Recommendations for stored emergency flashlights

[jzmtl]

I just saw something at walmart today. Garrity's LED version disposable lifelight. It's about $5 each (vs. $3 for incand), claim 120 hours of runtime, and ugly enough no one would steal it.

Edit, 120 hours, not 12.

 

[paulr]

Garrity disposable lifelight sounds like a good plan, I saw those at Rite Aid and they have three alkaline AA's inside. I thought they were about $3.99 but I'll check again.

Actually much more sensible perhaps: someone on ebay is selling a batch of 288 brand new 2aa minimags currently bid at around 50 cents each, per CPF marketplace:

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=168315

I would just go for those. They are not the latest and greatest but have been a workhorse for decades and are very functional. Yeah the bulb can burn out. That's why there is a spare.

 

[Marduke]

I just saw something at walmart today. Garrity's LED version disposable lifelight. It's about $5 each (vs. $3 for incand), claim 120 hours of runtime, and ugly enough no one would steal it.

Edit, 120 hours, not 12.

That's why I suggested it.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2119184&postcount=16

 

[Lee1959]

If you could get 200 plus Minimags for as many dollars, or less in this case, I would grab them as fast as I could for this purpose. Minimags have weathered many many blackouts for me and everyone I know with no issues. They would be perfect for this for that price especially.

 

[Bror Jace]

If you could get 200 plus Minimags for as many dollars, or less in this case, I would grab them as fast as I could for this purpose. Minimags have weathered many many blackouts for me and everyone I know with no issues. They would be perfect for this for that price especially.

Lee1959, this was my thinking when I failed to challenge the technical staff's choice of the 2AA Minimag. Another was that I didn't want to get blamed when the light *I* picked out failed to live up to expectations, etc ...

bfg9000 had a good point when he said that run-time should be valued over brightness. Even modest-performing lights would be a minor miracle to people trapend in the dark.

Last fall, my Dad and I were working on an equipment shed. He wanted to work on it so when I got home after work at 6:00pm, we began working. We only had about 45 minutes of weak natural light. He brought out a lead light ... that was a super pain to work with on the roof. I gave up on this thing ... especially when the cord got caught on something or it abruptly turned on me and ruined my night visions for 5 minutes.

I wipped out my 2AA Minimag ... with Nite Ize 3LED module. I held it while he worked in a few critical places. That light, even with weak batteries, allowed us to work another hour that night and we got most of the roofing battened down before the rain came the next day.

 

[PayBack]

I've got a box of Costco AA alkaline cells (around $12 for 40) in the freezer. They'll run flashlights and radios for a LONG time. So will the dozen or so CR-123As in my refrigerator. I favor the latter for disaster lights because of their exceptional shelf life and energy density.
c_c

HUH? Is there yet another thing that everyone knows but me? In the freezer and refigerator??

 

[Marduke]

HUH? Is there yet another thing that everyone knows but me? In the freezer and refigerator??

Keeping just about any type of battery at a lower temperature will lower the self discharge rate and increase shelf life. Just above freezing is best. However, the bulk and hassle of keeping them in a frig is usually more trouble than it's worth, especially for modern technology.

 

[PayBack]

Hmmm thanks I didn't know that. Might not be a bad idea for my CR123 reserve sitting in one of those protective cases batterystation supply them in.

 

[Double_A]

I bought a couple of MiniMAG LEDs and put in lithium AA batteries for each of my cars. Cheap, good quality, Walmart had them for $19 each.

This is my suggestion also. Small, compact, familiar brand, decent light output, reliable LED, a pack out 10 year Lithium AA's and you are good to go.

Just one thing, don't let the word get out, the kits will be looted of their flashlights.

 

[Double_A]

If you could get 200 plus Minimags for as many dollars, or less in this case, I would grab them as fast as I could for this purpose. Minimags have weathered many many blackouts for me and everyone I know with no issues. They would be perfect for this for that price especially.

The incandecent lamp in the stadard minimag is crappy. They seem particularly sensitive to bups and knocks. Do a search here.

My vote goes for the LED version

 

[kc2ouf]

We put Dorcy Lux1/single 123's in all our emergency kits. (only needed about 20 for the facility). At just over 20$/each, it gives us the shelf life and simplicity we need. The kits have numbered plastic locks on them to track if opened.

 

[Sharpdogs]

I would go with some of the Safelight Super Brights https://edcdepot.com/merchantmanager/product_info.php?cPath=5&products_id=92 and some Rock River laterns and headlamps from Target. The Safelights will be able to help you find a light at the start of a powerfailure due to the glow feature and you will also need hands free lighting (laterns and headlamps). Dorcy lights should also get a an honorable managed. For the money they seem to be a very good product. I bought a few last summer for relatives in Greece. They were being plagued by rolling blackouts.

 

[Lee1959]

The incandecent lamp in the stadard minimag is crappy. They seem particularly sensitive to bups and knocks. Do a search here.

