The chance of EDC failure requiring backup lights

NaKeD007

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Hello from Australia,

My wife and I with our 12 months old baby are planning a holiday to Hawaii in the near future. While the wife plans the trip, where to go, the activities to do etc. Goes without saying I nominated myself to take care of packing the family flashlights needs.

This got me thinking of the number of lights I'd need and how many spare batteries to bring.

When I go overseas on holidays, work trip, hiking or camping I always bring 2-3 flashlights just incase one fails I still have backups. Not once have i experienced my main light fail on me. I always return home feeling I've overpacked.

I've read many of you carry backup lights, 1 equals 0 and 2 equals 1... We've all heard of this. But has there been instances where you had to use your backup.

My question to you all is; how often has your main EDC fail on you?
 

5S8Zh5

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...My question to you all is; how often has your main EDC fail on you?

Not yet (knock on wood). My main edc has a throwaway CR123A, and I run them until the light dims or the battery dies, so this is where the backup would realistically be needed. I also randomly use the backup instead of the edc to change the pace. And one backup (TubeVN) is the primary light for a specific role (car to door walk in dark garage).
 
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mcnair55

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As a normal hobbyist and I was away abroad,would take my main edc and one back up light with spare batteries for both.

However if I had my Anorak on,known as a Jacket in Wales I would have my main edc plus a back up for the edc then a spare light with a back up for the spare light then for good measure take another spare with another back up for that spare plus batteries to suit.

But the most important thing would be a ball point pen to sign the section form required at the local hospital.:thumbsup:
 

blah9

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Haha mcnair, you wouldn't advise bringing a backup for the pen as well?

I haven't had any main EDC fail on me yet either, so I end up carrying way too much as well. I'm going through the same debate in my head right now about a trip I have coming up. I have realized in the past though that there have been times when I wished I brought a more powerful light with me, so I'll probably end up bringing at least three lights - my EDC, its smaller backup, and my bigger powerful thrower.

For example, when I visited the UK and was in some caverns, I wished I brought my big light along with me. We ended up using my EDC to see better (with the guide's permission), but it would have been even more helpful to have the bigger light.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that I've definitely regretted not bringing a light, but I haven't been too annoyed when I did bring a light I didn't need. But that decision is up to you. :)
 

Grijon

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Hello!

Goes without saying I nominated myself to take care of packing the family flashlights needs.

Hilarious!

When I go overseas on holidays, work trip, hiking or camping I always bring 2-3 flashlights just incase one fails I still have backups. Not once have i experienced my main light fail on me. I always return home feeling I've overpacked.

My question to you all is; how often has your main EDC fail on you?


Not yet (knock on wood). My main edc has a throwaway CR123A, and I run them until the light dims or the battery dies, so this is where the backup would realistically be needed. I also randomly use the backup instead of the edc to change the pace. And one backup (TubeVN) is the primary light for a specific roll (car to door walk in dark garage).

I, too, prefer to run my batteries as low as I can before replacing (NiMH in my case), and since I usually use low and medium for ~90% of my use it takes a very long time! This means that I don't know it's time to change them until my light goes away, ha ha ha! So I always have a backup with me (and since it's in the same boat, I have a backup for that one, too. And then my keychain light. LOL!)

With regards to failures and overpacking:
I have not yet had a failure (Fenix Power! Ha ha ha), but as has been mentioned before in this forum, a light doesn't have to fail in order to be unavailable - lost, stolen, simply unreachable (i.e. in the trunk of the car that was just rear-ended, jamming the trunk in the closed position).
My stance is that I'd rather have something and not need it than need it and not have it.
 

Grijon

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Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that I've definitely regretted not bringing a light, but I haven't been too annoyed when I did bring a light I didn't need. But that decision is up to you. :)

^I like this. For me, flashlights are not very space-consuming, so I'd rather lose the TK41-sized spot in my suitcase and not use it (surely I'd find a use!), than be somewhere and wistfully thinking of the light I didn't bring, ha ha ha!
 

