Thanks. I just ordered one from Amazon.com.

$17.00 + tax and shipping = $24.00.

Regards,


Packard

I don't buy it, sounds like the dealer was feeding you a line. My 01 F150 has a 173,000 miles on it with about the same amount of weight on my keys, never had a problem. The only vehicle of mine (and I've had alot. LOL) that ever had an ignition switch/lock stop working was my old 96 Olds 88, and it was only because the one of the 2 tiny wires for the anti theft system broke from 6 years of turning on and off. I've had plenty of columns apart over the years and don't see how a little weight can affect a cylinder of that size.

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M&P .40, M&P 9c & Shield 45

Sir, I've heard the same warnings, though now I forget from whom. I don't know whether a heavy keyring will accelerate wear on the ignition lock cylinder, but I do know it's hard on the soft brass key itself. This is probably more a concern with the smaller keys of older cars (think '60s or '70s Chevy) than the big double-cut keys typical of newer cars.

A better reason (IMHO) for keeping car keys on a separate ring from house keys is the possibility of car theft, either via carjacking or just forgetting and leaving your keys in the car. If the thief gets your car, he also gets your address via the registration in the glovebox; if he's got your house keys, too, he just can drive to your house, waltz right in, and help himself to whatever he wants. I dislike electric garage door openers for the same reason.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

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Wishin' don't make it so.

Back to OP, I just broke down and ordered a FourSevens Mini CR123 flashlight, to try flashlight EDC for a week or two. I'm still skeptical that I'll ever use it, but I'll be happy to report back with my experience.

Twenty seven years as a cop, retired for 12 and I have carried at least one gun, a reload and some sort of flashlight for that length of time. I have never needed the reload but I have needed the light numerous times both day and night.

Good choice on a powerful light that doesn't take up so much space. You can just leave it on your keyring and it's there when you need it.

There just has to be a time throughout your day or night where you could use some light to clearly see what's going on. I refuse to believe there isn't.

Walking up to your front door at night when there isn't a light on. Yeah, you know the way and can stumble and scratch away at the lock with the key trying to find the key hole. But if you use your flashlight you might see that fresh pile of cat poop or kid's toy that is in the way that you would otherwise step on.
Going to your vehicle at night in an unlit area. Most people would do it without a light and not think twice because they are in condition white Those who are prepared and live in condition yellow use their light.

Going to the range in the day time, not being able to see into the bottom of your black range bag for the small black somethingorother that you've dropped in there. Finding something that's rolled under your vehicle seat, etc.

Speaking of the f;ashlight at the range, I always have one in my bag, and it helps see where my rounds landed. Eyes aren't that good, and sometimes I even prop the light on something, aim at the target, and I can see immediately where the rounds are going. I mainly point-shoot when practicing, so it's not like I know exactly where to look for every round..knowhatImean??

Without even reading all the other posts I offer the following.

Many "Jobs" might require the needs for a flashlight, even if you are working durring then day. mine did.

However, now that I am retired I still EDC a flashlight.
I live in the country, I always have my SureFireE1e, Executive Elite in my pocket, 100% of the time. I use it several times a "day" and several times every night.

When I leave the house, I add my SureFire A2 Aviator to my pocket. So really, if I am off of my property I have both as EDC's.

When I hunt or travel I have other flashlights with me as well but I always have on my person the E1e and the A2.
I carry them on a plane, to Alaska, Canada, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, or to my Texas deer lease... I carry them both to Walmart...

I ALWAYS carry at least 2 flashlights, 2 knives, 2 handguns, 2 bottles of Laphroaig Scotch, and if I can afford it 2 dollars, where ever I go...

I keep plenty of small flashlights around the car and the house and I always keep one in my pocket. The three cell (AAA) LED mini flashlights are just $10.00 for six flashlights at BJ's Club and include Panasonic batteries for all of them. I imagine they are junk, but none have failed to date. I keep two in the car and the rest in the house. I carry a mini-maglight in my pocket.

We have to clean up after our dogs in our town, so a flashlight is pretty much mandatory since our street has no street lights.

