All-round light to keep in car.

TLN

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 23, 2015
Messages
12
Hi all.

Looking for LED light to keep in car. Will be used outdoors and when I'm packing after snowboarding/wakeboarding/etc.
-Prefer rechargeable, so it stays in the car all time. Not sure if I want 18650 or built-in battery.
-Don't care much about size. Doesn't need to be compact at all.
-Magnetic tail cap is preffered, but not neccessary.

Was thinking something like P22R, but then thought about TM9k for a second. Considering Olight light and for example Fenix PD36R
I'm not entirely sure about how much power I need and what charging method is better: built-in USB port, magnetic dock (Olight), or stick with external charger. Currently leaning toward USB port (no prop chargers)

Thanks
 

Poppy

Flashaholic
Joined
Dec 20, 2012
Messages
8,359
Location
Northern New Jersey
Packing, and looking through bags of stuff is more easily done with two hands, than with one. Therefore a headlamp is the preferred tool. Really, you don't need more than 100 lumens.

If you are carrying gear to and from the lodge, you may find that a headlamp is more useful, in that once again, you'll have two hands free.

My general purpose car flashlight is used for finding stuff under the seat, or looking into a bag of stuff more often than anything else. For those tasks 10-40 lumens is usually enough. In the dark... 100 lumens is too much.

IMO the most important feature of a car light is that it can be used to direct traffic with a traffic wand. I keep a Rayovac 2AA virtually indestructible in a vinyl bag attached to my ash-tray so that it is immediately available. I keep it powered with a pair of rechargeable NiMH batteries, and top them off now and then so that they are always fresh. I keep a four pack of Energizer lithiums in the glove compartment as back-up batteries.

The light will run for about 7 hours on low, and about an hour or so on high. It is inexpensive enough to give away if necessary.

Fenix make a few different sized traffic wand diffusers that will fit a number of their lights. Personally if my decision came down to one or two lights, I'd choose the one that I could get a diffuser for.

These lights are in my car.
EJl81a1UCWyoOfRtuBEuOzYvmdxVN6-RZJjMQJWTstXKd9CTwMqLlp6TyALBR5G_Cq2Yr5kiTV57oJbEXhDCfltWQjyEx833v4L02bo0rjHm8jIGLi406r8xw1JjgBtIhzZZC-FuJj4reEToG4n2fhMphyjISP0JnyTiLY-ILYeBjeyG8QFO6DzJ29PoM4JsInZJl1dUbVDyc_DfnW2JX28WLnedaq9ZRAGit0wqKNJjn_P3xay5xKNhv9NIRGdTna-07dARIsFJmGRDJwwu0z9l3qHQuvwGyfUdnpstv0MmSiavVn9RIbiiFBJFUAE0bRC8qQPAMIRCGr2RSCC_VmNeA9A0aVAXwD1r2NbHX8ik8C82t-1W9_EOJXTDMPS6Y2jRgcM3uozUWozxm1g1vw4V9dQXqujLK1RqrVm4aPblBAO2zcX4_14fav2ZIp27HQC2woUxq8-b58IIzaJ6shn6_3PlN1TpgdAjT79ImbIAb9G3sox5wSlu0wd2UXKOi5ARZg3-tf277ZVzpwNOWFHbYAEljbWZk6Pyk93zhxHlZ6oeBs1zWzNu52LLVdHtdFBTIWzvhTLxKsUCUlFXw9dpStU8C5QSZ4eMSkrJAmWSX29rXwngjLyONSWVVFoVjKRMA6ze5Jv3C_0QnZe-ZKmghEiVMqZKSuK_LcIXsy9BunNLTNownoPTQg6qOlEqW1asJjtsZWvLdc129Q2ckT8VGq-iAWwDNNBsIlTQR_jH-IiN=w426-h757-no


zcXldLlRAhazL5h37s1xlETXt2MXD4qkJ_m5XsrGdLR4hjfjaPrCcyJK1ixGH542bOIm8O93CSOibMprPGhtfuhxgoCuBtcRbmcv9MwANv0DAwltsrUxLnShDkWPjivF41ZU-sGUr3AcskaEUfWBO5VKFe57SPBEeEZc-pCd_qDxl4BWNXu0EPgMWEl_6nXSFSFgvKO54ABvVeUN8y9y5kDLJ-ZHMNN3PHFXy_n6hFRkVk6YSPFg36nUOFSvCoVYB5ALSMfdXYbc2YBYR-fiLzB3-qUA60HpNyPeL4Ju88mQNWqsuTqqcFzmXz-b1wNPPVshVknAdv-oKxf55WTKr-IwUFLou0_AbejZtk7NV_yEzSkfQOHlITAPnfOliMvqRhi2wxSfQ_RxNlWK_jhI0C9hONc_YXrZX8WuksJjRK2jLkDHBNt1C_3tUjQP44xL2Lxj_7zLi2o2I1EaXsLxQ_IkuZJJ2eCamz92hz9DXQvwIqAZbEtO9yHRvX0a9DfqOXa0-beDEjN9LbVunWy3eYWgLWKjGdoQWGzdEGehF52WH9P8EKwQvKU9kjaUvrgglZVL8a7LCqlvrqDj87ydjBRrvdVo0HqarG1ZG1J8a6TyzdLWsnvD9gFeGFTTcoeLS1Nt20brlCGShMHElZdjicYrGQaSZ2n7BFwkaEdO46zKB0w2bfGSG5Wq29G6uLxB7VM5qumnlMtxLSNMdb0zZjWB2I6mr5stD0fBwRs70G5EnsUx=w1600-h707-no


