Best light for self defense?

[wesinator]

So, my friend is an actress, and she was telling me about how she got this 100 dollar flashlight for self defense and she was expecting it to be super bright but she was disappointed and thought it was just like all of the cheap department store lights. She's not a flashoholic so she didn't remember what brand it was.

Anyway, i was just wondering what a really good light would be for self defense is, one that she might actually e impressed by. it should probably be small super bright and have strobe. any ideas?

 

[Marduke]

No light is suitable for self defense by itself. "Tactical" lights are meant to be used in conjunction with other "equipment", which I shall not go into for hopes of keeping the thread open.

 

[greenLED]

Tell her to FIRST take a FAST combatives (or Model Mugging, IMPACT, or the like) class and THEN think about adding a flashlight to her toolbox. A light alone won't do her any good.


...edit to add:

I believe 'duke and I have been down this road a few times before.

 

[MrGman]

The studies of self defense and the tools that could be used there-in are endless. I won't assume she has no self defense skills at all and is just relying on the flashlight. She's your friend, you counsel her on what she needs.

You asked about flashlights so here are a couple of answers. They in no way will answer the true call for a "self defense" flashlight, but everyone has to start some where with something.

Bright lights for potentially blinding a would be attacker at close range. EagleTac T10C2, real output over 270 lumens pulsed on and off but no "strobe" mode. Less than $80.00

Fenix TK10 or TK11 real output in the 225 lumens range can be pulsed on and off but no "strobe" mode. Also less than $80.00.

Small enough to fit into a purse, simple to operate. if necessary "could" be used to gouge some one in the face and then run like hell. That's as far as I am going with any "tactical" advice.

Most of the lights that would have a strobe mode which she would also carry in her purse, have to be cycled through other modes to get to strobe and probably won't happen any way. You didn't actually ask for "strobe" features. Otherwise I would go with the Fenix PD30.

You see to it she gets the right type of nonrechargeable lithium batteries that she won't have to worry about running down in her purse while she isn't using the light.

Good luck.

 

[Marduke]

:shakehead

Thread closure in 3.....2.....

 

[Yoda4561]

The general idea of a "tactical" flashlight is based on two things. The ability have a light on hand that you can use to see and hopefully avoid bad situations before you get into them, and the momentary blinding and disorientation caused by a sudden bright flash of light on dark adapted vision. The key word is momentary, a second or two to gain the advantage, either by running the heck away or using an appropriate level of force to disable the attacker. No handheld flashlight, even the 900 lumen P7's, will delay a determined attacker longer than that.

If it's a 100 dollarish flashlight it's probably a surefire. I'd be curious to know exactly what model. It's possible that she tried to see how bright it was during the day(makes everything but a 3000 lumen HID look kinda dim), or she's been introduced to some of the more recent cree XR-e equipped dept. store lights, which are approaching the same level of brightness as most surefires.

 

[TITAN1833]

Firstly I would recommend awareness of potentially dangerous situations course above combative defence courses why? because to keep safe is to keep away from physical confrontation as much as possible,that said combining the two would not do any harm either.But having your awareness finely tuned will IMO save you a lot of hurt in the long run.

So what light?well I wont offer any advise here as my aim was to keep you from physical confrontation in the first place

 

[depusm12]

As a Law Enforcement Officer I would not rely on just a flashlight for self defense. The light is merely a tool used in conjunction with a firearm, tazer or pepper spray. That being said only go to the firearm as a last resort. The light might give your friend a few seconds to escape from a attacker. But if she makes the decision to carry a tazer, pepper spray or a firearm she needs to make sure she does so legally otherwise it will be more trouble than help. If she doed decide to carry a taze, pepper spray or a fire arm she needs to be ready to use it otherwise it could be taken away from her and used against her. Just my thoughts on the subject. Also forget the Klingon bezel light that could get her in more trouble if the light is used in a self defense situation.

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

For the most part, a flashlight is useless for self-defense. It's best use in that situation would be to spot the attacker at a distance and give your friend time to run away. Once an attacker is close enough for you to hit or stab them with the flashlight, they're close enough to grab, stab, or shoot you and it's too late to do anything but scream for help. Any weapon your friend carries can be easily dropped or taken away from her and used against her without the proper training. It's important that she not rely on any object for self-defense without the training on how to use it. I'd suggest martial arts training as it teaches you how to be a weapon yourself so there isn't another weapon that can be taken away and used against you. The alternative would be for your friend to hire a body guard. I know some people think that a woman training in karate may still be too weak to overpower a strong attacker. They'd be wrong. I know some women in karate who I wouldn't want to mess with. I know a 14 year old girl who won first place in an international tournament in the breaking event. If she can break four or five bricks, I don't think she'd have any trouble taking out a bad guy with one punch. No matter what your friend decides to do, tell her it's best to walk with a group of friends everywhere. There's nothing worse than a woman walking alone down a dark alley having the false sense of security from thinking a flashlight in her pocket is a match for an attacker with a gun.

 

[hyperloop]

So, my friend is an actress, and she was telling me about how she got this 100 dollar flashlight for self defense and she was expecting it to be super bright but she was disappointed and thought it was just like all of the cheap department store lights. She's not a flashoholic so she didn't remember what brand it was.

