlight collecting has sunk its hooks in, then grab the fun stuff like a Fenix TK35 or TK45.
Too many Spydies to list!
Here's a link to Selfbuilt's flashlight reviews, he does some of the best I have ever read and groups them well: http://www.sliderule.ca/flashlight.htm
I guess the real question is how much power do you want? Without a large head 50-70 lumens will be ok for a walk but it won't throw very far. In comparison a LED 2D Maglite puts out about 50 lumens on a very good day but throws the light further with a gigantic head.
4Sevens has some great keychain-type lights. The Preon1 and Revo for example are multiple mode AAA lights with about 80 lumens max. With the new S2 LED I think the Revo is closer to 100 lumens which is pretty bright. Light per ounce they are going to be nearly impossible to beat. If you get the Preon1 you can get a spare body and run an additional AAA for about twice the lumens (penlight size).
If you want something a little chunkier but still on the keychain the 4Seven MiNi 123 and CR2 are impressive lights. The 123 runs off a single CR123 lithium and the CR2 runs off a single CR2 lithium. For walking your dog the 123 would actually suffice for a light as it tosses a pretty good chunk of light with the larger head (similar lumens). It's about half again as bright as the Preon1 or Revo.
Then there are the clip lights like the Quark, Zebralight, Olight, Fenix, etc. These range from the size of a stick of chapstick to a TV remote. Running anything from a single AA to two CR123 lithiums you are looking at somewhere between 170-320 lumens in a comfortable pocket light. If you go with a Surefire 6p on a single lithium it's closer to 60 lumens with the incan bulb.
Of course, lights that use conventional batteries are very nice for someone who just wants a simple flashlight. Lithiums and rechargeable batteries are great but add to the expense and complexity.
Remember that the smaller keychain lights are going to be impressive in brightness but during a walk unless it's pitch black all but maximum brightness is going to be utilitarian at best. You're not going to spot a raccoon at 200 feet. Plus a Revo (for example) is going to be out of juice on high after about 1 hour on a fresh battery assuming it doesn't get hot after a while.
That said, in a dark bedroom even 50 lumens is going to light up your entire wall! In fact, 20 lumens is far too bright for most people to comfortably read with. It's really a question of how dark your surroundings are and how far you need the light to go. For an EDC light anything will be quite impressive.
I guess the real question is how much power do you want? Without a large head 50-70 lumens will be ok for a walk but it won't throw very far. In comparison a LED 2D Maglite puts out about 50 lumens on a very good day but throws the light further with a gigantic head.
4Sevens has some great keychain-type lights. The Preon1 and Revo for example are multiple mode AAA lights with about 80 lumens max. With the new S2 LED I think the Revo is closer to 100 lumens which is pretty bright. Light per ounce they are going to be nearly impossible to beat. If you get the Preon1 you can get a spare body and run an additional AAA for about twice the lumens (penlight size).
If you want something a little chunkier but still on the keychain the 4Seven MiNi 123 and CR2 are impressive lights. The 123 runs off a single CR123 lithium and the CR2 runs off a single CR2 lithium. For walking your dog the 123 would actually suffice for a light as it tosses a pretty good chunk of light with the larger head (similar lumens). It's about half again as bright as the Preon1 or Revo.
Then there are the clip lights like the Quark, Zebralight, Olight, Fenix, etc. These range from the size of a stick of chapstick to a TV remote. Running anything from a single AA to two CR123 lithiums you are looking at somewhere between 170-320 lumens in a comfortable pocket light. If you go with a Surefire 6p on a single lithium it's closer to 60 lumens with the incan bulb.
Of course, lights that use conventional batteries are very nice for someone who just wants a simple flashlight. Lithiums and rechargeable batteries are great but add to the expense and complexity.
Remember that the smaller keychain lights are going to be impressive in brightness but during a walk unless it's pitch black all but maximum brightness is going to be utilitarian at best. You're not going to spot a raccoon at 200 feet. Plus a Revo (for example) is going to be out of juice on high after about 1 hour on a fresh battery assuming it doesn't get hot after a while.
That said, in a dark bedroom even 50 lumens is going to light up your entire wall! In fact, 20 lumens is far too bright for most people to comfortably read with. It's really a question of how dark your surroundings are and how far you need the light to go. For an EDC light anything will be quite impressive.
