The ESL [Emergency Stand by Light]

Well most of us have an EDC [Every Day carry], and then we have our SUL [Specific Use Lights], but how many of you have an ESL [Emergency Standby Light].

The ESL is a light that you put in a place where it is handy, known to bee 100% of the time, but you NEVER use it unless it is an EMERGENCY.

It is not a back up light, not a stand by light...

IT IS a light that is in a "place", and for the purpose, where all your other lights have gone "black".

It is a light you hope you NEVER have to use, but you know it is ALWAYS there and ready to glow in the dark.

For instance, you might want to keep one...

By your bed. you do not use it to get up in the night...
In your vehicle... You do not use it to read maps...
In your boat, cabin, garage, pack, on your person... when out in the dark....

IT is a light that you hope you NEVER need to use.

It is on EMERGENCY STANDBY, and thus always has full power batteries.

A while back I read a post where a fella and his gal went for a walk. They had 3 lights between them. Problem was all 3 lights were in everyday use.

First her light goes out.... Then the second light he gives her goes out...

Fortunally the 3rd light got them back to the vehicle. [If I remember correctly all of them were Sure Fire's.]

But he was concerned the last light would go "black".

HIS mistake was ALL of his lights had time on the batteries.

IF he had carried one ESL, IT would have had maximum run time.

And it is up to the operator not to excede your need of light time, to excede runtime.

A few years ago I got several Sure Fire G2's at a good price.

I gave a few away, but I have placed several of them "in position" as ESL's.

In a vehicle, pack, remote location, I always have a SF Spares Carrier with 6 extra batteries and an extra P60 bulb with the light.

I have one I stick in my pocket, or pack when i go into the woods.

However, one of the BEST things I think Sure Fire has done is to make the P60L.

It turns ANY light that takes the P60 bulb, into a much longer running LED light.

While I prefer an incandescent bulb for woods use, a longer running LED is better IMHO for a ESL.

So I will be putting the 60L in my ESL's and keeping the P60 for a spare.

There are differing philosophies about this. The counterpart to the one you're describing is the one that says if you let something sit on the shelf for years, you have no idea whether it still works, unless you have the discipline to test and maintain it regularly even though you don't actually use it. But if you use something regularly, you usually will know what its issues and condition is.

Anyway in the places you describe, it makes more sense to just have some spare batteries that you rotate through your regular lights.

I chose the G series for my ESL because of my past experience with Sure Fire products and the long storage time of 123 batteries.

So I have a "few" of them secreted about... I hope I NEVER have to use them....

But if I do, I know they will be good to go with fresh batteries...

[I replace the ESL batteries every 3 to 4 years.]

I have all my lights just beyond my reach on a dresser by my bed. However, on my bedside table are my keys with a Peak Eiger AAA attached and a Solarforce L2(?) with a Cree LED and strobe tailcap. I only bought it for the shell to be honest but the LA is pretty nice and sometimes I think the strobe might be helpful for an intruder. It's one of my brigther lights, despite being really cheap. I also keep it by my bedside because in my weird way of thinking, it's the one I am least concerned about losing or breaking. In reality, I probably should keep my most expensive/reliable light there if it's going to be a ESL right?

All my lights perform dual duty as tools, and they are on stand-by in case of emergency. Any well made, CPF worthy light/cell combo should be rugged and reliable enough to perform daily as well as in the heat of an emergency.

I don't buy lights, just to stash them away. Buying a light intending to never use it defeats the purpose of buying it in the first place.

I feel safer relying on a time tested, daily use Surefire (for example) with 100's of hours under its belt, than one thats new and un-tested.

Just my .02

paulr said:

There are differing philosophies about this. The counterpart to the one you're describing is the one that says if you let something sit on the shelf for years, you have no idea whether it still works, unless you have the discipline to test and maintain it regularly even though you don't actually use it. But if you use something regularly, you usually will know what its issues and condition is.

Anyway in the places you describe, it makes more sense to just have some spare batteries that you rotate through your regular lights.

Click to expand...

Paul

123 Lithium quality batteries are good for at least five years, maybe ten.

I always carry several "lights", and a bunch of extra batteries and bulbs when on a trip...

