The chance of EDC failure requiring backup lights

[cland72]

I had my primary fail on me one time, before I was a CPF member. In fact, that failure is what drove me to research "good" flashlights, and how I found this forum.

In the spring of 2009, I was tracking downed game after dark in the woods with some friends, and my Coleman red/white/blue 3xAA light I picked up at Walmart the week prior began to dim. I hadn't used it but for about 30 minutes, and I didn't have a backup light. I ended up having to just follow the guys with working lights until we got back to camp.

About a month later, I had a Surefire 6P and a Malkoff M60 drop in. From that point on, I took it with me whenever I was doing anything outdoorsy (hunting/camping/etc). After becoming a member here, and seeing all the different types and sizes of flashlight, I now have several large lights along with a couple of smaller, more EDC-friendly lights. Only one out of probably three dozen lights I've owned over the last five years has flat out failed and left me in the dark: a Fenix LD20 after it was knocked off a blue 55 gallon water barrel onto some rocks (I had owned it for almost three years).

All that being said, I always take two lights with me wherever I go, including travel.

 

[arcticscythe]

I have a drawer on my tool chest full of retired lights, not one of them failed me, they just got outdated or overpowered. Luckily I have never had a primary fail on me due to anything other than a dead battery. I live by the mantra 2 is 1 and 1 is none but that doesn't mean you need to carry 2 of the same light. I carry a primary EDC light in my front left pocket, usually its good for a considerable amount of light but as a backup I keep a AA "cree" brand flashlight in each of my gym bags and in the pocket of many of my coats. they were $3.90 each and they run about 150 lumens with a wide floody beam pattern. single on and off with about a 4 hour run-time on one lithium AA.

Knock on wood, I havent needed a backup yet but I know I always have a second I can reach for if i need it.

 

[5S8Zh5]

To me, if my primary edc's batteries die when I need light, that's a failure. The recovery better be a spare battery or a backup light and not lighting a match. ..

 

[CrazyCanuck]

If you wanted have a need to use your backup light, then just leave it at home because it never fails the moment you don't have it, you need it. Just like Jumper cables in your car. :ironic:

 

[kj2]

Normally have two lights on me, and when I'm further away from home, I've three. Had my main failed on me once (Klarus XT11) and had to switch to my second (Fenix PD35). When I got back home, I noticed the retainer ring inside the tailcap wasn't tight. Easy fix though. Later I noticed that ring comes loose after a few battery changes. But was glad I'd a back up.

 

[Stream]

Normally, I carry a Fenix E05 in my jeans pocket. I mostly use it on low or medium so it takes forever for the battery to drain. Should it go out unexpectedly, my phone flashlight (which puts out roughly the same amount of light as the E05) is my backup. If I expect having to use a flashlight for any extended period of time, I will bring along my Fenix PD35 and a spare battery.

As mentioned already, batteries dying could qualify as a failure. And this is probably going to be the most likely occasion for needing a backup light, or at least spare batteries. As for the light itself actually malfunctioning, this has only happened to one of my EDC lights many, many years ago. It was a Fenix L2D (2xAA), and the circuitry inside the head failed for some reason. However, I got plenty of warning that something was up, as the light would occasionally flicker and sometimes fail to turn on--so I was never stranded in the dark by it. Come to think of it, I also had a Fenix PD20 (1xCR123) die a similar way. This must have been about 6-8 years ago, and the build quality of Fenix lights has improved in leaps and bounds since then.

 

[WalkIntoTheLight]

My wife and I with our 12 months old baby are planning a holiday to Hawaii in the near future. While the wife plans the trip, where to go, the activities to do etc. Goes without saying I nominated myself to take care of packing the family flashlights needs.

Don't go overboard with flashlights. I'm pretty sure if you lose or break your light, there's probably a store somewhere on Hawaii where you could buy another light good-enough for your needs.

Just bring one quality flashlight with you, if you're going to be near civilization. Make sure it runs on AA batteries, so if you can't recharge your battery for some reason (or you need extra run-time), you can buy a pack of alkalines as an alternative.

If you're going to be doing something where you absolutely must depend on a light (such as hiking alone at night, or exploring a cave), I'd bring at least two quality lights, and maybe a cheap button-cell light as a last-ditch emergency. Your secondary light could be smaller than your main light, perhaps even a AAA keychain light. Good enough to get you somewhere safe.

Other than that, this is a vacation, not a expedition into unknown parts of the Amazon. Chances are you won't even need a light, or you could buy a disposable light if you need to.

Bringing more lights than needed just means you have to lug around more stuff, maybe get it stolen, get airport security wondering, etc.