Anyway, i was just wondering what a really good light would be for self defense is, one that she might actually e impressed by. it should probably be small super bright and have strobe. any ideas?

best light for self defence is one mounted on a gun, but that being said and to not move this off topic, anything with more than 500 lumnes out the front would IMHO suffice especially to dark adapted eyes. Bear in mind that this will just blind the aggressor MOMENTARILY enough to either take evasive action or initiate some other action. Me, i'd probably scurry away as fast as my short asian legs could take me.

 

[Monocrom]

Wow.... Another one of those threads.

Let me help you out. Just click on the link below, and read through what has already been posted; regarding this subject.

LINK ~
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=181968

 

[SureAddicted]

I agree with Monocrom. This topic has been done to death.
To the OP, 2 words....Search Function.

 

[mrled]

Best flashlight for self-defense is any flashlight that is attached to a firearm.

I'm ex military and that's the last place I'd put a light! It would give a nice target for someone to shoot at. Cops may need a different approach though.....

My two penneth:

Flashlights are useless for self defence. I reccommend a pair of Nike's firstly and a pepper spray if need be. Leave the heroics to hollywood.

 

[kaichu dento]

Anyway, trying to get back to the original question my short list of suggestions would be either the LF5XT or L1D, both having quick access to strobing, being compact and fed with easily accessible AA's.

 

[astrotec]

Wow.... Another one of those threads.

Let me help you out. Just click on the link below, and read through what has already been posted; regarding this subject.

LINK ~
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=181968

Hello All
Monocrom, I read the other thread and it is quite illuminating. Very good actually.
A couple of points only lightly touched upon or missed altogether, in either of these threads, in my humble thought processes, are these;

1. If you carry Anything that is beyond what the police would normally carry and use, such as a Concealed Firearm with "Hand loaded" ammo you place yourself in trouble. *Refer to Mossad Ayoob on Google and his Lethal Force institute. Good place to start studying on self-defense and get training. In other words, if you carry a gun, a light or some other self defense product, Use what the local Police and/or Sheriff's carry and use. AND you get TRAINING in those items...Period.

2. If you carry something out of the ordinary you will be viewed as the perpetrator not the victim, ( read here Klingon strike bezel's, not wise in any state)
and that 6D mag light would/could be viewed as an offensive weapon in the wrong scenario.

3. Train religiously.

4. Bad guys do not care about ANY thing except to get what they want off of you, and and most do not care whether they leave witnesses or not.

5. Live your life in such a way as to avoid the "BG's" and learn how to NOT look like "food" to the predators. Being a sheeple is one of the best ways to attract bg's.

Well I hope this opens your (the OP) eyes as to choosing lights and self defense items. There are implications that go far beyond just self defense, up to and including monetary and legalities. Once you begin to carry things like these, you cross into a whole new lifestyle, and YES, it is a lifestyle. I wish you well in your choices.

a.t.

 

[kaichu dento]

It appears as though they may be in Kentucky and that the light is for someone who may value being able to find batteries she needs anywhere. Remember, the question had nothing to do with you or me, but for his friend, and as such I stand by my reccomendation of checking out the LF5XT or L1D, and not the equally well suited P2D for reasons already stated.

 

[Art Vandelay]

Tigerlight has a new model that might be good. It is much smaller than the previous models. It has a flashlight on its head and pepper spray on the side of the back end. That way the light goes on the bad guy blinks and shields eyes. The light points down to aim the spray and the bad guy opens the eyes back up, and drops his hand just in time to get sprayed. Then she could run, or do what seems best at the time.

 

[Mjolnir]

I know the topic of flashlights as self defense against people has been done over and over, but what about animals? Say you are walking in the woods and come across a bear/mountain lion/wolf or other potentially dangerous animal. Would shining a bright light in its eye discourage it from attacking you?

 

[Monocrom]

I know the topic of flashlights as self defense against people has been done over and over, but what about animals? Say you are walking in the woods and come across a bear/mountain lion/wolf or other potentially dangerous animal. Would shining a bright light in its eye discourage it from attacking you?

Hell No!

There's a special blend of pepper spray you can buy that is specifically designed for use against bears and other dangerous animals.

EDIT ~

After making my initial post and providing the link, I decided not to make any more posts in this thread. But there's a realistic possibility that someone might try to use a really bright light against a bear, instead of the right tool. (Hell, I've heard horror stories of hunters and campers being killed after shooting a bear with a .44 Magnum)!

 

[Jarl]

I know the topic of flashlights as self defense against people has been done over and over, but what about animals? Say you are walking in the woods and come across a bear/mountain lion/wolf or other potentially dangerous animal. Would shining a bright light in its eye discourage it from attacking you?

Maybe. But let me put it this way: You go walking and a bear jumps out. In one hand you have a torch outputting 100 lumens, in the other, bear spray. Which one are you going to go for first?

Lights are fantastic tools, as soon as you try to use them for something they're not designed to do*, problems start.

*Flashlights are, at the end of the day, designed to illuminate an object. Nothing more, nothing less. Anything they may do above and beyond that is a bonus which should not be relied on for much, let alone your life!