EDC/preparedness backup lights

I love how Henry (HDS Systems) keeps it real and reminds people of the facts with the following warning in the HDS manual:

"Caution: a sudden total failure is unlikely but is still possible. We
recommend you always carry a second flashlight during critical
situations (e.g., caving). We also recommend you carry enough spare
batteries to cover your lighting requirements plus a reasonable safety
margin. It is not necessary to start each trip with a new battery in your
flashlight as long as you have spare batteries along."

Same with Gene Malkoff on their website:
"Electronic components are by nature subject to failure at any time without notice (always carry spare batteries and backup flashlights)"


Of course, in the city being in any large building (where many of us spend most of our days) or being on underground public transport, can arguably be even more of a critical situation than caving, especially during an earthquake, fire, terrorist attack or even just a power outage.

So what is your backup EDC light and why?
Did you choose your backup light to replace your primary light if called for, or just to complement it.

Hogo posted a similar question in the HDS thread a while back. I'd like to see peoples answers here too.
Remember only what you EDC, no home kits, Bug Out Bags, war bags, or hiking options etc.
No fun toy of the week either, just what lights you carry for EDC/preparedness.

I'll start with mine.

My backups to my primary light (HDS EDC LE) in my front left pocket are:

Photon Microlight II on keys in front right pocket, small, weighs next to nothing and long runtime.
Streamlight Protac 1L-1AA in EDC bag, spare small light that can take CR123 or AA batteries and can replace my primary light if needed.
Petzl e+Lite in EDC bag, nothing beats a hands-free light in an emergency especially in a medical emergency.
A couple of spare CR123 and AA batteries in my EDC bag.

I typically only carry one light on my person at all times. When I am at work or wearing looser clothing, I EDC a Surefire Tactician. If I need to slim it down, I EDC a Streamlight Microstream or a Protac 2AAA.

That being said, I always have a backup light within reach. I keep an ASP Pro Dual Fuel in my car, a Streamlight Stylus Pro in my work locker, another Streamlight Stylus Pro in my work bag, and about 3 different lights in my nightstand.

I don't EDC spare batteries, but all of my backup lights have spare batteries with them.

I know you said only what we EDC, but this is the system I use as backup since I simply do not have the capacity to always carry two lights.

My EDC is an HDS Rotary High Noon in a pocket, and the backup is a Nitecore Tube on my keys. The Tube spends its life almost permanently keylocked, so it's been charged when I've needed it.

When I'm at work or commuting, my bag also has a Thyrm Cellvault with three spare CR123.

I chose the Tube because it's enough light in a pinch, but so small that it's easy to forget about and just carry as part of my keys. It's not a full substitute, but entirely adequate for what I normally need a torch for if my primary is unavailable (mostly, walking home from work after dark, and finding small things that have escaped into dark places).

My primary is a HDS. And in the rare case it is not working anymore the backup will also be a HDS. I am pretty sure I will not run out of HDS backup lights. My backup strategy is explained in the HDS section...

I know if darkness surrounds me a HDS will guide me the way back into the light.

In order to carry a primary and a back up light, I commissioned Hogo to make a leather belt holster for two HDS flashlights. This solution keeps my pockets free and my illumination tools organized. My primary is the HDS High Noon Rotary and my back up is the 4500K Super High CRI Executive.

Attached to my key ring, I keep a spare CR123 in a delrin capsule from County Comm. My EDC bag has six more CR123's in an old school Surefire spares carrier

My primary is an 18650 HDS always on me in a Thor's hammer holster.

When I leave the house, I have a maxpedition fatty with a ZL H600fc, a Convoy C8 from mountain electronics and a spare 18650 in a waterproof match case. All 3 lights run on 18650 and the reasons for my backups are: Headlamp with long runtimes, thrower mostly for fun but there are times where throw helps and at the very least it's another spare 18650. I tend to also carry a stock surefire e2e or 6P but I treat those as fun lights and additions to my preparations. I carry another pouch with a battery pack and cables for phones and have the Olight charger in there.

Those are my preparation lights. For work or when I expect to need more, a Malkoff M61N in an MD2 comes along and I have extenders so that I can put 2/3/4 cr123s or the rechargeable variants. I also will carry 4 spare cr123s.

I have a Sofirn C01s incoming for my keychain and if it's potted will be a bombproof backup with 100/3 lumens. If I am in my car I have a surefire G2L with a Malkoff M61L as well.

Edit: I live by NYC so the point of my lights are to get home. While at work if it gets crazy- I might need more light for the craziness.

My backup light is inside my ibeam wristwatch. It is merely a 3mm LED powered by a cr2032 coin cell (this is a dedicated cell, the watch mechanism runs off another, smaller cell), but I have been using it regularly and this light is always with me even on a beach.

I don't carry a backup EDC light. Often, I grab a bigger light out of the truck or the house for tasks and my EDC light becomes a backup. But in my every day travels I do not actually carry a backup light to my EDC light. Not a bad idea to have a backup though, depending on your lifestyle. Mine just doesn't really warrant a backup in addition to what I have in the vehicles and around the house.