 

[Fireclaw18]

I took 3 EDC lights when I traveled over the holidays.

I didn't expect any to break or get lost and none did. I simply wanted a choice of EDC depending on my mood.

 

[FPSRelic]

When I was single, I only ever EDC'ed one light, and never really had it fail on me since upgrading from Incan to LEDs. I have a backup that I keep in the car or in my bag, and as I'm not a spelunker or a police officer it's not an issue for me to just go back to the car or bag for the backup in the unlikely event that my EDC fails, or more likely event that it's misplaced or stolen.

Now That I'm married with 2 boys aged 1 and 2, it's a different story. Whenever I go to use my torch, both my sons will want it, so to keep everyone happy, I now carry three torches (my Surefire lx2 or l1, a four streamlight stylus pro, and a fenix ld01) whenever I'm with my family. One of my older sons favourite early summer evening pastimes is dragging me outside with a torch to hunt for the cicadas that he can hear.

In your situation though, I'd take just the two - one to carry, and one to keep with your luggage as a backup or for you 12mo to use.

 

[Tjin]

Don't over think things. Do you also carry multiple housekeys? I just got one light and my phone's LED is the backup (i sometimes forget to pop in a fresh battery).

In the outdoors usually a backup headlight.

 

[parnass]

Don't over think things. Do you also carry multiple housekeys? . ....

Yes. I carry a spare house key, spare truck key, a spare flashlight (1xAAA), and a spare battery. They take up little space and each has been pressed into service at one time or another.

I don't own a cell phone.

 

[thedoc007]

Yes. I carry a spare house key, spare truck key, a spare flashlight (1xAAA), and a spare battery. They take up little space and each has been pressed into service at one time or another.

I don't own a cell phone.

We found the guy! The last guy to not own a cell phone! Breaking news!

Seriously, though, over-thinking things is a good idea, where preparation is concerned. As many have mentioned, carrying a spare gives you flexibility, as well as better reliability. Should something happen, it is nice to have a backup/loaner light. You can be sure that there will be people around who don't have even one light.

 

[5S8Zh5]

...spare truck key

I have one fob on the same key ring as the ignition key, and one in a pocket to keep AAA away.

My cell isn't smart, is a pocket edc, and isn't turned on. I use it for outgoing calls 99 percent of the time, and only charge it every 5-6 months.

 

[LedTed]

I have three examples to share.

One time, the power went out at work. One of my operators was very (extremely) afraid of the dark and was becoming agitated; demanding that her husband picker her up straight away. I gave her one of my backup generic "Cree" single AA flashlights. She clutched it and held it close to her heart, shining it in her own face. This calmed her down till the building's power was restored.

Another time, the power went out at work. Due to the fact that the cut-rate flashlight the security guard had was (of course) dead, security needed two of us to do a safety check of the clean room. During the safety walk, I used my primary light and allowed the floor manager to use my backup.

For my own primary EDC, I replaced a near spent AA battery with one fresh from a sealed pack. When it came time to use my primary EDC, I got no light. So, I went to my backup EDC light. Turns out, all four of the new batteries were of very poor quality. (Bye-the-by, Marshal at Going Gear has warned about this.) Lesson learned, now I am sure to do a functional quick check each time I replace the battery in any of my flashlights.

 

[more_vampires]

Two failures in "the heat of the moment" as far as EDC. One was a switch that failed on a drop, the other was a threaded pill that came loose and caused poor connection. Both fixable, but not in the pitch black in the woods.

A big advantage of two EDC lights is that they can do different tasks, such as one throws and one floods.

Aside from that, I'm in the Eneloop rechargable camp for the most part. Low self discharge, top up when needed. My primaries are lithium for the shelf life. I feel prepared. One time in a power outage, I spent so much time picking out which light to use that the outage ended.

Another solution is to have a flashlight that basically doesn't run out under practical use. I tote a PakLite 9v "just in case." They pair great with those nice Energizer lithium primaries or even on a scavenged dead smoke alarm battery. I forget how many years I was on my FIRST BATTERY for it. :thumbsup: Killing a battery on one of those with low mode is a feat. Also, without the battery, the PakLite is super tiny and no bother to carry at all.

partial 9v cells are hiding everywhere!

 

[WalkIntoTheLight]

Another solution is to have a flashlight that basically doesn't run out under practical use. I tote a PakLite 9v "just in case." They pair great with those nice Energizer lithium primaries or even on a scavenged dead smoke alarm battery. I forget how many years I was on my FIRST BATTERY for it. :thumbsup: Killing a battery on one of those with low mode is a feat. Also, without the battery, the PakLite is super tiny and no bother to carry at all.

