Gruesome Walking Dead Zombie Merge Horror. Which flashlight would you EDC?

[gurdygurds]

THIS......................FOLLOWED BY................

There have been many threads posted through the years about "Zombie lights" or "SHTF" lights. I thought about just jumping into one of those threads, but Scout24 and I wanted this thread to be a little bit different – and simple. And many of the previous threads asked what "One Light" would you want if the SHTF? Why only one!!? I want as many as I can have!

Topics such as this can evoke strong opinions and thus strong responses, so we respectfully ask that you please keep your comments on topic – there's so much wisdom and experience on this forum that we can all benefit from. We'd hate to see a few rogue comments or troll posts have the thread shut down.

But no problems are expected! There – now that the disclaimers are out of the way, here we go.

With a very satisfying collection of McGizmos at hand, most of my recent light purchases have been focused on acquiring tools that are:

• Bomb proof
• Long run times
• Interchangeable parts
• Simple
• Flexible battery configurations

Thus, the following collection has come about – with a couple more lights to go yet. Please do what I have done below so we can all benefit from your ideas – show your photos of your SHTF lights with descriptions and the reasons you acquired them!

Elzetta 3 cell host with Malkoff M60 and hi/lo strobe, running on 3 primaries
Why? Great, rugged weapon light, incredible run time (2 cell ran for 130 minutes on high then another 28 hours on low – imagine how long the 3 cell will run).

Malkoff light engines: M60F, M60NF, M61, M61NLL, M31LL , M60

Why? (Really?) AWESOME quality, bombproof, amazing run times, and incredible flexibility within the hosts you'll see following. If the crap is hitting the fan, I want a Malkoff or a McGizmo with me!

2 Elzetta hosts – both 2 cell with high/low clicky tail caps. Why? BOMBPROOF! And I can use any of the aforementioned Malkoffs in them. But if an EMP event took out my LEDs (I keep back ups in a grounded safe and in a Faraday cage, and yes, I do have my tin foil hat at the ready), I could always drop one of my dozen or so Surefire P60 or P90 incans in.

FM SS 18650 body with Malkoff VME head (with extra McClicky and boot)
This one gives me a simple, flexible set up. 1 18650, 1 17670, 2 18350s, 2 IMR 16340s, 2 RCR 123s, or 2 primaries, driving one of the Malkoffs. Awesome.

Malkoff / VME Lil Twisty
This one houses primarily the Malkoff M31LL. Talk about simple. Twist on, twist off. Single primary. Perfect 60 or so lumen beam. Incredible run time. This one lives in my safe (which is grounded and I think, "hardened.")

Fenix E01
I have a dozen or so of these (I think.) I don't need to extoll the virtues of this little light, but am happy to confirm them. I have 8 unopened ones in my faraday cage. All the virtues that we all know and love, plus in my mind, potentially a great barter item. I pray that we never need to find out whether or not that is true. Simple, available AAA batteries run forever!

ThruNite ti Firefly
Although I don't know if they are as robust as the E01, they are definitely strong little lights with the added benefit of the "Firefly" mode. In this mode, they run forever! I have around a dozen of these, too. 1 AAA and you have light for a long time – as high as 60 lumen or as low as .04 lumen.

Surefire G2 Nitrolon. Sits in my nightstand with primaries in it. Figure it'll work no matter what regardless of how long it sits unused. (At least 10 years.) It'll help me find my stuff in the cage and safe should the power go out and any exposed LEDs don't work any more.

Custom 'Candle'…runs on 1 AA FOREVER!

Zebralight SC80
Flexibility in that it will run on 1 AA form or 1 123 form battery, with a simple internal adapter.

McGizmo Haiku with 2 AA body. Absolutely awesome performance from my favorite light engine, and the 2 AA body will work with the VME heads and various Malkoff drop ins using multiple battery configurations – Alkaline, Eneloop, 14500.

McGizmo Haiku with 1x123 body. Gotta have it. Rock solid McGizmo reliability, perfect beam, 3 nice levels in a pocket-sized light.

McGizmo 6V Makai on 2x123 body. This gives me a thrower with an extra 2x123 body that can also drive the various Malkoff/VME modules.

VME head and either 1x123, 2x123, or 3x123 VG body. 1, 2 or 3 123s…or 2 AAs in Alkaline, eneloop or IMR. Or 2 17500s.

WHAT?? ONLY 1 SUREFIRE AND NO HDS?! Hey, I love those lights and would like to possibly add an HDS to the collection, but for regulated output the McGizmos serve my purpose! As for Surefire, they are great, but I'm good with the Elzettas – plus you didn't see all the P60 and P90 engines I have stored away that will work just fine in these Elzetta hosts!

