Arc-AAA Neck Carry

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this_is_nascar

this_is_nascar

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Mar 29, 2002
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Gloucester, New Jersey
First off, I'd like to say that's it great to see so many new members discovering the wonders of the Arc-AAA light. It is truely a fantastic light which set the bar for keychain LED lights. Many will argue that no product to date has reached the level of the Arc-AAA, although some have come close.

Anyway, the reason for my post. I know that quite a few of you folks carry your Arc-AAA around your neck. I'm wondering, 1) what type of rope/chain/lanyard are your using and 2) how far down do you wear it for the most comfortable fit? I'm thinking right in the middle of the breast-bone would be the most comfortable carry, especially if you have those "man-boobs" going on.
 
Not a noob here, but just wanted to say welcome back nascar! South Jersey represent!

As far as neck carry goes, the largest I could tolerate around my neck was the Zinc-Air Fire Fli (although, as it looks a bit like a vial, some people thought it was...um...shall we say full of "illicit" substances). I wore it right around the clavicle, in more of a "choker" configuration on a thin silver chain.

My Arc-AAA resides on my keychain, with a Victorinox Manager II and my keys.
 
I use stainless steel bead chain like the kind used on pull light overhead switches. Stainless because I'm alergic to most other metals. Some lights have snap hooks to remove them from the chain quickly.

I carry an Arc, two different Peaks, A Gerber Sonic, A Dorcy AAA depending on my mood. Just got a Fenix L0P so that will get added to the rotation. :)

I used to use parachute cord for the lanyard until I was in a lab working one day and a passerby thought the red cord was where I slit my throat working on some lab apparatus. Stainless doesn't cause heart palpatations. ;)

I like to carry them about an inch or two above the bottom bone part of the breastbone.
 
this_is_Nascar,


I was just thinking the same thing. Being the new owner of 9 various ARC AAA's I have yet to pick up a paracord to wear one around my neck. I was also wondering where I could pick some up? Do any of the big chain stores like Walmart carry these or do I have to order online?
 
I wear an Arc AAA-P, a plastic marine whistle (http://www.ekusa.com/category/25.33 ) , and a mini compass ( http://gallery.rei.com/media/408059Lrg.jpg ) on a neck lanyard and barely feel the weight.

At first, I made the lanyard from a drawstring left over from an old coat. I tied the ends of the cord together using a couple of fisherman-type knots which slipped if the cord was pulled hard enough.

I replaced that eventually with 550 mil spec para cord which is smoother and doesn't have fibers to stick out. A spring loaded plastic cord lock holds the ends of the para cord lanyard in place.

The lanyard size is adjustable so I can change the items' vertical position.
 
That has proven to be the most comfortable length for me. It doesn't become trapped between me and any tables at which I am sitting. Nor do I notice it hanging there. In fact, I often find myself feeling for it to see if I remembered to put it back on after taking a shower. As for the cord: I shortened one of the lanyards which used to come with the CMG Infinity Ultras and ran it through a micro clip which I purchased from Berkeley Point. This allows me to remove the light without removing the lanyard should I need to do so. Then when I am finished using it, I just clip it back on the lanyard and forget it's there until the next time I need it. The lanyard being short also permits sitting down with the light outside the shirt without it banging down onto the table top every time. Experiment until you find where it's most comfortable for you. This is the best way I think.
 
Greetings Tin,
It sure is good to see you hang'n around.
One thing I always wanted to say is if I read a review of yours and you gave a light a thumbs up I could count on it being a great light. Thank you for some "sharp" reviews.

Just received in the mail today my first v4. What a great light! Excellent build quality. HA finish is perfect. New head design gives it a "svelt" look. Output is fantastic and tint is pretty good for a "white" nichia. It seems that the knurling is less aggressive so as to be easier on my pant pockets, which is where this one will be carried most of the time. Due to the increased output it will be carried a lot more due to it's increased utility.

I was going to experiment with neck carry since it is so light. I have a simple nylon lanyard that is 35" total. I was planning to put a paracord clip on it behind my neck to vary the length until I can decide on a length that works and to see if I can tolerate it. I noticed Brightguy has a good looking lanyard that has a detachable clip. Just not sure if I can handle all the hardware.