Cerealand

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You are in luck. You will be in hawaii. McGimzo happen to be in Hawaii. He should have enough lights for any emergency. :whistle: Save on shipping. You will be going home with at least one bundle of joy (maybe triples) and I am not talking about the baby.
 

ven

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If you take 1 it will break,if you take 3 none will fail.............guess thats life :laughing:

I would have my main edc for general use and one back up,maybe on keys or in a separate pocket depending on what suits you comfort wise. Carrying 3 lights around does not suit everyone(nor me tbh). But if i was out an about at night,maybe with a rucksack then carrying a spare etc is no issue. Out in shorts and a T shirt then it may not be ideal. Its not like your in dense jungle and life/death situations,chances are the times you use it maybe during night not to disturb the little one by switching lights on.

So i would edc a small light,have another on my keys or stored somewhere and make sure i had a light i could buy spare cells for with ease come any time the light goes out:)

Or forget the light deliberately:whistle:,come up with the excellent idea Cerealand suggested:hitit: and use an a great excuse for a gizmo and of course a souvenir from Hawaii :thumbsup: win win:devil:
 

thedoc007

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With regards to failures and overpacking:
I have not yet had a failure (Fenix Power! Ha ha ha), but as has been mentioned before in this forum, a light doesn't have to fail in order to be unavailable - lost, stolen, simply unreachable (i.e. in the trunk of the car that was just rear-ended, jamming the trunk in the closed position).
My stance is that I'd rather have something and not need it than need it and not have it.

Excellent points. At work, where I actually use my lights on a daily basis, I ALWAYS carry at least two. One main light, a cheaper one as a backup/loaner. And I have had one fail in use - a Fenix PD32UE retaining ring got loose on me. It was an easy fix once I got home and opened it up, but being able to switch to my backup light in seconds really reinforced the need for a spare.
 

Mmassey338

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I've had three fail: an Elektrolumens, a Sunwayman V25C, and then another Sunwayman V25C.
Now I rotate between, Fenix, Malkoff and Armytek with no issues.
 

MidnightDistortions

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EDC'd an older AAA Maglite where a top metal thing broke where the bulb goes, but that has been my only flashlight failure and it broke at home so now i EDC my AA Mag. The most common failures of a bulb flashlight is either the batteries die or the bulb pops which i have a backup of the bulb and i check to make sure there's a charge on the batteries and will usually top it off every 3 months or so. Usually though if i am using it for a lengthy period of time is when i will top the batteries off right after.

I will recommend any trips that you carry at least 3 lights for and extra batteries for each light. If you are using a car it wouldn't hurt to stash another one. On any trips i visually inspect each light to make sure they are in good working order and test them out, hit them a few times to make sure they stay lit and there is nothing loose or cause for concern. If there was a light that was broken or something was wrong with it i'd either pack a different one or pack an extra one depending on whether i have the room for a 4th light.
 

reppans

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I'm with the battery folks - never had my lights fail but I like running primaries and rechargeables relatively low before swapping. However, I had an AW 17670 fail on me when I dropped my light once - light was fine, PCB failed on the battery.

Running out of battery power concerns me much more - I was stuck in Manhattan for the Northeast blackout of 2003 and a backpacking buddies' cheap CR123 light failed, both straining my battery reserves. Also been too close for comfort on a couple terrorist events (9-11 and Docklands bombing).

So now I prefer ultra efficient sub-/low- lumen lights - a 250hr/AA "bright" moonlight mode is like having a spare battery for me. Also knowing how to bypass mechanical clickies, and MacGyver my light to run on ANY battery, is comforting ;).
 

MidnightDistortions

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I'm with the battery folks - never had my lights fail but I like running primaries and rechargeables relatively low before swapping. However, I had an AW 17670 fail on me when I dropped my light once - light was fine, PCB failed on the battery.

