Help with selecting a emergency flashlight for car

[mapson]

I'm looking to put in a flashlight in my car trunk for emergencies. This forum has been great, I never realized there were such a thing as a flashlight addict but I may be close to becoming one. So, what I need is a reliable light, bright, and long lasting. I know the last two may contradict each other.

I am thinking along the lines of a Lightwave 3000 or 4000 due to the light the leds gives out and the run time. I also need to worry about the winters and I hear lithium batteries are the way to go for cold weather but I've only seen them mainly in AAs. Do the lithium come in any other sizes; AAA, C, D?

 

[ksbman]

My car lights are a yellow Surefire G2 along with the SC1 in the glove box and a Black Diamond Moonlight for hands free work.

 

[juancho]

In my trunk I have a LED headlamp with 8 LED's sold by Cabela's for $25.00, is the best thing for changing tyres and work under the hood, also I have a PT 40, also with lithium batteries.
In my glove compartment I have another PT 40 and a UKE 4 eLED.
pricewise the UKE is $20.00 from Brightguy and the PT-40 should be even less.
The P.T.40 have a nice throw for illuminating things at a distance, the UKE 4 AA is a very nice floodlight for working in the car.

Juan C.

 

[BillBill]

Remember Lithium batteries are very important for emergency lights; alkalines don't work as well. Something that takes lithium 123's or AA's will work well (uk eled, legend lx, etc)

 

[paulr]

Re: Help with selecting a emergency flashlight for

Your choice of lithiums for flashlights is basically 123A's or L91 AA's. Other sizes are weird/exotic or otherwise inappropriate. L92 lithium AAA's have been announced but are still a few months away.

I'd say the UKE 4AA eLED with lithiums is an excellent choice; it's brighter than the Lightwave 3000/4000 and will run for 16+ hours on lithiums, and is small enough to toss in the glove compartment without having to make room for it. The LED headlamp suggestion is also sound. Finally, for something super-bright, you could consider a cheap 12 volt spotlight that plugs into the cigarette lighter socket. Of course there may be situations where your car has no 12 volt power available, but you have the UKE for backup.

 

[Stanley]

Re: Help with selecting a emergency flashlight for

I would suggest the Streamlight TwinTask 2L. You get both Incan and Led in one light (for throw and closeup use), runs 2x123 cells, and more importantly (for me at least) there's minimal rubber parts (except for the switch) which would eventually deteriorate if left in the heat too long. Else an Inova X5t is a pretty good choice as well, good flood light but lacks throw.

 

[paulr]

Re: Help with selecting a emergency flashlight for

Good choice, that TT 2L. I keep forgetting it whenever this thread topic comes up. Note that we've mostly discussed small lights that can go in the glovebox. If you're putting it in the trunk, you can consider a bigger light.

 

[6pOriginal]

Re: Help with selecting a emergency flashlight for

I have a Surefire 9P mounted right above the handbrake handle ;a G2, an Arc AA and a box of 12 CR123 in the glove compartment. In the trunk is another box of 12 CR123 and a Surefire M6 and a stock Maglite 4D (double as a hammer /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif) I don't know if that's too much light or not, but it gets quite dark here in many places (which is a good thing for flashaholics I think /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif)

 

[Zephyr]

Re: Help with selecting a emergency flashlight for

I have a Pelican M6 LED in my glove compartment for throw and decent run time, a PT impact and Energizer Headlamp in my center console, and Lightwave 4000 with extra batteries in my bailout bag.

 

[daloosh]

Re: Help with selecting a emergency flashlight for

I have a TT2L in the trunk, with extra 123s; as well as a Mag 3C waiting for a drop in; an Inova 24/7; and a turboflare loaded with lithiums.

The Inova makes the turboflare somewhat redundant, and the Mag, as 6p notes above, has multiple potential purposes, so I leave it in the trunk.

I also have a lifehammer up front, which has a little red LED, but I'm pretty sure the battery has died.

Ah, with Zephyr speaking of BOBs, mine, which is in the trunk now and then, has an E2e, Eternalight, and Ultra, with a few coinlights, too; while my wife's has a Scorp, Minimag/Opalec, Ultra, and coinlights.

daloosh

 

[HesNot]

Re: Help with selecting a emergency flashlight for

I've been keeping a SL TT2L in my car as a reasonable all around light - lithiums for shelf life, metal body for heat resistance, LED and incandescent for general work and spot if necessary. While neither the LED nor the incandescent is as good as a single function light (like an Arc or E2e respectively) the super long runtime from the LEDs and the more than acceptable incandescent make it very versatile in a small sturdy package.

I keep an Infiniti Ultra in the car as well just because it will run forever on lithiums...

Don't have a BOB yet - I keep wavering on what to put in one!