But the ESL is designed to be "On Standby" ready to go ALL the time.

Similar to BUG out, Survival, EAV gear.

IE, no natter how much have previously used your EDC, Speciality, or back up light, your ESL has non used full power batteries.

It is the light that you NEVER use, that is ALWAYS READY to use.

More or less.
In my edc bag, an mcu-h7 (custom mc-e emiter) storage charged AW li-co (4.0v) battery with a rc123 spare.

Quark tact is in my pocket (or edc) for every day use, back-up is a 50h MEC turtle on my keychain, the mcu-h7 is pulled out for urgent or emergent uses.
I pretty much charge something daily, so even daily use lights, in normal rotation, have %60 capacity remaining when they get a fresh set. My usage pattern (start at 4.0v down to 3.85/3.80v) leaves huge reserve capacity. (exception is bike lights, which run to near depletion but the next cell is waiting to go in).

Back to your question, yes, I edc your version of an 'emergency standby light,' there a esl in each vehicles emergency kit, one in my bedside drawer, one in kitchen drawer, one a bottom of stairs, on in downstairs kitchen drawer. All these (and others, lovecpf) have full resting charges on them.

kramer5150 said:

All my lights perform dual duty as tools, and they are on stand-by in case of emergency. Any well made, CPF worthy light/cell combo should be rugged and reliable enough to perform daily as well as in the heat of an emergency.

I don't buy lights, just to stash them away. Buying a light intending to never use it defeats the purpose of buying it in the first place.

I feel safer relying on a time tested, daily use Surefire (for example) with 100's of hours under its belt, than one thats new and un-tested.

Just my .02

Click to expand...

Kramer

I agree with your Philosophy of using a tested light, which is why I am a Surefire kind of guy, and all of my ESL's have been tested...


But my point is, the ESL is a light that is "in place", ALL the time, with fresh batteries and a fresh bulb.

For instance, my EDC is an A2 Aviator...

Say I have been using the batteries and bulb for a while, I go to town to get some "cat food" and I have a flat on the way home in the dark....

I get out to change the tire, and my batteries go dead... No big problem as I have a extras in the vehicle... or the bulb burns out, and I do not have a spare... or I was a gouber head and forgot my A2...

Well, I HAVE my ESL, with its UNUSED no time on them batteries and bulb....

I probably will not even be late for dinner...

The G2L is PERFECT for an ESL because they are not too pricey, 123 batteries last for at least 5 to 10 years, and the LED has long run, and long life time....

Like seat belts and insurance, it is prudent to have them.

It never hurts to be prepared...

For the house my "ESL" consists of a propane lantern (with two packs of spare mantles) and a handful of large candles. I have some small propane tanks around, and the BBQ has a big one I can hook up - BBQ always has a spare full tank too (nothing worse than running out of gas in the middle of grilling!).

For "right now" use in something like a blackout I've got my 6P/M60, Romisen RC-N3 II, a 30 lumen 1X CR123 LED light of unknown manufacture, a 3C Mag, and if it really came down to it I have a cigarette lighter on me about 99.9% of the time. Oh, and it's very, very rare for me to not have spare batteries and lighters.

There are also (courtesy of the woman of the house) decorative candles situated throughout the house which are not normally used but certainly could be in an emergency. Oh, she also has about 5 oil lamps and a few quarts of oil for them.

Bottom line is unless the entire house literally collapsed on everything it'd be next to impossible for me to be stuck in the dark.

I guess the philosophical difference is that there is nothing special about these lights. I organize (or prepare) with tools where I may need them, in this case left as 'esl' lights. I may take one for a specific use or function it has, but I'll put another in position when I do.
In that respect, my answer is no, I have no 'esl' lights like you're G2's. I have lights that serve the same function but they aren't so designated, it's just their location.
Just like dried goods or stored water, nothing particular about it and it does get used, it's but there is also a reserve function that's being fulfilled in the mean time.

sygyzy said:

I have all my lights just beyond my reach on a dresser by my bed. However, on my bedside table are my keys with a Peak Eiger AAA attached and a Solarforce L2(?) with a Cree LED and strobe tailcap. I only bought it for the shell to be honest but the LA is pretty nice and sometimes I think the strobe might be helpful for an intruder. It's one of my brigther lights, despite being really cheap. I also keep it by my bedside because in my weird way of thinking, it's the one I am least concerned about losing or breaking. In reality, I probably should keep my most expensive/reliable light there if it's going to be a ESL right?

