Power goes out and you are only allowed two flashlights ? what are what modes would you run each ?

[Lights and Guns]

Super easy to answer!

Basically, would be my Fenix TK75 (2015 edition)

It runs on 18650's or Cr123 cells (which I have an absolute ton of stocked up at home, as the vast majority of my lights run on these cells)
On the low setting (35 Lumens) - which is more than enough to navigate my home very well, it will last 270 Hours. (Thats over 11 days of light before a battery swap is needed) - If an emergency popped up, I could bump that up to medium for 600 lumens for over 11 hours. Couldn't see a real "need" for anything beyond that in a blackout situation and it would only be on temporarily before dropping it back down to 35 lumens. I think is situations like this preserving battery life is paramount. (Especially when opting for rechargeables, and not stacking AA's or D cells)

The second light would be the M43VN that I bought from V. many years ago. It's quite a small "pop can" light I believe it has the XPL PDT. Max Lumen around 11,000 If memory serves but of course I wouldn't use it on that mode in that situation... It would be on Low. (It also has a firefly mode which would be good enough to navigate my home and that would probably last a month before a battery swap would be necessary.

Pretty much those are the 2 I'd reach for. Sure you cant fit them in a pocket, but then again where am I going in a black out? I'm staying home. -- Both lights can tail stand to act as a candle and bounce the beam around the room.
-- Both lights have low/med/high/turbo
-- Both lights can stay on the low mode for a VERY long time.

Tk75-270 hours on low
M43VN - probably close to a month on the firefly mode give or take.

This is pretty much why I don't care about going with a light that takes AA's / D's ect... With the amount of runtime these lights would get, and the batteries I have charged up on hand. I'd probably get roughly 8-12 months of light out of them. (Especially if I use the M43VN primarily) if I use the Tk75 mainly, it'll shorten the time by quite a bit... but would still be good for at least a month and a half with the tk75.

To my final point, If the blackout goes for that long, well then... we all will have WAY more problems than what our source of light is...

EDIT: I MIGHT change out the TK75... for a headlamp
Something light weight/uses 18650's
Has low/med/high
Ideally low would run for a few days on a single cell at least.

This way M43VN primary hand held and have a headlight to work hands free with, if the need arose.

 

[bignc]

I'll play, if I could only grab 2, they would likely be 1 of my MD2's (with Hi/Low heads) with a M61NLL and 1 of my yellow SF G2's with a M61NLLLL.

Yes, my MD's are differentiated by colored tape

LL's get yellow tape

L's get blue tape


View attachment 39241

Nice/ I have my LLLL in a yellow G2 also! Forgot completely about it! I might be convinced to slap that in my MD1 hi/lo- but have a 61WLL there now. Great drop in from a group buy that maybe I should've bought more of!

 

[Poppy]

yes you have to be awake for 9-10 hours. In this scenario you have stay awake because of earth quake/ natural diaster ETC and lets just saw for the fun of it we are in northern Europe when in winter happens its dark for like 10-12 hours etc

Thanks for participating in this mock scenario

With a 3400 mah battery, I should get 10 hours on Medium 1 with 120 lumens. (It has two mediums) on my Sofirn D25L headlamp. In an earth quake situation, I'd want to have two hands free.

For lighting a room, filled with a lot of people, like in a subway tunnel/bomb shelter, we'd be better served with a pop soda can light. The only one I have is a TN30. It's a triple LED, that takes 3 - 18650 cells. It will last a long time. It has about 5 settings that range from moonlight IIRC 1200 hours, and a low of about 50 lumens for 75 hours. I'm guessing that it'll give 300 lumens for 10 hours.

So, my choice of light will depend upon the scenario.

 

[bykfixer]

I only have one of the ML300L lights, so I can't do that test. It would be interesting to see results though. On ECO mode it is supposed to last 434 hours. Now whether that is true or not, I don't know. I feel comfortable having it as one of my back up lights though.

One year we had a power out for a few days and used ECO mode in the kitchen, the den and a bathroom. It was 5 nights and they did the trick. One was a 3 cell ML50, the others 2 cell ML300's.

It was why I had bought them at Walmart in the first place.

 

[michiganstud]

SO that you are not disappointed at a time you are counting on those numbers, I suggest that you do a little test.

Load two of your ML300L lights with fresh D cells.
Turn one on at high, and set it down. Then each hour, compare it to the other one, that you turn off after each comparison.

