Flashlight Protection

How do folks protect their flashlights -- especially the lenses?

I have a beamshaper on my Surefires; I pack my lights in soft "Zing" bags when traveling. I'd like to know how other flashaholics protect their lights from being scratched, nicked and otherwise damaged.

--Bill

You don't protect them, you use them. A flashlight is a tool and should be used as such. There's nothing wrong with some good character marks on a light. I have this attitude for all my lights, from my $20 LX all the way up to my ARC LSH-P and SureFire M6.

Second.

third.

Beamshapers here...

Originally posted by FC-Fire/Rescue:
p.s. Some E lenses tend to get loose after prolonged carry in your pocket. It takes about a year of normal carry to develop this problem. Pushing on the lens does not help it either. I had two bezels with this problem replaced.
Brand new E2e is fairly waterproof(10-15ft), but looses this future as lens is getting looser.

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Well, I suppose you could protect yourself (and keep things a little farther from the lens) by arming the bezel with a TID.

In my flight bag there are a couple flashlights, including a Surefire G2. Along with the flashlights are some metallic objects -- a portable ELT, aluminum kneeboard, pens, leatherman tool, spare batteries, handheld aviation transceiver, etc.

Things rattle around when flying and in turbulence things really rattle around. I've had broken flashlight lenses before.

Flashlights are tools, but in aviation, a broken tool is worse than useless: it's dangerous. I protect my flashlights, because when the electricity goes off inside an airplane you really, really want your flashlight to work.

My Surefire's lens seems well protected by the beamshaper. The Zing bags work okay, but they're a bit bulky. Zip lock bags seem to offer so-so protection.

So I'm looking for something that's light, protective and maybe even waterproof.

Hi Bill. Pelican makes some hard cases that are tough and waterproof. They have small cases that fit 1 or 2 flashlights too. I've never used them, but my friend's mom works there and I've heard good things about the cases.

-Tung

i use my lights, but i take care when i do.

Originally posted by BillPilot:

So I'm looking for something that's light, protective and maybe even waterproof.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I cover the entire front (right over the edge of the bezel) of some of my flashlights with a great beam smoother, waterproofer, and moderately effective lens protector: overlapping strips of Scotch satin tape.

And, it looks great too (not!).

Thanks.

I don't protect 'em either.

I dont protect them i abuse them, you should see some of the scars on my 5D mag my innova X5 doesnt look so nice either.

same here...exposed metal is already showing on the edges of my arc AAA that i've carried for a few months so far.

i just got a C2, and i intentionally got an older model with a lexan lens, because it will not break. if it gets too scratched up or damaged, i can just change it.

too bad i don't have a digital camera, or i'd post a picture of 2AA maglite i carried for 6-7 years before retiring it for the arc.

A 6P in a V26 holster with a beamshaper attached is pretty well protected.

Protect? You`re supposed to protect them? D`oh! What have I been doing all these years then!

But seriously, I`m in the "they`re tools to be used" category when it comes to my daily carry compliment. I drop them, I bump them, I scratch them - you should see the gouges in my E2e`s head and tail cap after it got free of the worn out holster (I expected better of a Surefire holster that`s less than a year old!) and hit the concrete when I was climbing a high ladder.

The rest, well those are either for reviewing so I can`t protect those or I`ll get unfair durability results (and I`m sort-of supposed to try and break them anyways!), or they`re in my collection - and those don`t really go anywhere too often anyways so I don`t worry about them. The really special ones (Arc prototypes, etc) don`t go anywhere at all!

A few thoughts.......
Torches are not an endangered species, they're designed to be used. The only exception to this is my historic lantern, which I intend to keep in as found condition.
The Lexan lens on my Tangerine Dream is starting to craze a little... this torch has been rattling around in my bike bag for a few weeks now and has survived the knocks and bumps of everyday usage! It has been used to illuminate under my engine, and gets covered in grime, mud and dust. It's a useful size 3LED torch.
If the lens does break I can always get one cut out of a piece of window glass or perspex.
I've had a BT1 sitting outside strapped to the handlebars of my pushbike, which is exposed to all weathers. As far as I know, it still works!
If I really want to play rough, I use a Rubberlux, as once sealed in these torches are fairly watertight.
I have had a few incidents recounted to me during my period as a torchaholic. One Benross 4033 was handed back to me with its head broken clean off- a decapitated torch...ugh! This must have had a manufacturing fault in the moulding of the body as the break was clean.
Another torch fell into the washing up water during a Christmas power outage.
The only other damages I have seen on my torch collecion is lanyards falling apart.
A good accessory to use particularly with a metal torch is a Nite Ise Grip & clip; this allows lanyardless torches to be hung up conveniently and during winter provides a little thermal protection to ones fingers if not wearing gloves. We often talk about how hot Luxeon torches get, but rarely about how cold they get!
I also prevent internal contact corrosion by spraying a short burst of WD 40 inside the torch body, making sure that there's plenty on the spring at the rear of the torch and on the switch slide. I then smear a small amount of WD 40 on my finger around the switch ring, so as not to get any oilies inside the torch head. This way, even if the torch gets soaked, it operates reliably and predictably. LED's are a lot more rugged than filament bulbs and batteries last much longer!
Look after your torch and it will look after you!

Hello BillPilot,

To protect your flashlights in a flight bag:

1. Take an old pair of sock's and stuff one sock inside the other and then put your flashlight inside. For additional protection you can roll up some bubble wrap and put it inside the socks and then put your flashlight inside the bubble wrap.

2. Pick up some foam insulation for pipes and cut a piece the right length for you flashlight. You may have to secure a rubber band around the outside to keep everything in place.

3. To make it waterproof, purchase a dry bag for a cell phone or GPS unit. These tend to be a bit bulky, but they work. (available at marine, canoe, kayak stores)

Hope this helps.

Tom

I use my lights, like I use my knives. But I use them for their intended purpose. If I need a hammer, I get a hammer, not a flashlight. If I need wire cutters, I don't use my knife. That's why they make multitools. Anyone who's ever bought a light from me, got it in the same condition I did. I simply take care of my tools. As for protection of lights in travel, most of my smaller lights have cases. The larger ones, SL, TL, Blasters, get slipped into one of those knee high athletic socks (I have a lot left over from my kids being in school), head last. Then spin the light to put a twist in the sock & pull the remaining sock back over the head of the light. This gives extra protection to the head & lens. TX

I have one torch that went to America and back without any problems in my hold luggage. I stuffed the torch in the middle of my flight bag. One thiong I would recommend unless you are using your torch, remove the batteries and keep them separate. The amount of movement on baggage carousels and on aeroplanes can be enough to switch a torch on, as I found to my surprise arriving at a campground in the dead of night with a dead torch back in '99!
There is also the fact that a turned on torch could constitute a percieved security hazard in the darkness of an aeroplane hold!

And if it's a 1W LS... Bad thoughts.

My MiniMag + BB is belt-holster EDCed. Prolly will get a beating eventually. Who cares, the body costs $8 to replace.

(Although right now I have a $6.50 + $5 S&H collimator lens on it now, if that gets broken it'll cost a bit of $$$... But the light is here to be used, not protected.)