reliable leave in the car light?

Racebrewer

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Hi,



Over the years I've had a few flashlights (rechargeable or other) that I've tried leaving in the car until needed. Unfortunately, that has always bitten me in the butt. When I've needed them (flat tire, etc..), they've been dead.



Stone cold dead........... Since I live in Northern NY, near the Canadian border, that can be very, very cold.



Are there any good solutions to this problem (other than remembering my EDC)? Are there any good rechargeables that can live in my car? Are there any battery types that don't take a nap at 0 degrees F and will hold a charge in this environment?



Since my wife and I have small cars, I'd prefer something smaller than a Magcharger. I saw a smaller Dorcy that looked good until I saw it had NiCads, which I believe would be a mistake if left all of the time in a car charger.



Any and all suggestions would be appreciated.:confused:



Thanks,

John
 

nbp

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I feel the Surefire G2L is one of the best overall glovebox lights out there. Very tough, very simple to use, good output, good runtime, and lithiums are happy even in the cold, and so is Nitrolon when you have to hold onto it. You really can't go wrong. That's what sits in the console of my Honda.
 

Mikellen

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If the light will only be used for emergency and its an AA or 2AA flashlight, then Energizer lithium primaries would be a great choice.
They have a very long life span and perform well in the cold.
 

nitesky

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Were you looking for a rechargable light? The Streamlight Strion is pretty small and has a lithium ion battery. The LED version is pretty nice. I recently picked one up to replace the incan version. I am not sure about long term cold or hot storage. Perhaps someone else can chime in with actual experience. Streamlight might have some info on the subject. I have had no problems with the shelf life in less strenuous situations.

Energizer lithiums would also work fine for your purpose and would probably be a less expensive option. I have stored a couple of lights in my car for about 3 years now with the same sets of batteries. Just check them occasionally. They can also take a bit of heat.
 

afdk

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I leave a Underwater Kinetics (Firelight) in the car. It is a polymer 4 AA cell light with 45 lumen output. This is plenty of light for any car task you might encounter. I use energizer L91 lithium cells which are very reliable for long term car storage! UK lights are very reliable well made flashlights.
 

fisk-king

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I feel the Surefire G2L is one of the best overall glovebox lights out there. Very tough, very simple to use, good output, good runtime, and lithiums are happy even in the cold, and so is Nitrolon when you have to hold onto it. You really can't go wrong. That's what sits in the console of my Honda.

+1

In the truck I have a Malkoff MD2 with a M61 drop-in which has done well for me.
 

Lee1959

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I leave two lights in each vehicle because at any given time both my wife and I could be riding in there and I prefer one for each person. Both are CR123 lights so they will e there when I need them, even in mid winter in Michigan. There are many good chocies out there, practically as many as there are individuals to recommend them.

My two choices are an Inova X5 for long lasting light, and an Inova X0 (Tiros) for longer throw.
 

Kestrel

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For cold weather, a Nitrolon SureFire G2 and a Malkoff M61LL (& 2xCR123 SureFire primaries) would be a nearly perfect car flashlight. (This is very close to what I set up for my wife's car.)

An even better alternate option IMO would be a SF G3 with the same module and 3x CR123's. This would also permit using two AA cells in an emergency, albeit at a reduced output.
 
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angelofwar

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In short, use a light that uses LITHIUM batteries. Also note, that when purchased correctly, CR123's are cheaper than the Energizer Lithium AA's. So, second the Surefire G2L/G3L Malkoff set-up. Also beware, that not all AA lights can handle the extra voltage of lithium cells.
 

