Recommend me a basic flashlight

[WibbleWobble]

I'm looking for a small flashlight that i can keep in my bag for trips outdoors and for general (occasional) use. It needs to be small, and as weather proof as possible. It also needs to be cheap (£60) and ideally last for a minimum of 6 hours. I have no need for it to be really bright or have a huge beam as i don't really need a search light! :) If i can't be a colour other than black that's a bonus too.

I was thinking of a Surefire G2 LED, would that be a sensible option?


Thanks

 

[Kestrel]

:welcome:
CPF has developed a Flashlight Recommendation Checklist which helps with flashlight recommendations. It's helpful to copy&paste the text from that with your specific uses / requirements.

 

[Mathiashogevold]

Well, you just get 2 hours of runtime at the G2 LED, so if you want something like 6 hours of runtime this will not be the light for you :shakehead

Maybe something like the Fenix LD25 or LD40? They have neutral-white color of the beam, which are better outdoors. But they are not VERY small.. The LD40 are 18,5 cm long and the LD25 is 16,4 cm long. At 4 lumens, you get 245 hours of light on the LD40 and a little bit over 3 hours on high, 248 neutral white godness :thumbsup:
If i were you, i think i would go for the LD40, but you may think it is too big :)
This is just my thoughts.

 

[Tiresius]

The G2 won't last any longer than 2hr. G2X Pro can last pretty long but the low mode is fairly dim. You might need to look into multi-mode lights.

4sevens and Fenix lights may fit the bill. A lot of their light are low-cost, compact, and quality-built but packs a hell of a punch for their size.

I'm waiting on my 4sevens Quark Mini 123 to arrive so I can replace my Surefire U2A when I go babysitting. The kids are beating and scratching it up.

Everyone has different taste and preferences in power source, size, light type, brightness, run time, color temperature, and even user interface. But definitely give 4sevens and Fenix lights a look and ask questions and other CPF members will have their two cents on them.

 

[Swordforthelord]

Agreed, the Surefire G2X Pro might fit the bill a bit better. Dual output with a lot of battery life on low. The low mode is 15 lumens but that's Surefire lumens so it should be fine for general use. No widespread availability yet though.

 

[daf3m]

My recomendation would be the Fenix PD30 R2 .Multiple interface ..Used on medium would provide at least the 6 hours that you need .
http://www.fenixlight.com/viewnproduct.asp?id=55
:wave:

 

[wyager]

Any of the 4sevens quark series, maybe a fenix if you don't want features.

 

[Belstaff1464]

Check out Zebralights. They have some very uniques lights that may suit your needs.

 

[wantsusa]

For 6 hours I think for most flashlights you will need a flashlight that can be put on medium or high.

Quark AA^2 with 2 eneloops on medium will give you plenty of time, though at 18 lumens, on high it will be a bit short on the 6 hours (more like 4-5 hours from the reviews) with 80 lumens. The Quark AA on medium will give you about the 6 hours you want as well. Lots more info on Quark run times 4Seven Run Time info

I think most flashlights for the hours that you want, you are looking at 18-50 lumens to get the 6 hour runtime, so look around and see what UI you want, and look at it being tailstanding, or tactical. There are tons of flashlights out there that can meet your needs, you need to look more into what features you want especially UI, since you may want to have 2 settings or 3 settings or more depending on the situation which could help extend the battery life if you say only need it in low mode for the most part, so I would say get a flashlight that is programmable if you want to make the most of it, since single or two (low - max) modes probably won't get you the 6 hour runtime with the amount of light you want.

 

[LEDninja]

Fenix E01
10 lumens for 10 hours.
No high mode to accidentally drain your battery.
Small enough to fit on your keychain.
For £60 you can probably get all 5 - one in each colour.

 

[SuLyMaN]

Fenix e21 ftw...48 lumens for 11 hours or 150 lumens for 2h15 :) And its affordable too!

 

[jssp78]

Malkoff M31LL with VME twisty should for about 5-6 hours on one cr123. The output is 100 lumens with lots of spill and good throw.

 

[mcnair55]

Have a look at the new Jetbeam BK135A,adjust your own settings,as long as you do not want max power all the time should suit you and the color and look is one of the best I have seen.£50 UK sobs will see it on your doormat,easy to sell on if you ever want to get shut of it.Run it on Eneloops or similar.

If you are UK based avoid any 123 cell lights unless you are not bothered on battery costs as they are just overpriced even if you buy keenly.