Posted: 8/6/2015 7:17:56 PM EDT
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I need to get a flashlight for my BOB and I have no clue about flashlights, I'm looking for a flashlight that runs on 1 battery, That is waterproof, And is (or nearly) indestructible.
Any I need it to be under 6 inches if possible. any recommends? |
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any performance requirements? You are going to get hundreds of different responses and directions as well as huge swings in price. Yep. What battery/cell, what cost, what type of mode spacing does he want and I won't even get into tints, beam profiles or throwers vs. flooders. 
I've added a few more, but they all work well for lighting up dark places. Chris |
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Yep. What battery/cell, what cost, what type of mode spacing does he want and I won't even get into tints, beam profiles or throwers vs. flooders. http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d183/Flyingsqir/ThingsThatGoBang/Flashlights9_zps6f554cb8.jpg I've added a few more, but they all work well for lighting up dark places. Chris Quoted:
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any performance requirements? You are going to get hundreds of different responses and directions as well as huge swings in price. Yep. What battery/cell, what cost, what type of mode spacing does he want and I won't even get into tints, beam profiles or throwers vs. flooders. http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d183/Flyingsqir/ThingsThatGoBang/Flashlights9_zps6f554cb8.jpg I've added a few more, but they all work well for lighting up dark places. Chris I would direct him toward a single AA light like the Fenix LD10 or Quark Pro AA and run Eneloops but I don't know if that will fit his needs. It would light up a dark room for sure. Nothing fancy. |
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any performance requirements? You are going to get hundreds of different responses and directions as well as huge swings in price. I'm looking to spend around $35-45 for one, as in performance requirements I don't really know, as I said before I don't really know anything about flashlights Is there a site/book I could read about the diff. flashlight specs? |
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I'm looking to spend around $35-45 for one, as in performance requirements I don't really know, as I said before I don't really know anything about flashlights Is there a site/book I could read about the diff. flashlight specs? Quoted:
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any performance requirements? You are going to get hundreds of different responses and directions as well as huge swings in price. I'm looking to spend around $35-45 for one, as in performance requirements I don't really know, as I said before I don't really know anything about flashlights Is there a site/book I could read about the diff. flashlight specs? Look up the two I mentioned first. Then go to candlepowerforums. They will load you up with more information than anyone can handle. Then you will buy one of these two and then start to learn about quality lights. |
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I would direct him toward a single AA light like the Fenix LD10 or Quark Pro AA and run Eneloops but I don't know if that will fit his needs. It would light up a dark room for sure. Nothing fancy. Quoted:
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any performance requirements? You are going to get hundreds of different responses and directions as well as huge swings in price. Yep. What battery/cell, what cost, what type of mode spacing does he want and I won't even get into tints, beam profiles or throwers vs. flooders. http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d183/Flyingsqir/ThingsThatGoBang/Flashlights9_zps6f554cb8.jpg I've added a few more, but they all work well for lighting up dark places. Chris I would direct him toward a single AA light like the Fenix LD10 or Quark Pro AA and run Eneloops but I don't know if that will fit his needs. It would light up a dark room for sure. Nothing fancy. The Fenix LD10 looks like I been wanting, I don't need a fancy flashlight, just something that had the specs in my OP, I'll do some research on it but any others? |
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I'm looking to spend around $35-45 for one, as in performance requirements I don't really know, as I said before I don't really know anything about flashlights Is there a site/book I could read about the diff. flashlight specs? Quoted:
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any performance requirements? You are going to get hundreds of different responses and directions as well as huge swings in price. I'm looking to spend around $35-45 for one, as in performance requirements I don't really know, as I said before I don't really know anything about flashlights Is there a site/book I could read about the diff. flashlight specs? What kind of batteries/cells do you want to use? Are you currently using NiMH rechargeable AA/AAA batteries, or do you want to get into lithium-ion rechargeable cells? Are you happy using CR123A primaries or Energizer lithium primaries at $2 a pop? Do you want to spend the money on batteries/cells and their respective chargers, or just stick with primaries? Do you want something that can easily clip into your pocket, or do you want to carry it in a holster on your belt? There are decent AA lights out there. I have an L3 Illumination L10 that has 4 modes, a .9LM firefly mode and then low/med/high, with the high being about 120 lumens. It has a clip that can be purchased for $2.50 and the entire light is about $27 shipped. It's very flexible and it will run on primary AAs, or li-ion 14500s if you want a tiny blaster. Chris |
| AA is probably a good battery form for a person new to flashlights. You can get plenty of usable light in a modern single AA light for a bug out situation, Plus you can find some good headlamps in single AA form. You can get an acceptably bright tactical strength light in 2AA if that purchase interests you in the future. Another option is the CR123 if you want long shelf life, but obviously the AA battery is easier to come by. |
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Whatever flashlight you go with I recommend picking one that is designed to work with rechargeable batteries (e.g. FourSevens).