CoherentDrew

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Although not very bright, I've had the jtspotlight in my civic in sunny Minnesota:thumbsup: for a couple years now and it never fails. Half watt 5mm led at 27 lumens, claimed 2 hr runtime, and TIR optic with good flood/spot balance. about $13-20 depending on where you get it. It just hangs out in the cig socket and charges automatically. You dont push it in all the way but rather just to make contact. I always have a couple lights in my pocket but for a dedicated backup car light, I am happy with it. I even got 1 for the motorcycle as it has a socket added for charging the batt in winter.
 

jsr

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Most any light that uses a lithium battery (be it AA or CR123) will work fine. Lithiums work well in cold weather. I'd recommend a single cell light over a multi-cell simply because if one cells dies, you have no light. Each of my cars has a 1x123 light with a CR123 loaded and 1 or 2 spare CR123 batteries in the car. I've not had problems with any of my lithium-based lights in my cars when I needed them. I have an old Nuwai QIII (modded with an SSC P4 emitter), Dereelight C2H, and Pelican M1 modded with a Cree XR-E.
 

tdoom15

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ITP sc1 or sc2...cheap, good quality, easy UI, uses CR123's for good shelf life and cold weather performance.
 

dradee1

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I leave a Streamlight sidewinder compact in the car and a couple of spare batteries. They make great work lights and can attach in many ways.
 

Acid87

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Ignore everyone unless someone has mentioned the SF G2/G2L the body does NOT get cold or hot, Can be battered around and not scuff or ding like an aluminium body. You can customise the drop in to suit your needs. They are cheap and robust.

Add to this a SC1 battery and lamp holder and your set to go. Ive had this set up in mine and my girlfriends cars and they work great.
I personally would mess about with a normal type edc light because if it goes when the fhit hits the san your buggered whereas with a P60 host you just swap in a new lamp.
 

RobertM

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I have to agree with some of the above posters. SureFire's nitrolon bodied lights (G2, G2L, G3, G3L, G2Z, etc.) are excellent cold weather lights. The body is really easy on your hands, tough and rugged build, with CR123 cells that are okay down to -40 degrees with a 10 year shelf life.
 

mbw_151

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Another recommendation for lithium cells. Rechargables self discharge, some slower than others. A light in a car can go ignored for a long time, you need cells with a long shelf life. Alkaline cells definitely don't like the thermal cycling that happens in cars. I had headlamps that the manufacturer said could not use lithiums in cars. The alkalines leaked and killed all three.

If all my lights disappeared tomorrow, I would go out and buy Surefire G2X Pros for my cars. They have a low that's good for most close tasks, a high for spotting, a Nitrolon body that doesn't feel cold like aluminum and they won't break the bank. What's not to love?
 

cm_mtb

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I'd also recommend a G2/3. I would recommend one of these over the G2X because the head is not sealed, meaning you can switch out the dropin if the original breaks or just isn't well suited to the task at hand.
 

mrlysle

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I feel you can get any light you like, that meets your budget, etc, but just have to have one criteria. It must be able to take Lithium primaries. AA or CR123 lithiums. NOT LiIon rechargeables, just lithium primaries. They typically have a 10 year shelf life and perform at MUCH lower temps than any other chemistry. Other posters have mentioned the Nitrolon bodied Surefires and they would be an excellent choice, especially if you grabbed one in need, and didn't have gloves on. But if you like the looks/features of another brand, by all means get it. Just stoke it with lithium primaries and it shouldn't let you down. Good luck.
 

maskman

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There have been a number of good suggestions in this thread IMO, especially the use of lithium primary batteries for flashlights left in vehicles. My contribution isn't so much a suggestion as it is a description of what I find useful in emergency situations. I need both hands free to run a jack, both hands free to turn a lug wrench, as well as both hands to change tires or to dig in mud/snow if I'm stuck. I'm just not interested in placing a frozen flashlight in my mouth in order to orient the beam on my work, nor do I desire to use one of my EDC lights and spend time positioning the light on my work while dealing with gravel, mud, wind, or snow so I can have dependable light on the task that requires both of my hands.

Granted it's not as sexy as the EDC lights I'm packing, but under extreme circumstances I just need a light that frees my hands and gets the job done safely and efficiently. Therefore I keep a headlamp in my vehicle storage compartments just for such purposes. I highly doubt my wife would wear a headlamp or use a flashlight for any road related situation; rather she would call for road side assistance. Still that leaves the headlamp in her car available for me to use during the times I'm in the car with her. This is just my 2 cents and testimonial as to what has worked very well for me. Good luck in your search for the optimal setup.
 
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