Running out of battery power concerns me much more - I was stuck in Manhattan for the Northeast blackout of 2003 and a backpacking buddies' cheap CR123 light failed, both straining my battery reserves. Also been too close for comfort on a couple terrorist events (9-11 and Docklands bombing).

So now I prefer ultra efficient sub-/low- lumen lights - a 250hr/AA "bright" moonlight mode is like having a spare battery for me. Also knowing how to bypass mechanical clickies, and MacGyver my light to run on ANY battery, is comforting ;).

I prefer a low lumen light as well. I need to EDC a light that has that particular feature. I got a GoalZero NiMH charger that came with batteries and the charger works with solar and has a 100mW LED light that will last around 100hours. I can recharge the batteries with solar (need to get a solar panel that will work with the charger) and i also could charge this and another USB charger that i can hook up to a car outlet (need an adapter though) so i am pretty set with batteries. I also ordered the new Maglite that has an Eco mode of 117 hours, but i will still need to find a good EDC light that has the 100+ hours, and preferably only taking 1 or 2 AA batteries. The fewer batteries that need to be charged in one time the better.
 

TEEJ

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One point to consider is that a light doesn't have to fail per se to be unusable.

For example, you could accidentally drop it off of something to a non-recoverable point, or, to a point where you'd need another light to find it.

It could be stolen.

You might need to split up, so all of you are not able to use the same light at the same time.

A light that's fine for not bumping into furniture at a strange hotel room when looking for the bathroom at 3 am may not be adequate if that hotel is hit with a bomb, earth quake or tsunami or fire, etc. IE: The type of light you might EDC if only expecting to use as a night light might be too small and not have enough output to find your family/get them to safety outside after the disaster, etc.

Add up the odds of accidentally being split up, dropping a light in an earthquake, etc...and, it quickly becomes obvious that some back-ups, of varying beam and run-time characteristics, would be beneficial.

Its like an insurance policy...many have it, and, most never use it...or else the insurance industry would not actually be profitable. If something bad DOES happen though, the ones WITH a policy are glad they had it.

The flip side are lottery tickets. Statistically, essentially, no one wins....but, SOMEONE wins nonetheless.

If you assume that YOUR hotel or plane, stadium/theater, etc, will not experience a disaster, you will probably be right. There are plenty of people who counted on that...they are also known as "Victims" when they guessed wrong.

The people who were hit with a tsunami would not have expected there to be a tsunami...and, would not have been expected to plan for one. Yet, it hit, and, later, many wished they had been more prepared.

:D


The main issue with prepping is WHAT do you prepare FOR? Is a flashlight the top priority? What about a survival raft? Weapons? Food/water?

If on vacation, what's PRACTICAL and most likely to be potentially called into use?


Stuff that's in your pocket is typically what you are going to be stuck with when an unexpected disaster strikes. Is it reasonable to try to keep a raft in case of a tsunami, and a week's worth of food/water, in your pocket? To pay for the added luggage fees when flying with it all?

A pocket knife, a flashlight, cord, a whistle, a signal mirror, things that don't take up too much room, these "fit" into the travel scenario, and, can make a difference. An AR15 and a life raft, not so much.

So, being prepared w/o going nutz is reasonable insurance in case things go nutz.

:thumbsup:
 
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MidnightDistortions

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One point to consider is that a light doesn't have to fail per se to be unusable.

For example, you could accidentally drop it off of something to a non-recoverable point, or, to a point where you'd need another light to find it.

It could be stolen.

You might need to split up, so all of you are not able to use the same light at the same time.

I don't believe this would happen in my particular situation but there's always that 'what if' portion. I need a lanyard for my EDC light so that way it doesn't fall, break or lose it. The splitting apart in groups depends on the situation and what is available but if i was out camping and something happened where i was with a group and one of their light fails, i could give them an extra light.

A light that's fine for not bumping into furniture at a strange hotel room when looking for the bathroom at 3 am may not be adequate if that hotel is hit with a bomb, earth quake or tsunami or fire, etc. IE: The type of light you might EDC if only expecting to use as a night light might be too small and not have enough output to find your family/get them to safety outside after the disaster, etc.

