EDC Flashlights

[lioncity]

Anyone carries the Streamlight Nano? It looks extremely small.

Streamlight 73001 Nano Light Miniature Keychain LED Flashlight, Black - Amazon.com

[ArnieJB]

Sunwayman V11R

[ChrisG]

Anyone carries the Streamlight Nano? It looks extremely small.

Streamlight 73001 Nano Light Miniature Keychain LED Flashlight, Black - Amazon.com

Yes, I have a couple of them - one on my personal keys and one on my work keys. Below is my well-worn red Nano from the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.



They are actually very good lights - bright and cast a lot more light than you expect. It's a great light to have on your keys when you get home after dark or for other backup tasks. The light runs on four watch-cell batteries stacked in the main body and I've not yet had to replace them (due to running dead, see below).

My only complaint is that the head unscrews completely off to access the batteries, and a couple times I've had the head work loose and fall off unexpectedly when the keys are on my belt. I've managed to save the head and batteries most of these times, but one time I did come home to find only the back half of the flashlight on my keys and had to replace it (that's when I got the red one above). There is a rubber O-ring behind the threads, and as long as you check to make sure the head's not unscrewed too far and still in contact with the rubber it seems to do fine.

[ChrisG]

Like some of the others, I'm a flashlight geek and have a lot of them around. This comes in handy as we lose power around here fairly frequently during the winter.

My favorite for the last couple years has been the Pelican PM6. This comes in both LED (PM6 3300) and Xenon lamp (PM6 3200) versions - the LED is more expensive, but brighter and has better battery life. The case is made out of a tough plastic and has a removable metal belt clip between the main body and the screw-on head. There's a rubber push button on the end which you can either click on and release or use as a momentary on by pushing it part way. The light runs on 2 CR123 lithium batteries and has a pretty decent battery life compared to some of the other CR123 lights I've used.

I carry one of these in my Empire Builder and also have one on my radio strap at work. I also have one in my response gear for when I deploy to major disasters.

[Rocks]

When this thread started I thought 'I wish I had a need for a flashlight every day' then I came to my senses and realized I use one at work, all the time! I use a headlamp because I need both hands for what I do, and the alternative to that is holding a light in your mouth, and once you get kicked in the mouth with a MagLite, you don't want that to happen twice.

My first headlamp was a Petzl Tikka Plus2, which worked for a long time. Then I dropped and broke it and had to work in the dark for one day, which hurt. After that, wanting to try something new, I got a Black Diamond Spot, brighter than the Petzl and less blue tinted and strobe-y. The problem with the Spot is it will turn on int the next mode from when you turned it off. Vexing if you want one mode and it turns on in another. Has a good amount of modes and features though. Good enough to keep as a backup.

Now I have a Zebralight H502c neutral light flood lamp, which is wicked cool and just about perfect. I discovered those lights here! It's easy and quick to switch through all the modes. I only wish it was a matte black finish and less tactical looking. Though my coworkers do express envy of it.

[ChrisG]

When this thread started I thought 'I wish I had a need for a flashlight every day' then I came to my senses and realized I use one at work, all the time! I use a headlamp because I need both hands for what I do, and the alternative to that is holding a light in your mouth, and once you get kicked in the mouth with a MagLite, you don't want that to happen twice.

I use headlamps in my disaster response work. I've had a couple different Petzls, but my new favorite is a Princeton Tec Remix Pro. The Remix Pro is the military version of their standard Remix - same case/design, but it runs on a single CR123 lithium battery as opposed to the 3 AAAs of the standard Remix. Since my regular flashlight runs on CR123s and I don't carry anything else that uses AAAs, having the Pro lets me simplify the supplies I carry and offers the other advantages of a lithium battery.

The Remix Pro also allows for the headband to be removed - the slots that hold the lamp to the headband are notched like "repair" buckles to let the strap slip out. This means you can set the headlamp up as a quick and dirty desk light, but it also means you can attach it to a backpack sternum strap or other webbing, which can come in handy.

The light itself has a cluster of 3 LEDS and a 4th LED in a reflector, each with 2 power settings. The single LED is actually a brighter output model than the 3-cluster, so you can tailor your light level to the task at hand and conserve battery life. Single push brings on the cluster on low, second push puts it to high - holding it down for a few seconds shifts to the brighter reflector LED on low, and then another push takes THAT to high.

[Ms. Ferret]

I've kept a Photon light of some kind (currently turquoise Freedom) on my keychain for years now. It's tiny and easily ignored until I need it, like when someone loses something under their seat at a movie, or (as happened once) there's a sudden power outage at a sushi restaurant and nobody can see their food.

[Generat.X]

I use to use a flash lite made by SONY. The best part of this , that it is very handy and very comfortable to carry and the light gives a sharp light so that is why it makes the mobility easy in darkness or night. It gets charge through electricity and the one thing more which i should not forget to share that it is durable and strong...So my Sony battery has a long age.

[campfire]

Great thread! My current favorites:

Fenix LD10 Flashlight - for daily use. Going strong for 3 years or so. Rugged housing, adjustable beam, extremely bright for a single AA.

Zebralight H51w Neutral White Headlamp - for hiking/running/cycling. Just bought this one last year, but so far it's the best lightweight headlamp I've ever used (having owned ones from Petzl, Princeton Tec and Fenix).

County Comm SO-LED - a micro LED with a built-in clip for backpack straps or clothing. It's bright enough for night hikes and trail running, has a decent battery life and costs less than $5. Makes a great backup, but it's more than functional enough for general use if low weight or small size is a priority. I've tried the Photons too, but I think I prefer the switch-design of the SO-LED.
CountyComm - Sand Special Ops Issue SO-LED Illuminator