If its only EDC it depends on what i'm wearing and the expected circumstances for the day, and I'm not entirely sure at the moment what is backup to what depending on the circumstances, but i always carry at least a Zebralight H604c and a extremely tough P60 clone that has an interchangable head where i can switch out with either a vinh, a vinz drop-in (both are quads i believe), or a Malkoff Hi CRI. If i have additional carry space (jackets, cargo pants, etc.), i also usually have a H600Fc and a SC64c (or whatever light i am trying out at the moment) on me as well.

This setup is because i have been doing a lot of house tasks where i require headlamps as work lights, but also getting the kids up in the morning, i use the H604c around my neck as a low level light to get things ready for them in the morning.

When i was in the office a lot and had limited carry space, i only carried the minimum listed above.

I EDC my Thrunite TiS for about 4 years now. Still functions just like the day I got it, but if perchance it has issues I have either a Fenix E01 or its updated clone Sofirn C01 as backup on my keys.

Since the OP also asked about backup lights for power outages, I'll mention that I keep several solar landscape lights put away in case of a very extended outage. They only cost $1 a piece, run for about 5.5 hours on their included low capacity battery (twice that much with a replacement one), and the battery can be removed after charging to use in regular flashlights. As long as the sun comes out in the daytime, there's an unlimited source of replacement battery power. Not bad for only $1 each!

EDIT:
Crap! I just discovered at the end of the OP that the question was about EDC only.
Well, I carry a small no-name 1AA light in a jacket pocket in the Winter, or my backpack in the Summer when I'm not carrying a primary, just in case I need a light when I don't expect to need one. Of course, it's there even when I have my primary, which is an Energizer 2AA with a Luxeon Rebel.

ZL SC64w & SC52w mostly.
They have been the smallest consistently reliable lights that I have edc'd.
The SC64 lasts a long time and the SC52 runs on any AA sized cells.

I will carry various different lights as a 3rd backup though as I am always trying out new lights and why wouldn't I?!
This light has been the Emisar D4 for a while now!
This one also basically carries my backup 18650 cell of course.

My Malkoffs,SF and HDS are simply too big for me to EDC but it is not for lack of trying that I know this too.
All Keychain lights have turned on in pocket on me though the 4/7 Ti Mini seems to be the least likely that I have tried so far and thats why one is one a keychain all the time now.

My main EDC light for about the last 5 years has been a Surefire 6P, or occasionally a Malkoff MD2. I don't carry a backup on me, unless you consider the flashlight app on my phone a backup. If I know that I am going into some place that lighting is critical in an emergency, I will take an extra light or two with me, I have a ton of backup lights and batteries in my truck.

My usual EDC is a Nitecore EA11 with 14500 cell. For backup I have a TIP CRI on my keychain, with the clip reversed so it protects the switch. I usually also carry a Streamlight Microstream, but it seems to be playing hide and seek these days. Unless I find it soon, I will switch to either my Lumintop Tool 2.0/14500 or the Sofrin C01/AAA [lithium, of course]. Check my sig for my philosophy.

I almost feel ridiculous as I think, but I have them everywhere around me day-to-day.

My EDC has been a Goliath V2 by Vinh with the 3000k SST and VN2. I have also been lugging around my Olight S1R II Cu- I'm trying to give it a full 365 days of wear out of the box.

I've got an Olight i1R on my car keys, always in my pocket. I've got a Nichia nickel Worm on my main keyring lanyard.

My bag currently has my C8Fvn with 3 LH351D 5000Ks, lovely light.

My backup is a smaller light than the primary so it doesn't run as bright on high, but it's capable of being the primary for a time if need be.

I rotate through a few primary lights depending on the activity and my mood. I always have a secondary close by, usually on my keys.
Depending on which keys I have with me, a dog hobi brass, a Peak eiger 10280, or a quantum DD.
Also, I am usually close by to one of my vehicles, each of which have a few lights.

Acebeam PT10 penlight model. I've accepted the fact that the penlight format works best for me as a back-up light. Main light is usually any number of 2xCR123 LED models in my left front pants pocket. (Currently a Fenix PD35 Tactical model that I recommend highly if you need a true tactical light. Though ironically you'll have to use the Outdoor setting instead of the Tactical setting, and make sure to always switch the light off in Turbo mode.) Back-up light in my right rear pants pocket towards the right side of said pocket.

There are a number of penlights out there bright enough on High Mode to "get by" if something happens to your main EDC light. A couple of nights back at work, I arrived having forgotten to clip my main light onto my pants pocket. Now I do have a car lighting kit with another Fenix PD35 Tac. model in it, along with accessories for it (filters, diffuser, traffic wand, sealed batteries, holster). And a small headlamp with sealed batteries for that too. But I just didn't feel the need to go grab the PD35 out of it and open up the sealed CR123 batteries for it.

I knew that for one night, my Acebeam would get the job done. Along with my Olight I3E EOS, and Nitecore Tube. But yeah, the Acebeam is my main back-up light.