Add up the odds of accidentally being split up, dropping a light in an earthquake, etc...and, it quickly becomes obvious that some back-ups, of varying beam and run-time characteristics, would be beneficial.

Yes, this is important, the brighter the light the better. Currently i EDC a bulb type Maglite which is fairly bright but 'could be brighter' so i would opt to get an LED so you can see clearly and see anything that would be a hazard such as a nail sticking out or broken glass. Flashlights that have variable light output modes, so you got extra light when you need it and if you are in a situation where you need to conserve the battery, you can lower the light level. I don't EDC extra batteries but if the power ever did go out at my job or something catastrophic were to happen where i needed a flashlight i can simply grab an extra set of batteries.

The main issue with prepping is WHAT do you prepare FOR? Is a flashlight the top priority? What about a survival raft? Weapons? Food/water?

If on vacation, what's PRACTICAL and most likely to be potentially called into use?


Stuff that's in your pocket is typically what you are going to be stuck with when an unexpected disaster strikes. Is it reasonable to try to keep a raft in case of a tsunami, and a week's worth of food/water, in your pocket? To pay for the added luggage fees when flying with it all?

A pocket knife, a flashlight, cord, a whistle, a signal mirror, things that don't take up too much room, these "fit" into the travel scenario, and, can make a difference. An AR15 and a life raft, not so much.

So, being prepared w/o going nutz is reasonable insurance in case things go nutz.

:thumbsup:

It depends on what situation you would most likely be in, seasonal weather conditions, what are the most likely weather patterns. Having a Weather Alert radio with Emergency broadcasting would be ideal to have so you can keep up with what is going on and whether you will need to prepare for it. If you keep a list of emergency supplies and see what you need and have that on hand it'll save you in the long run :). You probably won't need all that if something were to happen in a movie theater, but keeping an emergency kit in your car and home where you can grab. It's practical to carry a flashlight bright enough to see what is going on but good on battery usage when required. Some people might try to carry all their emergency supplies wherever they go but without knowing what kind of situation you might be in for, you might as well take the whole army around with you all the time and that isn't practical lol. Flashlights on the other hand is the most common thing you will need in an emergency since whatever disaster arises chances are you won't have any light.
 

ForrestChump

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If you looking for suggestions, I would simply go with 2 G2X Pros ( 4.4oz each, nice and light) 12 pack of Clam shell SF CR123.

You would be looking at about $125 USD. With the exception of a gigantic solar flare rendering modern civilization completely unraveled and cooking your light, you should be good to go 110%.
 

reppans

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...I got a GoalZero NiMH charger that came with batteries and the charger works with solar and has a 100mW LED light that will last around 100hours. I can recharge the batteries with solar (need to get a solar panel that will work with the charger) and i also could charge this and another USB charger that i can hook up to a car outlet (need an adapter though) so i am pretty set with batteries....

Yeah, the GZ G10+ Kit is pretty versatile (I have one), although I'd highly advise swapping Eneloops into it. My stock GZ batts in the G10+ failed to charge my tablet after 2yrs (not enough amperage) while my 7 yr Eneloops in it had no problem. I'm currently EDCing a 2xAA Eneloop-to-USB charger for my iPhone, plus the 2AA/AAA Eneloop USB charger if I'm traveling - I prefer charging 1 or 2 cells at a time, as opposed the G10+ which only does 4 at a time.

Also highly recommend THIS 2.1 amp USB wart, which I EDC and can power anything from anywhere. Been using one for a couple of years and just bought a half dozen more for holiday gifts, given the killer price :).
 

TEEJ

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EDC choices are ideally, based upon your own interpretation of what it is you could be facing...and, prioritization as to how ready to be vs how inconvenienced/poor, etc.

If on a camping trip, vs a beach resort vakay, etc...your potential needs could be different. If you live in the desert or a houseboat, work in a skyscraper or a forest, wear a biz suit or baggy cargo pants, and so forth...its all different.


