How many, and which lights, would be necessary to fill all your flashlight needs?

Ok.. here's what I want to know..

How many different light do you think would be nesacery to fill ALL your flashlight needs..

How many would you choose?
How would you categorize that light?
Which specific light in that category would you choose?

Example:

4 lights would fill all my flashlight needs.

1.A 10-15 lumen key chain light
fenix EO1

2. A VERY bright spotlight
Amondotech N30

3. A glove box light, still pretty bright yet easily accessible, and not bulky
ROP-LE HI

4. An EDC light with a pocket clip and 2 modes
Surefire C2 with an 2 stage R2 drop in

Yea, i color coded my question..:nana:

I think 3 will be enough to fill my needs under normal circumstances.

1) EDC - this would either be a E1L or a Novatac 120P right now

2) EDC Backup - Fenix E01

3) Outdoors - if the flood it would be the 120P but throw would be E2DL.

Centropolis said:

I think 3 will be enough to fill my needs under normal circumstances.

1) EDC - this would either be a E1L or a Novatac 120P right now

2) EDC Backup - Fenix E01

3) Outdoors - if the flood it would be the 120P but throw would be E2DL.

Click to expand...

What output levels do you mostly use?

I think 4 lights in my case:

1) Outdoor - A compact, bright and ease-of-use Light:
Surefire E2DL or the new Eagletac P100A2

2) EDC - A Ramping-with-quick-access-to-hi-and-lo Light: Nitecore (Ti) EX10

3) EDC backup - With the ability to switch role with EDC: Nitecore D10

4) Keychain - A durable keychain rocket: Draco / Liteflux LF2X

I've actually been thinking about this, and could probably do it with one, though I basically have this divided between three separate lights right now.
SF C2L-HA or similar with Malkoff M60W, McC2S two-stage tailcap(kit on the way, don't actually have it yet), and SF FM34 beamshaper.
The M60W has enough throw for anything I actually need throw for. Don't even know that I need that much, but it works great for lighting up the back yard, and clearly illuminating objects within 50yds. or so.
On low it should be enough for most of my use at work, when I need more punch than the diffused/flood beams can provide.
With the diffuser on high, it is plenty for unlit areas with ambient light.
With the diffuser on low, it should be fine for getting around in total darkness without being too horribly bright.
I'd hate to have to make that choice, and it wouldn't be ideal for everything, but yeah, I could live with one.

Ok, this is what I want and some of what I got, I have a dozen various maglites. So, I told my self that it was ok to get about a dozen new lights.

1. EDC LED Lenser P3 (love this light)

2. Big EDC Fenix P2D-CE

3. 2AA format= Nitecore D20

4. 1AA format=ITP C7t

5. Streamlight Microstream

6. Streamlight Stylus Pro

7. 2CR123a format Olight T20t

8. Gun Light = Fenix TK11 or TK10

9. Cheaper light = Romisen RC-N3 Silver body

10. Keychain lights Fenix LD01 SS, LOD1 Red Holiday issue, LDO1 regular, LOD regular.

and I am sure I will find more but these are the main ones. I think I would like to own a couple Nitecores as I really like them, but time will tell

Keychain light: Freebie from Lighthound
edc: Olight T-10 with spare T-15 battery tube
House/Emergency: Magled 4d

I guess if I had to trim my collection down to the bare minimum, I would end up with 6 lights all together.

EDC light, with me at all times and sees most use:
Ra Clicky 100WWCn

All purpose light, carried often at night in addition to my EDC. Offers me enough brightness for most any tasks, and has a low mode for other duties:
Surefire E2DL

Keychain light, serves as backup for my EDC at all times:
Draco R2 bin

Spotter light, for instant-on long distance illumination. I have many different lamp assemblies for different brightness and or runtime demands:
Leef 2x18650 body, Surefire KT2 turbohead, Leef tailcap with Leef grip-ring, (MN16, MN21, MN15)

Searchlight, when all out brightness is needed, also great for show-off time :
Amondotech N30

Headlamp, for hands free activities:
Apex Pro with SSC P4 and IMS20mm

I would have trouble getting rid of lights, I like all my lights for different reasons (I have a lot of variety in size & battery types)

I would have to keep my L0D because it is the best of the keychain size.

