Do you carry a flash light every day?

Rastoff

Rastoff

US Veteran
Joined
Dec 28, 2011
Messages
14,710
Reaction score
17,098
Location
So Cal (Near Edwards AFB)
Since I was 10 years old, I've carried a pocket knife. It's just something I've always done. They are extremely useful. There are some weeks where I won't use it even once. Then there are some where I use it every day. I've never gone more than a week without using it.

I just recently started carrying a flashlight. Took me a while to find the right one, but I did. I discovered that I was either wishing I had one or borrowing one from a friend quite often.

More than that, it's a great defensive tool. Not only can it be used to temporarily blind the bad guy, but it's a great striking tool/force multiplier and legal to carry in every state.

I've landed on the Streamlight 1L-1AA. It's about $37 on Amazon, doesn't change modes accidentally, has 350 and 40 lumen outputs. I found that 350 lumen is not very useful for regular use. Too bright. 40 is still bright, but doesn't hurt to use for finding your keys that you dropped at night. It has a strobe mode that is completely useless in my mind, but maybe someone will point out a situation where it will come in handy.

protac1l-1aa_logoed.jpg
 
Register to hide this ad
Only the one on my cell phone :) I do keep a small flash light in my vehicle in case of roadside emergencies however.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CH4
I used to carry a mini-mag light in my back pocket, but they frequently turned on in my pocket and wiped out the batteries. I came into a Surefire E2E about 2000 and have been very happy with it overall. I normally carry it in the left leg pocket of my Carhartt pants. Carrying it anywhere else, like clipped on the belt with an E2O long clip resulted in losing it several times, and was found. I mostly use it with the 25 lumen E2O lamps for longer battery life. its been plenty bright for most of what I need it for, including out in the yard looking for varmints at night.

A year or so ago i found a pretty small Streamlight that used a single AAA battery, its good for most of the day to day stuff I do and I dont need to order batteries. I usually carry it in a vest pocket, or left leg pocket of the Carhartts.
 
Yes.

I have a variety, (Surefire, Malkoff), which I might use under various circumstances but always have at least a aaa sized Olight in my pocket.

Knife, light, firearm...a holy trinity.
 
I carry a Fenix PD-25 every day. Uses one CR-123 battery, has three lumens setting, plus the strobe.

The strobe would be useful to signal someone your location in the dark. A strobe will also change most traffic lights from red to green.

I have been carrying this light for about 3 years now and it has never let me down. At 550 lumens on the high end it was the brightest one of its size and the size I wanted. I live on 26 acres with horses and I use the high a lot. Surefire had one, but it wasnt as bright and it had a twist cap switch which can be difficult to manipulate one handed.
 
I don’t carry a flashlight on my person except on Halloween when I’m taking my granddaughter trick or treating.

I do keep several around the house at various locations and a few in the car as well as one in most gear bags.
 
I have a couple of small very bright flashlights that have the strobe mode as well.
I'll be watching this thread to see what people say about that feature, but I don't understand why that function was included on what would be a better item if the strobe was omitted.
 
I carry two, a 4Sevens Quark X 123^2 Tactical clipped to my pocket and a Fenix PD20 on my keychain. I can't remember the exact numbers, but my Quark is set to the max, 360 lumens, and a twist changes it to around 80 lumens. I figure if I need to get a light NOW, as in a defensive or other emergency situation, I want the max lumens. For regular use I can either use my Fenix, which is at around 80 lumens, I think, or switch to the lower setting on my Quark.

FWIW, I prefer the Quark because it's a push-clickie. At some point I'll either find a small push-clickie or some completely different method-of-operation for my keychain.

As for the strobe feature, it can be a useful defensive feature. I took a class a few years ago and the effect was demonstrated. First, the "defender" resisted an "attacker" pushing on him without using the strobe. Strength vs. strength, it was about tied. As soon as the "defender" started using the strobe feature the "attacker" couldn't resist being pushed aside as he was very noticeably disoriented. And this was in a lit room.

I've gone back and forth between having my primary setting being set to strobe or not, but I think the regular setting is more useful. I've seen what a mere 60 lumens can do to someone when shone in their face, even in a lit room, so I think I'm ok with 360 lumens as my go-to light.
 
Last edited:
ralph7 said:
Am I missing something or is this a function of emergency lights approaching an intersection?
Only at night??
Click to expand...

Day or night and yes that is a function of emergency lights approaching an intersection. I picked that tidbit up years ago when some of the stun guns you could buy had a strobe built in them.
I wont say it will work 100% of the time but it does work.
 
Keep my LL Bean moonbeam in my coat pocket just in case I need it. Has 300 lumens on high and less on lower setting. Like the glow in dark feature on handle. Just wish I could adjust the beam for distance. Seems like great quality for what I paid. takes 3 AAA batteries.
 
A flashlite is a very important part of my duty belt as is a flashlight for my day to day life. I have had virtually every high power flashlight on the market and for me FENIX is my go to light. The price, the brightness and most of all the way I was treated when I broke it........ The light was sent back to China and the represenative handling my call tag # emailed me frequently to update me. The cost was 15.00 to ship to China the repair and upgrade was FREE.
 
I always carry one, a Fenix multi lumens that works on one AAA battery, and when I know I will be out after dark I carry a second Fenix multi lumens plus strobe that works on one AA battery.

Twice I have been in public buildings when the lights went out and the emergency lights didn't work. I became an instant hero when I turned on my light. It's true cell phone lights are great, but mine gets the battery pretty hot and depletes it real quick. I would not depend on it to save my life.

29aholic said:
Day or night and yes that is a function of emergency lights approaching an intersection. I
Click to expand...

When I drove a Semi I discovered a loud air horn will also activate signal lights in some locations. Gets peoples attention either way......
 
Last edited:
I have a Pelican 1910 in my briefcase that I carry every day. Other than that I only carry a flashlight with me when I fly on planes (950 lumens - light'em up!!). It is a Fenix.

I rely on my cell phone flashlight otherwise.

Weirdly, however, in my house, when I am in my robe, I always carry a gun, a knife, and a powerful flashlight. There is a flashlight in my car, too.
 
I carried a mini mag light in holster ever since Mag Light came out with them. In my working years I was a mechanic by trade. I have been retired for about 10 years.
I now carry the Streamlight ProTac-1L-1AA as you show and have 2 of them and also have 2 of the Streamlight ProTac 1AAA and the one clipped in my pocket as I write this is the Streamlight Microstream 1AAA. I also have many other flashlights but the smaller LED flashlights regardless of the brand has outdated all the older flashlights. The newer model LED flashlights are amazingly bright and the smaller sizes are a bonus making them so easy to clip one in the pocket.
A guy can never have too many guns, pocketknives or flashlights and that's just the way it is.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

SLT223
How do you carry your M65 3"
2
Replies
23
Views
1K
gym cat
G
BabaBlueJay
  • Poll Poll
Preferred every day carry cartridge?
5 6 7
Replies
135
Views
7K
ImprovedModel56Fan
I
1
How do you carry your CSX
2
Replies
25
Views
3K
gwpercle
gwpercle
AJ
  • Poll Poll
Where Do You Carry?
2
Replies
36
Views
1K
oldrookey617
O
P
Red Dot Sight on a Small of Back Concealed Carry?
Replies
19
Views
880
GnarlsR2
GnarlsR2

Latest posts

Back
Top