Re-Thinking my EDC Choice

Since becoming a Flashaholic, I've had three different EDC lights. My first was an Arc, which I quickly shelved due to lack of multiple levels. Since then, I've carried either an L4/McE2S or an E1L/MCE2S, both with rechargable cells. These are both certainly great lights -- well-made, bright and reliable.

But I've always felt slightly uncomfortable with a light that takes batteries which may be difficult to obtain in an emergency. And I mean a real emergency -- fill in your own worst-case scenario. I realize how unlikely it is that this scenario, whatever it may be, will ever come to pass, but this is what emergency preparedness is all about, isn't it?

Since CR123s may be hard to obtain in an emergency, I would feel more comfortable with a AA-powered EDC light. And I only want to carry one. But, in true Flashaholic fashion, I have a few parameters:

1. Single AA powered. Must take alkalines, NiMH, and possibly lithium cells.
2. Good construction -- HAIII finish, glass window, good switch, etc.
3. Luxeon powered (or equivalent) with multiple brightness levels -- both for conserving battery power and close-up work when less light is appropriate. Two levels are sufficient; more would be nice. Preferably multiple levels are standard or achieved through a professional type modification. I'm not sure about soldering resistors myself.
4. Proven reliability. The only way I know to be fairly sure a light will last for years is by other lights produced by the same company. I trust Surefire, Streamlight and Underwater Kinetics from personal experience. Maybe there are other companies that have a solid reputation for quality.

As far as I know, there are no lights currently available that meet my specifications. I have both a Triton and a Fenix L1P, but they don't quite make it. Mostly because they are not proven manufacturers. Also, the Triton doesn't have a multiple-level option, and the Fenix modification is too homemade for my tastes.

Does anyone else think the way that I do -- that easily-obtained batteries are a strong plus for an EDC? And if so, what are you carrying? Or are you just waiting for the Surefire Pocket Rocket to be released?

Define the emergency.

In CA, I expect an emergency could be a bad quake. To be prepared, I have a couple of the SF 123 lexan carriers loaded with 123 cells. To my way of thinking, emergency preparedness means having what you need on hand and what you have on hand being in a servicable state with no advance warning.

If you anticapate an emergency in which you will have access to fresh charged NiMH or fresh Alk cells then the AA light makes sense.

For me, the only cell I would count on in an emergency is a lithium cell because of its great shelf life. :shrug:

I concurr with your take on easy availablilty of AA batteries but I would not consider a AA light a good idea for emergency unless it did take lithium cells and I would plan to have some lithium cells on hand, in case of an emergency.

Incase of emergency, break glass and....

If there were a light behind that glass, I would hope it had a lithium battery in it!! :green: I can't tell you how many mags and pelicans I have thrown away over the years cause I left alk batteries in them for too long.

I agree with McGizmo, you can't expect to rely on rechargeables in an emergency. AND you never get much, if any, warning that an emergency is about to break loose.

For everyday carry and use, I'd probably go bankrupt if I relied on lithiums and alkalines, so rechargeables rock.

Just keep some of the others handy! As if any of us wouldn't!

It's been reported here in the past that when blackouts/disasters hit the first batteries to sell out are the most commonly used ones, i.e. AA, C, D, and CR123s remain available longer as they are more commonly used for cameras than devices needed when the shtf.

In any longer-term disaster preserving batteries by being able to dial up the minimum amount of light needed would seem to be a huge advantage; getting hundreds of hours of runtime from a light could potentially be far more advantageous than being able to use a more popular battery type, assuming you have a reasonable supply of 123s on hand.

Maybe the best of both worlds is one of the HDS EDC lights; not only can they provide phenominal runtimes with their low power settings but soon (hopefully) the AA battery bodies will become available giving you the choice of both battery types (make use of all those AAs around the house etc). They are also very well made, tough, reliable, compact, and bright when you want them to be little lights by all accounts.

Andrew

A Jet Beam might work for you, but it hasn't shipped yet so reviews aren't in yet. You'll have a 3/1 watt light, which'll run at 1W with a regular AA (beats the Fenix in output and regulation) or at 3W with a 14500 cell. There's a 2 stage switch planned for the future. You can order it with or without tritium vials, and even without it comes with glow-paint on the sides. No clip though. The initial run is alreadly sold out, but it should be available commercially in the somewhat near future.

You could always go with a minimag mod. There's ones with multi-level switches.

A Peak Pacific can be had with the AA body (or 2xAAA) for longer runtime. Supposedly it'll work with a 14500 li-ion. No two-stage though.

If you want to get really funky, how about a Jil Intelli with the 2AA BUS extention? You could get some extremely long runtimes on low levels with some lithiums.