Since you are preparing for SHTF I am assuming you will be utilizing rechargeable batteries. Generally rechargeables are capable of higher voltages after you charge them which could possibly damage internal circuitry of your flashlight. |
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Whatever flashlight you go with I recommend picking one that is designed to work with rechargeable batteries (e.g. FourSevens). Since you are preparing for SHTF I am assuming you will be utilizing rechargeable batteries. Generally rechargeables are capable of higher voltages after you charge them which could possibly damage internal circuitry of your flashlight. You need to distinguish between NiMH AA and AAAs, like Panasonic Eneloops and lithium-ion 3.6v/3.7v cells. 'Rechargeable' is too broad a term for nice flashlights. Chris |
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You need two lights.
The first should be this one: http://www.zebralight.com/H52w-AA-Headlamp-Neutral-White_p_120.html I am not as much of a flashHolic as Chris, but I probably have 30-40 lights. This is what I grab 95% of the time. Light, single aa, (eneloop), warm tint for outdoor use, hands free, reliable, incredibly bright or extremely long run time, simple interface. The next light you need is a "thrower", as the zebralight is a great relatively close up area light. Here I would go with either a nitecore mt21a if you want to stick with two aa's or something like the nitecore ea4w if you want four aa's. With one of these two and the zebralight, I think you can do almost anything you need a flashlight for. If you want to go with another battery type, the 18650 is the way to go for something small and powerful. The fenix pd35 or something similar is a great option. IMHO eneloops rule, and are a great reason n to stick with AAs. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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You need to distinguish between NiMH AA and AAAs, like Panasonic Eneloops and lithium-ion 3.6v/3.7v cells. 'Rechargeable' is too broad a term for nice flashlights. Chris Quoted:
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Whatever flashlight you go with I recommend picking one that is designed to work with rechargeable batteries (e.g. FourSevens). Since you are preparing for SHTF I am assuming you will be utilizing rechargeable batteries. Generally rechargeables are capable of higher voltages after you charge them which could possibly damage internal circuitry of your flashlight. You need to distinguish between NiMH AA and AAAs, like Panasonic Eneloops and lithium-ion 3.6v/3.7v cells. 'Rechargeable' is too broad a term for nice flashlights. Chris And lithium ion is not for beginners. That is why you will see Eneloops mentioned over and over. The chemistry us much more forgiving. |
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I need to get a flashlight for my BOB and I have no clue about flashlights, I'm looking for a flashlight that runs on 1 battery, That is waterproof, And is (or nearly) indestructible. Any I need it to be under 6 inches if possible. any recommends? Ask and Ye shall receive! http://www.amazon.com/Streamlight-14514-Sidewinder-Flashlight-Headstrap/dp/B007CA5FX8 Runs on AA's, CR123's, and AAA's. (although Streamlight doesn't advertise AAA use. But I tried it myself and it works) Will also meet your headlamp requirements. |