Every day and night I carry the older version of the P20A2 that only gets 220 lumens on high power out of two (2) AA alkaline batteries. It also produces 55 lumens and 15 lumens with strobe on 220 and 55. To get some idea of the scale, the batteries are in the narrow part between the head and the fat tail cap. The light cost me about $40.00 at a gun show.

Looks like they've upgraded the power level. Might have to get a new one.
EagleTac - P series

EDC

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CPT, Armor (Ret)
Luke 22:36

The light arrived last night. I put new batteries in my old Mini-Maglight, and a $30.00 LED light that I got from Sam's Club a couple of years ago. The LED Mini-Maglight was brighter than the incandescent Mini-Maglight, and threw a brighter beam across my yard. It clearly lit up my dog when he was 50+ feet away in a pitch-black night. The other lights did not. Strangely the LED uses an all new case which is longer in both the battery compartment and the lens compartment. The overall length has grown about 3/4".

A nice light for the dollars.

I keep a keyring flashlight in my pocket all the time. You never know when your going to need a flashlight. I also keep a couple of knives on me too along with my smith.

I carry a pretty nifty flashlight. It's a very bright blind yer arse light with a very strong stun gun built in the front of it. Just the sound of the arc will cause people to jump. $50+tax.

Google the name.

Happy New Year everyone!

Hobie

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Laissez les bons temps roulez!

Lousy thread!!!!! I posted a few days ago, now I own three more lights!!!!! $&(&^$#$#$#^!!!!

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Go big or stay home

I hear ya Sprefix, Douggie, my UPS man, dropped off five this afternoon, all thanks to this here thread!!

Four Streamlight Stylus Pros (one in each of the four housing colors offered) & a Streamlight Clipmate (headlamp).
My old cheapy headlamp wasn't cutting it anymore.

My wife had first choice on the Stylus Pro's and, as expected, chose the one with the red housing, my son, who is a pilot went 2nd & picked silver because that color would be easier to see in the dark so that left me with a blue & black.

I did have a moment there when my wife mentioned how nice the blue Stylus Pro looked and I thought, there goes my plan to end up with a S&W blue flashlight.

Hey ogilvyspecial, my USPS girl should drop two of mine off on Saturday. I got a few of the Steamlight Nanos. I been wanting a Stylus. THANKS!!!!!!!---for bringin' that up.....off to Ebay I go.....@%^&^%##$$!!!!!

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Go big or stay home

Sprefix, if you ever have a hard time finding any Streamlight products at good rates look up Flashlight Distributors, which is usually where I get all of my Streamlight products. If not, I at least give them a try first to check their prices before looking around.

Just to give you some idea on their prices the Stylus Pros were $16.96 and I just seen that the white LED Nano's were under $5.00.

Currently they have a special on shipping, orders under $50 ship for $4.99, over $50, free.....

I think I'm going back for a few more SP's to cover my other kids and their spouses (all over 30 so they ain't really kids I guess.) I wouldn't want them to feel left out.

See ya around, even in the dark.......

Read this thread a few days ago, thought many of the comments posted made perfect sense. Read this news story today (below), confirms the wisdom of not leaving home without certain items. About halfway down the article, a comment is made that the individual responsible for rescue never leaves home without 3 items---gun, knife and FLASHLIGHT.

Hero talks about dramatic rescue of kids - US news - Life - msnbc.com

I have a small LED that i keep in my jaket pocket. Used it a few times for odds and ends, I attend a college on a rough side of a rough town where weapons arn't allowed, any advantage I can gain(blinding the perp) within methods that won't get me expelled I'll take.

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Just the opinion of a kid

That's only the beginning. I'm past 3 dozen now (including ones I've built for family and friends).

If you need a flashlight, you typically need one right NOW and really BAD.

My wife was stuck in a hotel with no power for a few days. She finally listened and started to EDC a keychain flashlight after that. With the size of her purse, she could and should carry something a bit bigger.

