JonSidneyB
Flashlight Enthusiast
This is a minimum Listing of what a Flashaholic needs to survive comfortably.
I have things broken down to Personal, Car, and Home.
Remember, when you are at home...you car is there and you are there so you have all three groups available to you.
When you are with your car...you have your personal lights and car lights.
Personal Lights:
The personal collection I think should be your smallest collection of lights. But I think they should be your highest quality lights since they well he under the most abuse.
Minimum Personal light arsenal:
1. Great true workhorse light that can do most jobs well. Should not be too tight of a beam since most utilitarian tasks are up close. Good examples are the ARC-LS and the Firefly...
2. This light should be changed out depending on what half used batteries you have in highest quantity. This is your economy to run light and is the light in your personal aresenal you use if the other lights are not needed. You are also helping to keep landfills from filling up with batteries buy using this one the most heavily. The candidates are an Arc-AAA, Some small AA single AA though I am not sure what I like yet, and finally a FireFly set up for low draw to bleed the last bit out of your 123's. This class of light again is selected from batteries you would have otherwise thrown away.
3. Your do not disturb others light, this light is when you want to illuminate something and not bother others, my thoughts are that the Photon Covert in red or green are the only suitable canditates.
4. Your portable Flame Thrower. This is the light that you use the least but always have. It is a hight draw, low battery life fire breater. Surefire leads the way in this class of light. I do not think the Ideal light exists yet.
The Ideal Light should be small, be usable with the Harris Technique, be very very easy to carry. My Idea for this light is a light slightly thicker than the Firefly at its thickest point, have a narrow finger sized grove that runs around the light to allow for a Combat Grip. Run on two 123's. It will be belt carried with a bezel down clip. The light should have Two thirds of its length below the anchor point of the Clip. The Clip should be tight enough that it does not move around on the belt. If you are right handed, the light should ride just behind your cellphone on your left side. It should be of a color where it does not stand out too much. This light would be only used when you have to have a bright light for just a few moments. Remove the batteries ever few uses and feed them to your utility lights.
If you carry a suitcase, purse or some other bag. A small led headlamp might be nice for those times when it would be helpful to have two hands available. Zippka is a good choise.
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Car Lights:
In the Cab:
I personally do not like rechargable lights for the Car so I include none.
In eash door, not the side wells but the smaller well by each door handle, I have an Arc with the Clicky tail. It fits nicely there for short term use. You do not need full powered batteries for these, these are not critical mission lights.
On the Visor, there should be something to hold a two AA light convienently available for cheaper use then the door housed 123 lights.
Somewhere in the cab of the car should be a Cheap to use light. I Think an Ideal Candidate would be a 2 D-Cell light Luxeon Based. Nice beam, cheap to use. This is the light you grab if you need light for awhile and do not want to go to your Trunk. I think Lambda's Maglight based Camp light would be perfect. Make sure the light body matches the Interior of your car. This light will also use C-Cells but will cost you more to run but it will allow you to use one more type of battery. It is brighter with C-Cells but that is not a reason to have the adapter. You have plenty of bright lights.
A Maglight based Flame Thrower, Space Needle or Megaclops. Make sure it is not the same color as your Cheap to run Mag Mod. Make it match the paint on your car.
Within easy reach should be your car based Tactical light. It should almost never be used. I think it should be a 9 Volt light with a clip. The only reason it has a clip is if you end up leaving the car with it in an emergency and need to hang it on your belt when out of the car.
In the Trunk:
A 5 or 6 D-Cell light. It would be nice if it matched the exterior of your car, you won't be using it inside the car. This light is a bright Flame Thrower based on the 5watt Lux. It will be your Cheapest to feed high output light. If you need bright and can get to your Trunk, this is the light to use.
If you are going to be working for awhile but do not need bright, go back to your Dimmer 2D light.
A good Quality HeadLamp, not sure which I like yet, this is not for backpacking but for storage in your car.
A custom Single D cell led light with adapters that allow you to you to use AA, C, and D. The reason for this light is, you are covered for almost every battery you can find in a pinch without being forced to mix batteries. This is a low yield light but a usable light. And it can help keep you off of your other lights. This can also be your portable electic candle.
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Home Lights: Lots of Rechargables, at least one in each room. Try not to use battery powered lights at home if you can help it. Save the batteries for when away from home.
The exceptions are your Home based Tactical light, I think the 12ZM gets the nod here. The next exception would be some Single Cell Battery Powered Candles that can double as Flashlights. The purpose of these if to use up loose batteries.
------------------------------------------------------------
Specialty lights:
These are dependent on your hobbies and activities, like backpacking. Choose you equipment appropriately.