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delicafreak
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- Location: ehh rather not say
- Contact:
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Spydesense
- Member
- Posts: 333
- Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2010 8:13 pm
- Location: North Carolina
I have had a Nitecore D10 for about 2 years now. I am very pleased with it and use it every day. It uses one AA battery and is about the size of a roll of pennies. I think they have come out with a newer model... the D11. It is basically the same with more features. I don't think this light would disappoint!
My :spyder:'s>> Fluited Titanium Millie, M390 Millie, Brad Southard, Gayle Bradley, Junior, Bushcraft UK, Translucent Blue Manix 2, G10 UKPK, Sage 1, Sage 2, Ti Damascus Delica 4, Orange FFG Endura 4, Gray FFG Endura 4,Native, Blk Dragonfly, H1 Dragonfly 2, Blue Tenacious, Tenacious, H1 Ladybug, White Ladybug, Grasshopper, Honeybee and Bug
Try the maratac AAA
The maratac AAA is a small led (the size of a chapstick) and is really powerful with multiple power settings. Comes in black, stainless and bronze. Only $20 on http://www.countycomm.com cutlery lover on YouTube loves them too and there are many reviews of them on line. You'll love it.
i have bought fenix lights recently and i like the e21 neutral light the best of the 2 i have bought. i also recently got a zebra light h51. the h51 is a single aa battery with 205 lumins out the side.it has 3 light modes with choices in each light mode than can be programed(a high and low lumin level in each mode with even more options on the high mode including strobe).it is a great light and i use it with the supplied head band when blowing snow on my long driveway.i used it on the medium setting programed on the lowest of the 2 selectable modes and it had enough light to shine my way down the driveway.it's a bright little light that is programable but is too big for a key chain but way smaller than a 2 aa flashlight.
Guys--Thanks for the overwhelming amount of input! :eek: So I spent today looking into every one of the lights you all mentioned, and I've (for now) decided I like the Jetbeam bk135a. Of course, all the things I like must match, meaning it's fricken discontinued as well :mad: I realize I forgot to mention several things in my original post such as budget, power/lumens, and other preferences. The budget I had in mind was not more than $50, unless I REALLY like it. I thought about it, and I can justify waiting and spending more on a light that holds more value. I probably would have gone with the Quark Mini AA, as I've had my sights on it for some time(the Preon 1, too), but I find that I vastly prefer a clicky to a twisty. That being said, I can't find a bk135a for sale at the moment, so I guess I'll have to wait for one to pop up hopefully. The programability of the Jetbeam also interests me.
As for countycomm, their products have always caught my attention but like Tank mentioned, I can never justify the cost of their shipping. Nothing against it, just not for me. I'm actually waiting until I find enough things I want from them so I can order them all together. I was a bit disappointed when I found an invoice in my girlfriend's email account for ONE peanut lighter from them
I'm guessing it's a surprise for me though, so I'll try not to let it bother me.
Unit--I've been hearing nothing but good stuff about the Stylus Pro, and I considered it along with the Preon 2. Then I thought about how I'd be carrying it around, and realized I didn't want to worry about messing up the finish on 'em. Sweet delica btw, do you know what price range it falls in on the market today? I'll probably pick one up next.
Anyway, thanks for everyone's input, I really appreciate it! And Syphen, I'm hoping that this flashlight thing won't grow into what knives has become for me. Cash doesn't grow out of my wallet! No promises though
As for countycomm, their products have always caught my attention but like Tank mentioned, I can never justify the cost of their shipping. Nothing against it, just not for me. I'm actually waiting until I find enough things I want from them so I can order them all together. I was a bit disappointed when I found an invoice in my girlfriend's email account for ONE peanut lighter from them
I'm guessing it's a surprise for me though, so I'll try not to let it bother me. Unit--I've been hearing nothing but good stuff about the Stylus Pro, and I considered it along with the Preon 2. Then I thought about how I'd be carrying it around, and realized I didn't want to worry about messing up the finish on 'em. Sweet delica btw, do you know what price range it falls in on the market today? I'll probably pick one up next.
Anyway, thanks for everyone's input, I really appreciate it! And Syphen, I'm hoping that this flashlight thing won't grow into what knives has become for me. Cash doesn't grow out of my wallet! No promises though