Lets talk Flashlights

[Medic]

After seeing the "Show me your EDC" thread you guys convinced me to start looking into some flashlights.

I have no clue about flashlights but something that I could keep on my keychain would be ideal.

I saw the Fenix E1 light which looked small enough to go on a keychain. I liked the size.

help me out :)

Post some flashlights and why/how you carry/use it!

[Agent Starling]

Medic,

I have a couple Surefires...the G10 Nitrolon cuz it's inexpensive, sturdy, and bright...but a little bulky for my liking. Also have the E1L outdoorsman, I like it because it's compact, easy to throw in my purse or clip on a pocket. The next one I get will most likely be the E2D.

Agent Starling

[Medic]

Medic,

I have a couple Surefires...the G10 Nitrolon cuz it's inexpensive, sturdy, and bright...but a little bulky for my liking. Also have the E1L outdoorsman, I like it because it's compact, easy to throw in my purse or clip on a pocket. The next one I get will most likely be the E2D.

Agent Starling

Agent, What are some good brands of tiny EDC lights? It's funny that I'm asking this because I actually found spyderco knives after seeing a "Show me your knife" thread on a Mustang forum...

People said spyderco was the best, and the way they looked caught my eye so i checked them out and sure enough a year later I have a bunch and it's the only knife i buy!

[Medic]

All the surefires seem too big to put on a keychain, the "executive" looks nice but its only 15 lumens!


This one looks nice..

https://www.fenix-store.com/product_inf ... cts_id=191

50 lumens

[Bolster]

Medic, did you see the thread running concurrently called "175 Lumens from a 2AA Flashlight Possible???"

If you want the latest and greatest in bright LED lights, you have three manufacturers that are competitive: Cree, Seoul, and Rebel. Check who uses what here, you should be able to find a small 150 lumen light with relative ease:

CPF Sticky List

[Agent Starling]

Agent, What are some good brands of tiny EDC lights? It's funny that I'm asking this because I actually found spyderco knives after seeing a "Show me your knife" thread on a Mustang forum...

Medic, I'm only familiar with Surefire, but there are a lot of forumites that know a lot about different brands...I'm sure they'll be chiming in (as some already have)...

There was a thread a few weeks ago where Mr. Blonde posted his EDC, IIRC, and there was a small keychain flashlight on his keyring that I really liked, but don't know the name of...you might ask him about it. :D

Agent Starling

[jaislandboy]

Well Medic, i'm biased.....coz I prefer less weight for my EDC stuff.....at work its office attire... can't stand having excess "bulk" in the pockets... :p I bought the Fenix E0 b/c its listed as weighing only 9 grams (w/o battery) .... the other single AAA battery Fenix lights weight in at 13grams or heavier... and the price was right at under $20 usd...... and just like carrying an edc blade, the light has proved indispensible at times...highly recommended....

[Medic]

Thanks for all the quick feedback!

Im going to go with the Fenix Digital P1D-CE in natural for my keyring :)

I am excited :eek:

[Medic]

Is it worth it to buy duracell CR123 batteries online or should i pick some up in a store? Do stores even carry these things :confused:

http://www.copquest.com/31-1100.htm

thats where i was thinking about placing my battery order. let me know!

[Bolster]

Seems much of the buzz centers on SureFire and Fenix (although there are TON of other good mfgrs! and their afi's need to weigh in, but these two in particular get loads of talk time, no denying that.)

I'd analogize that SureFire is the Hummer (strong, top quality, outdoorsy, consistent performer, credible reputation, durable & reliable) and the Fenix is the Mitsubishi EVO or Subaru WRX STi (big bang for the buck, max performance, but fit and finish and reliability, while ranging from good to great, are a step down).

Everybody respects the rock solid made-in-USA SureFire; hotrodders who want max lumens and runtime in smallest package are carrying made-in-China Fenixes.

All good, just different (once you're in the realm of "good," that is.)

[Bolster]

Is it worth it to buy duracell CR123 batteries online or should i pick some up in a store? Do stores even carry these things :confused: let me know!

Buy them when you order your flashlight from an online source. You should be paying between $1-2 each for CR123s. The source you listed was way high. Duracell's a good battery but you are paying extra to fund their advertising campaigns.

P1D CE is a great choice. Some people think it is a near ideal keychain light. Lots of good buzz on this item. Please let us know if you like it or not.

[Medic]

I think im going to get the surefire betteries for 1.75 each. Probably get 12 of em for now.

I was going to order hte light from fenix-store for 60 bucks free ship.

[Kaizen]

I get my CR123A batteries from tadgear.com. They range from $1.11-$1.25 each. You can also go to lighthound.com. That seems to be one of the favorite sites from the flashlight guys over at candlepowerforums.com. BTW, if you want to know anything about lights, you want to go over there.

