EDC flashlight

[Big Dave in WNC]

I LOVE a bright round EDC light with a tailcap switch. So many in this space. However about two years ago I picked a Streamlight Wedge and LOVE it. The flat profile (looks a LOT like a large OTF knife) carries SO GOOD on the (left side, for me) pocket. I forget it's there while a regular round light will always "remind" me it's still there. The switch is NOT "gross motor skill" friendly and I just made do. I'm a LEO and use it to qualify with my off duty guns (since that's the light I'd actually have). I've maybe charged it 8 or 10 times in TWO YEARS. While the switch is not as ergonomic, I really think I can make do in a tense situation. For normal EDC things its really a non-issue.

Loved it so much I bought the newer (shorter) Wedge that came out last year(ish). I figured since this added the tail switch this would be my new favorite EDC light for MANY years. I ran the new one (shorter one with tail switch) for about a month and it came out of the pocket and I sold it to a buddy who is a massive EDC junkie. The reasons I didn't like the new one WAS the tail switch that I thought I'd love. I have fat hands (and everything else) and about half the time, when I'd clip it in my pocket and push the body of the light down into the pocket the palm of my hand (more specifically the "meat" in the valley between the thumb and forefinger) would turn the light on, and I wouldn't know about it...for about 30 to 60 seconds. Then-the "ow-ow-oh-****" dance began.

I went BACK to the older, less-intuitive switch model. A couple months ago my EDC hormones were flaring and I decided a Surefire Maxvision HAD to take it's place. I got a Surefire G2X and put the Thrym ring on it. For the short term, I thought this setup blew my Wedge out of the water. However the heavier and round Surefire was more noticeable to me in the pocket (making it's weight and "roundness" known when I was sitting down or in the car for long periods) AND for some reason (I'm 99.9% certain was the bottom of my spare magazine carrier) IT kept getting switched "on". I first had a guy and girl in a restaurant tell me, which was embarrassing ("Sir-you have a light on in your pocket"). Then I noticed it a few times. Then one day I pulled it out and it was dead (which indicated it had been on for hours on the low setting). Since it came on in the "low" mode, I didn't ever get the "ow-ow!" alert that it was on. So the Surefire came out (going to use it with an on-belt carrier) and the old first generation Wedge is back! It's deja vu all over again...

 

[desmobob]

I've carried a tiny, single AAA O-Light I3S EOS for as long as I can remember. It a switchless twist for on and off, and can be set to high, medium or low. I think it is simple enough to be easy to use while still offering surprisingly bright output when needed. I use a rechargeable NiMH cell in it and have a few spares at home so I can easily swap them out when needed (not very often).

 

[snubbyfan]

I carry this,


Don't remember how much it cost but it's a good little light.

 

[Baxter6551]

Big Dave that’s an excellent real world review of the Streamlight Wedge. I didn’t know about that light until this thread and looked it up. I liked it except for the switch which you covered. I know what you mean about the round shape - I carry the lights in my offside pocket not clipped. Before the OLights I carried a Surefire Backup for over 10 years.

 

[cd228]

Big Dave that’s an excellent real world review of the Streamlight Wedge. I didn’t know about that light until this thread and looked it up. I liked it except for the switch which you covered. I know what you mean about the round shape - I carry the lights in my offside pocket not clipped. Before the OLights I carried a Surefire Backup for over 10 years.

I found the head on the surefire lights were wider and therefore less comfortable to pocket carry. The streamlight protacs are thinner and IMHO more comfortable to carry. The wedge and stilleto are even thinner and flatter.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

I HATE threads like this Just spent about an hour going down the flashlight rabbit hole. I've got a little LED mini mag light powered by two AAA's and it works well. I bought a couple of boxes of NEBO's a few years back (the Redline Flex 450 lumens) for Christmas gifts. They were rechargeable but you could swap out the battery for a single AA battery just in case the end of the world came and there was no electricity. Cost around $25 bucks each and my marshals and court personnel absolutely LOVED them. ( I held back a couple for me ).

 

[Krogen]

I keep one of these little Olight flashlights in my pocket. It's small, inexpensive, rechargeable and bright enough. A slight negative is that it gets dim as the state of charge gets down to the bottom. Seemingly, it doesn't have a converter/regulator built in. I suppose that's better than having it run full brightness until it just blinks off like some of my other flashlights.

i1R 2 EOS Kit Rechargeable LED Keychain Light
- Olight Store

 

[Krogen]

KISS is a good idea when it comes to lights, I like a bottom switch push it and its on push it again and its off.
as far as lumens go be careful getting one thats to powerful. with a very strong light if you get up from a sleep and your eyes are used to the darkness if you hit a bright white wall it can blind you as much as the bad guy.
This is something everyone should try, close your eyes in your dark house and after 5 minutes hit you flashlight and see what you see.