Seems like most of the replies have been about batteries. I too am looking for the same type of light in the same function.

My needs are a single AA luxeon light.

Must be rugged, take multiple types of cells (Lithium AA & Alkaline). For an emergency light I always keep them loaded with lithiums, switching to Alkalines after the lithiums are used up in the first phases of the emergency. The lithium are ideal for an emergency light that is stored with cells installed in the light and their long storage life.

I like the Fenix (and like its AAA little brother even more). It would be nice to have two levels. I'm looking at the Peak again after being disappointed with their new AAA Luxeon. Peaks are VERY rugged sometimes at the expense of portability/carryability.

The SF AA that is being promised might be what we are looking for, EXCEPT no doubt it WILL be expensive and another round of screw SF they are too expensive discussion threads will be generated. If this much anticipated light can run off Lithium AA's has a two stage switch I don't care of it costs $200 I WILL get one.

I think to ensure dependability in an emergency, EDC requires more than one light. I have a JiLITE with Goldserve's multi-level FluPIC and RCR2 on a neck lanyard for general quick-availability use, and a Fenix L1P on the belt as backup. Of course, there's more in the car...

I also believe it depends on the type of disaster you plan to be ready for.
And I think rechargeables are in fact necessary, but a means to replenish them is also needed. I would also stick with the AA size for its selectivity and availableness. I would have a 'genuine' solar 2AA battery recharger handy for those extended periods of no electrical service. Keep it in the car or home. Like I said, depends on the disaster, since one can't be expected to EDC such a device.

I also like the Fenix, but it doesn't meet the low running criterion.
Having one do it all light is great, but as the U.S. Navy learned, 2 (engines) is better. I would also carry a low output light like a photon/1AAA as backup.

How about the Fenix with the MillerMods 2-level mod? If you pick a low current low setting you could stretch the run time of your available batteries a lot.

Greg

I carry in my pockets only, not counting what I carry in an emergency kit, an Inova X1 new model and a red photon Microlite on my keychain. The Inova is plenty bright enough for any daily task including emergency navigation or illumination, and it has an 8 hour run time using one AA battery which is easy to find. The photon is a back up with a long run time also.

Many have had good points here. I think the first thing that must be looked at is the issue of easy battery availability. Recent years of disasters have proven that easy AA battery availability is often a fallacy. AA batteries are used in so many devices, that they go fast, while CR123's are left sitting on the shelve's. Remember that many devices powered by CR123's used by non-flashaholics are non essential during most emergencies. I have nothing against AA emergency lights, however, and I do like the Fenix lights. I have to agree with Don on the fact that being self sufficient on battery reserves (and other essentials) is a must. I'd probably choose the L2P for an AA light and the HDS or U2 for a CR123 light.

I think it depends on the level of the emergency. If it's Katrina scale, it's unlikely you can buy anything...you must be completely self sufficient. I keep a stock of about 30 each 123s and AAs at home and 4-6 of each in my car.

If it's less widespread and stores are open...well, I still have an ample stock.

The time to get batteries (or flashlights or water or food...) is before the emergency, so battery type should be irrelevant.

Some good points here. Thanks.

I should clarify my requirement for rechargables.

My EDC light gets used, pretty much every day. Even if it's just to move around in the bedroom without waking up the wife. I like rechargables because I can change them frequently, and always have a freshly-charged battery available.

Whatever EDC I carry must be able to use rechargables and primaries interchangably. My current choice is an E1L with McE2S switch. I use AW's rechargable R123 cells, but could drop a regular CR123 into it with no modification. That's the level of interchangability I want. Likewise, with both my Fenix and Triton, I run them on NiMH, which I frequently change for freshly-charged cells. I could, however, grab a Duracell from someone's pager and run it as well. Because I change out batteries frequently for freshly-charged ones, I know I will never be caught with a depleted battery.

If I'm working (set medic at the moment), I have extra CR123s handy (SF spares carriers -- great, but not pocket-portable except in cargo pockets, which I don't commonly wear) at all times, as well as lights. I use an L4/McE2S in my holster, often with an A2 spare, plus my EDC. I have spare lights and batteries in my car, and of course my home is very well-stocked. But my concern is being caught far from home, with just the contents of my pockets, someone else drove, and I have to scavenge for batteries. Not hugely likely, I know, but....

Don, you're right about thinking "earthquake." I lived a few miles from the epicenter of the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and saw plenty of AA batteries in convenience stores. Not so with Ds, and I didn't even know what a CR123 was in 1994! Also, with AAs being so commonly used in other devices, like remote controls and digital cameras, I feel fairly certain I could find some. I also volunteer with the local PD doing disaster medical and USAR. They stock AA and D for our issued Mag Light combos. If I'm anywhere near home, I'm deploying, and again AA becomes readily available. And yes, my issued Mags are modified with LEDs!

