Help me choose SURFIRE

My cousin in US will visit me(in Thailand) next month. He asked me to pick up on of SF for a gift. Here is what I am interested in:-

1) E1L outdoorsman
2) 6PX Pro
3) G2xPro
4) L1 LumaMax
5) E1B
or
6) E2L Aa since it uses AA

I live in City most of the time, out to country for camping once a month and I normally carry my G2L or Z2 with Arc AAA-P as backup. I prefer using rechargeable AW RC123 battery since it is hard to find SF battery here in local store. I realize that SF has just increased the price and I have to bear for that too since he kindly offers me for gift.

Which one I should choose then?

If it's just for camping, the E2L-AA. If you want to edc it, then the L1 is the best overall Surefire, in my opinion. Throw an RCR in there and it's brighter than the E1B with a better UI.

If I could only have one of those it would be the L1 (I have the E2L, L1, E1L, amongst others). I've never used an RCR with it though. The E2L-AA might be good if batteries are expensive or hard to find but it is a pretty long light so it's not an EDC unless you have big pockets The L1 or E1L with an F04 diffuser makes a pretty nice camping light. The E1B coming on high all the time might be a bit bright unless you stick it against your leg when you first turn it on.

I would get him a Z2 and an LED drop in...

Availability of batteries should not pose a problem. You could always order them in bulk from overseas. It does not need to be Surefire batteries, and you could get them cheap in bulk from companies like 4Sevens or Battery Station. They have very reliable batteries.

That said, I would personally recommend an E2L AA just for camping. 80 lumen high may not seem like much in today's context but do take note that it is more than enough to handle almost any scenario that you may encounter. When used with Energizer lithium AA, you get 9+ hours of run time on high. You could also get some Eneloop batteries and run it almost free of charge other than the initial battery costs. Hard to dislike it except for the rather long body size which makes it hard to carry in your pocket.

Another light you may find useful for camping would be LX2. It is one of my favorite light to take out for camping trips. The low output is good enough for 90% of the job and high output of 200 lumen could help you spot a trail.

L1 is another good light well liked by many here. Pop an RCR in there and you get massive output too but it does run hot after some time.

Not sure about the other lights but I am certain E1B could not take an RCR. It flickers with RCR.

sawadee ka.

ive seen cr123 at 7Eleven there. it was 135 THB. mail ordering would be much cheaper though.

My vote is for the L1. good size, considering you have a G2L, Z2, and Arc AAA.
or better yet, ask him to get you a HDS clicky. and some drop-ins for your surefires hehe.

hope you had a happy soung gan!

skyfire said:

ask him to get you a HDS clicky.

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That was what I thought so too but not sure if I should mention it since the OP specifically asks for Surefire.

To OP, Surefire may be the best but HDS is no slouch either. In fact, HDS lights are probably the best that money can buy. Have a look at the HDS/Ra lights thread.

Since CR123's are hard to get in your area, and since you mentioned camping, I'd go with the E2L-AA. You can use Lithiums, Rechargeables, and Alkalines. They're all good lights, but for your usage and circumstances, I say go with the E2L-AA.

The reason I specifically ask for SF because my cousin is not flashoric. He was also curious why I need flashlight where others asked for cloth or souvenir. He only knows SF from local store where others like HDS he doesn't seem to know nor where to buy. Thanks for suggestion, Skyfire. BTW, How do you know this word "sawadee ka." ?

Pjandyho, how is the price in Singapore? LX2 is a bit high price for gift though.

stowaway89 said:

The reason I specifically ask for SF because my cousin is not flashoric. He was also curious why I need flashlight where others asked for cloth or souvenir. He only knows SF from local store where others like HDS he doesn't seem to know nor where to buy. Thanks for suggestion, Skyfire. BTW, How do you know this word "sawadee ka." ?

Pjandyho, how is the price in Singapore? LX2 is a bit high price for gift though.

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LX2 is quite expensive here in Singapore. Costs me about S$300 the last time I bought it. I am heading to the dealer now and I could just ask them again. If you are really keen on HDS lights, all you need do is order online and have it shipped to you or your cousin. It is quite fast if your cousin is in the States now but you need to check stock availability first before ordering. There have been some shortage of parts to meet the high demands.