I would have to keep my Jet-I Pro because it is my EDC.

I would have to keep my Olight Ti Infinitum because it is important to have a backup EDC.

I guess I could cover most of my flashlight needs with the 3 above, but many other lights I own add valuable features that even if not necessary are useful and are nice to have.

My Jet-IIIM has a lower minimum output that any other light I own and can run for a long time on a 18650.

My Mag2D with ROP Low bulb can put out a huge amount of light (500-600 Lumens) for 2 hours thanks to running 2 x D Cell Li-ions. It is a great light for general use and would be my most used incan.

I guess those 5 give me 99% of what I need and can produce light from these batteries: AAA, AA, 14500, 16340, 18650 and 32600. Between them I can cover a very wide range of output levels.

OK - I would go with 5 lights total for my minimum to cover all my needs. But to cover all my wants my list is much longer.

For actual needs my L0DQ4 is probably sufficient since it's always with me. For potential needs I must have the forty or fifty others that are scattered about the house, car, and on my person.

Geoff

1.EDC (under 120mm*25mm and 100grams, multimode)
2.HID/ROP or similar incan for long distance high output beam.
3.Floody thrower. mce or p7
4.cheap bigger loaner light. 4-8aa/2d/3d/18650 or 2*18650 light
5.cheap smaller loaner light. (2aa/4aa this could be incan too)
6.cheap tiny loaner/giveaway (1aa/cr123)
7.tiny/edc backup or formal event cool lookin light.
8.headlamp

currently:
1.EDC is tk11 (looking for smaller multimode light)
2.none yet. (cept those cheap 1mil cand searchlites)
3.none yet.
4.maglite 2d with terralux.
5.uk 4aa (incan)
6.ultrafire a1 (coming soon rc-n3 that could be 5 and 6)
7.Lummi Raw is coming next week i hope.
8.only cheap old headlamps. (1 fauxton is brighter than 6-led model)

could manage with 3 if really pressed.
1.small edc (+100lumens multimode with low low)
2.Big mce or p7 multimode.
3.bigger edc/loaner.

something like:
1.nitecore ex10
2.jetbeam m1x
3.jetbeam IIIm

one batterytype could run them all.. cr123.

but i dont like cr123s..

so here is 3 lights that i like if they should be AA lights:

d10/tk40/tk20 (Tiny, Big and Robust)


if pressed to minimal amount of lights then they all need to be able to run with same battery type as well!

if not.. then there must be light in my arsenal in each battery type that is common: AAA/AA/cr123/18650 -both primaries and rechargables.

-or a way to convert it to run with different batteries:
Maglite: AA->D-converter
romisen n3: cr123 or 2aa
tk11 2*cr123/18650

thats why i am fascinated by ITP lights.. same head, dif battery bodies. i like to have an option to use what ever powersupply i have at the moment.

1. EDC - multi task light easily pocketable and able to run off Primaries as well as rechargeable cells. Ra-Twisty 85Tr.

2. Backup for EDC - same spec as above. ARC +4

3. Bigger brighter pocketable walk light, good throw and variable intensity.
Fenix TK11.

4. Small, tiny light, long running etc. for EDC on a neck chain 24/7. Wee Ti 25lm.

5. Long thrower spotlight for nightly lightsabre spotting and geocacheing. Mag 2D Aspherical with KD dropin.

6. Car Driver's well light for repairs and any eventuality. Mag 3C with Malkoff Drop in.

The above would be my logical choice based on what I have and my experiences with them. But I would be stir crazy after a week.

I suspect that there is no limit to the amount of torches that I want to have, as long as people bring out new torches, I will keep buying them. I believe it is called addiction and that is why I am a Flashaholic, 'natch.

Might be a few others on these here Forums!
:grouphug:

Difficult question:

1. Keychain: ARC AAA (DS or turquoise)
2. EDC 2AAA: Streamlight Stylus Pro (when 2AA is too large or heavy)
3. EDC 2AA: Fenix L2D
4. "Nightwalker": Peak Fujyyama SS 3HP (blue or red leds)
5. Outdoor (bright and with throw): Maglite 2C Malkoff

I will not look at this list too long or I will surely add or change some lights :naughty:.

