Hello and thank you for all the great posts this forum has to offer. This is my first post after browsing for quite some time. Review after review and search after search, I'm a bit more confused than before I started. After living for years with the value lights from Wally World, I think it's time to take the serious torch plunge. I have contemplated it for a while now. Here's what I'm looking for in a light:
1. Size and ergos (large enough to be a cannon but as portable as possible); I would like to wear it on my belt if possible
2. User Interface (something easy to navigate through different modes)
3. Personal defense and camping/hiking: A light that will serve me well on camping trips and night hiking (long throw for those deep woods noises but floody enough to light my walking path). Also, a light that will serve well on my nightstand as a brother or sister to Mr. SigArms.
4. Durability (I'm hoping to find something that will last me for years with minimal service).
5. Brightness (I would like a light listed over 200 lumens; 500+ would even be better).
6. Power source (this really doesn't matter unless someone can recommend the most cost efficient/hassle free source)
As you can see by the above, my primary use will be home defense (hope it never happens) and numerous, night outdoor adventures (camping and hiking, primarily). There will be much more camping and hiking than home defense, I hope.
I've looked at the following online and tend to like the review, design and look: ThruNite Catapult, Fenix TK30 and TK40, Olight M21 and M30, JetBeam RRT's and M1X, Tiablo ACE-G, EagleTac M2XC4, some Surefires and so on. I'm having a hard time even narrowing it down. And, I'm sure I've left out a few serious contenders of which I may have not even heard of.
Based on your experiences and if you could only have one in my situation, what would you get? I would like to keep the total bill around $225 or less for the light and power source (cells). If I have to go up a bit for the perfect light, that's OK, too.
Thanks so much for the help in advance.
1. Size and ergos (large enough to be a cannon but as portable as possible); I would like to wear it on my belt if possible
2. User Interface (something easy to navigate through different modes)
3. Personal defense and camping/hiking: A light that will serve me well on camping trips and night hiking (long throw for those deep woods noises but floody enough to light my walking path). Also, a light that will serve well on my nightstand as a brother or sister to Mr. SigArms.
4. Durability (I'm hoping to find something that will last me for years with minimal service).
5. Brightness (I would like a light listed over 200 lumens; 500+ would even be better).
6. Power source (this really doesn't matter unless someone can recommend the most cost efficient/hassle free source)
As you can see by the above, my primary use will be home defense (hope it never happens) and numerous, night outdoor adventures (camping and hiking, primarily). There will be much more camping and hiking than home defense, I hope.
I've looked at the following online and tend to like the review, design and look: ThruNite Catapult, Fenix TK30 and TK40, Olight M21 and M30, JetBeam RRT's and M1X, Tiablo ACE-G, EagleTac M2XC4, some Surefires and so on. I'm having a hard time even narrowing it down. And, I'm sure I've left out a few serious contenders of which I may have not even heard of.
Based on your experiences and if you could only have one in my situation, what would you get? I would like to keep the total bill around $225 or less for the light and power source (cells). If I have to go up a bit for the perfect light, that's OK, too.
Thanks so much for the help in advance.