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And lithium ion is not for beginners. That is why you will see Eneloops mentioned over and over. The chemistry us much more forgiving. I wouldn't say 'not for beginners,' but rather not for sloppy people, much like reloading one's own ammo. If you can't follow a few safety rules and practice good habits, then take up bowling. Li-ions: Get a good quality charger. Get good quality cells with, or without protection--the the latter is safer. Get a good quality digital multi-meter. Get flashlights from quality manufacturers. Check your cell voltages against runtimes. Not really that difficult, but all rechargeable systems have a start up cost, much like reloading has, that some will shy away from. And be careful recommending FourSevens, as they've discontinued lots of their lights and are in the process of redesigning them. Chris |
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Ask and Ye shall receive! http://www.amazon.com/Streamlight-14514-Sidewinder-Flashlight-Headstrap/dp/B007CA5FX8 Runs on AA's, CR123's, and AAA's. (although Streamlight doesn't advertise AAA use. But I tried it myself and it works) Will also meet your headlamp requirements. Quoted:
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I need to get a flashlight for my BOB and I have no clue about flashlights, I'm looking for a flashlight that runs on 1 battery, That is waterproof, And is (or nearly) indestructible. Any I need it to be under 6 inches if possible. any recommends? Ask and Ye shall receive! http://www.amazon.com/Streamlight-14514-Sidewinder-Flashlight-Headstrap/dp/B007CA5FX8 Runs on AA's, CR123's, and AAA's. (although Streamlight doesn't advertise AAA use. But I tried it myself and it works) Will also meet your headlamp requirements. +1 |
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I have that Sidewinder and like it, but it's about double what the OP wants to spend. In that $35-$45 price range, I'd look hard at the Fenix E15, my EDC keyring light. It can be had for $29.99, runs 4-5 hours on a single CR123 (at its default of 80 lumens), and also has 170 & 11 lumen options with just a twist of the head. It's been my edc light pretty much since it came out, replacing my previous Fenix P1.
http://www.fenix-store.com/fenix-e15-led-flashlight/ Use it literally every day, and the only thing that ever hurt it was when I forgot & left it in my pocket when saltwater snorkeling. It still worked for several days afterward and if I'd been smart & cleaned it good right away, it would have probably been fine. But I was on vacation and irresponsible, and it died several days later. Its identical replacement rides in my pocket now, and I'm as happy as I can be with it. |
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For my go-everywhere small light, I use the Streamlight MicroStream, carried in my smallest waist pack with a Colt Pocket lite .380. Uses 1 AAA. Small. Light. Very bright. And the very important both-direction clip works everywhere, like on the brim of a hat. This in itself can be priceless when needed. So it also goes as a backup to my led headlamp when backpacking. Sorry for the big arse pic..but it shows the clip design well.
http://www.amazon.com/Streamlight-66318-MicroStream-LED-Flashlight/dp/B00143JZ08/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1441377161&sr=8-2&keywords=streamlight 
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I ain't gonna lie... these are my go to lights.. i've had several other brands... but i like these the best.. one is AA and the other is AAA...
http://www.amazon.com/Nebo-Aluminum-Flashlight-Battery-Included/dp/B008YKLGNI/ref=sr_1_3?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1441380348&sr=1-3&keywords=nebo+flashlight http://www.amazon.com/Nebo-5620-Redline-Select-Flashlight/dp/B00916HJBW/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1441380271&sr=1-1&keywords=nebo+redline+select+flashlight |
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You will eventually discover that you'll need two lights.