[Stormdrane]

I used b-day money from my grandmothers to order the new JetBeam C-LE V2 Cree LED single AA flashlight last week. I already had the C-LE V1.2 with the 'twisty' head, and it's been a great EDC light, I just wanted to try out the new tailcap 'clickie' version, and at only 1/4" longer, it's also a great pocket light, especially at it's price point. I got mine from Bug Out Gear USA. The light has 5 modes: High-Strobe-SOS-Medium-Low, and gets good runtime, especially with the lower settings. The pocket clip came from my Gerber Infinity Ultra, and is a good fit for the light to attach to my ball cap for hands free use. Those are my lanyards, I just haven't decided which to keep on it yet. :D

[Michael Cook]

:spyder: I carry a surefire e2d but am saving to get a e2e as it less weaponized in appearance yet will fist load just as effectively in a trained hand. When I get a e2e my e2d will become my bedside flashlight.

I want my flashlight to make it past checkpoints when I fly or go into the city county building. The crenulated bezel just looks too aggressive and it has the word "defender" on the side which can raise eyebrows. Besides, if you're using a flashlight as a fistload you're trying to smash bone, not scrape skin, any sturdy flashlight will be equally effective. :spyder:

[Dr. Snubnose]

Like Agent Starling, I like my E1L Outdoorsman, small enough for a surefire with plenty of light working off one battery which saves money....I went for the bucks and placed a KL1-CE adapter with the bezeled SD edge on mine....Doc :D

[Kaizen]

:spyder: I carry a surefire e2d but am saving to get a e2e as it less weaponized in appearance yet will fist load just as effectively in a trained hand. When I get a e2e my e2d will become my bedside flashlight.

I want my flashlight to make it past checkpoints when I fly or go into the city county building. The crenulated bezel just looks too aggressive and it has the word "defender" on the side which can raise eyebrows. Besides, if you're using a flashlight as a fistload you're trying to smash bone, not scrape skin, any sturdy flashlight will be equally effective. :spyder:

I agree with pretty much everything Michael says here. I prefer my lights for SD purposes without the impact bezels. BTW, I EDC a fairly large light, a Night Ops Gladius wit 180+ lumens. I keep it in my bag during the day and in my pocket at night.

Medic, if you decide to go with a slightly larger light to keep in your pocket, I'm sure a lot of people will suggest Surefire with good reason. Another name you'll want to check out is Novatac. This is right up there in quality among knowledgeable light enthusiasts. Lastly, I of course think Night Ops has a great light with the Gladius (but it's only worth the money if you modify it to 180 lumens IMHO).

[JBE]

Medic...If you're looking for a true keychain light of excellent quality check out the little AAA Arc lights, esp. the Arc AAA Premium. I've had one of these for probably 4 years now and still going strong.

If your looking for a bright, small duty light that will stand up to long-term use and won't weigh you down, take a look at the Surefire G2 series. I've carried one on-duty for a time as well.

Both of these lights work and hold up well in the typical EMS environment.

[ballistic]

another vote for the fenix P1D Cree. I have a black one. What an awesome lite. I use the low setting alot for close up work like reading or finding a keyhole. I have an older P1 but the cree version is alot brighter. I have several LED torches, but lumens for small size.. nothing compares to the fenix. Surefire has some nice stuff too.

[Bolster]

I haven't been around the Spyderco forum much for the past 3 weeks because I've been at the CandlePower Forum, soaking it in. They have ongoing SureFire vs. Challenger of the Week battles and, not having a dog in the fight, they are amusing to read. They go sorta like this:

Challenger: Why would I buy a 60 lumen E2E for $100 with no low light capacity, when I could buy a [name of Challenger] that is the same size, same batteries, but puts out 200 lumens, has multiple modes plus strobe, gets great ratings for design and durability, and costs $50?

SureFire Diehard: Because it's a SureFire, 'nuff said.

C: No, that's not good enough. Why is the SF worth the extra money coupled with lower performance?

SF: The military uses them. They are more dependable than any other flashlight. Simple is good. They are made in the USA. The military uses them. Brightness isn't everything. Better color rendition. Tried and true. Good customer service. The military wouldn't use them if they weren't the best. Now stop asking these questions, you're baiting us, and we'll have this thread shut down!

C: But...but...but...

So I've gotten the impression that when you buy a SF, you belong to an elite club that is beyond mere performance stats. When I started reading CPF, I was asking myself, "Which SF should I get?" After hanging out for 3 weeks, the SF defenders have temporarily put me off SF. I'm sure I'll get a SF soon enough, but I'm going to try some of the competitors first.