Basic Responder LED Flashlight For Noobie

I chanced upon this site several days ago and already have it bookmarked as an incredible resource.

I am looking for a simple, reliable LED flashlight for emergency preparedness/disaster recovery work that will be stored in a go bag and primarily used outdoors with the potential for occasional light search and rescue or missing person applications in suburban to semi-rural environments.

I am completely open to suggestions on battery sizes and types, switches and case materials. Ease of use and reliablility are important; overall weight and size are not major considerations. I am somewhat price sensitive given this is my first "serious" flashlight purchase, and although I am overwhelmed by the variety of lights discussed on this site, I confess some interest in the WF, Fenix, and Surefire brands.

I appreciate your suggestions, and thanks again for an informative and entertaining site.

There are many lights that can work. I think a relatively simple light. I'd go for the Fenix L2T V2.0 with a E01.

The L2T V2.0 is AA powered and simple to use. The E01 goes for a good bit of time in a single AAA battery.

The Arc AAA is also a good choice. Tough and dependable.

I've also seen some durability tests on the Kingpower and Olights. The Fenix T series is also pretty good.

The Novatac can work but it might be a bit complex.

Surefires are also good but CR123s might not be that easy to find unless you keep a stash(make sure to get good CR123s and not cheep ones)

:welcome:

Welcome to CPF. You'll get a lot of recommendations here. Check out 4sevens.com for some great ideas. You should find something there that would suit your needs. I like the Fenix brand. They are of good quality and reliability. Maybe look the LD10. Also pick up an E01 for your keychain. Surefires are great but they are a little higher on price point and they only use CR123 batteries whereas the Fenix AA lights can use alkalines (not the greatest perfromance though) NiMh rechargeables (use Eneloops or Duracell low self discharge batteries) or lithium batteries (more expensive but better for storage and extreme weather use). Good luck with you choice.

Many of the members of our emergency response team are trying to coordinate a substantial upgrade in the standard-issue flashlight; this underscores the simplicity of use and reliability considerations that in part prompted the thread. Thank you for some solid, practical recommendations.

I am a Paramedic who responds solo in a rural area on what we call, a quick response vehicle, or QRV unit. As I may be by myself for awhile, I need a good flaslight for my safety number one. I also have to carry all my gear, a Lifepac 12, drug/bls bag, and an airway bag. In other words, I have my hands full and don't need to add a large, heavy flashlight to my load. The Fenix tk10 has been my favorite and I just purchased the new pd20 as a drop in the pocket flaslight. I love them both.

gunner, oddjob and bodhran have some good ideas.
fenix is good., I just ordered by first Fenix P1 (cree). they have lots of good offerings, and you can also check out not only their CR123, but AA options.
surefires are good but a bit pricey. there are plenty of excellent lights that are less expenive than Surefires.

you probably want something with good runtime (save money on batteries)
I love my Pentagonlight. they just came out with a dual mode LB2 (high/low) with Cree led. (makes it bright and very efficient)
On the other hand, based on my military experience, (I've never been an EMT, however), maybe something like a Pentagonlight MOLLE (unique angled design) or First-Light Tomahawk, may be convenient.
best of luck...

Oddjob said:

Welcome to CPF. You'll get a lot of recommendations here. Check out 4sevens.com for some great ideas. You should find something there that would suit your needs. I like the Fenix brand. They are of good quality and reliability. Maybe look the LD10. Also pick up an E01 for your keychain. Surefires are great but they are a little higher on price point and they only use CR123 batteries whereas the Fenix AA lights can use alkalines (not the greatest perfromance though) NiMh rechargeables (use Eneloops or Duracell low self discharge batteries) or lithium batteries (more expensive but better for storage and extreme weather use). Good luck with you choice.

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Don't forget to mention they can also use protected lithium rechargeables and have a multitude of various upgrades should your needs change :thumbsup:

I agree that a 'good-to-go' light needs a power source with an excellent shelf life thus lithiums would be my first recommendation... a windup OR shake torch/flashlight wouldn't go amiss in the OP's kit either as they will NEVER need their batteries replaced

For a first, with size not being a major issue, I would say look at 2AA offerings that 4sevens has (TK20, maybe?). Worst case, it will give you a point to move up from, so you know more of what you want, if it doesn't cut it. I think 2AA gives a good brightness/runtime balance, and with cells that can be sourced at only slightly insane prices in a pinch ($2-2.50 Lithium AAs). You can use Alkalines, but may not get full brightness for long, and hopefully you know not to store anything with Alkalines (leaking alkies are a great reason for many reputable brands to only use CR123).