OK, what needs did I miss.
I have things broken down to Personal, Car, and Home.
Remember, when you are at home...you car is there and you are there so you have all three groups available to you.
When you are with your car...you have your personal lights and car lights.
Personal Lights:
The personal collection I think should be your smallest collection of lights. But I think they should be your highest quality lights since they well he under the most abuse.
Minimum Personal light arsenal:
1. Great true workhorse light that can do most jobs well. Should not be too tight of a beam since most utilitarian tasks are up close. Good examples are the ARC-LS and the Firefly...
2. This light should be changed out depending on what half used batteries you have in highest quantity. This is your economy to run light and is the light in your personal aresenal you use if the other lights are not needed. You are also helping to keep landfills from filling up with batteries buy using this one the most heavily. The candidates are an Arc-AAA, Some small AA single AA though I am not sure what I like yet, and finally a FireFly set up for low draw to bleed the last bit out of your 123's. This class of light again is selected from batteries you would have otherwise thrown away.
3. Your do not disturb others light, this light is when you want to illuminate something and not bother others, my thoughts are that the Photon Covert in red or green are the only suitable canditates.
4. Your portable Flame Thrower. This is the light that you use the least but always have. It is a hight draw, low battery life fire breater. Surefire leads the way in this class of light. I do not think the Ideal light exists yet.
The Ideal Light should be small, be usable with the Harris Technique, be very very easy to carry. My Idea for this light is a light slightly thicker than the Firefly at its thickest point, have a narrow finger sized grove that runs around the light to allow for a Combat Grip. Run on two 123's. It will be belt carried with a bezel down clip. The light should have Two thirds of its length below the anchor point of the Clip. The Clip should be tight enough that it does not move around on the belt. If you are right handed, the light should ride just behind your cellphone on your left side. It should be of a color where it does not stand out too much. This light would be only used when you have to have a bright light for just a few moments. Remove the batteries ever few uses and feed them to your utility lights.
If you carry a suitcase, purse or some other bag. A small led headlamp might be nice for those times when it would be helpful to have two hands available. Zippka is a good choise.
------------------------------------------------------------
Car Lights:
In the Cab:
I personally do not like rechargable lights for the Car so I include none.
In eash door, not the side wells but the smaller well by each door handle, I have an Arc with the Clicky tail. It fits nicely there for short term use. You do not need full powered batteries for these, these are not critical mission lights.
On the Visor, there should be something to hold a two AA light convienently available for cheaper use then the door housed 123 lights.
Somewhere in the cab of the car should be a Cheap to use light. I Think an Ideal Candidate would be a 2 D-Cell light Luxeon Based. Nice beam, cheap to use. This is the light you grab if you need light for awhile and do not want to go to your Trunk. I think Lambda's Maglight based Camp light would be perfect. Make sure the light body matches the Interior of your car. This light will also use C-Cells but will cost you more to run but it will allow you to use one more type of battery. It is brighter with C-Cells but that is not a reason to have the adapter. You have plenty of bright lights.
A Maglight based Flame Thrower, Space Needle or Megaclops. Make sure it is not the same color as your Cheap to run Mag Mod. Make it match the paint on your car.
Within easy reach should be your car based Tactical light. It should almost never be used. I think it should be a 9 Volt light with a clip. The only reason it has a clip is if you end up leaving the car with it in an emergency and need to hang it on your belt when out of the car.
In the Trunk:
A 5 or 6 D-Cell light. It would be nice if it matched the exterior of your car, you won't be using it inside the car. This light is a bright Flame Thrower based on the 5watt Lux. It will be your Cheapest to feed high output light. If you need bright and can get to your Trunk, this is the light to use.
If you are going to be working for awhile but do not need bright, go back to your Dimmer 2D light.
A good Quality HeadLamp, not sure which I like yet, this is not for backpacking but for storage in your car.
A custom Single D cell led light with adapters that allow you to you to use AA, C, and D. The reason for this light is, you are covered for almost every battery you can find in a pinch without being forced to mix batteries. This is a low yield light but a usable light. And it can help keep you off of your other lights. This can also be your portable electic candle.
------------------------------------------------------------
Home Lights: Lots of Rechargables, at least one in each room. Try not to use battery powered lights at home if you can help it. Save the batteries for when away from home.
The exceptions are your Home based Tactical light, I think the 12ZM gets the nod here. The next exception would be some Single Cell Battery Powered Candles that can double as Flashlights. The purpose of these if to use up loose batteries.
------------------------------------------------------------
Specialty lights:
These are dependent on your hobbies and activities, like backpacking. Choose you equipment appropriately.
OK, what needs did I miss.
