Potential Christmas Present Suggestions?

[ElectroPulse]

Hello, all!

Ok, I have been looking for a flashlight for myself for a day or two, but then I thought "Hey, I don't really have an idea of my dad's birthday present yet, why not a flashlight?" Currently I don't think he really has any "good" flashlights... I honestly have never used a high-end flashlight, so not sure where on the spectrum my dad's flashlight is (couldn't imagine it would be very high... I think it was from walmart).

Anyway, here is what I am looking for:

Throw vs. Flood: Since it will be a general-use flashlight for camping/walking around at night, definately one with great throw, but still quite a bit of flood.
Price: ...not really sure. Almost certainly under $100, the lower the better
Batteries: Would be nice to have one that used both rechargables as well as AA? We mostly have AA batteries at our house, so figure in case the rechargable isn't charged he could just throw in a AA (or even C or D... honestly not sure what kinds of rechargables are used in flashlights).
Size: Decent size of carrying... he doesn't usually carry flashlights in his pocket (ones he has are too big), but a belt-click might be nice...
Operational modes: Wouldn't need anything special like strobe, but having several brightness modes would be nice (mode memory would be a plus as well)
Runtime: Well, probably 2 or more hours on Turb mode (obviously more on lower-power modes)
Brightness: Not sure how many lumens is considered "good"... I realize that lumens are not the only determinant of how bright a light is, though.


Anyway, just a decent-priced flashlight with good throw (not sure what is considered "good"... is 200+ feet of clear visibility at all realistic?), as well as decent flood, so as to see things off at different angles.

Thanks!

 

[RinniSi]

Hi,

I have both the Fenix LD20 and LD40. Both lights use AA batteries and have decent throw and brightness. If you are open to other battery types, then a Fenix TK35 is worth looking at even though it is slightly more than $100. That light is super bright.

R

 

[marinemaster]

For somebody else i am thinking Fenix EO5 to put on their keyring

 

[esrevenge]

I think the Fenix E21 is good. (2xAA)

Its pretty cheap, around 30-40USD, has a Med / High twist selection, and a simple clicky at the tail. Great for walking around at night or camping, etc....or for around the house.

I have 3 of them...

But the E21 has no belt clip...

 

[davecroft]

For somebody else i am thinking Fenix EO5 to put on their keyring

I have bought my friend an E05. She is not a flashaholic so I know spending a lot of money on a multi-mode, ultra bright light would be wasted on her. She really likes my E05 so I know she would be happy with one and it is small enough she can carry it everywhere with her. I'm putting an Energiser lithium in it, so even if she only uses it once every year it will be ok.

I think it is important to know whether the person you are giving to would appreciate getting a flashlight. I bet a lot of folks have spent big bucks on Surefires etc only for their dad/brother/son to stick them in a drawer. I think if you are not a flashaholic person or someone who doesn't regularly use a light for work or in their hobby then it could be a really boring present! (Sorry if that sounds blasphemous on this forum!!)

 

[USACelt]

I think the suggestion of the LD20 is good. I think the 4Sevens quark AA2 would also be a good idea. I don't if your going to find a light using AA's that will get over 2 hours on a turbo mode. Eagletac has come out with sevral good lights in the AA range. It will depend on prefered user interface. How much fiddling will the user go through to make the light work in all its settings.

 

[Jash]

Get your father an LD20 and an 4 eneloop/charger pack and he'll think you're the best. It's a nice light with a simple UI and it's built really well. Brighter mid mode than the Quarks, and better throw with better spaced modes. It doesn't have a super low like others, but it shouldn't be a problem for 99.9% of the uses a non-flashaholic has for a decent light.

E21 is a decent gift light. No clip or pouch though, but it's really nice to hold in the hand. If you consider going larger there's the TK50 that runs on two D cells and has two side switches, one for on/off and the other for mode selection.

If you're feeling really generous and don't mind buying a bulk pack of CR123's, get him a Malkoff MD2 with high/low ring. It is one of the toughest lights available and the quality is second to none.

Malkoff Devices are considered some of the best flashlight products on the planet, and for good reason, they are just so well built and come with Gene's no troubles, lifetime warranty.

 

[kreisler]

ive seen fenix ld20 on sale for < 40$ on ebay sites. unexciting, decent torch. good as starter lamp and sold everywhere in the world.

has lots of good accessories. it's never wrong to own or buy it. it only depends on the price. it's a hottie at 20-25$!

 

[ElectroPulse]

Thanks for the replies!

Yes, I believe that he would appreciate a flashlight... He's by no means a flashaholic, but I believe he would appreciate the ability to see much better at night.

I'll go through the suggestions... fire away with more/comments on previous suggestions!

 

[waddup]

get him a $30 led headlamp and a $30 1xAA flashlight. nice to have both hands free sometimes.