Buying a light you'll hardly use

[59ride]

i carry a flashlight on my person everyday, no need to have one in my car as well, overkill

 

[MikeSalt]

Fenix E01 with Energizer Ultimate Lithium AAA cell in it. Doggedly reliable, inexpensive and the lithium cells won't leak like alkaline cells would.

 

[Modernflame]

I know myself too well. I'd set out to buy an inexpensive light to stash in the glove box, then buy a much different light at 10X the cost, then carry it with me all the time so that I don't need an inexpensive light in the glove box.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Thinking the idea of keeping it inexpensive is good. As has been said, these could be given away to those in need if necessary.

 

[NutSAK]

Now that Surefire 6Ps are readily available for $40, there is no reason to not have a couple stashed around until you need them. Even better if you stick a Malkoff in it.

Good point. I use Solarforce L2Ms with M31 modules as my stash lights.

 

[Cerealand]

Extra light in car may be for the passenger since we (CPFers) are the only crazies to EDC lights.

 

[aginthelaw]

I rarely use headlamps but I keep one in each of my go bags

 

[fresh eddie fresh]

i carry a flashlight on my person everyday, no need to have one in my car as well, overkill

I always have a flashlight on my keychain and another one or two in my bag, but my glove compartment LX2 is perfect to shine on street signs, since I do on street parking and there is always a street sweeping day or something to be concerned about. On rainy nights, the narrow beam really reflects back at you!

 

[LetThereBeLight!]

Thinking the idea of keeping it inexpensive is good. As has been said, these could be given away to those in need if necessary.

I agree with you!

I almost stopped my car a few weeks ago to give away a flip light (the light made out of a light switch) to some young people 10-12 years of age walking on the sidewalk of a very dark unlit road that I was shocked to notice from my peripheral vision by my car's headlight because it was so pitch black. (No, none were using a cell phone as a light, so I assumed they had none on them.)

But noticing their age, I quickly decided that my stopping of the car and approaching them would probably scare them.

So I drove away conflicted, wondering if I did the right thing, when I really wanted them to give them this very inexpensive but cool 200-lumen light (I had gotten a bunch on sale for $1.99). If I was their age, and a car stopped, I think I would have some fear, in this day and age.

This all happened so fast when I processed it all and I was tortured by the decision I made as I drove away.

It did not occur to me, as it does now as I write this, that I could have stopped the car, left the light on ahead of them on the sidewalk, and driven away. But I was going 40-mph, it was dark, I saw how young they were walking in pitch dark, and made the best decision I could. Had they been with a parent or had they been of high school or college-aged I think I would have stopped.

Like most of you, I have given lights away before, but in this context I ironically felt I had to put their emotional safety first than do something that gives me much joy.

 

[ZMZ67]

So keeping it small, inexpensive, reliable, low parasitic drain, very seldom used, low-ish output:

1. Limutop Tool
2. Fenix E05
3. Olight I3T
4. ??

Likely with lithium energizers. Again, my focus is pretty much flushing money down the toilet. This will be something "hidden" but avialable. Something I won't be tempted to take out of wherever it is only to be misplaced or not there when I need it. I've tried that with my Zebralights and it doesn't work. Oh, another place would be secured inside my kayak. A total "just in case"; something that will never be used outside of me forgetting my main light while kayaking.

I think you have 3 good candidates there.The Fenix E01 that you previously mentioned could be number 4 and the Olight i3E could be 5 to expand your list a little. You could even go with two lights and stay low cost having the E01 and i3E to compliment each other,as the saying goes"two is one-one is none"

 

[Sos24]

To me there is a couple questions, that determine the answer:
- Is it a redundant flashlight or a location where it may be the only working light?
- Is it a less expensive light for a quality manufacturer or just cheap light from a cheap manufacturer?

I have a few cheap lights, but those are in places where I know I will have a quality light nearby as redundancy. For example a room in the house I don't spend a lot of time in and I know there is a quality light in the next room or the car FAK because there is a quality light in the glovebox. Otherwise, I go for a quality light because even if I don't expect to need it, if I do I want confidence it will turn on.

If I don't expect to need it because it is a seldom used place and I most likely will have another light, then I may go for the cheaper light (that doesn't have all the modes or lumens I normally prefer) from a quality manufacturer ($20 vice $50). That way I still have confidence it will work, it just may not be all that I usually want.

 

[ven]

I think it would be a good opportunity to try out a few cheaper lights that may be on you wanted to try out list.

I would want the Lumintop TOOL 219b(must be around $15 tops for the black ano) and its a very nice beam! (and tint:naughty.
Fenix E01 for sure...............has to be!
Maybe an Olight i3e eos.

I would stop at that for now, try them out, you might hate 2 and love one of them. Then decide on more of the ones which is loved.