Please post your results.

Trust me, I never rely on numbers from a company. But if it gets me half of that I'll be happy.

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

Assuming I'm not carrying my EDC's of a Mini-Mag Pro+ and SF FURY DFT, I would probably pickup my 3C ML50LX, turn it on low, (cause I like lumens) and then pickup the 4D ML300L and turn it on either low or ECO.

Now, if like normal I have my EDC's on me, I would probably take out the Mini-Mag Pro+, and I don't know which mode I would use, high or low, probably depend on how dark it was in the house or wherever I am. Then I would go for the two larger lights above, and turn off the MMP+.

 

[TMedina]

If I'm not leaving the apartment: a headlamp and a long running, low output light. Fenix E01 or a Lumintop EDC01.

I have enough long-running Malkoffs, and other lights, with enough CR123s or 18650s that I could be functional for a month without worrying.
I'd be more concerned about restocking my food and water long before batteries became an issue.

 

[Poppy]

Only allowed two lights? and at what setting?

I suppose I'd rely on my Thrunite TN30. It's a soda can type triple LED light that takes 3 18650 cells. It has 6 different levels of output. The two I would probably use, depending upon the anticipated length of outage are level 2 and 3, with outputs of 38 lumens for 75 hours, and 352 lumens for 10 hours. Also taking into consideration, that I have replacement 18650's fully charged.

I'd also want to have an 18650 headlamp, for two handed chores, it can be carried like a handheld, or lied down for ceiling bouncing. My current favorite is a Sofirn D25L.

In The Power Outage Thread
it was noted that most people will be comfortable with 100 lumen ceiling bounced light. Even 15 lumens ceiling bounced will light up a room well enough to navigate, and sit and have comfortable conversation. 15 lumens though, are not enough to play a board game.

At some point I'd fire up the inverter generator.

 

[fuyume]

I'm allowed to have as many flashlights as I want.

If the power goes out, first of all, there's my old Inova X1 on my nightstand, plus the crank-up eton Weather radio with built-in flashlight, as well as the flashlight in my iPhone. Then, in my handbag next to me is my Nitecore EC11, plus a 5000 mAh Anker power pack and the cables to recharge it and the 16340 battery in the EC11. In my backcountry ditty bag on the shelf right above my bed are my Fenix E12 and HM23. Downstairs in my living room on the handlebar of my bicycle is my Fenix PD36 TAC. On the back of my bicycle is my Cat Eye Auto Rapid 3 tail lamp, which could be used as a red flashlight in a pinch.

And those are just the flashlights I actually use regularly.

I have a brand-new Olight i3 still in the box that came free with my EC11 from B&H Photo. I have no need for it, and also in the tackle box where I keep it are my old Bushnell 2xCR123A flashlight and my even older Leatherman Serac S3, which is still a great flashlight. I don't have any cells for those, though.

 

[Poppy]

I'm allowed to have as many flashlights as I want.

LOL... that's my girl!

It seems that you are prepared regardless of which means of travel you choose.

 

[Brokenarrow]

What a silly scenario- Who would only ever own 2 torches?

 

[ABTOMAT]

A bunch of different Streamlight Stingers and Strions will run around 24 hours at 40-100 lumens. I'd probably use a combination of those. Or maybe my HDS Rotary when I need to preserve my night vision, since the lowest level on that thing can barely be detected by modern science.

 

[ilikeguns40]

I'd choose my 18650 Zebralights. One would be the H600fc headlamp if that counts, the other would be SC65c HI on the lower medium settings. Very long runtimes.

 

[sambob223]

I grab my Thru-nite M TH10(headlamp) keeps my hands free with .03 firefly for 65 days 202Lm for 107 hrs for general use and additional ceiling bounce and my Maglite Ml 50L gotta love the 23Lm Eco mode for 112hrs and a nice 490Lm ceiling bounce for 15hrs If I need It.
I also have a butt load of rechargeable battery's topped of for just such an emergency

 

[letschat7]

Incan Maglite 5D since I did this the last time I went weeks without power and Reylight AAA so I can read books at teh lowest level.

 

[defloyd77]

Only 2 lights creates a bit of a conundrum for many of us that EDC 2+ lights, doesn't it? Obviously then my only choice could be whatever is in my pockets on a given day and 1 of my 3 EDC lights with will magically disappear I guess.