Maybe some of you have already seen this website:

EDC

It features pictures, submitted by readers, of the things they every day carry (EDC). I notice that while not everyone carries a firearm, almost every single person carries some form of flashlight.

Am I missing something, or is that kind of silly? I can certainly see needing a pocket knife on a regular basis. The wallet, watch, cell phone is a no-brainer. But how often does a person really need a flashlight? I can think of twice in the last 6 months I've needed one where I wasn't camping.

Sure it makes plenty of sense to have a flashlight in a bug-out-bag, but why keep one in your pocket all day long?

because you never know when you'll need one. plain and simple

When properly used a flashlight of appropriate design and power can be used as a self defense tool.

I get what you're saying, but by that logic I would end up filling my pants pockets with a lighter and para-cord and a pen and a tire pressure gauge and a whole host of other things that I rarely use but never know when I'll need.

I do carry a flashlight in my car, and know where to find one in my home, but I'm just trying to understand why a guy would pocket carry one on a daily basis. Seems to suggest that it's as important as a cell phone or pocket knife, which I can't believe it is.



The self-defense justification makes a little sense... but if someone is threatening serious bodily harm (and assuming I can't just run away) then ideally that's why I have my CCW.

my Surefire E1L drops in a pants pocket easily, and ive always believed if youre gonna carry a handgun, you should also carry a flashlight and a good pocket knife. thats just me. i like to think that if i was gonna have to become involved in a defensive shootout, i know what im shooting at. its worth it, and it might save your ***. i dont see how the other objects you mentioned will be helpfull in an immediate life threating situation.

Must admit, I keep a very bright one in my car, and pocket it after dark- do not carry during daylight hours. Have one by my recliner, my wife's recliner, and by the bed- along with my SD9 with weapon-light.

Age and attitude may have a lot to do with the question you asked.

Neither one of my sons would consider carrying a flashlite except when they think they might need one.

Me, I have had one on my belt of various brands for over 40 years and always 1 or 2 in my truck. Never without one.

I also used one daily when I worked and have not changed much since. Always have my pocket knife also and probably more keys than I need. Pockets always full, but I need it all. Don't need no rope though.

James

For those that are considering the purchase of an EDC flashlight, most manufacturers also offer a reduced rate on bulk packs of the 123 batteries most of the good ones require. They are quite costly if purchased one by one or two by two at the local store; buy at least one bulk pack!! You may not think so now, but you *will* start to use the flashlight more and more... yes, even during daylight hours. (Ask me how I know!)

Steve

Why do I carry a flashlight? Cause I spend a lot of time out and about at night, and I can't see as well in the dark as I can in the light.
It's really not a "tactical" thing for me, although it could be used for that I suppose. It's just darn handy to have around. I have never had to use a knife defensively either, but I always have at least one on my person, and I use it every day for something.
These things are just tools, and I use them as such.
Jim

The defensive use is simply that a light that is bright enough will blind and disorient the intended target. Some model have a strobing feature that does an even better job at disorienting. It can also be used as a blunt impact weapon that can help you see what you are targeting. You can't hit what you can't see.

Living in the PRNJ, where I cannot carry my pistol my standard load out when leaving the house is a tactical folder, a 200 lumen flashlight and a can of pepper spray. To say you will rely on your pistol is at the least naive and at the worst dangerous. Even though you have a CCW you still have to follow escalation of force guidelines. Not to mention common sense to avoid potentially dangerous situations before you get to them.

Especially in the Winter, I carry a high-quality 1AAA flashlight pretty much all the time. Why?

Ever walk thru a dark parking lot to get to your car?
Ever drop your keys in the dark?
Ever need to read a menu in a dark restaurant?
Ever need to locate something in a dark theatre?
Ever have someone turn out the lights while you're in a bathroom stall at the mall?
Ever need to help someone find something they dropped in the dark?
Ever need to look under the hood of a vehicle in the dark?

My little AAA light gets used quite often.

Because every day I find myself needing to look at something that I can see better with more light. Even indoors, during the day, there is usually something that I'm doing where a little more light helps my aging eyes to focus better.

Right, I didn't mean for my previous statement to come out sounding as though a pistol was my default solution to any threat regardless of magnitude. What I meant to imply was that, if I can retreat, run away, safely reach nearby law enforcement, or otherwise avoid the danger, I certainly would do so. However, God forbid I ever find myself in a situation where those alternatives are not available, and I AM forced to defend myself or my family, I will use the most effective tool I have to eliminate the deadly threat. I just can't imagine that tool will be a flashlight.

I had Ray Cory make me a holster and mag pouch and had him do the mag pouch as a combo pouch. 1 .45acp mag and 1 Surefire 6P. EDC for almost 2 years now.

