Outfitting multiple emergency kits: Bag, car, office, etc

[KnifeStyle]

First post, be gentle!

I used to be fairly active in the flashlight technology community and have accumulated a number of older LED lights that have been serving me well for a few years now. However, I'm now in a new phase in life with a new income bracket, and I'm finally starting to look at my equipment as I get settled into my new job and lifestyle. This could be an opportunity to both enjoy my old lights again as they fill a niche, or look at new affordable options with new technology and companies around. For now, I'm stocking my kits, eventually I'll worry about my EDC habits.

I need to determine what kind of light would be ideal for a variety of emergency response kits. These include but are not limited to:
-New apartment, third story flat which has had power flickers in the past few weeks.
-Car. I spent about two hours a day commuting, moreso if I have meetings or events to go to after work.
-Casual EDC bag-A Chrome bag satchel I take with me on weekend trips, in the car, or to grad school classes at night.
-Work bag-a generic black laptop bag I use at work.
-Office-I have a small private office, concealed storage is not a problem.
-Cache kits. I am planning on leaving a couple cheap kits at friend's places and in a couple buildings I have private access to, simply in case I forgot my bag that night and need to fix something or have an unexpected night away.

 

[cland72]

I think the best way to carry a light is not in a bag, or in a vehicle, but in your pocket. That way you have it with you 100% of the time.

I have my EDC bag which spends 90% of it's time in the backseat of my car. In it I have a Surefire E1B (1x123), Surefire C2 with Malkoff M61L (2x123), and Fenix LD15 (1xAA).

My car's glovebox light is a Surefire P2X Fury that is bored and houses a 18650 rechargeable battery.

That being said, the light I have on me 98% of the time is my FourSevens Quark Mini123. Portability/concealability is better than with the others, so this is my primary EDC. It is a twisty and has served me well for over 3 years.

I guess my point is, don't cheap out on your primary EDC, and keep it in your pocket at all times. Then you can decide whether or not you want to get spendy for the other areas (car, home, office, bag, etc) or if your EDC will suffice for most of your lighting needs.

 

[weez82]

@clan72, Excellent post with good philosophy. I agree you 100%. I too carry a mini 123 or the quark 123 with me at all times. Better to have something on you. You'll never know if you'll have time to grab your bag in an emergency situation.

@op,
What lights do you have now? You might be able to use them for a car light or a bob (bug out bag) light or your edc bag light. As for recommending you a light, the Xeno E03 makes for a decent bob light and car light. Has good run times and output and can take lithium primary batteries. Also the FourSevens MiNi lights are great as well as their Quark line.

 

[KnifeStyle]

Currently, I EDC a Surefire E2L in-pocket, a Fenix EO1 on my keychain, and a Photon Freedom neck carried under my shirt occasionally. Like I said, I've been down this road before, just getting back into things. I'm not looking to buy all new lights necessarily unless something really stands out, I'm more looking for opinions on what KIND or genre of light is needed for each niche. From there, I can look at my existing collection and choose accordingly.

 

[jimboutilier]

I'm of a similar school to Chris, first invest in a high quality set of EDC lights that can pretty much be on your person (or at least with you) at all times. Then (if needed) think about what alternatives and spares you might want. Start with one good quality pocketable EDC light and once you get something you are happy with, branch out from there.