One of those two will be a headlamp. To discover what you really want, you'll have to play with them. So get to your local big box and get an Energizer three white-LED / one red-led headlamp and then any one of the cheap single cells. Minimal expense for maximum experience. From there you'll be able to decide what light level you need, what features you'd like to have (multiple brightness levels for example) and so on. |
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I found that I really like this AA one:
http://www.countycomm.com/aaworldssmallest.html It will work with a lithium AA. |
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If you want a cheap, tough little navigation light look at the Pentagonlight MOLLE. I have a few. They've survived deployments, backpacking, working on vehicles, and around the home use. The head fits nicely in the back of an AR upper to get some light in the barrel extension for cleaning too. They're useful little lights and at 40 lumens they're plenty bright for daily tasks. Google them. There's a review on candlepower forums too. http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?163627-Pentagonlight-Molle-review http://www.amazon.com/PENTAGON-LM1-BK-MOLLE-LIGHT-ILLUMINATION/dp/B001AICMGG Quoted:
I'm looking to spend around $35-45 for one, as in performance requirements I don't really know, as I said before I don't really know anything about flashlights Is there a site/book I could read about the diff. flashlight specs? Quoted:
Quoted:
any performance requirements? You are going to get hundreds of different responses and directions as well as huge swings in price. I'm looking to spend around $35-45 for one, as in performance requirements I don't really know, as I said before I don't really know anything about flashlights Is there a site/book I could read about the diff. flashlight specs? |
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You will eventually discover that you'll need two lights. One of those two will be a headlamp. To discover what you really want, you'll have to play with them. So get to your local big box and get an Energizer three white-LED / one red-led headlamp and then any one of the cheap single cells. Minimal expense for maximum experience. From there you'll be able to decide what light level you need, what features you'd like to have (multiple brightness levels for example) and so on. Sounds like exactly what I did except kept buying cheap stuff for years. Now have a Fenix HL23 headlamp and a Fenix E12 LED Flashlight. Going on vacation soon so I will be able to see how much better they are than the cheap stuff. So far it has been money we spent. |
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For my go-everywhere small light, I use the Streamlight MicroStream, carried in my smallest waist pack with a Colt Pocket lite .380. Uses 1 AAA. Small. Light. Very bright. And the very important both-direction clip works everywhere, like on the brim of a hat. This in itself can be priceless when needed. So it also goes as a backup to my led headlamp when backpacking. Sorry for the big arse pic..but it shows the clip design well. http://www.amazon.com/Streamlight-66318-MicroStream-LED-Flashlight/dp/B00143JZ08/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1441377161&sr=8-2&keywords=streamlight http://i.imgur.com/9UxxJPR.jpg I carry this everywhere I go and it has been very good to me. |
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So, it's for the extreme end of the world use under dire circumstances.
No power grid. How are the batteries recharged? Plenty of discussion of what to project the light, we need more on what powers them when you don't want to be alone with the hive at night. What solar chargers you using? Two flashlights, ok. How big a solar panel, what wattage, do you use a 6000MaH as a backup storage device, what do you prefer? Same devices can charge a cell phone when things are so bad, but you need to connect. I started here: http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Solar-Charger-Reviews Still working on it. PS don't forget the tiny pocket light you EDC, something with 45 lumens, adjustable output, and rechargeable Lithium Ion by mini USB. Like, the Nitecore Tube. |
Fwiw, while these will probably never be my primary EDC lights, they're a heck of a bargain on a surprisingly good light: http://www.everbuying.net/product1058130.html
Run on a single AA battery, with (iirc) 300lm, 100lm, and strobe modes. We use lithiums, but even with alkalines you get around 1-3 hours of runtime depending on mode. They use a CREE Led module and they're nearly stupid cheap at less than $4 including shipping. I use them as giveaways to friends, gave some to my kids' roommates when several of them moved into a house together a few years ago, etc. Never had one fail yet; only have had them disappear. Their price and water-resistance makes them awfully good knockaround lights for gloveboxes & such; I keep a half-dozen or so in our power-outage lighting bin at the house and 10-12 at our place of business. I'd still be recommending them as a pretty good light if they were 15-20 dollars. They're a phenomenal light at less than four dollars. |