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James L. "Jim" Rhiner

For several years now I've kept a small, but powerful, flashlight on me, every day. They're very unobtrusive. I see no reason why somebody wouldn't carry a small flashlight with them. I have used the light both during the day and at night. Sometimes one needs to have a little more light than what's available at the time, whether it's to see more detail or find that coin that rolled under the sofa.

As to the self-defense issue, I think they're very handy in a situation where either deadly force isn't justified or you're somewhere that doesn't allow the carrying of a gun or knife. How many people, outside of law enforcement, are truly able to legally carry a gun everywhere they go? I know I can't. It's more reassuring to walk through a dark parking lot at night with a flashlight in my hand than happy thoughts in my head. And I do carry a light with a strobe. I've seen how effective a strobe is at disorienting someone, which should be enough to get out of the immediate area in the event of an attack. Of course, this is in addition to using the light as an improvised impact weapon if needed.

I also have a pocket knife and/or a multi-tool on me as they can also be handy. Another of my EDC items is a small first aid kit in my pocket. I'm sure there are some people that would mock me for doing so, but I've used that kit a couple of times and was glad I had it.

If you don't want to carry a flashlight on you, then don't. Just don't ask to borrow mine if you need one.

I've carried a flashlight for over 35 years and have been asked many times why I feel the need and I've always given the same, simple, answer every time.

Because it gets dark......

Larry you're killing me....I'm at a dark restaurant talking trash with my date and the guy next to me fires up his 100 lumans Surefire to read his menu......that would have made a Seinfeld episode!

My Leatherman tool came with a small flashlight and the holster has a space built for it. When I put on the Leatherman the flashlight comes with. Car has a small flashlight in the front console, a mini-maglight in the map pocket behind the passenger seat, and a full size maglight in the trunk.

My last job was replacing computers in banks. You wouldn't believe how handy a flashlight you can hold in your teeth comes in when you're on your hands and knees (or flat on your back) trying to connect things up underneath a teller station. Next time I'm going to get one of those ballcaps with the built-in light. I don't care how dorky they look if they work.

I carry quite a few things with me every day.

Wallet (I.D., insurance card, cash)

Emerson knife

2 single cell 18650 lights (Cree XM-L)

Cell phone

To the O.P., I think you'd really get used to having a small but bright flashlight on you all the time. You don't notice it there in your pocket. I use mine in dark parking lots, walking outside at night to see what the dog is barking at, car trouble, walking to the mailbox at the end of the street, the list would of uses would be a roving catalogue.

I am always going into the deep dark places where a bit of light comes in handy. I always carry single AA sized Cree R5 3 mode light in my pocket, I'm running it with single 14500 LI 3.7v rechargeables and it throws a lot of light on high.

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/trustfi...-1-14500-39062

I use MagLites with LED upgrades for everything else.

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

Surefire 6P. I'm sometimes out after dark, particularly in the winter. I'm sometimes in buildings that don't have windows in every room. I've needed a flashlight a few times. I've never needed a gun. Seems to me the question is why I carry a gun, but we can probably most of us figure out a reasonable answer to that one.

I can't tell you how many times a day I use a flashlight at work. More than I use my pocketknife, for sure. And I keep several stashed in the car, the nightstand, and other handy places. Bought myself a hundred pack of 123's for Christmas, a buck each.

Oh, and I've been that guy reading the menu more than once.

Ya know come to think of it- I gave my wife one, because she sometimes goes into the storage areas of a few grocery stores, and she needs to be able to read, and if the power went out- I just felt better with her having a good strong one with her. I don't need one during the day, but as said, have one close by after dark every night.

Because one thing you can be certain of every single day...the sun will set, and it will get dark.

This reminds me of the people at my job. Someone is always asking me why I carry a knife/flashlight/etc., even as they're trying to borrow mine. My answer is, "Since you are obviously in need of one now, the better question is, why don't you have one of your own?"

I guess a flashlight is kind of like a knife or multitool, in the sense that you never realize how handy one is until you begin to carry one.

For the record, I always have a flashlight on me. As I'm sitting on my couch right now, I have 3 lights on me. Usually when I leave the house, I have 4 or 5 on me. I understand that may be a bit excessive, but I have a flashlight collection, and most of the ones I carry around are quite small.

Try this site: edcforums.com, or maybe this one: CandlePowerForums

Tim

I know people that carry them always. And some that never do. And yet others who only carry one when it's dark.

I was one of those who only carried one after dark. Then I learned the hard way.

Several years ago I was shopping at a local mall. Car accident knocked out a transformer and the power to the mall was cut. I was in a little store which evidently never checked their emergency lighting. Because it didn't work. It was pitch black. No light of any kind.

