I have been lurking for a while, and gotten a lot out of the threads. I finally decided to register. From reading posts I have started getting into LED lights.
What I currently use for lights (short list - most used)
1. White and red Photon IIIs in pockets constantly - have given them to each family member after hearing about people walking down black stairwells in the first Trade Center Bombing using Timex Indiglo watches)
2. 5 C Cell Maglights in each vehicle (prefer the C Cell because they fit the hand better for baton use in an emergency and yes I have used them this way one time and they worked VERY well indeed)
3. Half a dozen Mini-Mag AA and AAAs for personal carry and hunting use, starting to replace these with Inovas
4. Guide Gear 20 LED Lantern (manufacturer unknown sold by Sportsmans Guide, but this has been a lifesaver several times since I bought it just prior to the big blackout several years back)
5. Brinkman LED Headlamp (my first ever headlamp purchased on a whim the same day as a 12 hour blackout this summer, and it proved a great tool)
6. Inova X0, X1, X03, T4 (all purchased after reading this forum and Flashlight reviews.com)
7. Surefire 6P - My beside the .45 auto in the bed table light
I know many here do not like Maglights, and I can understand it somewhat, but I have never once had a complaint, they are I have always considered the "workhorse" of the every day flashlight user, myself included for MANY years, and they never let me down , or anyone I have ever known. They are like Timex watches to a group who are enamored with Swiss Automatics. Most people do not understand that appeal, or want to understand, the Timex works just fine. They do not see the smooth workings of the automatic, the artform in making them. They just see, what time it is, like flashlight users, they see "light".
That said, I am learning to love the attributes of the high powered LED, and what they bring to the table. Thanks to this group mostly. Before reading here, LED lights were to me, Photons, and a handful of cheap unregulated LED flashlights which were nice for real close range, but terrible for any distance.
What I currently use for lights (short list - most used)
1. White and red Photon IIIs in pockets constantly - have given them to each family member after hearing about people walking down black stairwells in the first Trade Center Bombing using Timex Indiglo watches)
2. 5 C Cell Maglights in each vehicle (prefer the C Cell because they fit the hand better for baton use in an emergency and yes I have used them this way one time and they worked VERY well indeed)
3. Half a dozen Mini-Mag AA and AAAs for personal carry and hunting use, starting to replace these with Inovas
4. Guide Gear 20 LED Lantern (manufacturer unknown sold by Sportsmans Guide, but this has been a lifesaver several times since I bought it just prior to the big blackout several years back)
5. Brinkman LED Headlamp (my first ever headlamp purchased on a whim the same day as a 12 hour blackout this summer, and it proved a great tool)
6. Inova X0, X1, X03, T4 (all purchased after reading this forum and Flashlight reviews.com)
7. Surefire 6P - My beside the .45 auto in the bed table light
I know many here do not like Maglights, and I can understand it somewhat, but I have never once had a complaint, they are I have always considered the "workhorse" of the every day flashlight user, myself included for MANY years, and they never let me down , or anyone I have ever known. They are like Timex watches to a group who are enamored with Swiss Automatics. Most people do not understand that appeal, or want to understand, the Timex works just fine. They do not see the smooth workings of the automatic, the artform in making them. They just see, what time it is, like flashlight users, they see "light".
That said, I am learning to love the attributes of the high powered LED, and what they bring to the table. Thanks to this group mostly. Before reading here, LED lights were to me, Photons, and a handful of cheap unregulated LED flashlights which were nice for real close range, but terrible for any distance.