I’ve carried some form of flashlight for quite some time now, because it’s a good idea to carry one if you carry a firearm, and because it’s just a damn handy thing to have on you. I probably go to my flashlight more often than I go to my multi-tool. I carry a Fenix LD10. I like the Fenix a lot, but I have one pet peeve with it — it’s too easy to accidentally turn on when carrying with the pocket clip. Often times, I don’t notice until the flashlight gets hot, and by then, it’s burned through a good deal of battery.
Does anyone who carries a flashlight regular have a favorite? One good thing about the Fenix is that it takes a single AA battery, so if I drain one using the flashlight as a pocket warmer I’m not out much. It’s also small enough to make carrying on a pocket clip practical. But I’d love to have a flashlight that was a little harder to accidentally switch on.
Streamlight Microstream. 1 AAA cell, bright enough for most non-defensive uses, tiny, and takes AAA batteries so you can use lithiums OR alkalines.
I’ve had good luck with the 4Sevens and Klarus lights. They have versions that take AAs as well as CR123s. They’re also in the same price range as a Fenix
I’ve never had my Fenix E05 turn on by accident — but it’s a smaller light (1 x AAA) and the switch is a twist-bezel, so I don’t know if it’d suit you.
Love my Fenix PD20, I once bought a replacement for it when I “thought” I might have left it prior to even looking for it.
I carry a surefire G2X everywhere. Its very bright and will blind any attacker. I can carry it on planes.
I’ve never carried a flashlight and I never really wish I had one on me. The $3 keychain LED from Wal-mart has been adequate for me.
I carry a Firstlight Tomahawk NV, factory modified with a strobe mode. Easy to use with a hair of practice, bright, and very durable. Ive had 2 now, a GP and the NV. Both run well on rechargeable lithium cells, and customer support is superb.
Also, you dont need some strange grip when using with a pistol. Ive got crummy hands, and it works very well when shooting at night.
Maglite Mini-Mag LED here, has 2 power levels and a strobe setting, uses 2 AA batteries (I use rechargeable) and lasts for many hours even on the high setting, low setting even longer. I have literally gone for months between battery changes even during the summer when it is used for night fishing as well as the normal around the house search and rescue (Of lost stuff) missions.
I carry mine in the supplied belt pouch with a zip tie around the top for a little extra retention pressure so it won’t just fall out if inverted.
Plenty of light at self defense distance, can see a good 20 yards, even more if your eyes are adjusted to the dark and were not just staring at a lighted screen. :-)
BTW, also have a 2d cell Maglite LED which I’ve had for several years and despite going to boyscout camp with my son and being used around the house when more distance was needed (football field distances +) for searching outside it still has it’s original set of batteries.
Granted it’s not as brite as the krypton bulb (interchangable in this one) but the runtime is incredible! And I bet total illumination for electric used is greater by a factor of 10 or more as well.
And at under $30 is a real good deal. The only Maglite I’ve ever had fail was one where a battery leaked and corroded the guts of it. I pass my older ones down to the kids if I get a new one and they haven’t broken one either. Lost yes, but not broken. That says something about quality for the money to me.
I had one here, a 3 AA cell LED unit that corroded, and shiped it to the factory, and they shipped it back to me all fixed up, for free.
Ive since used dielectric grease on everything in it… no chance of corrosion here.
The light output though for a 3 cell LED is pitiful, compared to this beast I picked up for cheap: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006E0QAFY/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Sure its made in china, but for the price, its almost disposable. Took forever to get here.
I carried a Sure E1B (80 lumen) for years, until it got lost on a camping trip recently. Surefire upgraded the original light to 110 lumen, but now it has been remodeled into the EB1 at 200 lumen. 4.5″ and plenty light to carry in a cargo pocket without banging your knee to death. Runs on a single CR123, and since it is dual output, it lets you know when the batteries are low (won’t switch into high).
I carry a variety of “tactical” goodies on a daily basis, and find that I use the light more than any other piece of gear. One of the many things Thunder Ranch taught me is that if you carry a handgun, you need a light. Can’t hit what you can’t see, and there’s a lot of low/no light out there.
Sipik flashlights. They’re cheap, very bright and you don’t need special batteries.
Fenix E21 – takes AA, simple on/off push button, bright enough (154 lumens) to blind someone in daylight, long enough that i’ve got 2″ or so poking outside my closed fist, and cheap enough that i wouldn’t mind replacing it. I only carry it after dusk around my neighborhood in DC, as that’s when the goblins come out.
I’ve been carrying a MagLite XL100 for a few years. Not super TactiCool but it works for me.
I carry both a (Fenix) PD22 and a TK15. my solution for the accidental turn on id to unscrew the tail cap a half turn. that technique can be a problem if you need it to blind an attacker. but then my carry weapon has a surefire x300 on it.
Fenix PD32…4 brightness settings, strobe and SOS modes. http://www.amazon.com/Fenix-PD32-Compact-Lumen-Flashlight/dp/B0062PVSGW/ref=lp_2591774011_1_9?srs=2591774011&ie=UTF8&qid=1372117482&sr=8-9
4sevens quark tactical, 2 modes one will blind you and the other lets me get my keys in the lock without blinding me, more options if you need ’em, easy to adjust, and a rechargeable 14500 cell
I like the PD32 because you can run 18650 rechargeables in it. Serious light, decent low setting and when you make a pocket warmer you can just swap in another battery and throw the used up one on the charger.
The Streamlight Stylus Pro uses two AAA batteries. A bit longer than a single AA but thin and still pocketable. What I like about it is the switch is stiff enough that it will never click on accidentally. It is momentary, but clicking all the way to ON takes a positive push. It’s not “tactically” bright though, just a working light.
It’s tough to beat a Harbor Freight flashlight. It uses LED’s for light, 3 aaa batteries and it’s free with any purchase with the Harbor Freight coupon. Usually have a dozen or so scattered about.
I wasn’t able to solve the accidental-turn-on problem with pocket lights, so now I carry a Quark Turbo X on my belt. The original holster broke quickly, but a few bucks got me a replacement from Dealextreme that seems to be holding up so far.