Lights are one of many aspects to consider. Power for them is yet another.

If you think your needs will be short lived, primary lithiums with a long shelve life can be carried w/o too much trouble, but if its a months long power outage was we might suffer around here...you'd need too many primaries to be EDC practical.

Of course, the balance is the weight and bulk of the power supply...as a rechargeable needs a way to recharge it...and, there is a point at which the charger is as large/heavy as the primaries its replacing might have been....until you need more primaries than that.

A folding solar charger (Cottonpicker, etc) is an amazing resource for example...takes up little room when folded, and can recharge a ton of 18650 etc at a time, plus your laptop and phone, etc...but its only pocket sized if you have big pockets.

If you have a vehicle that you can charge things from...that's an easy option for example, and so forth.

:D
 

MidnightDistortions

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Yeah, the GZ G10+ Kit is pretty versatile (I have one), although I'd highly advise swapping Eneloops into it. My stock GZ batts in the G10+ failed to charge my tablet after 2yrs (not enough amperage) while my 7 yr Eneloops in it had no problem. I'm currently EDCing a 2xAA Eneloop-to-USB charger for my iPhone, plus the 2AA/AAA Eneloop USB charger if I'm traveling - I prefer charging 1 or 2 cells at a time, as opposed the G10+ which only does 4 at a time.

Also highly recommend THIS 2.1 amp USB wart, which I EDC and can power anything from anywhere. Been using one for a couple of years and just bought a half dozen more for holiday gifts, given the killer price :).

I noticed when refreshing those stock GZ batteries, besides that they didn't have much capacity to start off with that while 3 of the batteries were of the same date (2013) they gave me a 2012 battery. I only realized this after i was refreshing and saw one of the batteries only met the minimum spec while the other 3 were above 2400mAh. Still, after playing around with my other USB charging unit, i killed the La Crosse batteries that came with my BC-1000 charger and realized that these devices draw quite a bit of power and would ultimately kill the battery pack and should only be used in an emergency. I replaced my other 'Portapow' device with a set of Eneloops and have drained them a few times but since something is wrong with my older phone's Li-ion battery which often times will run dead before the end of the day, there are times where i will have to depend on the battery charger pack. As i read too, even the G10+ will generally only give a tablet a 25% boost so ideally you'll want to charge the tablet when it reaches 50% or if you got the setup, have the pack charging on solar while you are supplying energy to the tablet. I think that's what the G10+ was designed to do, not as a battery pack to charge another but only in emergency cases where there is no sun or other charging abilities. Even though Eneloops are designed better, i wouldn't be surprised if they started going out or losing capacity over consistent usage either. 2000mAh Eneloops do have more cycles so it would take longer for them to start wearing out.

The G10+ cells don't seem like they are good LSD cells if the instructions say to recharge them 3-6 months to keep them in usable condition.

That's a pretty cool USB wart, i saved it to buy later because it might be one of the next things i'll get from Amazon. I need a USB adapter for my car anyhow and would be great for the G10+ for both recharging in the car and a dedicated outlet at home or anyplace with an electrical outlet.
 

dss_777

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Just got back from two weeks of international travel with the family. Since we do carry-on luggage only, light-weight and compact is the key. Took two AAA lights and 4 spare lithium batteries. The Arc AAA and Fenix EO1 were quite sufficient, and it was nice to have two lights the one time there was a power outage for several hours. We could split up and do different things and not leave anyone in the dark.

If camping or some other specialty activity was involved, the loadout would have been very different, while also having light redundancy and spare batteries. I don't own a portable solar charging system that is reasonable for this kind and duration of travel. Instead, I prefer to carry that weight/bulk in backup lights and primary batteries.

In most of our travel scenarios, I'm not confident that a solar charging solution could be set up and left alone safely for the time required to recharge flashlight (or other) batteries.

I do carry a mains-rechargeable 12000mAh battery pack for keeping cameras and phones going on longer days, and used that frequently.
 
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