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Surefire, Surefire, and Surefire. You can find the G2X for $40.00 at some places. Surefire does (finally) make some decent LED lights...pricey, but a solid reputation. Still, I've used other manufacturer's LED lights in combat and they've held up just fine (Novatac, Fenix, Zebra, Streamlight, etc.). I don't really like the G2X lights for anything more than a short term emergency light. It's fine for off and bright, but you really need a variable output LED if you're serious about SHTF. Not every situation requires a 6000 lumen output spotlight. 90% of your illumination needs will often be 1 to 10 lumen; searching through your pack, reading a map under a poncho or navigating to your cat hole for that 0300 call from mother nature. Different illumination levels are a mandatory requisite for me for EDC or combat/field exercises. Additionally, using lower output extends the battery life. Phantom Light did a lot of research for their light (developed for military use) and it's less about the light then their findings that low output, white light is a perfectly good alternative to using a filtered light. In fact, the white light allows the use of colored topo maps and having a variable output allows you to use the lowest amount of light possible. Just another consideration depending on your SHTF scenarios and requirements. Of course if you're working SAR type scenarios...having a dedicate, sun-throwing 6000 lumen beam is pretty much mandatory. Even defensive light carriers pack another, smaller utility light that actually gets more use...a headlamp would be a perfect addition. ROCK6 |
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Sounds like exactly what I did except kept buying cheap stuff for years. Now have a Fenix HL23 headlamp and a Fenix E12 LED Flashlight. Going on vacation soon so I will be able to see how much better they are than the cheap stuff. So far it has been money we spent. Quoted:
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You will eventually discover that you'll need two lights. One of those two will be a headlamp. To discover what you really want, you'll have to play with them. So get to your local big box and get an Energizer three white-LED / one red-led headlamp and then any one of the cheap single cells. Minimal expense for maximum experience. From there you'll be able to decide what light level you need, what features you'd like to have (multiple brightness levels for example) and so on. Sounds like exactly what I did except kept buying cheap stuff for years. Now have a Fenix HL23 headlamp and a Fenix E12 LED Flashlight. Going on vacation soon so I will be able to see how much better they are than the cheap stuff. So far it has been money we spent. Fine choices. Headlamp imho is a must also. The Fenix E12 has 3 power levels but lacks the SOS feature if that might be something you're interested in. I've at this time have decided to use the E12 as my light for the packs (as in; I need a light to see inside this thing). I've found pretty decent deals at Midwestknife.com and i think that they made a sister website Midwestflashlight.com (?) they usually have some sort of sale going on; one week one brand, next week another brand. |
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My Eagletac D25 has been doing well over the past few months. It survived a 3yo playing with it for hours; He was keen on disassembling the bezel. Finish quality is kinda marginal compared to other offerings. The clip and tailcap will scrape your knuckles, so I don't keep anything I'll need quick access to in that pocket.
The SL Microstream had a good 3 year run until the button switch failed. I could tweak the spring to get it working for a bit, then it would start acting up again. Clip and tailcap were comfortable for EDC. I had the Fenix LD01 and I enjoyed it despite the lack of a button. Lost it after a month because of the dumb clip design, so I can't comment on overall durability. I suspect it would've outlasted the Microstream simply because it used a twist vs button. The newest gen, the LD02, uses a button and is brighter. |
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I need to get a flashlight for my BOB and I have no clue about flashlights, I'm looking for a flashlight that runs on 1 battery, That is waterproof, And is (or nearly) indestructible. Any I need it to be under 6 inches if possible. any recommends? Get in the game. The only way you’re going to know what works for you is to start living with something. Buy this. http://www.fenix-store.com/fenix-ld09-led-flashlight Then, as soon as you can, buy this. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JHKSMJU/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_3?pf_rd_p=1944687462&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000IV2WAW&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=15KQKA2TD183ST57ZW0S Start saving now and when you are able, buy one of these. http://www.amazon.com/PowerFilm-AA-Foldable-Solar-Charger/dp/B001RMF7P8 And take everyone’s advice and get a headlamp. Flashlights are great and you need one but a headlamp is better for almost everything you may need to do in the dark. |
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I use a Streamlight Pro Tac for just about everything. It takes only 1 AA battery, so they're cheap and easy to find. Have about 5 of them in various bags and a an EDC light.
Link to light |