I NEED HELP CHOOSING A PENLIGHT OR SMALL FLASHLIGHT!

TAKE_THAT

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My son-in-law is in the Army and stationed in Baghdad Iraq. He asked if I could please send him a good penlight. He needs it for when they are exiting their vehicles at night. They shine it on the ground outside of the Hummers to try and locate any mines or other explosives devices. They then shine it around the area to try and locate anything that may be detrimental to them. I am thinking that since this could possibly save their lives, that with your help I am going to try to find the brightest and best flashlight for him. He would like a flashlight that is bright and compact that he can carry in his top pocket and use without putting down his weapon. I was unaware that our military does not furnish them with quality equipment. They only get the bare necessities. They have to furnish any additional or better equipment out of their own pockets. I hope that someone on here can help me choose the best light for him.
 

jbosman1013

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a surefire if that is in your budget if not i would say a fenix L2D-CE or L1D-CE if it was me I would try to stick with a light that took CR123A's because they are better in bad enviroment's
 

Lee1959

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I would probably look at an old version Inova T1. Plenty of light, a rear click switch for easy one handed operation, small, and a focused tight light with not a huge amount of flood, something they would not want in a combat zone. You can get one from Lighthound I think. Make sure it is the old TIROS version not the newer floodier Lensed version.

http://www.lighthound.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1754



Order some extra cells from Amondo Tech to send with it since Cr123s might be hard to come by.

http://www.amondotech.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=241
 
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KuoH

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You know, if my life was on the line everytime I stepped on the ground outside of my vehicle, I'd want something brighter than a penlight. Now in a war zone, light also attracts attention, so I'd probably want a multi-level light like a L1D or L2D where the output could be varied according to the situation. I'd avoid lights that require uncommon batteries like a CR123, as well stocked convenience stores are probably not easy to find at the frontline.

KuoH
 

Alteran

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I suggest a CR123a light, and be sure to send plenty of spares. CR123as perform better under harsh conditions than other kinds of cells. I think that is the most important concern in this case. If you can afford it, then a U2 or Kroma might work well. If your budget is a but lower, then how about a P2/3D or L1/2D-CE on NiMH/Lithium AAs? An Arc AAA could also serve as a good backup/reading light.
 
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LEDninja

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Everybody please read this other thread carefully first.
NEED FLASHLIGHT for WAR ZONE
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=163766
CR123A batteries are very hard to get over there unless you are in the special forces.
People suggesting Surefires and Inovas might want to find an alternate that uses AAs.

---

EDIT
A bright flashlight makes you a better target for the enemy.

---

2 Peak kilimanjaros one with white LEDs, one with red LEDs (to precerve night vision).
 
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Lobo

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Did he specify why he wanted a penlight? Cause they are usually not very bright and better suited for close up work, and tasks where you intentionally dont want a too bright light (like eye examination etc). For checking for mines, I would want more light. The Fenix L2D mentioned is a very good choice, VERY bright on turbo, and super long runtimes on the low level, and it's very compact and handy (2AA), has a rearbutton for easy onehanded use, and runs on easily available AA (some soldiers here has mentioned that it can be hard next to impossible to obtain CR123s on the field, but it seems to be dependant on where youre deployed and what tasks you have).
About the CR123 performing better under harsh conditions, it's mainly in cold climate, and the fact that they have very low selfdischarge. If that's important, there are lithiums AAs as well. And not to mention that lithiums can explode if missmatched. Someone even mentioned that it was a hazmat issue to send lithiums to some bases.

On the other hand, an incan light might be more desirable for better colour rendition. I have no idea if that is important for this task. If it is, I would go with a Surefire G2 and send him a bunch of CR123 batteries as well.
What's your budget?
 
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Patriot

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+1 for the L2D CE. It takes AAs and has a narrower battery tube which makes it nice for a chest or arm pocket.
 

CLHC

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Greetings and Welcome to CPF!

Hmmm. . .How about the SureFire.A2 with yellow~green LED that'll go hand-in-hand with any night vision equipment he's using?

Hope you find what you're looking for and Enjoy!
 

Gunner12

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What's your price range?

Get Surefire if possible and CR123 lights.

If not, the Fenix L1D-CE and L2D-CE(review of both) is pretty good, multiple levels and interchangeable body. Or the Lumapower M1(review) with 18650 rechargeable battery.

None are "pen" lights but in a war zone, you might need lots of light.

Welcome to CPF!

