Favorite flashlight

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Re: Favorite flashlight

Postby GPW » Thu Jul 11, 2019 5:14 am

The new tactical Flashlights are sure hard to beat … JMHO … I’ve got quite a collection … It’s DARK out here in the forrest at night … Real Dark ... :o There are some good deals to be had too … ;)
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Re: Favorite flashlight

Postby Westy » Thu Jul 11, 2019 5:36 am

Aussies just use the starlight. We're not afraid of the dark. :lol:
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Re: Favorite flashlight

Postby gudmund » Thu Jul 11, 2019 12:16 pm

starlight?? is that a new 'LED' form of light? :thinking: :NC :thumbsup: :beer:
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Re: Favorite flashlight

Postby GPW » Thu Jul 11, 2019 12:28 pm

Westy , how would we see the Drop Bears ??? :lol:
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Re: Favorite flashlight

Postby Tomterrific » Thu Jul 11, 2019 3:01 pm

I keep a bunch of free Harbor Freight flashlights so one is always close by. That is until thieves took all of them! I've found those cheap little flashlights are the best because you can keep them in your pocket.

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Re: Favorite flashlight

Postby friz » Thu Jul 11, 2019 4:31 pm

The one I use most is the one on my phone.

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Re: Favorite flashlight

Postby Shadow Catcher » Thu Jul 11, 2019 6:53 pm

We have an assortment of lights all of which have NiMH batteries.
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Re: Favorite flashlight

Postby gudmund » Thu Jul 11, 2019 7:55 pm

kidding aside - my favorite flashlite for camping is the Ryobi one that is part of the whole Ryobi 18V tool system I use from Home Depoe. Flashlite - lantern - Radio - Vacuum - hand held air compressor - air impact wrench - table fan w/mist'er - along with a vehicle 'charger' to re-charging it all when on the road. Have been waiting for them to make a 'blender' too, but 'no' luck so far - and yes they did reply to my request for one. They are getting closer though, being they just came out with a 'inverter' but it is just not quite (my blender is a small one that is rated at 1.6 amps) big enough, yet? (was made for their 3 Amp battery) being they now offer a 6 and 9 Amp battery, also = would like to see a inverter for at least the 6 Amp battery - I think it would work. They also now are making battery powered ice chest/refers - they look interesting..................... :thinking:
PS I know Ryobi may not be some of the best when it comes to battery powered tools, but with their stuff being somewhat more affordable, the other reason why I am sold on this system is that their stuff is made to be 'compatible' with their "OLD" 'Blue' NiCad system that they made before changing over to their New "Green' Lithium battery system. You can use their old 'blue' tools with their new 'green' Lithium battery's, except for the old battery 'blue' charger which needs to be replaced with the new 'green' one (was told you can charge the old 'blue' NiCad's with the new 'green' charger but !!NOT!! charge the new 'green' Lithium's in the old one) Plus they just have so much 'more' tools/things available in their system than everyone else........................... :thumbsup:
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Re: Favorite flashlight

Postby MtnDon » Thu Jul 11, 2019 8:21 pm

I have many, all operate on Lithium cells, some will also use NiMH or alkaline AA.

My present EDC (every day carry) pocket light is this one, produced by Lumintop and designed by Fritz from Germany... a member of the BLF forum.
https://www.nealsgadgets.com/collections/blf/products/tlf-blf-fw3a-edc-led-flashlight http://budgetlightforum.com/node/54239
I have an assortment of other flashlights too, from smaller to larger and much brighter. It is very small, using a ramping brightness (variable low to high and back) as well as a hi brightness turbo. Turbo is not of long duration though as the small size, light weight means it can overheat rapidly on turbo. So the built-in thermal control dims the light before damaging overheat can occur. It also has a sub-lumen moonlight mode that is very nice in dark places. It uses an 18650 size lithium cell; needs an external charger.

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Re: Favorite flashlight

Postby working on it » Thu Jul 11, 2019 10:14 pm

* I've always had trouble getting and keeping a dependable flashlight, ever since my Official Boy Scout Flashlight failed me on my first campout (as a tenderfoot scout) in 1961? After that, I think my longest-lasting one was a 6v Eveready floating lantern, that worked for a year, before it floated off.... I would try to keep one in my work tools, my home tools, the house, and in each of the the cars/trucks (like fire extinguishers, they're indispensable), but until I started using LEDs, and alkaline (now maybe lithium?) batteries, they'd quit working before I next needed to use one. And still, until just recently, I could never find & keep a working group of flashlights around.