So there I was surrounded by people I didn't know or trust. Guy next to my uses his lighter and we find some flashlights. Cheap one's with no batteries in the package!

After about 20 minutes, mall security came round with some flashlights and "saved" us. Never again.

These days I carry a Surefire 6P. Other times I carry a Streamlight Stylus Pro. Less than 20 lumens but in near or total darkness I can indentify someone 15-20 feet away.

Like carrying a gun, carrying a flashlight takes a commitment. White light can be the most important tool in the tool box.

I carry one because I need it fairly often to shed light on things that I need to see. The need for illumination can come at anytime. Just today I used mine to find a part I dropped under a work bench. I have lights in the building but none that shine up in dark corners and crevices as well as a flashlight. In a few minutes I am going to use my flashlight to go out to my shop. There's enough light that I could get there without a flashlight but I'd rather not risk stepping off in a mudhole. I use my flashlight many times in many different situations.

On the other hand, some things such as tire gauges I feel quite comfortable leaving in a vehicle. The thing is only good for one thing, unlike my flashlight.

You got me on the pen. I find the need to carry one of those EDC. It just comes in so handy for writing and its more convenient than carrying a bottle of ink and hoping I can catch a spotted owl and jerk out one of his feathers to use for a quill pen.

But you carry what you need. If you can see good all the time in all situations including the dark, I wouldn't bother with a flashlight.

Sir, there ya go. Power outages happen all the time, and a building, especially a big one, can be a really unpleasant trap if the lights go out. Several times having a flashlight on me has changed awkward or even potentially dangerous situations into no big deal.

Even at home, we keep flashlights in known locations that don't change, as well as candles in every room.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

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Wishin' don't make it so.

Alaska!, Winter!, 4-6 Hours of daylight = 3 Surefires!! 'Nuff said.

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Go big or stay home

As I mentioned in my previous post in this thread I've been carrying flashlights for 35 years but failed to mention that for the better part of that time-frame the flashlights were nothing like the choices we have today.

Another recent change I've seen is with LED technology. Up until not too long ago most LED lights were only suitable as small area lights but nowadays some can run with anything out there. My Streamlight C4 LED Stinger HP easily reaches out over 200 yd's and is brighter than the hand-held spotlight I carried in my truck for years.

Below you will see most of my primary carry lights.
All are Streamlights & all but the small Key-Mate are re-chargeable either by AC or DC.



Below are a few of the rings & holsters I use on a regular basis and some of the lights have the filters I normally use with them, although I generally switch those out as conditions dictate.



If I know I'll be out & about for an extended period of time and doing a lot of sitting I tend to go with an enclosed bottom holster. This prevents the on/off button from possibly being activated or the light getting pushed up out of the holster by whatever it is you're sitting on. Some vehicle seats are pretty contoured so you tend to sit down in them, as opposed to on them and that extra cushioning along the sides of your legs are what can push a light out of it's holster while seated.

Edited to add: Don't underestimate the little Key-Mate. Over the last couple of years I've given away approx. 75 of them to family & friends and out of all the gifts I've given throughout my lifetime I've received more positive comments about them than any other gift I've given.

This is what works well for me....

I bought a tiny little Surefire for under $7 shipping included on Amazon and it's just the cutest little thing! And pretty bright too!
All aluminum and lifetime warranty, it comes in handy a lot!

Attached Images

images.jpeg (5.1 KB, 55 views)

That is a great little light...I have one on my keychain as well. However, it's not a Surefire...it's a Streamlight.

Tim

What is the model name or number of that little thing please.

It's a Streamlight Nanolight. Here's the Streamlight site: Key Chain Light Series - Nano Light® | Streamlight, and here it is at Amazon: Amazon.com: Streamlight 73001 Nano Light Miniature Keychain LED Flashlight, Black: Home Improvement.

Tim

Let me guess, Olds Aurora? Or Buick Riviera?

I have a flashlight in my work vehicle (along with the mounted spotlight), one in my POV, several in my house, one in the RV and a small one that can fit in my shirt pocket that has a flexible head. That said, I am not carrying a flashlight in the daytime. If need be for dark areas, I can always get one out of the vehicle.

When I am serving paper at night, I carry a five D-cell maglight. It is great for light but it is also a good tool for getting someone's attention when need be.

There is too much of me to lug around, not counting all the stuff I have to carry, for me to be carrying a flashlight in the event I may need one. For that matter, I may need an umbrella as well but I can get it out of the car also

I do not carry a pocket knife because the benefit I would receive from carrying one does not offset the non beneficial times.