I always carry a small streamlight on the keychain. An 80 lumen 1 AA lives in the truck console 100% of the time. If I am not at work, I carry an 80 lumen 1 AA on a pocket clip that is just slightly larger than a tube of chapstick. I have used them more times than I can remember.

The other night I dropped my Bluetooth in the car and it rolled under the seat, I used the light on my key chain to find it.
My wife commented on what a good idea it was to have one on my key chain....it's not often she credits me for a good idea.

My reasoning for carrying a small dependable flashlight every day is the same reasoning that I use for carrying a pistol and carrying a spare mag; because I might need it.

For me, a flashlight is an valuable tool that one should carry if they carry a gun for self defense. If its dark out, you need to be able to identify if the person on the other side of your car is a deadly threat or a retarded person who is lost. I don't ever want to be in a situation where I *think* there may be a threat presenting itself, but I'm unable to be sure because I failed to carry a small flashlight that is 1/8th the size of a smart phone which is something most people seem unable to leave at home.

If someone grabs you from behind on your strong side, a high output LED light on your weak side can be mighty handy.

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Proverbs 14:7

the Defenders from Surefire are designed for striking and although ive never tried it, im betting it would hurt like a ***

(now ive got a new E2Defender LED on its way....i blame this thread)

I never knew I needed to carry a lite other than my Maglite in the truck. Still don't know if I will carry it, but I did order one today.

what did you order?

Why do I EDC a flashlight? Because I cannot see squat in the dark.
I see it as a must to identify and evaluate possible threats when ambient lighting is not sufficient. In a confrontational situation, they can blind a BG and allow you to escape or give you an edge.

Last night was windy and very cold in Great Falls. An elderly gentlemen at the (pretty dark) restaurant we ate at could NOT get his coat zipped. Turned out no one else could either --- it was a car coat -- two way zipper outfit. My little AAA light showed what the problem was and we got him zipped --- no frostbite.

Hmm I've been rethinking this over and I dont suppose theres an inbetween between the key one and the strion one with a strobe feature and no keychain that's very thin unlike that quark mini 123 and light that takes those longer lasting (lithium?) batteries?

I mean it just seems like the max size for a light that would be with you everyday should be at maximum about half the size of a J frame and thin enough to be stuffed in a pants pocket without sticking out like say the light equavalent of what the spyderco lady bug is to knives



the reason for that statement is that I've found that most people who dont have any real regular use for a cell phone like me is just so that they can see what time it is.

and given the choice between a nice watch to tell time and a bulky phone I'd take the nice watch as eventually after you get used to the weight on your arm you dont even notice its there anymore and it doesnt cost you money on a per month basis like my old cell phone seemed to do



I dont think theives are quite that smart, atleast not the normal ones.

Kavinsky, others may be able to offer suggestions for companies other than Streamlight, but since I'm a loyal user of SL's that's all I can comment on.

I've also been wanting a light the size you described with the strobe function but have found a good alternative thanks to a previous poster in this thread.

Below you will see the Streamlight Stylus Pro that allows easy one-handed operation.
Slightly depress the tailcap switch for temporary function or fully depress the switch until it clicks for constant on.

All 3 lights are the same, I just included 3 of the 4 different colors offered (black not shown) so people could compare them with each other.



The good thing about the Stylus Pro is that it takes AAA batteries which are easy to get and inexpensive, relatively speaking.

The one thing I would watch about this light is the clip since the back-side of the clip itself and the housing are both smooth. If you clipped it to the top inside edge of a pants pocket, the same way many do with knives, I could see it easily slipping out of the pocket while sitting down. I carry one clipped to an inside breast pocket of a coat and in that location it has always stayed where I've clipped it. They do come with a decent belt holster although I have never carried one that way yet.

Overall it's an excellent choice for a pocket type flashlight due to it's slim design. The fact that it's as long as it is does allow getting a good grip on it in your hand to operate the tailcap switch. The smaller Streamlight Stylus (not the Pro) operates like the Key-Mate so you have to twist the bezel end of the light to turn it on, which I've done many times one-handed with the K.M. but it's not as easy, nor as fast, as the tailcap switch.

