any suggestions on models that meet these criteria?
Out of all the lights I own, here would be my survival setup and what I would be comfortable with relying on:
I would first suggest, regardless of what primary lights you choose, getting yourself two Fenix E01s (or arc-AAAs if you prefer) - they run on 1xAAA, great output/runtime, and pretty tough - dont think anyone has had a failure yet. They are cheap ($15) so you can afford to buy two (hey, this is your potential survival we are talkin about!). Keep them on a lanyard that you can just throw around your neck in a survival situation. You could also just buy like 15 fauxtons to keep on a lanyard :tinfoil:
I'd highly recommend a Ra Clicky or Ra Twisty - out of all the lights I've ever owned, these are the two I would trust the most and is my EDC. Further, the Clicky is a bargain at $99.
If you want to get super versatile, "end of the world" setup, you may want to pick up a Surefire 6P (or C2 or G2), one cell extender and a Malkoff M60LL. You can then run the M60LL in the 6P on 2xCR123s, 3xCR123s with the extender or 2xAAs with the extender. The usable "declining output" you will get from that sucker will be amazing.
Lastly, I'd recommend a good headlamp - take your pick. I don't mind spending money when it come to lights, but the the headlamp I choose to carry in my survival kit is the cheap ($23) but awesome Petzl E+lite. The sucker is TINY, has a versatile clip (you can clip it to your shirt), has white and red output (4 modes - 2 high, 2 low) and good runtime. It runs on the coin cells so you could easily carry like 8 spares in a standard matchbox. The tint is pretty blue (like the arc aaa-gs) but it is just for emergencies. I highly recommend it. As far as your question on clipping a hand held light to hat vs. using a headlamp, in a survival situation where you might be running or exerting yourself physically, I don't think clipping it to a hat would work too well and I certainly would not want to risk it falling off my brim...
Another important point that I think is overlooked:
In a real emergency/disaster, chances are you will not be alone and have much better odds of surviving if you have someone else with you - so that is another reason why I think it advantageous to carry three lights minimum - to provide one to whoever is with you. I keep a few cheapo fauxtons in my edc bag for this very purpose - I can also imagine the scenario of being the only guy stuck on the subway with a light and the ensuing mob panicky madness to grab it from me - if I throw a handful of fauxtons on the floor, problem
potentially solved (can you tell how much though I've given this - I was a risk manager at one point
)
Just curious, are you going to be carrying these lights in your EDC bag with you or just to keep at home in a BOB type deal?
In my EDC bag right now (which comes everywhere with me) I carry a Ra Clicky Tac 140, Surefire E2L + diffuser, and a Petzl E+lite. I have a few fauxtons as well and an Arc-AAA on my keys. I also carry a keep2go tube with 4 spare Surefire primaries.
Sounds like a lot
tinfoil
but, from my personal experience: I take the subway everyday to work - spending about 50 minutes each way underground (this includes transferring and waiting for subways) - and after living through past events in NYC, have had my eyes opened to how disasters work in a big city: If God forbid there was another disaster in this city and I was somewhere outside of my neighborhood (let alone the subway!!!), it would be pretty unlikely that I'd be able to get back to my apt to get my BOB in any type of quick fashion (I made it from my office in the financial district to my apt on the upper east side in just over 2 hours during the transit strike a few years back - and that was under normal circumstances) - so I carry a pretty extensive, yet realistic, kit with me whenever I leave the neighborhood (it all fits nicely in a packrat organizer, weighs under 3 lbs and fits nicely in my briefcase). If I was at home when a survival/emergency hit, shi*t I'd throw every last light I own in my ruck
Hope this helps!