Consider the following types of lights:
1) A neck light you carry on a string or chain around your neck. Something like a Photon Freedom button cell light is very light and inexpensive and very useful when you have nothing else.
2) A keychain light you carry on your keychain. There are a lot of tiny AAA lights like the Fenix LD01 that have a simple twisty interface and multiple output levels that can again also be very useful and run on very easy to get AAA cells. If you use it little and carry it a lot, invest in Lithium L92 cells that have high capacity and a very long shelf life and which are not prone to leaking. If you use it a lot, get some Sanyo Eneloop NiMh rechargeable to keep in it and swap in a fresh charged one regularly.
3) A pocket EDC light with a pocket clip. Usually a single cell of type AA/14500 or CR123/16340. I prefer AA format lights because you can always find spare batteries in a pinch but CR123 format lights are great choices as well. Perhaps something like an EagleTac D25A Clicky (AA) or equivalent D25C Clicky (CR123) but there are a huge number of great lights in this category.
4) A belt-able/pouch-able/bag-able two cell light you keep on your belt or in a jacket or bag you mostly have with you. Its a good idea to make it of the same battery type as your pocketable EDC. Something like an EagleTac D25A2 (2xAA) or D25C2 (2xCR123) or D25LC2 (2xCR123 or 1x 18650) is worth considering. Tons of great lights in this catagory as well.
5) A storable several cell light for car or home use. Something like an Eagletac GX25A3 (3xAA). Again a good idea to keep in mind battery compatibility with other lights.

The examples I gave are some of my favorite lights that I think represent a good combination of features, value, and quality and are are only meant as a sample within each category that I would recommend. There are tons of other great offerings in each category from many reputable manufacturers.

Hope this help you start looking...

 

[Dave D]

The below is an interesting thread that may assist you.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...TF-flashlight-setup&highlight=shtf+flashlight

 

[KnifeStyle]

To elaborate, my last post was delayed because I'm new:

My EDC is a bit dated but covered, I'm looking to figure out what TYPES of lights are good for these different types of kits and locations. Not so much brand names and models, more suggestions such as 'A D cell is good for the office' or 'This type is great for the car because...', that sort of thing. I have an older collection of lights which may fulfill the different niches, just looking for input on what types are good for what applications.

 

[weez82]

For lights that you're putting in kits and wont get used unless an emergency, I like single cell lithium primary lights for storage. Either 1xAA or 1xcr123a. 2xAA or 2xcr123a is ok too. I just prefer the single cell and a few extra batteries. Right now my emergency kit is cr123a but only because I got a really good deal on cr123a's. The important this is to have a battery that wont leak while being stored so lithium primary is the way to go

 

[jimboutilier]

To elaborate, my last post was delayed because I'm new:

My EDC is a bit dated but covered, I'm looking to figure out what TYPES of lights are good for these different types of kits and locations. Not so much brand names and models, more suggestions such as 'A D cell is good for the office' or 'This type is great for the car because...', that sort of thing. I have an older collection of lights which may fulfill the different niches, just looking for input on what types are good for what applications.

I have the following preferences in all the lights I buy:
- A single high quality multi watt LED with aluminum reflector for its efficiency, performance, and beam quality
- Aluminum construction for heat dissipation, light weight and relative toughness
- A deep pocket clip and/or removable lanyard (preferably big enough to go around neck), and/or a belt pouch for flexible, secure carrying options
- Quality knurling for a positive grip
- Anti roll feature so it stays put and doesn't roll off surfaces and break
- Glass lens with anti reflective coating for efficiency and brightness
- Multiple brightness levels (at least low, med, high, turbo) and a way to quickly access turbo and low from off and scroll through the other settings for versatility
- Current controlled for uniform performance and operation regardless of cell condition or chemistry
- Uses a common cell type and takes all chemistries of a particular cell type for versatility and flexibility
- Prefer tail clicky most of the time (but side clicky, rotary, and even twisty can work at times)


For the categories you mentioned:

- Apartment: I'd get a 3 or 4 AA cell light with a floody bright beam and lots of run time. Several brightness modes for various distances and tasks. Keep Eneloops in it and a spare set, but have a couple of sets of primary Lithium L91 batteries on hand for emergencies.

- Car: A two cell AA or CR123 light with a good mix of flood and throw and a neck lanyard and belt case. Should feature a variety of brightness modes and some blinky modes like SOS, Beacon, Strobe. Keep primary lithiums in it and a spare set in the car (long shelf life, don't leak, work at temperature extremes)


- Casual EDC bag-A Chrome bag satchel: Same as car

- Office: Same as Car but if you use it a lot, maybe same as home.

- Cache kits: Same as car

Hope this helps