Flashlight Suggestions

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

Have to agree. I have a Nitecore Tini (which seems to have become the Tini 2). Rechargable lithium battery with 3 light levels + Superbright which is brighter than many full sized flashlights, but only lasts for a few minutes.

A key part of that is that the battery is rechargeable, not a disposable button cell.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Don't you use your phone for that?

I should, but somehow, it never occurs to me. Only time I turn the cell phone light on is by accident.

[Jim Bennett]

I bet on average I use the light on my phone 5 times a day. Mostly when working on something.

[brroberts]

I’m sure I use the phone light more often than I make calls or even text.

[ghosthunter]

Well I buy those three packs of head lamps at Costco. They work just fine. Stash them in truck and trailer.

[WillyB]

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

For my purposes, walking & running on dark curvy backroads with no shoulders, I think a handheld would be best. I like being able to point the light in any direction, especially for cars coming up from behind. Although I have seen some great lights that hang on your chest and back.

AA powered because we always have them around and they are easy to get and store.

By the way, I use the light on my Apple watch quite often. Monsters! You have to keep an eye out for Monsters!

[Dcboyd]

We keep a 3 C cell mag light ML50L in the truck on the road. Same thing in 2 c cell attached beside the door in the trailer. Of course I always have a small Fenix in my pocket at all times.
I have dealt with weapon lights, tactical lights for a long time. The above lights are awesome.
Be sure it is the ML50L. The others are a 20.00 light, the above is considerably more.
Long burn time, spot to flood and different settings.

[ksfisk]

i’ve always just had cheapo flashlights and have been unsatisfied with them, so I decided to try and find a decent flashlight. I thought it seemed a little outrageous to spend almost $50 on this flashlight, but I did it anyway and I have absolutely no regrets. it has a really nice feel in my hand. It’s nice and bright. I think it seems a little crazy to be excited about a flashlight… But I love this flashlight! LOL!

[PatrickTXFL]

I have a few cheapo HF that are blue small end narrow beam, side wide with a flip out hook. A couple metal rechargeable. Lithium drill, impact driver, light set so two batteries great little spot light and ready to fix stuff.

[Earl]

Originally Posted by WillyB

With just under 1 year until we get our Escape I am thinking about flashlights, of course. As an Old Boy Scout "Be Prepared" is always on my mind.

Any suggestions on a good LED flashlight?

Not looking for 10 Billion lumens. Just a good light for my very early morning walks/runs)

1) What else do you plan on using the light for? Emergency light? Extra light inside your Escape?
Small hand held lights v.s. lights that have a light strip on the side v.s. LED lanterns that have a secondary use spot light v.s. just a headlamp for walking.

2) How much use will the light get? How many lights?
Small lights can use AAA or AA or the common 18650 batteries, all can be powered by rechargeable batteries. A charger can keep your spare batteries charged, but is just extra cost if the light is seldom used. If using 18650 rechargeables be aware that many are imported from questionable sources.

[BillMcgTenn]

@WillyB

As you can guess, there are many to choose from the cheap $1.00 flashlights at the truck stop to mega lights that will "burn the leaves off the trees"!

I wear a quality Fenix headlamp and pocket a backup inexpensive tactical light of at least 400 lumens as backup for the campground work and walks; a third light for backup when doing night hikes.

Use and cost are factors play into decision.
Tried and true older makes like Fenix are expensive, but are built well. Check with forums of night bicyclers and field herpers for bright, lightweight lamps.
Adjustable beams are best to adjust to your use.

Rechargeable lights are convenient in a camper, but I’ve used rechargeable AA lights in areas (countries) where a recharge may not be convenient, and alkaline AAs could easily be purchased as temporary replacements.

As mentioned, some headlamps have a “tail light” so cars coming from behind can see you. This is good.

On a budget, there are some real surprises.
A few years ago, we were lucky enough to take two of our grandchildren on a month long camping tour of the SW US.