* I've bought flashlights at Harbor Freight by the dozen (none of which lasted very long), and many at Northern Tool (of which only two of the last six worked after a year, they're in toolbags now), some specialty automotive penlights (mirrored, or with magnetic retrieval tools attached) from tooltrucks, and a wide assortment of ever-increasing-cost hunting/camping lights from Academy (of which only a S&W mid-range priced light still works, in another toolbag). So, I quit trying to find an all-purpose very bright light, and started buying "handy" lights instead.

* My first camping light (for the start of my TTT camping), bought just for that purpose, was a no-battery, hand-cranked, Eton model, for under $10...it still works today, and is kept with my emergency items. My second camping-only light was the cheap Ozark Trail Cree headlamp (to replace a broken one of my wife's), which I now normally leave at home when camping, so the wife can do the "snake patrol" to protect our herd of dogs at night. It's been a good light for several years. Next, I found a Black Friday special light trio, at Home Depot, that I've grown to appreciate for almost 3 years now. They're Husky brand, and are quite similar to a Coast set that I also liked, but went missing, a few years back. I attached one to my home defense gun, and gave one to the wife, and the third is used daily, year-round, at home and at camp. Very dependable.

* Lastly, I decided to always carry one or two small lights as EDC pocket gear, so I found a single AAA cell miniature, that I clip to my vest pocket when away from home (I've started wearing a vest for the added pockets I need!). Only 120 lumens, but having a concentrated beam of light available for a couple of hours, can come in handy. My second EDC light has three switchable settings up to 252 lumens, and uses a single AA battery. It's always clipped to a beltloop, where it's at hand at all times. It's always there wherever I need it, instantly (which is never a planned-for-use). it's now my favorite of all time. Sure, there are lights out there I want to try, but I've found and kept a good combination of lights for a few years now that work, so why spend more money than needed?
EDC and daily usage flashlights.jpg
after years of trying to find a few good lights, these cheap ones were the best
EDC and daily usage flashlights.jpg (272.84 KiB) Viewed 2729 times
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Re: Favorite flashlight

Postby booyah » Fri Jul 12, 2019 6:20 am

In my pocket all the time I have pants on is an Olight S30R Baton.

Great light, .5 lumen to 1000 lumen settings, rechargable, and just an awesome light.
https://www.amazon.com/Rechargeable-Fla ... B01MQMAPLE

Camping I have two of these usually in the camper with me. Ryobi LED 18v flashlights, as I use several 18v tools of theirs for other jobs (chainsaw, sawzall, lantern, etc)
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-18-Vo ... /300509751
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Re: Favorite flashlight

Postby low277 » Sun Jul 14, 2019 8:11 am

I use a few different ones, a bigger LED flashlight that works with my Rigid batteries, a couple of cheap generic LED traditional looking flashlights and for midnight nature calls and other chores where I need both light and possibly my hands I have a couple of cheap energizer LED headlamps, they are dim able and last a long time.
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Re: Favorite flashlight

Postby WoodSmith » Sun Jul 14, 2019 12:10 pm

My wife and I have a pair of ten dollar Astrolux A01 AAA flashlights from Banggood.com on lanyards in our gear. When we hammock camp, we sleep with it around our neck. I have also put a couple of them on shorter strings and ring knotted them on zipper pulls of our tents. With Energizer Lithium cells they have a very long standby time, and in the lowest mode I have even left them on all night in our bigger tent for a nightlight when the kids were younger.

They are small enough that you can easily stick them in your mouth and aim them as a hands free option. When not backpacking, I EDC a BLF A6 also from BangGood. When car camping, it's nice to have the light cannon BLF Q8.

The bigger lights need 18650 cells, which are rechargeable and need a little more attention than old fashioned alkaleak cells, but it's not that hard to learn and keep track of.

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Re: Favorite flashlight

Postby tony.latham » Sun Jul 14, 2019 6:19 pm

In the middle of the night? Deep in humped-bear country?

You grab the one on the headboard. Right next to the rubber snake***.

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:frightened: :frightened: :frightened:

Tony

***In Idaho it's illegal to camp without a rubber snake. It's a misdemeanor.
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Re: Favorite flashlight

Postby Tom&Shelly » Sun Jul 14, 2019 9:57 pm

tony.latham wrote:In Idaho it's illegal to camp without a rubber snake. It's a misdemeanor.


It has always been surprising to me just how lenient the game laws are in Idaho.

Tom :lol:
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