You are so right! I learned this with auxiliary vehicle lights. I went through a phase where I thought "more was better." Yes, they lit up the pitch black country roads. But your pupils constricted and heaven help you when you had to dim the lights for an oncoming car. More was not better!

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

At a minimum 400 lumens.

 

[Smoke]

I carried a Fenix RC05SE every night at work.


Fenix RC05 SE Rechargeable Flashlight - Fenix Lighting


It's 4 inches long, .75 inches OD and 450 lumens. It has a built in recharger that uses a USB cord so you can recharge it almost anywhere. I've had it for two years and haven't had to replace the battery. Fenix says the battery is good for 500 recharging cycles and it has a 5 year repair warranty

ETA The Light Above Has Been Discontinued By Fenix.
I broke mine a month or so back and replaced it with a PDR25

 

[Super Trucker]

I used surefire lights for a long time, but my latest is a Streamlight Protac HLX, it is 1000 lumens and the switch is programmable. I have it set for high and strobe.
With the surefire lights I had a clip that I bought from raven holsters, that has a small rubber loop in it, so once its clipped to your pocket the loop sticks out and you put your finger in it and yank the light out.
The clip being made for surefire P series won't fit the Streamlight without modification.
I took the Streamlight tube to a friends shop and had him cut a ring into the body with a lathe, the clip now fits and I'm back to having a light that is easily accessible again.
I've had the current setup since slightly before Covid started.

The ring was cut into the body just below the orange o ring, the silver part is the cut. This is dine to keep the clip from moving.
It can be done with a dremel if there are no other options.

I found this to be the best setup for me.

 

[Fishinfool]

For most uses, I carry a small Olight Baton 3 model. Rechargeable, bright, multi-function, and shorter than my thumb. You forget it's in your pocket, and works perfectly clipped to the brim of my hat when heading to or from my stand. About 2 years old, it works and looks like new. It replaced an earlier version of the Baton that I dropped off a dock in deep, cold water. The darn thing was still shining brightly at about 30 foot when I left. Too cold to dive for it.

Larry

 

[Frailer]

I’ve carried a Streamlight Microstream for years. I’m a true believer.

If you require more output Streamlight offers a ton of options.

 

[Jack19]

Nitecore MT2A Pro EDC Flashlight, 1000 Lumen, USB-C Rechargeable, 2X AA Battery Compatible Slim Penlight

ON SALE for $35 on Amazon. Thin, concealable, light, easy to carry.

Nitecore MT2A Pro 1000 Lumen Rechargeable Flashlight

Trust me on this.

 

[Guevera]

I like the oddly named Olight Arkfield flashlight, and actually have a use for a flashlight with a laser. This is a nice flat design with a sturdy clip and easy charging - highly recommended.

Arkfeld Flat EDC Flashlight with Green Laser&White Light - Olight Store

 

[Echo40]

Aside from a little Olight keychain flashlight, I tend to carry a ThruNite T1.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I carry the NEBO Redline. Uses one CR-23. Batteries last me 2 to 3 years of normal use. 360 Luman max. Three settings plus strobe. 6 times adjustable lense. They have a thick clip area that allows clipping to hat bill. The retail for around $15. They are discontinued, but many stores still have lots of them in stock! I usually buy 5 at a time, some for gifts, and every emergency kit I build has one! The push button switch is in the magnetic rear cap and glows in the dark.

Ivan

 

[Chuck Edwards]

I'm currently carrying a Streamlight Macrostream. It replaced a Streamlight Microstream. The Macro is considerably fatter than the Micro but still fits comfortably in my pocket.

My light is clipped right next to my knife. It gets used probably five times as often as the knife.

My "power outage" light is an old-school Surefire 6P with a replacement Malkoff bulb. That bulb changed it from a one-hour-at-65-lumens light to one with 240 lumens for four hours on a pair of CR123s.

 

[Muss Muggins]

For EDC, it needs to slip unnoticed into a front pocket. At Tulsa this spring I bought a single AAA battery LED flashlight with a little pocket clip for $5. Checks in at 3 1/2", about the size of the pocket pen I also carry every day. I've seen 'em for $10 at local shows. It has no markings on it, so I can assume it was made in China, but it throws out more light than my cell phone flashlight, and I've only had to replace the battery once since April.

A bargain at twice the price . . .

 

[mtgianni]

I have had good luck with the cheap AAA led lights with three different settings on the switch, hi, lo, pulse. I but them in 5 or 6 packs and give them for gifts. You can throw a beam 30-40 yards easily which is all I need.
At $3 apiece they can live in my pocket a long time. Constant use of high beam is rated at over 8 hours.