IMO, the biggest problem with reliability is the common use of flat contact mating surfaces (flat to flat, with no means of self-cleaning as the torch is assembled, after replacing cells). They can get dirty while changing cells, so watch them and keep them clean, if you get one that uses that method.

Thanks for clarifying that.

M@elstrom said:

Don't forget to mention they can also use protected lithium rechargeables and have a multitude of various upgrades should your needs change :thumbsup:

I agree that a 'good-to-go' light needs a power source with an excellent shelf life thus lithiums would be my first recommendation... a windup OR shake torch/flashlight wouldn't go amiss in the OP's kit either as they will NEVER need their batteries replaced

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IMO, when putting a light in a emergency-preparedness bag, the whole point of that bag is to be prepared, and you never know what situation will require a certain type of light. What I'd do if I were a 'noob' is grab a multi-functional adjustable-output LED light, and an incan thrower. I prefer a Novatac 120P for the all-in-one light (safety beacon, strobe, locator flash, S.O.S., .3-120lm output).

~It could be you who is the one in need of rescue, that's why I like the beacon feature~

As for the thrower, if cost is an object and you've already got the Novatac, I'd recommend a plain `ol G2 with the P61 lamp.

Throw in a box of CR123 primaries inside a ziplock bag and you're set.

My .02

Remember, 2 is 1 and 1 is none.

Brightisbetter had a good point. A pocket full or CR123's. Rechargables are nice but not always convenient in an emergency situation that could last hours to days.

Although I am still wide open to recommendations, I am leaning towards the Fenix EO1 and Fenix L2D Q5, the latter because of the variety of battery options and solid overall performance characteristics. Assuming I am on the right track, what do you recommend I use as the "standard" battery for the flashlight, NiMH or lithium (and what kind and where do I get them), and should I opt for a charger? BTW, I really appreciate the information; I came to this site last week knowing nothing other than I wanted to find a substantially better flashlight than what I had had been buying for years at big box sporting and home stores.

Not being at all enamored with the E01 I think the Fenix L0D is a much better back-up and has the ability to actually carry its own when called on.

Leatherstocking said:

... what do you recommend I use as the "standard" battery for the flashlight, NiMH or lithium (and what kind and where do I get them), and should I opt for a charger? ....

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I think AA is the best choice for general use because you have that flexibility with this type. I recommend low self-discharge NiMH (e.g. Eneloops) for day to day use. Get enough to cover a normal usage period and a good charger. (The Eneloop single channel chargers get good reviews as basic chargers. There are also deluxe chargers. See battery & electronics section for reviews.)

With normal usage covered, I recommend a stash of Energizer Lithium AA's as backup. They're not heavy, they last very well, and they're not too expensive if you're not burning through them everyday.

And, in unforeseen circumstances, you can always scrounge for alkaline batteries. (Though with reduced runtime or brightness or both, depending on your lights.)

The number you need depends on your expected typical and worst-case usage. For my usage, I carry Eneloops in the lights, a full set of replacement Eneloops, and a set of lithiums. However, I don't recall ever draining a light in a single day or being without the ability to charge over night. So YMMV.

(Of course, there are specialist lights that would dictate your choice of battery. I'm assuming if that were your case you wouldn't have ask this question this way.)

Leatherstocking said:

I chanced upon this site several days ago and already have it bookmarked as an incredible resource.

I am looking for a simple, reliable LED flashlight for emergency preparedness/disaster recovery work that will be stored in a go bag and primarily used outdoors with the potential for occasional light search and rescue or missing person applications in suburban to semi-rural environments.

I am completely open to suggestions on battery sizes and types, switches and case materials. Ease of use and reliablility are important; overall weight and size are not major considerations. I am somewhat price sensitive given this is my first "serious" flashlight purchase, and although I am overwhelmed by the variety of lights discussed on this site, I confess some interest in the WF, Fenix, and Surefire brands.

I appreciate your suggestions, and thanks again for an informative and entertaining site.

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Will this bag sit for long periods of time unused? If so, you might want to be sure and consider a lithium battery type (as many here are recommending) so they are not dead when you need them. 123 batteries have a 10 year shelf life.

I would get a Surefire 6PL or G2L, a box of Surefire batteries, and two spares carriers (to keep the batteries in). That would keep you in light for a while (at least 70 hours of runtime). You would also have a storage spot for a high powered bulb (P61) if you needed it for outdoor search use.