Click to expand...

I keep a M2 with a P61 next to my pillow as my "Intruder ESL".

I replace the batteries ever couple of years..

I use it for "no other reason". I know it is always full power, and ready to go.

My backup light is my ESL. I always know where it is: on my belt. It has a new battery ready to go. It gets used as my EDC occasionally, with my usual EDC being relegated to backup. I won't rely on a light I never use. I also don't run around with partially discharged batteries in all of my lights, either. The only light I have with partially used batteries is my EDC and they get changed out ASAP after they go dead.

Tom

I keep my 2nd gen Inova X1 in a small Pelican knock off case/first aid kit in my car's glove box. It has an L91 lithium in it, and two more in the box. It never gets used - ever. I also have a mini maglite with nite-ize dropin and 2 L91's in my wife's car that also never gets used. Around the house I've got several lights - another mini maglite/nite-ize combo, an ultrafire 502b host with new CR123s and a SF P60, and a 6D mag with TLE-6EX dropin (no malkoff in this one, unfortunately - it's an older model).

These are all "standby" lights that do not see use. My wife has a Bitz with high CRI Seoul P4 for general use, and the looking under the desk or couch lights are either freebie 9x5mm led, 3xaaa lights or one of my EDCs. These are also the lights that my niece and nephews get to play with when they come over, since there is no way I'm handing a 5 year old boy a 60+ lumen light (although I did hand him my old Mag85 once... that was amusing).

Dude Dudeson

The ability to "start a fire" is also a good emergency standby function.

If a person is a non smoker, they should still Always carry "fire" with them.

In my opinion rechargeables have no place in an ESL.

An ESL is a "light" you can put in place, and forget about it.

Put some spare batteries in a waterproof carrier, and every 5 years or so change them out.

It is a light you hole you never have to use, but if you do you will probably need it bad.

I would thing EVERY flashoholic, would have such a plan.:thumbsup:

yesterday I heard two virgins talking about sex, but what did they know?
I just don't know how a person who's stated s/he doesn't use rechargables can comment on rechargables.

If someone has a choice, a 18650 or 2xcr123's, and that person knew that the 18650 would give them a significantly greater amount of output/runtime then the 2xcr123's, does it make sense not to use it? Should this person avoid the better lithium cell, higher capacity, better performance underload, just because it could be recharged afterwards?
If they have no trouble maintaining the rechargable 18650 at %85, and that this level represents %150 increase over the performance of a primary cells (cr123), is it a good choice?

Consider a AA/14500 light. The best primary cell will only provide %50 the max lumen output of a li-co rechargable and the primary cell suffers a greatly reduced runtime. The 14500 offers more output, many times the run-time AND longer shelf-life in absolute terms if this light were left un-tended for years.

NE450No2 said:

In my opinion rechargeables have no place in an ESL.

An ESL is a "light" you can put in place, and forget about it.

Put some spare batteries in a waterproof carrier, and every 5 years or so change them out.

It is a light you hole you never have to use, but if you do you will probably need it bad.

I would thing EVERY flashoholic, would have such a plan.:thumbsup:

Click to expand...

Seems unnecessary for the true flashaholic.

I guess if you only own a few lights, don't use them all that much, don't manage your batteries, etc, I could see the point.

For me, and probably many around here, it's almost impossible to literally not have a light conveniently available at a moment's notice...

EDIT: Now start talking about the CAR and I'm right there with you. I always pack two lights with me anyway when I go out, three if the "stakes of the trip" are higher, but I do intend to someday purchase a light for this "ESL" purpose, and it will permanently reside in the glovebox.

dedicated flash for an SLR

replaced by ROP hi

replaced by mag85

now replaced by M6 + KL6+-MCE

tried the H30 HID, but the start up time is a no go