Just saying.

and how do you find anything quickly?

honestly with me I dont carry a flashlight as I feel I have no real use for it, nor a swiss army knife.

as my usual pocket contents (as I just hate the term EDC as it sounds way too nutinfancy like) is a pair of ear plugs in a small thin pill containter, and a spyderco ladybug in orange in the front left pocket

and my car keys and one house key on the right and 3 quarters rapped in tape for a pay phone if I need it in my watch pocket in addtion to my walet in the usual spot.

and I wear a watch daily, as I hate cell phones with a passion and the watch doesnt cost me money on a monthly basis like a cell phone does

although If I was frequently going into a bad area I'd be carrying a cell phone, the smallest one I could find with the old peoples plan so I wouldnt have to pay every damn month like with the last one I let run out two years ago.

ditto with the flash light in that sense, although I dont live in a place like new york so I dont really feel the need for one although I do keep one in the car and I need to look into getting a smaller one for the new car, kinda forgot about that one actually.

I keep a couple of lights in my truck and when traveling or if I'm going to be out after dark I'll drop my Surefire G2 in a jacket pocket. I don't carry a light on my person 24/7, however.

I don't typically put my Surefire light in my pocket unless I know I will be out after dark. But you don't have to carry a big light... my keychains all have the tiny single AAA high output lights. I don't use them a lot but it's nice that they are there and it's not like they take up a bunch of space.

Oooops!! Yes it is a Streamlight. Sorry! A Streamlight Nano. I don't even own a Surefire.

I have Amazon prime, so I get free shipping. These are $6 with free shipping. And they may have redesigned the seal rubber because mine have never turned on by themselves in my pocket.

The photo below is my EDC.

I don't like to carry a lot of stuff. You'll notice I have cut one of the "wings" of my house and office keys. I have always carried a Victornox classic since high school. When the Maglite Solitaire made its debut it was small enough to be included. It was replaced by "squeeze" LEDS. When the Streamlight Nano came along it was immediately adopted. It is a great LITTLE light. I have found many uses for this light even in daylight hours.

Yes I have much bigger lights and knives. They are liberally salted around in my vehicles, night stand and lazy boy and near exits of my home and in my man purse.

It is a very rare occasion you don't find the items below on me.

I've had a few folks tell me, "oh, I have a flashlight app on my phone". Yeah, so do I. It's great if I want to barely see something. I'll carry the real deal, thanks.

One light that was a longtime favorite is the Streamlight Stylus Pro. Good brightness, about the size of a pen so easy to carry, and takes AA batteries. Under twenty bucks.

interesting...does your watch answer you when you talk into it??

Thanks for mentioning the Stylus Pro.
I had looked at those many times in the past but always passed on them, which, thanks to your comment, has now been taken care of. I was glad to see that the ones I ordered have the C4 LED technology so maybe it was a good thing I held off.

Yesterday I gave away 3 of the C4 Strions as Christmas gifts and compared them to the older, lithium bulb? Strion I was wearing on my belt to show the recipients the difference between it and their C4 Strions.
The beam from the older style was totally "gobbled up" by the C4's beam.....

Thanks again zoom6zoom!!

IMO a good flashlight is just as important as a quality handgun in your SD system, you never know when you might need them. TJ

I take note of the amount of naturally availble light when out and about. Ever experience a power outage at a basketball game or inside a data center? The guy with the flashlight is the hero.
W

From a car maintenence point of view this is probably a bad idea. Modern car ignition key locks can be damaged by excess weight on the keychain. (Don't believe me, ask the car dealer.)

My old Mazda needed a new ignition switch and it cost $280.00 to replace. I think that the newer ones are probably much more expensive. Not only did it not start, I had to be towed in to the dealer and I had to rent a car for the day. Luckily AAA paid for the tow.

Nowadays I keep just two keys on the keychain.

Though they never publicized the fact it was an open secret at Maglight that their Mini-Maglight at 6" length and 3/4" diameter had the same dimensions as the Japanese striking weapon, the Kubaton.

It was the one reason that they were so popular. I am rather surprised that Maglight has not upgraded to LCD bulbs, or that others have not copied the dimensions. Perhaps the two battery capacity is too small to drive the bulbs. In any event I prefer the Mini-Maglight in my pocket. But I keep an LCD light in the car.

http://media.rei.com/media/xx/38351f...16ef36ba02.jpg

You can do these with a Mini-Maglight, but not with most of the others:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTTb1JaCbus

I appreciate your concern, but I won't ask the dealer because they would charge me $50 for the answer....
This "set" weighs 6 oz....just weighed it.....I guess i live on the edge.

Ask and............
Mini Maglite® LED 2-Cell AA Flashlights

They are brighter than the after market conversion kits by a good bit.