First real torch and help deciding

axledobe

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Mar 18, 2010
Messages
1
Hello and thank you for all the great posts this forum has to offer. This is my first post after browsing for quite some time. Review after review and search after search, I'm a bit more confused than before I started. After living for years with the value lights from Wally World, I think it's time to take the serious torch plunge. I have contemplated it for a while now. Here's what I'm looking for in a light:

1. Size and ergos (large enough to be a cannon but as portable as possible); I would like to wear it on my belt if possible

2. User Interface (something easy to navigate through different modes)

3. Personal defense and camping/hiking: A light that will serve me well on camping trips and night hiking (long throw for those deep woods noises but floody enough to light my walking path). Also, a light that will serve well on my nightstand as a brother or sister to Mr. SigArms.

4. Durability (I'm hoping to find something that will last me for years with minimal service).

5. Brightness (I would like a light listed over 200 lumens; 500+ would even be better).

6. Power source (this really doesn't matter unless someone can recommend the most cost efficient/hassle free source)

As you can see by the above, my primary use will be home defense (hope it never happens) and numerous, night outdoor adventures (camping and hiking, primarily). There will be much more camping and hiking than home defense, I hope. :)

I've looked at the following online and tend to like the review, design and look: ThruNite Catapult, Fenix TK30 and TK40, Olight M21 and M30, JetBeam RRT's and M1X, Tiablo ACE-G, EagleTac M2XC4, some Surefires and so on. I'm having a hard time even narrowing it down. And, I'm sure I've left out a few serious contenders of which I may have not even heard of.

Based on your experiences and if you could only have one in my situation, what would you get? I would like to keep the total bill around $225 or less for the light and power source (cells). If I have to go up a bit for the perfect light, that's OK, too.

Thanks so much for the help in advance.
 

joshth09

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Dec 11, 2009
Messages
72
Location
Arkansas
Hello and thank you for all the great posts this forum has to offer. This is my first post after browsing for quite some time. Review after review and search after search, I'm a bit more confused than before I started. After living for years with the value lights from Wally World, I think it's time to take the serious torch plunge. I have contemplated it for a while now. Here's what I'm looking for in a light:

1. Size and ergos (large enough to be a cannon but as portable as possible); I would like to wear it on my belt if possible

2. User Interface (something easy to navigate through different modes)

3. Personal defense and camping/hiking: A light that will serve me well on camping trips and night hiking (long throw for those deep woods noises but floody enough to light my walking path). Also, a light that will serve well on my nightstand as a brother or sister to Mr. SigArms.

4. Durability (I'm hoping to find something that will last me for years with minimal service).

5. Brightness (I would like a light listed over 200 lumens; 500+ would even be better).

6. Power source (this really doesn't matter unless someone can recommend the most cost efficient/hassle free source)

As you can see by the above, my primary use will be home defense (hope it never happens) and numerous, night outdoor adventures (camping and hiking, primarily). There will be much more camping and hiking than home defense, I hope. :)

I've looked at the following online and tend to like the review, design and look: ThruNite Catapult, Fenix TK30 and TK40, Olight M21 and M30, JetBeam RRT's and M1X, Tiablo ACE-G, EagleTac M2XC4, some Surefires and so on. I'm having a hard time even narrowing it down. And, I'm sure I've left out a few serious contenders of which I may have not even heard of.

Based on your experiences and if you could only have one in my situation, what would you get? I would like to keep the total bill around $225 or less for the light and power source (cells). If I have to go up a bit for the perfect light, that's OK, too.

Thanks so much for the help in advance.

Can you be a bit more specific about the size your looking for? You say you want a cannon but portable...how portable?

That being said the Jetbeam RRT-1 satisfies all your requirements. Great thrower, bright as hell, best UI IMO, well under budget, you should love it.

Also I recommend Lumapower D-mini VX (R2). A bit smaller and more portable...great throw for the size. Plus I just like lumapower!

On a side note...the biggest lesson that I learned in college is that life is full of tradeoffs! This could not be more true with flashlights. There is no light that does it all, and you will find very quickly that YOU NEED MORE! haha becareful...its a slippery slope. Once you get your first great light your gonna want your second.
 

carrot

Flashaholic
Joined
Dec 6, 2005
Messages
9,236
Location
New York City
Olight M30 Triton and two 18650's. It is small enough to pocket and meets all your other criteria. It is a sweet, sweet light.
 

skyfire

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 4, 2009
Messages
1,823
Location
Los Angeles
from the lights you listed, you want very high LED output:thumbsup:

the Olight m30 is probably best for high output, while still being able to carry on your belt. its throw isnt as great as the other high output lights. but it is very good, just not 1000 feet good. and its wide bright spill makes up for it. the eagletac m2xc4 is built for throw. and is shorter than the olight. but wider.

the jetbeam RRT can easily be carried, has good throw, but they are in a different class compared to the M30/M1X/catapult/M2xc4.
check out selfbuilts round-up review on high output leds.

personally of the light you listed, i like the m30, m2xc4, and catapult, all for different reasons. and if i could have only 1 light, it would probably be a surefire LX2. what can i say, i like my lights bright and compact.
 

Zeruel

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 1, 2009
Messages
3,286
Location
SIN
The others have given good recommendations, so I throw in something different. Surefire E2DL or C2. Bright and will last you for years.
 
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