0KKVsdOpaMjEwhWaj-jwrhsf9-4fHCx8_wCiLhfOJMP8YHBY0gRW080e8seG0ieG9-jhgAgnly-oWhiskCkK08jguLIAynSQqsMkL5zsb_7snLRY7ksPAHkWQKSB7hyzJzLavydyYrE3fEDRHdWRjO7OqnuPVPqy8d_bRZIgNLqMZulATw4mK3T1kzH7XbkMAGAiXV_wMdtonSwzLjWuCxoxWdHzy3Gjc8pKu_re_Hkz-pXPMu_nVR3_MTXjdEL_BcOtrLOojQ59wYnecpIooL_kdxBGCSHppsZIpI8gX7-ZYoPcs5tI7pXt3GVqr49On4_ZclFYigf_JvmW4mSISjy9pfcBDiokRwUaMcboHkSRgXNQikn84DZUoK5hSG18EdWCT9oJXcZ3-ahStnz5kf_tEdtbhXStwTKiwQ6jolJz8KqZvQcWaDMLwLtxwnFvA_69s1CUF4Ym9gXyuZuIh3MRm7zJT9cxu8dGoslqSpJ9C3xnEwQWxTSohrj0VKzwurD2tg59FI6KTwbK_Hn7V4VJA7EgvenSVjGtXyj_p2bMyYcsA4pckkLsaccDe87vJHrOxOxW8_0-_fwcarNkoNk8kDNCVMz0zBProWbBOQ12SqxO39FPF9E67TK_2AKS-au1VwneyMg6j0c_SB4GSxpyf_t24t26SquauYkGzPtRjgfD10L72UYJ0vo2zUvuW7jhJ4gzs1tZLViv4-AhXQFi_4BdSysQ_Z8Ngc9b-VnL52MP=w1010-h757-no
 

TLN

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 23, 2015
Messages
12
I definitely don't need pink cones. I agree however that two hands are better then one and ability to attach it is a good one. I found there's Lumintop EDC05C with side LEDs. Not sure if I can attach on a side (i.e not tail-magnet). That would be awesome: attach it to open trunk door with side-LEDs and call it a day.
While 100lm will be good for in-car stuff, I'd like to get something more powerful. It will stay in car all the time, so I don't care if it's big or not.
 

thermal guy

Flashaholic
Joined
Jan 28, 2007
Messages
9,981
Location
ny
"I definitely don't need pink cones."

😂😂👍🏻 oh god I needed that.
 

Poppy

Flashaholic
Joined
Dec 20, 2012
Messages
8,359
Location
Northern New Jersey
I definitely don't need pink cones.
Years ago, about a mile from my home, a postal worker got killed delivering mail. He stopped his truck around a blind curve on a four lane.

About a year later, a girl's car broke down in about the same spot, in the right hand lane, without a shoulder. My wife told me to stop and help her. I pulled over in front of her, had both she, and my wife get out of the cars and stand well off of the road. I then grabbed my light with a traffic wand and ran around the bend, and to the crest of the road to flag oncoming traffic over into the next lane. When the police came, lights a flashing, he pulled up right behind the disabled vehicle. Still behind the blind curve. I stayed there flagging traffic until the tow truck came and removed the disabled car. Why? Because if I didn't, someone might come around that blind curve, and see all those flashing lights, just before they smashed into the cop's car.

If I didn't care about anyone but myself, I might never need any pink cones either.

You might find the Emisar D4 a good all-round car light.
 

LetThereBeLight!

Enlightened
Joined
Feb 26, 2014
Messages
635
Not sure about the Trio but the Lil Larry's have blinking red mode so with the magnet you can attach the light to the car door and it warns oncoming cars through the blinking red light.
 

Mr. LED

Enlightened
Joined
Mar 27, 2011
Messages
721
Location
Canada
The most important feature in a car light for me, is running on lithium primaries. They withstand the cold and the heat and will work in emergencies no matter what. Lithium ion has very low capacity in the cold and the heat kills it fast.
 

Johnnyh

Enlightened
Joined
Jan 5, 2017
Messages
922
Location
Upstate NY
I keep a Quark QK2A with ultimate lithium's in the car for the reasons Mr. LED points out. Also helps that you can grab AA's anywhere if needed.
 

LetThereBeLight!

Enlightened
Joined
Feb 26, 2014
Messages
635
Wouldn't the car's four way hazard flashers be better than that?

Certainly, the four way hazard flashers are quite needed.

The extra advantage of the Lil Larry light is its blinking red light protrudes the length of the light out from the driver's side so as to theoretically additionally guide oncoming drivers further away from the car's side pathway that the disabled driver may or may not be walking on.

It is thus another blinking light to input their senses to help reduce the number of accidents that occur despite vehicles being properly off the road and their hazard lights properly operating.

Lastly, the spill of the Larry is quite helpful if streetlighting is inadequate or not existent or if the driver needs to look at the engine and uses the light to illuminate what they are looking at. I keep one with lithiums in the dash.
 
Top