My vote goes for the LED version

The bulbs may not be as durable as an LED but they are still perfectly acceptable. I used a Minimag , and used them hard, for close to 20 years perhaps and in that time put in a half dozen bulbs, max. Everyone I knew used, many still do and refuse to give them up. Why? They work plain and simple. The Minimag always did yeoman service for everyone I know.

LEDs are more durable yes, but for kits where the lights will be stashed and used seldom they would be an excellant buy in my opinion, hard to buy ANY light half as gfood for that price.

Broken bulb? That is what the spare in the butt is for. They DO work and work WELL. They have stood the test of time, no matter how "crappy" you may perceive them.

 

[Bror Jace]

Lee1959 makes a very good point. We get caught up in technology ... who makes the latest and greatest ... and forget what we really need to get by. Finding even the cr@ppiest, plastic, 2D, slide-switch, Ray-O-Vac incan with weak batteries would seem like a miracle to average people trapped in a pitch-black building.

CPFers/Flashaholics would spend the first 15 minutes pointing out how shoddy the construction is, disassembling the light trying to polish the contacts and lastly critiquing the 'ringy' beam.

But a 2AA Minimag incan with decent batteries would be better than the Ray-o-Vac imagined above by far. So, if you were able to get a pallet of them for pennies a piece, I'd jump at the opportunity. You could put two or three in every kit.

There's a saying: Quantity has a quality all its own.

 

[ElectronGuru]

I like the MM bulk approach, with two extra points:

1) An upgraded MM still has the standard bulb in the tail that easily swaps back in

2) A $15 easy add upgrade like this
http://www.batteryjunction.com/mikitwi1walu.html

adds battery life without adding complexity:

 

[h2xblive]

The bulbs may not be as durable as an LED but they are still perfectly acceptable. I used a Minimag , and used them hard, for close to 20 years perhaps and in that time put in a half dozen bulbs, max. Everyone I knew used, many still do and refuse to give them up. Why? They work plain and simple. The Minimag always did yeoman service for everyone I know.

LEDs are more durable yes, but for kits where the lights will be stashed and used seldom they would be an excellant buy in my opinion, hard to buy ANY light half as gfood for that price.

Broken bulb? That is what the spare in the butt is for. They DO work and work WELL. They have stood the test of time, no matter how "crappy" you may perceive them.

I agree.

In terms of reliablity:

Incan AA Mag >>>>>> LED AA Mag

 

[Mad1]

I've not read every post in here but a few observations.

The Inova X5 isnt a great option output is too low really and it uses exspensive CR123's

The mag AA with a dropin isnt great either because the output is low again.

I think for a blackout situation you would need something with a bit more output than a 5mm LED.

AA / C / D cells are the best idea lithiums are obviously better due to 10 year storage.

The new minimag AA LED is what i would use.

If $30 is the budget per light then maybe something like this.
http://www.lighthound.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=2971
If you did a deal with whoever you bought them from you mite be able to buy in bulk and get them for ~$30 a piece.

If the bulb is broken when someone comes to use it how many people do you think will look in the tail cap for the spare?

The light should also be idiot proof though. Alot of people are used to Maglites. I've handed Fenix's to people before and watched them twist the head to turn it on as you would with a maglite.

Just my 2 cents...

 

[ultralight]

just my thoughts,, i was at target today, they had the 2aa incan mini-mags for under 9 bucks, and the nite ize 1watt led upgrade with 4 mode tail clicky for under 10 bucks..

thats a mini mag led with a high-med-low-strobe-.....and the tail clicky has a little red flashing led in it so it can be found in the dark, .. very loong runtime in low mode.. and all for under 20 bucks.

http://batteryjunction.com/niq-07-1wc.html
at target they were under $10 .same thing.


just a thought...

ultralight....

 

[paulr]

I like the MM bulk approach, with two extra points:

1) An upgraded MM still has the standard bulb in the tail that easily swapped in

2) A $15 easy add upgrade like this
http://www.batteryjunction.com/mikitwi1walu.html

You're talking about a 15 dollar upgrade to a 1 dollar light (from that fleabay deal). That might not be so easy to swing financially, when you're talking about hundreds of them.

 

[Lee1959]

If the bulb is broken when someone comes to use it how many people do you think will look in the tail cap for the spare?

You forget, the Minimag has been around for 20 years, I would bet probably 90% of the general population has either owned one/used one/or seen one used in that time. Most likely they will not be alone when time comes to use the flashlight so changing a bulb, IF it becomes needed, there will be someone there with extreme familiarity with the light. Familiarity is another plus for these lights, most people I know could pick one up and use it in pitch black with no problem.

I agree the newer Minimag would be first choice, see my initial post, but for the price these were brought up for ,there is no comparision, these are way above any other choice (in my opinion). One has to remember the light is only part of an overall kit, and price IS a HUGE consideration. The cheaper one can get a decentlight for, the more overall equipment that can be added into the kit. A very reasonable light might allow for something else very handy in the kit like a UPT, a deluxe spaceblanket, smoke mask, goggles, or even a hammer (those people stuck in the elevator or the conference room that had the exit blocked would have killed for a hammer to batter though the walls in the WTC 9/11 disaster.