 

[subwoofer]

Reading through this thread the light that stands out to me would be the iTP A3 and A1. I say 'would be' as I honestly don't know if the brand is what it was before the Olight buyout and sell-off; the ones I own were from then. In particular I'd place these over the Olight version the i3e as there are three output levels allowing you to make better use of the battery power, or choose a higher output. Being a twisty there is no switch mechanism to go wrong (which I have had on standby lights), and there is also no parasitic drain to worry about having to lock-out, when off it is locked out. Simple and super reliable. The A1 if you want a CR123 version or the A3 for AAA.

I'd also say that if you want a 'working' light to use at the standby locations, get two for each location, as despite the high reliability of a small twisty, things still go wrong.

 

[WalkIntoTheLight]

I almost stopped my car a few weeks ago to give away a flip light (the light made out of a light switch) to some young people 10-12 years of age walking on the sidewalk of a very dark unlit road that I was shocked to notice from my peripheral vision by my car's headlight because it was so pitch black. (No, none were using a cell phone as a light, so I assumed they had none on them.)

But noticing their age, I quickly decided that my stopping of the car and approaching them would probably scare them.

It did not occur to me, as it does now as I write this, that I could have stopped the car, left the light on ahead of them on the sidewalk, and driven away.

Lol. I'm not sure that would have been any better. Kind of like leaving a candy trail for kids during the daytime.

I think we all get that your intentions were good. But, a jury of 12 would probably decide to put you on a registry of some kind.

 

[Poppy]

I think it would be a good opportunity to try out a few cheaper lights that may be on you wanted to try out list.

I would want the Lumintop TOOL 219b(must be around $15 tops for the black ano) and its a very nice beam! (and tint:naughty.
Fenix E01 for sure...............has to be!
Maybe an Olight i3e eos.

I would stop at that for now, try them out, you might hate 2 and love one of them. Then decide on more of the ones which is loved.

I like how you think!

A light with the nichia 219b would be a good choice for the FAK (better to see colors with).

Here's a 1 AA Rayovac in my fishing kit, wrapped in a zip lock baggie and electrical tape, to waterproof it. I used it to attract fish. lol... it didn't work.
It did stay waterproof down to 20-30 feet

 

[ven]

Good to see you poppy, hope all is well :wave:

Walkinto and Lettherebe, thats the world we live in unfortunately. Its a shame..............

I work simple, that on instinct, if i think something like that(safety on the road) i have to act once its in my head. Although different, a recent example was spotting a car with no brake lights. Easy to ignore but i could not. I managed to get down the side of them at some traffic lights. Pipping the horn in a none aggressive manor as one can( 2 short pips kind of thing). Their window down, mine ready and pointed it out, also a quick diagnostic with it potentially being the switch on the pedal. Someone may...............may not have driven into them that day, or week after.

IMHO, if your thoughts are right(safety and kids on road not clearly lit) then *beep* to what people can think, you could just save their life.

Yes the world we live in.............all we can do is make the most, and make what difference we can, no matter how small.

On to the lights, Mark do you not have any lights that get seldom use. Maybe some already owned, aged, beat etc could be used for certain applications. Just thoughts

 

[markr6]

On to the lights, Mark do you not have any lights that get seldom use. Maybe some already owned, aged, beat etc could be used for certain applications. Just thoughts

Not really. I have an old H51w that I keep in a backpack in my car. Otherwise, we're talking big heavy 2- or 3x18650 lights that wouldn't work in these applications.

I forgot I had an L11C Nichia 219B in my briefcase. That would be a great option, but a little high at $37 to pick up a few more. And while I had no issues with mine, several others questioned the durability.

 

[NutSAK]

On to the lights, Mark do you not have any lights that get seldom use. Maybe some already owned, aged, beat etc could be used for certain applications. Just thoughts

^This. There's a lot of discussion of cost here, but if you already own them and they're not getting any use, what are they really worth anyway?

 

[BugoutBoys]

I completely know what you mean. I just think of it as, if I'm put in the situation where I need that light I will want it to be good and reliable. So typically any light I get to EDC, I get a duplicate of for my Bug out bag and/or photography bag specifically. That way I know if I ever do need it, it's the one I'm used to using and love. It is definitely something that's hard to justify though and I usually sell other things to feel more comfortable about the purchase

 

[novice]

I don't normally use a headlamp, but doing a little more reading on them several years ago got me realizing that being in situation where you need to use both hands is not the time to start thinking about buying one, so I have purchased a few. I got one of each of the two types of Icon lights made when they went out of business and there were some serious deals to be had. One in the car, one in the house. Found an interesting Swedish surplus headlamp for $8 that runs on D-cells (or C-cells?), then a Swiss surplus headlamp that I need to work on adapting to 3xAA, and finally, got the Fenix headband/clamp that will hold an e-series. Do I need this many? Nope, but I'm not experiencing buyer's remorse.

My first thought when I saw the title of this thread were the two UV lights I have. I have tested them both on paper currency, but don't really use them. Being an OC type, I had to also have the passband filters. However, being a "self-respecting" (i.e., compulsive...) flashaholic, if a friend who knows my quirks asks if I have a UV light, I can nonchalantly say, "Oh, of course..."