Sure is good to see you back,and great to know I have a light on TIN's approved list!

Don't be a stranger.
Toons :)
 
Forgot to mention that chest hair and metal clips worn on lanyards and don't work well together. Ouch! :devil:
 
Good to see you posting TiN.

I recommend for anyone using a neck lanyard to use one with a break-away, especially if you work around moving machinery.

Peter
 
welcome back, TIN!

Colubrid, if you have a GIJoe's or similar outdoors/hunting/camping store in your area, they'll have paracord. The color selection is not usually good, though. If you want to skip the searching, get a neck lanyard from our own jtice (his sigline has a link to his lanyard site). He does nice stuff.

If you decide to make these yourself, ubraidit.com has paracord in "one or two" ;) colors.
 
Thanks for the great responses and kind words. I have several options that I was thinking of. I have a couple of those ball-link chains lying around, some old paracord that I purchased from County Comm some years ago, as well as some nicely made neck lanyards that a fellow CPF'er made. As Peter eluded to, my biggest concern is having something which is strong enough so I don't lose my light, but designed to breakaway if/when that's needed.
 
welcom back TIN!!!

infinity ultra G lanyard w/breakaway is what hanging around my neck
 
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Yeah , TiN!

What would be cool is to find a place that sells affordable Ti chain and put together a breakaway neck chain for it. I'm sure there has to be someplace that realizes ti is not a precious metal and sells it for a realistic price.
 
I was making a kydex neck holster for awhile;

People seemed to like them - you can put the light in head first to protect it, or tail first to let it hang hands free. They just snap in to hold them in place, but stay tight enough that even with jumping and running, it stays tight.

Josh
 
xochi said:
What would be cool is to find a place that sells affordable Ti chain and put together a breakaway neck chain for it. I'm sure there has to be someplace that realizes ti is not a precious metal and sells it for a realistic price.
Click to expand...

That's what I have done. IIRC my 20" titanium chain cost $70-80 and my ARC AAA is always around my neck whenever I go out. Never had a problem with the light falling off, but the latch will give if enough pressure is applied, unlike paracord without a break-away feature.

A nice titanium chain is dressy enough if visible around my neck that it doesn't attract attention, although it usually can't be seen with most of the shirts I wear. I have my ARC attached to the chain with one of the smaller (but not the smallest) Berkley Point micro clips. I've been carrying it this way for almost two years, and the light and chain are both holding up fine, the ARC looks like new still, unlike when I used to carry one in my pocket.

With a 20" chain, the ARC is at a perfect height for hands free use for illuminating a path or whatever I'm doing. If I need more directional hands'free use out of it, I just put it in my mouth for better control.

-Keith
 
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I wear a Peak Matterhorn on a ball-chain around my neck all the time. Good quality ball-chain is hard to find. After I bought mine online somewhere I found it at LightHound. He also has a bunch of lanyards and parachord stuff.
 
infinity ultra G lanyard w/breakaway is what hanging around my neck
 
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cy said:
nylon cord is 1.5mm which could break if it had to.
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How much force does it take to break that nylon cord? Can you break it with your bare hands? I've heard horror stories about cord of any kind around people's necks without a breakaway feature of some sort.

-Keith
 
infinity ultra G lanyard w/breakaway
 
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Beaded chain (steel or brass) can be found at most Home Depot and Lowes hardware marts in the US. It's cheap. You can usually buy a 24-inch section plus a snap connector for about $3.

As Peter Gransee and others have mentioned, there is a serious safety issue with neck lanyards -- especially if they're made of tough nylon paracord, etc. Certain plastic break-away connectors MAY work okay under ideal conditions, but subtle design and production variations make them iffy.

There was a pretty thorough discussion thread here on this exact subject late last year. The conclusion of some very well informed guys was that only beaded chain has the breaking-point that can guarantee a good safety margin. Maybe that's why the US military requires troops' dog-tags be slung on beaded steel chain -- instead of paracord.

I've found that a 23 to 24 inch length offers the best compromise of comfort and retrievability/utility. The brass beaded chain looks nifty (if you prefer the Urban Pimp "jewelry" look) but it tarnishes quickly if you wear it against your skin... and then it'll make a dark ring around your neck. Stick with steel.
 
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