Good luck to your son-in-law
 

RebelXTNC

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The Winchester 3xAAA penlight sold in the fishing department of Walmart is pretty bright for a penlight, but obviously that's not nearly as bright as many lights discussed here.
It is a penlight though with a clip and an almost totally silent forward clickie.
It's black and has good metal threads and a rubber boot on the switch. I'd put some rubber tubing on the body, out over the LED to give extra grip, protection for the LED and to cut down side spill if I was going to use one in a war zone for close-up tasks.
They are now $10, they used to be $6. Too bad I didn't buy a few extras...
 

DoctaDink

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I'm probably going to send my son ( U.S. Marine) with at least four lights. A PentagonLights Molle Light (a small, AA LED, right angle light that has a red filter (not very bright), a Jetbeam MkIIx (also a small AA light, variable levels, fairly bright) or Rexlight 2.0 (if it ever arrives) , LumaPower D-Mini or MRV ( a C123a for infrequent use, very bright with good throw), and an 12 LED Ultraviolet light, 3xAAA, that I got from Lighthound, to shine for Scorpions. Oh yeah, and a handful of Photon keychain lights in white and red, for backup or going to the head, etc.
I like LEDs for durablility and efficiency, and AA batteries for availabilty and compactness. Several different lights for specific applications and for backup in case one gets lost, stolen, or broken.
Generally, the command wants the troops to use red lights at night in order to preserve night vision, but it depends on the circumstances, your son-in-law can best tell you what their requirements are.
For some more expensive choices:
Surefire A2
with Red LED is also very nice, but requires C123 batteries which may be difficult for him to obtain, so you would need to send plenty batteries as well. Or SureFire Kroma.
 

BentHeadTX

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From what I gather, he wants a penlight that will fit in the pen slot on the upper left pocket on his uniform. I use a Peak Baltic with 2AAA body and momentary switch for that function. It fits perfectly in the pen slot with the momentary switch slightly below the top of the pocket.

The Baltic would be best if it was the HA-III black ($50) and for what he is using it for, the standard output. The good thing about the standard output is the runtime on alkalines is over 2 hours. They now use Seoul P4 U LEDs so it is quite bright and very durable. Can't remember the prices of the optional 2AAA body and stainless steel momentary switch but it won't be more than $25.

No AA or CR123A light will fit that pen pocket and the 3AAA light is too long. Hope that helps.
 

Minjin

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A lot of people still call anything smaller than a 3D Mag, a penlight. Unless he is actually stating that the thickness can be no more than an average pen, I'm sure an L2D-CE would be perfect. If it needs to be pen sized, I don't think there's really any competitor to a Streamlight Stylus.
 

WNG

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Penlight has images of size constraints, and possibly beam restriction constraints.
But I'll assume it's not the latter, a Hummer would give away their position more so than a flashlight.

Given the availability of batteries over there, that leaves AA, C, D. Lithiums are out.
D seem too big and bulky.
C marginally large. But a 2C can yield more output/runtime. A Taskforce 2C 3W has a very usable beam and is bright. Rugged body. A mod with a Soul P4 would be even brighter.
AA may be more available, and offers a smaller package. A 2AA Nuwai X3 is Lux-III 3W bright. Well made and throws a beam. It's also very compact for a 2AA light.
Not sure if there are any 2AA Cree/SSC P4 offerings that are waterproof, rugged, and have a simple ON/OFF switch. No modes to fumble with.
I can't recommend the many DX/HK cheap CREE and SSC lights flooding the 'net for such a critical task. Quality control is too poor.
But a Cree or SSC would light the grounds very well.
 

BentHeadTX

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WNG said:
Not sure if there are any 2AA Cree/SSC P4 offerings that are waterproof, rugged, and have a simple ON/OFF switch. No modes to fumble with.
But a Cree or SSC would light the grounds very well.

There are simple, waterproof, rugged 2AA SSC P4 lights that have a simple ON/OFF switch because I have a luxeon version. My EDC is a Peak Mediterranean with an optional 2AA body and a Kroll clickie switch. They are available with SSC P4 LEDs now so I am obsolete I guess (I'll get over it) Have a few spare Krolls laying around and extra rubber boots in case I trash a switch. When playing around in combat zones, I generally convert it to a twistie on/off so it won't accidently turn on.

I am getting a Baltic 2xAAA HA-III Ultra Power (SSC P4 LED) for my early Fathers Day present :rock: Looks like I'll be heading to funland next year so I might as well start collecting bomb-proof lights now.
 

TAKE_THAT

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Wow, You guys are great! I never expected so many responses. I have been out of town and have not had a chance to follow up on the post. I will go through all of your recommendations, run them through my son-in-law and make a decision. I will try and post his decision. I really appreciate all of the help. Thanks
 
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