So let's see what you have! And tell us the story behind them! Up next will be Scout's collection!

 

[gurdygurds]

Re: A new twist - show us your zombie lights collection and explain why you chose the

THIS!!!!!! Is the greatest ONE- TWO punch I've ever seen on this forum.

Reserved, I'll get right back to you...

I'm trying, I promise... VERY under the weather today, I'll start small and add pics as I feel better... I completely agree with a plan based on overlap and redundancy, with a few for specific tasks. "Rule of Threes", and all. I've tried to lean towards lights with availability of Lithium primary cells in the interest of long-term storage. Eneloop or RCR capability is a plus, but not a deal breaker. This allows me to slowly stock up on cells without a huge outlay of cash at one time, and add to the stock as I'm able. I've got a small solar Eneloop charger for my AAA and AA cells, and a Cottonpicker solar charger for my Li-ion RCR's.

Photon Freedom Micro, covert nose, NV Green: I credit Sub Umbra's threads on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina for the push I needed to include a few of these in my kit. Lightweight for mouth holding, covert nose allows you to direct your lumens right where you want them. Lithium 2016's and 2032's are cheap in bulk, and have great storage life. Thanks, Sub! :bow: Well worth the time to search and read Sub's threads... Three on left running 2x2016's, dimmer one on right running 1x2032 for extended runtime, with a slight shift in tint.

Fenix EO1's: I've beat the absolute heck out of the one I currently carry on my keys without failure, including the latest indignity of running it over with a 46,000lb water tanker at work. Three times. Cockroaches and EO1's will survive. Eneloop, alkaline, Energizer Lithium compatible, awesome battery vampire, and stone simple. Twist head, make light. I've got a couple more than a few... This pic does not include the ones in cars and on keyrings. In picture is my beloved Peak Matterhorn, and Mako Warm. All of these run forever on 1xAAA, I wish I'd bought more mattys when I could have.

CMG Infinities: The AA predecessor to the EO1. Just as simple, digests Eneloops, alkalines, Energizer Lithium primaries, Reliable, solid, not much to go wrong. Nice AA vampire, can squeeze the last Mah out of a cell. Go ahead and try to break the tail lug, I dare you...

Milky Candle: I've got one, and wouldn't mind another. Maybe Scott needs to do a Sprint Run of these? Nice area light that has multiple levels, crazy long runtime, and runs on various cell configurations. Go through a multi-day outage with one and you'll be a believer.

The next few all tie together, please bear with me...

Malkoff dropin modules: Pick your tint, beam shape, input voltage, and output. All are overbuilt, solid as a bank vault, have great beams, and can be used in a variety of lights. Got a beater 6P or G2 laying around? VME-E series head? Battery vampires, awesome runtime, what's not to love? M60, M61LL, M31L, M61WLL here, with an M60NF on the way, along one that will be named later... Run great underdriven to lower output or stretch your battery supply as well...

VME heads: Pick your poison, Ti or aluminum. Fit on an ungodly assortment of bodies, and run the above Malkoff modules. With a Malkoff, and a VME head, uou're bound to have something it'll fit on. Nicely machined, aluminum not expensive IMHO, and allows another level of E-series versatility.

Valiant Concepts twisty bodies, and Malkoff Little Twisties: I've got a single 123, and a AA. Both eliminate a possible weak point, my beloved clicky switch. What's left to break? Not much...

This last pic includes my oddball 2x123 E body. KX1 head on left is built to run on 1xAA, with spacer and sleeve shown on right. That body hosts a VME head nicely as well, still fits 2x123, (Duh... ) and runs my M31L at reduced output on that Eneloop. The sweet part is that tailcap- Milky, I believe, modded it to a two-stage clicky (22 ohm) which gives hi/lo with either KX1 or M31/ VME combo. Twist to turn off/on, click back and forth between high and low.

Elzetta: I picked up a 2x123 after reading the "Best Kept Secret" thread, and a little prodding. Watch the videos on the Elzetta website, you'll be a believer. Awesome with your choice of Malkoff drop-in if you don't like the stock choices. I put an M61 in mine. Even works as a P60 host? Cool! More versatility...

SF G2: 65 incan lumens, a wide array of dropins that won't melt it (See Malkoffs, above.) Super reliable twist tailcap, McClicky available aftermarket, one on my bookshelf with primaries. Go-to Tinfoil Hat light...


SF E-series lights and bodies: I love the form factor and variety of options. With a bit of searching, you could probably put together just about anything you can think of. VME heads and Malkoff dropins, above, just add to the possibilities. I probably own more E compatible parts than anything else.