 

[AlphaTea]

Re: Help with selecting a emergency flashlight for

Each of my cars has a yellow G2 in the drivers door pocket. I attached a Glowring to each with a lanyard ring. Each has a clickie switch. Glove boxes have a SC-1 and spare lamp.
Trunk has two of those rotating LED Flares with lithium AA's
My EDC is a G2-bk, Photon II, Firefly 1 and an el-cheapo red laser pointer. My wife EDC's an E1E modded with a TVOK/MM750

 

[sotto]

Re: Help with selecting a emergency flashlight for

I have in my truck a UK4AA, a cig lighter AA battery charger, 2 sets of NIMH batteries, and a spare bulb. I also have an Inova 24/7 and some spare 123 lithium cells. In my pocket is my EDC, an ARC4+.

 

[SilverFox]

Re: Help with selecting a emergency flashlight for

Hello Mapson,

Welcome to CPF.

I have a Lightwave 4000 in my truck and am quite comfortable with it. In cold weather (-10 C) the alkaline performance will drop from 720 hours to around 200 hours. I can live with that.

I also have some lithium based lights, but the Lightwave 4000 is my main emergency (change a flat tire) light.

I also believe a head lamp is a good investment. It is hard to hold the Lightwave 4000 in your mouth...

Tom

 

[capnal]

Re: Help with selecting a emergency flashlight for

Another vote for the SL 2L TT.
However I don't keep mine in my truck. In my Yukon, I have Brinkmann Long Life LED on clip above passenger visor. Mag 2D with Xenon bulb upgrade, Mag 2C with KPR112 and 3x123 conversion, Mag 2AA, and in the back I have a utility 6 volt lantern for things like tire changing. I also have a Rayovac 2D industrial in my tool box which stays in the truck. In my survival / camping / oh sh*t bag, there is a rayovac 3D.

 

[avusblue]

Re: Help with selecting a emergency flashlight for

I'd recommend the Lightwave 2100. 3AA's so you can keep lithiums in there, yet use alky's in a pinch. Indestructible, plenty of light for roadside repairs and the battery runtime is fantastic. The rubber coating is easy on the hands when it's cold and makes it comfortably mouthable if needed. It's a much overlooked light.

I also store a Lightwave 4000 in the trunk -- with Alkaline D's and 10 LED's, it's pretty much the same concept as the 2100, only more so.

Of course, I also have a SureFire L4 always in the car, along with several Dorcy AAA's, so I'll never be caught without SOMETHING at hand. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Cheers,

Dave

 

[mapson]

Re: Help with selecting a emergency flashlight for

You all are awesome, I never realized that many of you have multiple lights in your vehicles. I am thinking of only one flashlight(we have two cars so I will actually be supplying for both). So far I am leaning towards a led model so I do not have to worry about the bulb, and AA or CR123 because I can get those in lithiums and not worry about the battery.

The UK4aa led sounds like the best bang for the buck so far, I am also looking into the Tasklight series but those are definitely higher in cost. And I will keep some extra lithiums in the car with the light.

I will also be possibly getting an arc as a EDC, don't know which one yet. Not to sidetrack the discussion but just for comparisons, in order of brightness...where does the uk4aa led fall between?

arc4+
arc lsh
arc aa
arc aaa

Thanks everyone and keep those suggestions coming! As a newbie, this is a blast, currently I just have a mag 3D in my car trunk and a Dorcy 2 million candlepower spotlight in my wife's. I will retire both to the house once I get replacements.

 

[NeonLights]

Re: Help with selecting a emergency flashlight for

I keep at least two lights in each of our four cars. One is AA (lithium) powered, LED, with low output and long runtime, the other is 123 powered incan like a Legned LX or SF G2 for lotsa light when needed.

-Keith

 

[Boris]

Re: Help with selecting a emergency flashlight for

You find the TT Higher in cost??? just 29 USD for a light with both leds and xenon, and very good runtime??

 

[daloosh]

Re: Help with selecting a emergency flashlight for

Where are my manners? Thanks silverfox for the reminder:

Welcome to CPF mapson, and why dontcha stay awhile!

If I could only have one flashlight in the car (what utter blasphemy!) it would be the Inova 24/7: it's very small, it's waterproof, it has two levels of white lite and several flashing modes with yellow and red leds, you can get a magnet for it to stick to your car, it runs on lithiums.

My other choice would be the TT2L, less flexible in the various modes, but brighter and still flexible in that it has incan and leds. But the leds are crappy and you need to keep a spare incan bulb around (much cheaper than SFs, tho).

Don't have a UK4aa, so can't comment on that. However, the TnC N Lux, the Firefly and Jets' Blackbird all come before the Arc4+ and the LSH-P as EDC now, for me. THe Arcs are just too big in comparison, even tho I love them still. Just food for thought.

welcome again,
daloosh