EDC lights through the ages

[Blunt Object]

My current EDC light is this puny little single action Olight. It gets me through my everyday life just fine. How did things come to this?

[Blunt Object]

There have been other lights over the years. I got the 2D MagLight circa 1988 after military service. It was the height of flashlight coolness - I mean, it was made in America! The smaller, 2AA Mag with optional red lense came along when I started doing reservist activities and needed a light for reading maps and such. Then nothing happened, except that the LED inserts became available. Then - nothing. Until Nutnfancy made me get the Streamlight 2AAA...

[Blunt Object]

Did I say nothing happened? No. Photon II happened. I had a white Photon in my keyring for years and years, and I want it back! It had everything, and weighed nothing. But it's gone, and no similar LED light has endured. So now it's the Olight i3E, and with the price and quality I have no need for any new keyring light.

I'm a lousy customer for flashlight manufacturers anyway, I use my lights until they break. For a medium light, the Fenix LD20 was highly praised at one time so I got it. For my car and emergency use, my powerhouse light is still the Nitecore MH10, and the only reason I can think for upgrading or updating is that it uses micro USB and I will want to harmonize my charging kit.

What is missing is a pocket size light, AA. I have a Lumintop Tool on the way.

[AzteCypher]

For better or for worse, I'm a fan of the Olight Baton series.

I lost my S1 last year and I'm still not happy about it.  All our vehicles now have a Baton 4, my wife and I each carry a Baton 3 and my son carries a i3E EOS.  We still keep the 3 D cell Maglight in our SUV though.  Both for additional light and for use as "percussive persuasion" should the need arise.

[IMR4198]

   I will have to say that I have never been a huge flashlight buff.  I have owned a bunch, but never really got attached to any of them. 
   I used to own a big 3 cell MagLite with the small head.  Bought a gold anodized one.  A friend asked why in the world I bought gold?  I asked him if he ever tried to find a black flashlight in the dark.  It was unhandy.  Either rolled off and crashed into the floor or fell over if you tried to stand it on end.  Heavy.  A good sap, but a bad light.  It finally died.
    It was make do for a while.  I tried this one and that.  Then I bought a Coleman Max with the LED light.  Batteries lasted forever.  Very bright.  Not too heavy.  After years of not very much use, I tried to switch it on.  Light flickered a little.  New batteries.  No go.  My Coleman Max had rolled over and floated to the top of the fish tank.  Everything seems glued together in this thing, so there is no taking it apart.  Bummer.  I haven't tossed it yet, but that is coming soon.  I have a couple of pocket sized cheapies that are doing the job.  Sort of.  Best wishes.  G
 
 

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[Blunt Object]

I also find it hard to get excited about flashlights. They are often needed, and if they are lightweight, durable, powerful when necessary and last long time, that's good enough.

I have an early Baton R on my nightstand, it's a good product but I just can't find a place for it in my daily carry. It's too big for key ring, too fat and stubby for an organizer, and I find the proprietary magnetic charger a pain in the butt. So I keep it in the charger for when I need a lot of light, or just a little bit, at home at night.

I didn't mention headlamps, of which I have several Petzls everywhere around the house and shed. They are my go-to lights when hiking or camping, but nothing to write stories about.

Now I'm trying to fit the Tool 3 into my carry. I have a new pocket organizer on the way so we'll see where it fits.

[nate j]

   I will have to say that I have never been a huge flashlight buff.  I have owned a bunch, but never really got attached to any of them. 

I also find it hard to get excited about flashlights. They are often needed…

I’m largely with you guys on this.

I have some pretty exacting expectations for flashlights, I use them frequently, and I definitely appreciate having one on my person that meets my needs.

However, I think I’m able to be fairly objective about them.  I don’t feel the need for variety in my flashlight carry.  I really do need to see some significant improvement or advantage in a new or different model before I’ll upgrade my light, not just minor or cosmetic changes.  And if I do see that, I’ll upgrade my carry and retire the old light with zero sentimentality.

Knives and MTs are a different story.  I can easily “justify” the purchase of one of these that is only subtly different from (or even exactly the same as) what I already own.  And if I were totally objective about it, I would probably carry one super steel OHO/OHC knife and one SAK and be done with it.  But I like variety, and continue to have soft spots for trads and fixed blades (as well as SAKs and modern folders), so here we are.

[Blunt Object]

Flashlights at the moment are pretty much perfected. You can get a waterproof, moderately shockproof, tiny, lightweight and ridiculously bright light with long burn time for very little money. So they're making products with gimmicks and functions that I have no need for. Easy on/off and hi/low settings is enough for EDC.

The Tool felt like an ideal choice for pocket carry, but now I'm thinking AAA could have been a better fit. It's those extra millimetres of thickness with AA. But maybe the extra oomph from that rechargable 14500 is worth it.

[AzteCypher]

I've gotten used the Olight charging cable but for a while I debated if I should get something that uses regular batteries versus something proprietary.  These little Olights do what I want and have been pretty tough so far.  I 'm with y'all on the easy on/off and hi/low settings.  That's all you really need. 

[Blunt Object]

So it turns out the Lumintop may be a dud. Guess that means I'm getting the slimmer Olight AA. No, I meant AAA.

[Aloha]

I get excited about flashlight but never enough to indulge in them.  I began with Maglite then moved on to LED lights.  My early ones were decent but as the technology and my knowledge grew I became more interested. 

I'm not able to go down thru the ages per se but I can give a glimpse into where I've come and where I am now. 

As said Maglite is the start.  I then moved on to Thrunite and 4/7s.  I still still have them and use them.  One is a Thrunite Tis single mode.  The 4/7s are a Preon and Atom AAAs.  I still have these light and use them often. 

I them wanted a quality light and bought a Zebralight SC52L2.  Man what a light.  I then bought a Olight S1 Baton.  Its an ok light.  I use it around the house mostly. 

I have Fenix LD02 ( two ) and one just recently stopped going thru all modes.  Its a good light and I've used the heck out of it. 

I bought a headlamp which I really like, its Olight H05.  I have a Rovyvon A5 which is terrific.  I use this as a headlamp when needed. My H05 is camping and such. 

I have a Manker E05 which is wonderful.  I have a Lumintop AA Tool also a great light.

I have others in the AAA family.

Now for fun lights I have Lumintop FW4 and Emisar D4V2 Ti.  These are pure fun lights.  They both pack a punch with some very fun features like aux leds, lightening mode, adjustable output by holding on button, and so much more. 

     

[gustophersmob]

I, too, have not been super excited about newer lights. They tend to offer things I just don’t care about  and are almost always lithium rechargeable, which it don’t like. I have not desire to carry an aluminum pipe bomb in my pocket.

Fortunately my Fenix LD01 has been going strong for 10 years as my EDC light. And I have my zebra light sc52w when I need more power. I have other lights scattered around cars and tool boxes, but those are the main ones I use, and the Fenix is 99% of that.