But I've always felt slightly uncomfortable with a light that takes batteries which may be difficult to obtain in an emergency. And I mean a real emergency -- fill in your own worst-case scenario. I realize how unlikely it is that this scenario, whatever it may be, will ever come to pass, but this is what emergency preparedness is all about, isn't it?
Not really. That is a common misconception about personal and emergency preparedness.
Truth is, one can't reasonably expect to plan, prepare, and supply for the worst case scenario because there are way to many variables.

One would be better served by preparing for the most plausible scenarios.
The rest you deal with using your God given intellect; your ability to think and act based upon the circumstances and, hopefully, your skill and training.

Use the military as an example. Sure, they do "what if" style planning, but they also know the importance of adaptability and expedient planning.

I have not felt the need to EDC a Luxeon. A 5mm keychain led has generally been enough for EDC for me. I do carry an L1p sometimes (not every day) and it's convenient.

There's no such thing as a 100% reliable light. There are relatively inexpensive 98% reliable lights like the Fenix, and very expensive 99% reliable lights like the HDS. But it's a little bit odd to say "the 99% light is only half as likely to fail, so it's worth twice as much", instead of "the 99% light is only 1.01x as likely to work", etc. The reality is that expensive lights are functional art, they are worth it to us as connoisseurs, but they're not financially sensible in pure practical terms for most of us.

Anyway, your answer if you want something multi-level, AA powered, and a little more upscale than the Fenix might be the LRI Proton which is supposedly arriving in a few weeks. It has six Nichia CS white led's (comparable total output to an L1p but probably floodier beam like the L4), a red LED for night use, continuously variable brightness, and various flashing and signalling modes.

Of course you will want to have a backup--even a Fauxton on your keys qualifies for that.

Defining what lights to EDC with potential use in emergency situations is something that I keep revisiting as well. Here, we are most likely to have hurricanes and tsunamis as our worst case natural disasters. Extended power outages in a damp enviornment is what I am planning for.

With that in mind, waterproof, multi-level, pocket friendly, and lanyard attachment are all on the must have list. Having more than one light is a no brainer.

With regards to battery choice, I like disposable lithium. The long shelf life is a plus and the lighter weight (compared to an alkaline or rechargeable counterpart) make toting spares a little easier.

I carry a CR123 based light and an AA based light. AAs are plentiful, but as others have pointed out are usually the first to go in an extended outage. I know the last time there was a hurricane warning here, AAs and Ds were in short supply. The 123s are a little more exotic, but with the amount of spares I have on me (6 in total) and at home, I'm set with my lighting needs for a good spell.

Whatever light you choose, just make sure you have a backup.

I'm suprised no one's mentioned the Dorcy 3D Super 1W with a 300+ hour rated runtime. Running 8 hours a night. that's 41 days of light. On one set of batteries.

For myself, I try to look at the big picture. Where I live hurricanes and bioterror are two of my biggest concerns. IMO they are a real challenge to plan for because they are so different from each other. Different in onset. Different in the amount of warning. Different in duration. Different in whether you may run or not. Different in whether your government and regional neighbors will let you run or not.

While these two particular catagories may not both be considerations in your planning, you may be certain that if you take a hard look at what you need to prepare for in your locale you will find that you probably also face some very serious scenarios that are remarkably different from each other.

Compared to most I stock a huge variety of cells in different form factors and chemistries and ticking them off quickly in my head, I have lights for many of them that I could EDC if I had to.

A 3 D cell light is a bit large to EDC on ones person for most people I would think. At least for me it would be.

Mike, if the Arc you have on the shelf is the AAA model why not carry it in your pants pocket as I've done for 2+ years? Have you really used it enough to understand how useful a "dim" light can be? Give it a second chance, it'll outlast a 1AA Luxeon by several hours, especially with a lithium AAA cell, and will be brighter for most of those hours. It's so small & light you won't notice it. Get a larger, brighter, multi-level light for your belt or jacket pocket.

Alkaline cells are unreliable enough and will ruin a light if they leak so I don't use them for anything but cheaper, replaceable, non-emergency lights. I've yet to experience a leaking lithium and their electrolyte is non-corrosive if they do leak. They also will work well at sub-zero & elevated temperatures.

I'd really be rethinking the use of alkaline AA cells. In a real emergency will it be possible to quickly run into a store? As others have mentioned - for emergency preparedness you must be self sufficient.