What Are The Most Rugged Flashlights?

[JAS]

Is it just an old Mag-Lite, a newer Surefire, or is it something else? I really like products that are rugged and won't quite just because they get dropped. The Pelicans look pretty rugged, but I also know that looks can be deceiving. Is an LED light always more reliable because incandescent might quite working if dropped vs. an LED light?

 

[Sgt. LED]

This is a tough one!
Let's hope it doesn't end badly.

My vote is for a basic 6/9P with a flat SS bezel ring and a Malkoff. I can kill the drop-in but it takes quite a bit of hard work to do it. There are defects in anything and you'll see failures in every product made if you get enough of them together. Your results will vary. Opinions differ wildly.
Good luck

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

Surefire 6P/9P, Inova T series/X series (not including X1 due to failures in most versions)/Inova Inforce series, Fenix TK series, Gerber LX3.0 and Infinity Ultra, Stainless steel Solarforce L2 host with a Malkoff dropin (actually, any Solarforce L2 is pretty tough, and replacement parts are reasonably cheap), Surefire Titan.

 

[camaro09]

Just my 2 cents, but Ill give a vote for an Ra Twisty. Simple, reliable UI and a body, and bezel that can and has been proven to take a beating.

 

[Jvalera]

Sorry but define rugged? coz my limited brain cannot imagine what cant be destroyed by sheer ignorance and willful carelessness effectively applied or intelligently designed by my 5 year old unborn twin

 

[tundratrader]

Maglites are tuff as hell but the switches eventually go bad or batteries leak and get stuck. The lenses get trashed very easily. The bodies will likely last forever though. No one would disagree that they are rugged but maybe they are just rugged because they are so big and bulky.

Rugged is a surefire C2 with the standard switch, standard cells and standard bulb. I have never been let down by that setup. I cant remember for sure but I do not think I have ever broken the filament in the standard p60 bulb. I have burned them out from use. But never from abuse. I will say that the Malkoff M60 that lives in my C2 right now is damn rugged as well. I have ran both of these setups through the wash more times than I can remember and have not had a failure to light!
Zach

 

[Woods Walker]

Thinking the G2/G2Z LED. Don't know what window is better, the clear plastic or glass. Still the tail will last forever I think. Guessing the 6P/9P has the same goodness too but kinda like the plastic body.

 

[kramer5150]

Surefire 6P with a G2 plastic lens/bezel hosting a malkoff M60L or LL. This setup will be tough as nails. The 6P aluminum bezels dent and the pyrex cracks when dropped. Best of all, no clicky to fail.

 

[fisk-king]

Ra Twisty

 

[Flying Turtle]

My toughest and maybe still the best is the CMG Infinity. My old Arc LS in twistie configuration may be my second best.

Geoff

 

[Billy Ram]

I don't believe you'll find a more rugged light than a plain old Fenix TK10. "They are built like a tank" The light I had that took the most abuse was a early model Streamlight 5D. It held up too extream abuse for more than 20 yrs. with out any break downs. It finally disapeared.
Billy

 

[mightysparrow]

Ra Twisty

 

[Rat6P]

I like the surefire 6P/9P design, a Malkoff, and without a doubt it must have the original twisty/momentary on switch.

 

[fisk-king]

My toughest and maybe still the best is the CMG Infinity. My old Arc LS in twistie configuration may be my second best.

Geoff

the Gerber Infinity Ultra is in my top 5 of rugged lights.

 

[leukos]

Sorry but define rugged? coz my limited brain cannot imagine what cant be destroyed by sheer ignorance and willful carelessness effectively applied or intelligently designed by my 5 year old unborn twin

Yes, JAS, please define "rugged". There are lights designed for various purposes, and there are multiple situations I would consider "rugged". Lights mounted on an automatic rifle need to be "rugged"; lights that dive to depths of 200m need to be "rugged"; lights that go caving need to be "rugged".

LEDs are probably going to be more "rugged" than incandescents or HID's, but only if their circuits are potted. Most drop-ins are not potted as well as most of the lower-end lights. However, without further clarifying what you mean by "rugged", I would unequivically give that title to a flashlight manufacturer in Spain: http://www.barbolight.com/

 

[william lafferty]

The RA twisty and the CMG would be my choices too, but I would also add the small Barbolights (no experience with the big ones). These are dive lights and are well-built.

 

[jhc37013]

My vote would also be the Surefire models mentioned and also Inova models.

 

[Dances with Flashlight]

Quite a few qualities relate to the ruggedness of a flashlight: LED, window, board and circuitry, heatsinking, potting, switching, body material, machining and construction, wall thickness, etc. Considering all these factors, Peak's stainless steel El Capitan and stainless steel Night Patrol are rugged in the extreme.

 

[BentHeadTX]

The most rugged I have used is a 2006 Peak Caribbean 2AA stainless steel with momentary switch. The combo of potted electronics, brass battery button, lexan window all wrapped in stainless steel made it one tough light. The worse thing I did to it was drop it while up in a ceiling, it fell 17 feet and slammed into a solid marble floor. The battery positive was dented from the impact, the floor was chipped but the light did not even shut off. The downside of the light was it weighed a LOT!

A nice, lighter and brighter replacement that would be as tough (or tougher) would be the Eiger stainless steel with a 2AAA body. It would fit better on your belt but so to will the El Capitan single AA. The twisty on/momentary switch on worked very well and won't/can't break unless explosives are involved.

Once Peak rolls out their multiple output heads with that momentary switch, I'm going to get a few. All I have to do is pick the narrow/medium or wide optics, pick what max power level I want, choose between HA-III aluminium/brass or stainless steel and if I want to run NiMH, E2 lithium or 14500 protected Li-ion for power. I will get all three types of optics, I can choose the beam pattern to fit my changing needs.

I did break an Inova X5 though, it was a great light while it lasted. :(

 

[Blue72]

Since water resistance is important to me, none of the surefires are considered rugged for me in that aspect