In addition to a UV lamp (to see scorpions in the desert at night), I purchased inexpensive head lamps that were bright, rechargeable, had a back led so I could see them from behind, and had adjustable beams. I bought 2 for each kid, thinking cheap ones are going to have a short life span… All four lamps still work three years later!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A word on a light while walking around a campground: (Old guy anecdotes warning… quit reading now while you have a chance!)

There have been a few minor incidents, but just as examples, twice in the past 4 years, carrying a light may have saved someone in our family from a bad situation:

First, in an eastern US, wooded State Park my wife was walking alone after dark to the restroom on the dark campground road. She was wearing a headlamp. She saw a snake in her path and was savvy enough to ID it as an adult Northern Copperhead. Now these animals are venomous, but do not attack people, and a bite is rarely lethal, but stepping on one at night would probably result in medium to severe evenomation and a trip to the hospital.

Second, incident was at a KOA in Utah where the kids’ playground was between the campsites and the open desert.
Our grandchildren were playing a game of tag with about 5 other kids. As darkness approached, our grandkids turned on their headlamps, and all were about to quit because of approaching darkness, when they spotted a baby Prairie Rattlesnake crossing the middle of the playground.
All kept a safe distance and they alerted me. I identified it, scooped it up with a hook, and relocated the little animal to a place safer for the snake and the children.

[Mike G]

Originally Posted by ksfisk

i’ve always just had cheapo flashlights and have been unsatisfied with them, so I decided to try and find a decent flashlight. I thought it seemed a little outrageous to spend almost $50 on this flashlight, but I did it anyway and I have absolutely no regrets. it has a really nice feel in my hand. It’s nice and bright. I think it seems a little crazy to be excited about a flashlight… But I love this flashlight! LOL!

Be careful, you will soon want more of them (I speak from experience). This could be the beginning of something bright.

[Mimih]

I don't have a particular favorite, but more a requirement that it fits into a Command "broom holder" - I have two right next to the door of the trailer as you walk in (or out), and so they're easy to grab when I leave the trailer at night, and stow back when I return.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Mimih

I don't have a particular favorite, but more a requirement that it fits into a Command "broom holder" - I have two right next to the door of the trailer as you walk in (or out), and so they're easy to grab when I leave the trailer at night, and stow back when I return.

Thanks for the tip. I have a Command Broom Gripper at home, and a cheap but large and very bright dual 18650 LED flashlight, so I just tried it... and it fits well. Time to get more "broom" holders.

[UncleTim]

This is the best I have ever seen.

https://shop.monsterflashlight.com/p...v=7516fd43adaa

They are very well made, and use a 18650 type battery they make. They are totally rechargeable, and last for several years. You get 90 minutes of full blast light per charge.

I have one, my kids both have one. My wife has one. Her sister who lives in a very dark area has one (I bought her). She always takes it on walks and her friends always ask her if she has it with her.

It definitely will light up the area big time. They do not fail.

Here is mine. About $100.

[runnergirl]

try lights designed for bicycles. lots of choices, typicaly white ones for the front and red for the back. I attach a red one to the back of my shirt / jacket and set it to flash.

[CarinaPDX]

First a confession: I am a flashaholic. Also, I hate our disposable culture and refuse to use disposable batteries. For AA and AAA devices I use LSD (low self discharge) rechargeable NiMH batteries, but wherever possible I prefer lithium batteries for their superior capacity and ampacity (ability to put out high current). I have many flashlights and all but two are Li-Ion-powered. BTW many flashlights that come with a 3-AAA carrier can be powered by an 18650 Li-Ion battery, which produces more light for a longer time. The "Atomic" flashlight at Home depot is one such light - the Harbor Freight version is too short - caveat emptor.

There is no one-size-fits-all flashlight; we all have our own ideas about what makes a good flashlight. Which is why the best flashlight manufacturers have many models. My preference is for compactness, high battery capacity, and a wide range of outputs (from "moonlight" to "turbo"). I also prefer "floody" lights that illuminate a wide area, as opposed to narrow-beamed "spot" lights that have longer range. I hate having to sweep back and forth as I walk down a dark path. I am not a big fan of zoom flashlights but others love them...

