Are Microlights Over Rated as EDCs ?

In numerous threads, over some time, on the CPF, I've read where people seem to be relying on one keychain type microlight as an EDC or backup for caving, camping, hiking, etc.

I believe that too many of us still don't realize that only one light cannot be depended upon and even your backup should be robust with decent runtime. A micro would be the last type I'd carry if only one extra light could be with me. Micros are little more than glorified toys (IMHO) & (YMMV). If I were caving, night skiing, hiking etc. I'd try to have SEVERAL reliable, dunkable or waterproof, lights that could provide enough light for enough time to get me out of a jam or help someone else.

The advertised runtimes of the various micros is more than misleading. I like microlights and have many of them and give them away but feel they are only an adjunct to a "real" flashlight. When CR 2016 sized cells have 500mAh @ 50mA drain, then, maybe, I'll consider them as a good backup by themselves.

Title edited 6/25/05

Re: Microlights Over Rated as EDCs ?

I don't go smaller than 1AAA when it comes to my EDC. Even when at work in business attire, I still demand at least one light work its way into my pocket.

Re: Microlights Over Rated as EDCs ?

Those things are really small and light ... and it is always better to have those instead of none when the time of need comes. That said ... I find them on the keychains of my girl and friends now ... who would otherwise refuse to carry anything bigger and heavier.
This is the true advantage IMHO.
bernie

Re: Microlights Over Rated as EDCs ?

Coin cell lights are perfectly suitable for most people's EDC needs. I wouldn't call "caving, night skiing, hiking" Every Day activities... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

Mark

Re: Microlights Over Rated as EDCs ?

[ QUOTE ]
Minjin said:
Coin cell lights are perfectly suitable for most people's EDC needs. I wouldn't call "caving, night skiing, hiking" Every Day activities... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

Mark

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you Minjin! That was one point I was going to make.

The other is that the title asks if they are overrated. That depends on how they are rated, I guess, but in my case it IS my EDC and often times is the ONLY light I am carrying. I consider it adequate for my usual comings and goings in the city. I have a couple of good flashlights in the car and if I'm going anywhere that I may need a good light I take one. Otherwise my Photon Microlight II just sits on my keychain and I don't even notice it until I need it.

Re: Microlights Over Rated as EDCs ?

If you are in a pitch black room or an equipment closet with no lights, then nothing can be overrated as an EDC.

Re: Microlights Over Rated as EDCs ?

Since recently getting into lights I have gotten several Freedom Micros. I have other lights in my backpack/briefcase but it is a couple micros in my pocket at all times. I have them on keychains, hanging on my backpack and such. I found the turquise one to be more than sufficient for walking across a dark parking lot or along a path at night. I used to not have a light at all one me. Now it is great to have the micro.

Re: Microlights Over Rated as EDCs ?

In a completely dark stairwell, a microlight (UKE 2aaa, Arc aaa, Photon,and so on) can be a whopper of a survival tool. I repair gensets for a worldwide generator manufacturer. I've lost count of the number of office workers, etc. that have played "follow the leader" to even a single individual with one of those poor incandescent squeeze lights in his/or her pocket/purse. I have even witnessed a rubber ducky squeeze light being used and a Halloween flashing skull being used. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif No doubt from a prior office party.
We complain about tint color, run-time, etc. but as a group are much more prepared than 98% of the general public, a.k.a. "the herd". /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Re: Microlights Over Rated as EDCs ?

For sure! We take ambient light from streetlights, the sun, lamps etc for granted. Anyone who lives out in the country can attest to the pitch black abyss the world becomes at night when it's overcast (ie: no moonlight). In true pitch black conditions where no amount of dark adaptation will work, even a little single 5mm LED is a lot of light to work with.

I know what you mean about the "follow the leader" scenario. During the summer blackout of '03 I was working at a hardware store. The store had no windows besides the front ones, so anything past 50 feet from the front was pitch black with all the shelves blocking the light. Customers had to be found by sweeping the aisles because you couldn't see a thing. You'd find a clerk with a dying "emergency" store-use flashlight leading 4 customers out. Even the worst quality cheapo light can be a lifesaver if there's nothing else.

I think nightshade hit the nail on the head by saying that just carrying a light source of your own makes you better prepared than about 98% of the people out there.

I forgot to mention that my Photon is also the original Freedom, where you have to keep squeezing for the light to stay on. I hate having to keep squeezing it, which is another main reason why I use AAA lights like the Dorcy 1AAA, Gerber Infinity Ultra, or Inova X1. I realize the newer Photon models have more features including a constant on/off switch, I just haven't got around to getting another. I've also got some of the Nuwai 0.5W lights on the way. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif I might pick up a Princeton Tec Impulse/Eclipse 2 tomorrow though. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Re: Microlights Over Rated as EDCs ?

The neat thing about those key-chains is that because they are somewhat of a novelty, it makes them popular among non-flashaholics. They're excellent gifts, small and relatively unobtrusive in a keychain, decently bright for most short-tasks (fiddling with keys, looking for stuff in car at night, etc.) what more can I say?

From a more flashaholic point of view, I don't like them that much for a couple of reasons:
- From the couple that I owned (old Photons), they always seemed to have dead batteries when I needed the light.
- Batteries are expensive to replace and don't last much.
- Brightness declines very rapidly.
- Although they'll survive in a keychain, they have fragile switching mechanisms.

Re: Microlights Over Rated as EDCs ?

Jayflash, I have mixed feelings about the microlights.