As a comparison, the Stylus Pro is at least twice as bright as the Key-Mate and rivals, or exceeds, many of the full sized flashlights I've used back when most flashlights were cheap affairs relegated to a kitchen "junk drawer", around just in case the lights went out.

Good luck in your search!

Ever get stuck in a New York subway train?. When the lights go out a small flashlight can come in mighty handy. Don't ask how I know. Carried one almost every day wether at work or outside. Frank

hmmm so that thing does have a strobe feature, I have heard and known of that one but didnt know it had it, problem is my normal cloth coat that I normally wear strangely doesnt have a breast pocket of all things, hence the criteria

No strobe feature on the Stylus, hence my comment that it was an alternative to the one you seek, which I have also been looking for.

As I mentioned in my previous post, if you push the tailcap switch down lightly it will stay on temporarily, i.e. the light goes off when the switch is released. If you push the switch all the way down until it clicks, the light will stay on after you remove your finger, or thumb as the case may be.

Sorry for any confusion my previous post may have caused.

ah gotcha so you can do it yourself manually with it, its not built in.

i've got a Surefire E1B; great little flashlight that does not demand much space for carry.

Opening poster, here.

As an update, I went ahead and ordered a 4Sevens Quark Mini123 flashlight, and have been pocket carrying it for the last several weeks.

I have to say, I am now completely sold on the logic of EDC'ing a flashlight. The 4Sevens is awesome, and I have used it almost daily, if not more frequently. I never realized how much I needed it, until I went out and got one.

So, let it never be said that I'm too proud to admit I was wrong.

That's a nice choice. I've been EDCing a Fenix PD20 for the last few months and decided I wanted a light with some slightly different capabilities. I ended up settling on a Quark X 123^2 Tactical. I've only had it for a few days but so far it seems to meet my needs very well.

Please don't be so hard on yourself. You weren't wrong, it just took you a little while to see the benefits of always having a certain tool with you, even though it appeared as if you didn't "need it."

You know what "they" say, better late than never....

In other words, you've seen the light.



*ducks for cover*

Congrats Bratastic! Not only are these lights useful, they're a fun hobby with all the different LED's that keep coming out, and finding the right "tint" and beam pattern you like. I like the neutral tint emitters and a floodier beam these days. In the beginning for me it was all about the lux readings and throw.

I've matured a little now.

the flashlight hobby can be quite addictive; or so i've heard.

So what is your current flashlight, out of curiosity?

Can anyone recommend a holster for a Fenix E21?

There are 4 things I try to carry on me at all times when out of the house: cell phone, light, gun, knife. You can't make an appointment for an emergency. When I was in LE (just retired from my reserve unit) I always carried two sidearms and 2 flashlights, plus my carbine has its own light. I'm a fan of the Surefire G2X.

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NHI, 10-8.

I can't recommend a holster for a Fenix and better yet I don't recommend Fenix lights either. I sent them a light to repair under there 24 month warranty in the last week of January.
Every email and phone call I get the same response,"we send to China for repair, maybe you get light, one week".
I'm not wasting any more money on Chinese junk.
Sorry about that but I told them that I was going to slam them everyplace I can!!!

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Watch for motorcycles!!! Skip

I bought mine at REI. If there's ever a problem, I can just return it!

I don't always have one in my pocket but I have two in my car, two next to the bed, one in each room of the basement, one in the kitchen, one in the living room and one in my work bag.

Once you get used to having an incredibly bright light around for whenever you're working on something.
The light that I keep in my work bag right now (and use around the house frequently) is a single AA "Nextorch" light. A little smaller than my G2 or G3 or the Streamlights (although I do keep oggling the stylus models). Still outputs 70 lumens, uses a Cree led, aluminum body, glow in the dark tail cap, shock & water resistant to 3 feet, and the coolest part is a usb port. You can program modes with power output, strobe duration, etc. Pretty neat piece for less than $25.

For what?!

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

really?!?!? crud...I'm doomed. My keyring looks like I should be the deputy for an old time jail!

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God Bless Our Troops.