The battery size limits the size of the flashlight. Li-Ion batteries are defined by size: DDLL0, where DD is the diameter in millimeters, and LL is the length in millimeters. The most common size is 18650, used for everything from flashlights to vapes to Teslas (more than 10k of them). 21700 is the new size that is becoming popular as it can have half again as much capacity and still makes for a compact flashlight. 26650 batteries are about the size of a D-cell and are also high capacity. Most of the Li-Ion batteries used in pocket flashlights are 16340's, while the 18350 size is becoming popular for its larger capacity.

It is best to use protected Li-Ion batteries; they have a little circuit board added to the end that prevents over-charge and over-discharge. This assures long life, and may also avoid a fire from over-charging. Better flashlights can have internal charge circuits that require a USB charger. If charging outside the flashlight then buy a quality charger (I use a NiteCore UMS4). There are also batteries with internal chargers (USB connection on the protection PCB.).

My EDC (every day carry) pocket light is a ThruNite T1, It uses an 18350 battery and has an internal charger. It is a fantastic light and many of my friends have bought them after seeing mine. It has moonlight and turbo, plus variable output with memory.

My compact headlight is the ThruNite TH02, which also uses an 18350 battery with charger. It has moonlight and turbo plus stepped outputs (low/med/high) with memory.

My favorite compact 18650 flashlight is a Wowtac A6. It is as small as possible for this battery and can easily fit in a pocket. Some might even use this for an EDC light. Similar controls as the TH02. (Wowtac is the "economy" brand of ThruNite). Also has internal charger.

The three previous lights have a traditional side button with lockout. I prefer these for most situations, but for use with gloves it is better to have a tail switch which is larger and much easier to use with gloves. For this I recommend the inexpensive but quality Convoy S2+; these are available with a variety of LED's, control firmware, and even battery size (18650, 21700). Personally I don't see much point in getting the 21700 version because the light outputs go up with battery size, so there is more light but same duration. I don't need more light - all of these lights put out plenty of light. The Convoy does not have an internal charger.

I keep a Wowtac A5 (26650) in the car. It has the heft of a single cell D-cell light (if there is such a thing). It also has an internal charger so easy to recharge while driving.

I own other lights, including a really amazing Nitecore MH-20 (newer model available). It was $80 or so. At this point I don't think it is worth it to me but it is a jewel. Nitecore makes a lot of "tactical" lights, catering to law enforcement and military (and wannabes). They are hard to beat if you need the features.

Take a look at ThruNite.com and Wowtac.com for a good selection of quality lights. They often have sales on selected lights. Their lights include quality batteries. If you need to buy batteries then stick with domestic reputable dealers - there is a lot of counterfeit, recycled garbage out there. And never buy batteries from Amazon - their inventories are full of counterfeits.

[oldwave]

Expensive , but I like the Big Larry lights, plus I have a headlamp. The rechargeable one last a long time with a huge battery

[Iowa Dave]

Worst flashlight error I have made was to buy a camouflage unit and dropped it in the leaves in the dark in the woods and it was not turned on. Took me about 10 minutes on my hands and knees to find it. Then a minute to crawl to a tree to help me stand up. Did not shut it off all the way back to the truck. Do not buy a camouflage paint job on anything you might drop in the woods. That’s my advice.
Iowa Dave

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

Worst flashlight error I have made was to buy a camouflage unit and dropped it in the leaves in the dark in the woods and it was not turned on. Took me about 10 minutes on my hands and knees to find it. Then a minute to crawl to a tree to help me stand up. Did not shut it off all the way back to the truck. Do not buy a camouflage paint job on anything you might drop in the woods. That’s my advice.
Iowa Dave

A couple of drops of glow-in-the-dark paint...