1) Personally, I don't think they are nearly serious enough tools. You never know when you might be trapped in the subway or whatever and you are going to want more/longer lasting light. People forget that even though they may not normally encounter the need for more serious light doesn't mean they might not (think fire, earthquake, etc).

2) On the other hand, the size, cost and "coolness" of these lights means that a lot of people who normally wouldn't be carrying a light at all (or a light that isn't likely to work when they need it) now will have some light. And as pointed out, some light can make a big difference in a dark stairwell in a skyscraper (I was suprised how dark it can be).

-john

Re: Microlights Over Rated as EDCs ?

Yup, what John N said. I mean, how many EDC flashlights does one find right next to the register at a convenience store (or a hardware store, or the grocery store, or...)? Usually the coin-celled types.

Re: Microlights Over Rated as EDCs ?

Indeed. Microlights have their place - they're useful for close-in, occasional tasks where a light comes in handy, like illuminating keyholes or when you're stuck in a dark area. They're not really all that useful as tools otherwise, but they do have their place in everyone's kit... a fact that many people seem to ignore.

Especially when there's no power and you're in a dark office or stairwell where there's no natural light available (such as the blackouts of two years ago), those things can make a difference in navigating one's way around. Heck, if there's a fire which has cut power to the building, a little light can be almost a lifesaver itself, allowing one a shot at escape.

Of course, I EDC a LH and an Orb RAW as a matter of course, with a Q-IIII and a PALight Survival acting as backups. No problems with blackouts at the office over here. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Re: Microlights Over Rated as EDCs ?

I can understand why Micro lights are rated as EDC as they
are permanently attached to ones keys which are worn all the time.

Re: Microlights Over Rated as EDCs ?

[ QUOTE ]
PhotonWrangler said:
If you are in a pitch black room or an equipment closet with no lights, then nothing can be overrated as an EDC.

[/ QUOTE ]
No, thats not really true.
I had to use a lighter several years ago in a power outtage.
This thing got really hot fast. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif
One of the keychain lights would have been great!

Maybe this started flashaholism for me. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/broke.gif

Re: Microlights Over Rated as EDCs ?

Even "Microlight 1.0" is eons ahead of "Darkness 7.0" (stolen without shame from an unknown fellow CPFer......sorry, if I could recall who said it I'd give you full credit)

My Grandmother got locked in the Statue of Liberty by accident (she was with a small group that was at the top at closing time, and the guard was in a rush to leave, so he did without checking !)

The group made very careful use of a handful of matches to descend the stairs and survive the night. A microlight would have been a godsend !

Moral of the story: Everything is relative !

A microlight is better than a match, but not as good as a "AAA" light, which is not as good as an "N-cell" which is not as good as a "CR2" etc............. until you get to daylight ! (a gazillion lux, and 8 billion year runtime IIRC)

I never rely on just a microlight,(not even in a tux !) but it's usually third or fourth down the line after more serious lights. In the event all the others fail, it's still better than a match /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Re: Microlights Over Rated as EDCs ?

I second what most people have said about keychain lights. No one's suggesting that one's entire collection be micros, but they are handy in a pinch. I, for one, am a fan of my photon micro light III. It sure beats the PT pulsar, IMHO. (because of the switch)

Re: Microlights Over Rated as EDCs ?

I once read a post that most people use a flashlight only a few minutes at a time. For them a microlight is fine.

I was caught with a dead Solitaire during the 2004 big blackout in the north east USA & Canada. Then I made an interesting discovery: my apartment building has emergency lights in the hallways but none in the stairwells!
In my attempt to ensure the next time I say "let there be light" there WILL be light, I
1) found CPF
2) Calculated the worst case runtime I need.
I do not have a car. Most buses run every hour at night. +1 hour
There is a 6 block walk from the downtown bus stops to my apartment building. +15 minutes
I have to get up that pitch black stairwell. +5 minutes
Allowing for previous use of flashlight and battery I want a flashlight wuth 2 hours runtime.
2 flashlights actually. Backup with fresh batteries and garenteed 2 hour runtime.

Keychain lights are great at providing light at 1 minute bursts. Not as good at running continuously for 90 minutes.

I have a 26K keychain light comming from KevinL, It will not be my primary EDC. Not even the backup EDC.

My EDCs are in my signature below.

Re: Microlights Over Rated as EDCs ?

True, but do you always need to use the microlight in the above situation? Maybe, maybe not - in that dark stairwell it would be a necessity, or to dig up your primary or secondary light when you can't see well enough in the dark and the lights aren't in your jacket pockets or somewhere equally convenient on your body.

Me? I carry those lights on me anyhow (LH and Orb) so it's not a problem, with the Aleph 3 occasionally riding shotgun. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif The PALight makes a great backpack light in its 'always on, find me' mode (I just unzip a pocket and dig out the glowing thing), while the Q-III is easily accessed in yet another pocket. An ARC AAA or a microlight would be useful in that kit mostly to help me find other lights... or to let others use while I broke out one of the big boys.

While it may not be your primary or backup light, if you have it on you every day, it still qualifies as an EDC. And for most people who don't deal with the dark too often, save when they're finding keys or what-not, a keychain light works just fine. Depending on the keychain or micro light, it can work for you in a limited number of applications as well.

Re: Microlights Over Rated as EDCs ?

Before becoming a flashaholic and discovering CPF. I had a inova micro on my keychain. I loved it at the time, showing it off to my friends, while shining it in thier eyes!

One day there was a power outage and I used it to find my bigger lights in my garage. I just moved, so I had boxes scattered and it was a mess in there. It was more then suffecient for lighting my way around in the dark wile I found my Mags. I have 3 small children who were scared. It was a lifesaver.