Or just use a small AA light that has a moonlight mode. They will normally last about a month straight on moonlight. You won't need anything longer in an emergency, because by that time your neighbours have broken down your door and have eaten you and your family.

 

[MidnightDistortions]

Or just use a small AA light that has a moonlight mode. They will normally last about a month straight on moonlight. You won't need anything longer in an emergency, because by that time your neighbours have broken down your door and have eaten you and your family.

Nooo!!! Think of the children! oo: and where can i find one of these lights?

 

[more_vampires]

Nooo!!! Think of the children!

and where can i find one of these lights?

FourSevens Quark AAx1 (awesome light) comes to mind, as well as the Zebralights, and many other choices. The Zebras feel smaller in my hand, subjective. My Zebras replaced my Quark as EDC, but you could say that the Quark is "simpler" as far as UI and might be a better choice for a non-flashaholic friend. (My opinion.)

When you've got "days and days and days" of runtime, it's a great feeling. It's only dark some of the time, so it goes on and on and on.

I've never fully drained from a full cell in normal use in the above mentioned lights. I rarely use high/turbo/whatever. Medium, low, then lower from there...

Just pop them on the charger once every month/bi-monthly and you'll forget what it was like to have to change batteries in use. I charge when I feel like getting around to it, not because it's essential.

For a "bigger vampire," there's stuff like the Armytek Predator Pro. The Pro model is programmable and you can set it so low you can barely tell the LED is lit. When you do this, it has a runtime of "yes." :thumbsup: A flashaholic's light, the Pro 2.5 is completely configurable: you can change how the thing works without a soldering iron. The Pro 2.5 Warm White model is my favorite of the Predators I've tried, I have a removable frosted diffuser and it seems like that light can do anything! Note that their color Predator models aren't programmable, at least the Predator green I have is not. No super-low lows with Predator Green or Red. Built like tanks, and if the battery runs out they are suitable for throwing.

Something else to note is that when the low mode is low enough, it doesn't matter if you have "warm tint" or not as your vision basically goes black and white. I'm sure other CPF members can explain better than I can.

All in all, I love the 21st century.

 

[ForrestChump]

Or just use a small AA light that has a moonlight mode. They will normally last about a month straight on moonlight. You won't need anything longer in an emergency, because by that time your neighbours have broken down your door and have eaten you and your family.

Hahahahah! They can try, and even if they do get that far, I probably don't taste that good anyway. Either way I win! :touche: :devil:

Im running HDS 120 & P3X Fury. I carry one, the other goes in the BOB. Extra switch for the Fury in the bag, done deal.

 

[MidnightDistortions]

FourSevens Quark AAx1 (awesome light) comes to mind, as well as the Zebralights, and many other choices. The Zebras feel smaller in my hand, subjective. My Zebras replaced my Quark as EDC, but you could say that the Quark is "simpler" as far as UI and might be a better choice for a non-flashaholic friend. (My opinion.)

When you've got "days and days and days" of runtime, it's a great feeling. It's only dark some of the time, so it goes on and on and on.

I've never fully drained a cell with regular use in the above mentioned lights. I rarely use high/turbo/whatever. Medium, low, then lower from there...

Just pop them on the charger once every month/bi-monthly and you'll forget what it was like to have to change batteries in use. I charge when I feel like getting around to it, not because it's essential.

For a "bigger vampire," there's stuff like the Armytek Predator Pro. The Pro model is programmable and you can set it so low you can barely tell the LED is lit. When you do this, it has a runtime of "yes." :thumbsup: The Pro 2.5 Warm White model is my favorite of the Predators I've tried, I have a removable frosted diffuser and it seems like that light can do anything! Note that their color Predator models aren't programmable, at least the Predator green I have is not. No super-low lows with Predator Green or Red. Built like tanks, and if the battery runs out they are suitable for throwing.

Something else to note is that when the low mode is low enough, it doesn't matter if you have "warm tint" or not as your vision basically goes black and white. I'm sure other CPF members can explain better than I can.

All in all, I love the 21st century.

The Zebralights i was checking on amazon sound really good, you could get up to 3 months on them but the lumen level might be too low, but seems to be adjustable to get a bit more. Thanks for the suggestions. You probably won't even need to recharge your batteries for more than several months on Eneloops. Li-ions may depend since i like to keep them around 40-80% charged. THe Armytek sounds like a good first Li-ion built flashlight to get, the features are pretty awesome.