Kind regards,
Joris

Fenix LOD
Fenix TK-11R2

.....and that's about covers everything. But a TK-40 and a HID spotlight might also be helpful, and a Surefire Weapon light, and......

This is a hard question for me to answer since one HID light and one pocket light would technically produce the required amount for all tasks. It's just that I would prefer to have different HIDs, incans, LEDs and even short-arc to use in specific applications for each type of lighting need.

The little Fenix LOD/LDO1 w/10440s seems to go everywhere with me and is one of my most used lights. Sometimes I carry two.

The Surefire L1 because it's compact, reliable, simple 2 stage and throws really well.

The Novatac 120P because of its smooth wide beam, output and programing versitility.

The Surefire A2 because it's a regulated incan.

The Surefire M6 because it's a powerful incan with many bulb and battery configuration options.

The Polarion PH50 because it covers all of my needs in the high output rhelm.

The Zebralight H30 headlamp because headlamps are indispensable and it shares battery commonality with most of my other "need" lights.

Surefire X300/X400 weaponlights. If I had to have one type to meet most of my weaponlight needs, this would be it.

Love these threads!

For me it would be:

Keychain: Arc-aaa

Small EDC (carry in my pocket): Ra Twisty or Clicky or E1B

Medium EDC (in my EDC bag as a backup): Surefire E2L or L1 or A2 (sold both latter and waiting for LX1 and A2L)

Bathroom at 3am light: Ra twisty RED output

Walking the dogs/Outside around the house: Surefire C3/9P/G3 with Malkoff M60WL + FM34

Around the House/Beater: Surefire C2, G2 or G3 with Malkoff M60WL or P60L

Emergency/outage: Surefire G3 with M60WL, my E2L or Ra Twisty

Thrower: Surefire E2DL or Malkoff M60

I think I will never have less than 10 lights - I've gotten rid of the ones that were just sitting and now everything I own sees some use and has a purpose.

Just 1 light, the Lunasol 20, would cover all of my NEEDS, but I would have to carry it everywhere all of the time.

I LIKE to spread things out a bit, so I actually USE the following:

1. Keychain = Photon II
2. Pocket EDC = SS LD01
3. Briefcase EDC = Ti PD-S or LS20
4. Nighttime around the house = AMcMule w/ high CRI Nichia

For my uses, I don't really need a lot of throw or raw lumens, so the EDC categories are all I really use. I haven't really used my Malkoffs lately (or ever for that matter), but I guess I still fire up >200lumens once in a while, if only for the giggles.

Hmmm... as many have already noted, this is a tough call. But, let me try anyway...

• McGizmo Sundrop - general EDC, the beautiful flood beam and excellent color rendition from the Nichia 083 make this the perfect indoor and near field light IMHO. Only thing I would change is that I have the original Sundrop with a single stage instead of the newer Sundrop 3S with three levels. Maybe someday, once I get through my wish list, I might be able to set aside enough to get the Sundrop 3S... or maybe I will win the lottery... though that would necessitate betting in the lottery in the first place...
• Photon Freedom - As the adage goes, "two is one, one is none" so one should always have a backup in case the primary fails, is lost, etc. I wear this daily as a backup EDC around my neck. Small and light enough that I can forget about it until I need it, and IMHO it has the best UI for a variable-level light.
• Surefire E2DL + Surefire F04 beamshaper - Outdoors, the throw of the E2DL is great and it has two very useful light levels, high for when you need a lot of light and low for when you need just enough light to walk around without tripping over stuff. IMHO the F04 beamshaper is an essential accessory for the E2DL. It converts the spot beam of the E2DL into a beautiful flood.
• Zebralight H50 - For when you need light but also need to have both of your hands free, the Zebralight H50 is great. Very compact size, beautiful flood beam for close to mid-range work and has multiple light levels so you have your choice of high output or long runtime.

Well, that's my list of lights to cover my "essentials". Of course, I always want more...

4 lights:
Fenix EO1-keychain/backup/emergency light
Fenix P3D- covers the needed ranges of light output for EDC
Princeton Tec EOS headlight-needed for hands free tasks
35 watt Power on Board H.I.D.- for when I need a lot of light or massive throw.