Stu
Newly Enlightened
I know this is like asking ya'll to beat on the bare ground long after a horse has died and rotted away, but I admit to wanting some advice on some lights I haven't seen first-hand. I'm gonna splurge on some gift LED's for my brother, sister, mom, dad & wife.
My in-laws have teased me in a friendly way for several years about my interest in flashlights, and especially when I'm looking at the CPF forums. They are amazed that anyone would actually arrange flashlights on a table like "still art" and photograph them for others to see on the internet. Lately, though, I've heard passing comments amongst them about how "useful a small, good light might be." I gave my wife an ARC LSL a couple years ago and she put it in her purse. I wondered if she would actually use it and didn't see her get it out often... more on this in a bit. She told me the other day that some really nice gifts for family would be some good little lights like hers.
I'm leaning toward some Surefire's, maybe HDS also. I own an E2, G2 and an ARC LSH clicky (this one is my EDC, E2 also at night). From personal experience with these, I find the LSL output to be quite adequate for most all up-close to some medium-distance tasks. Occasionally I think I want more flood output "just because" and get curious about the L4 and L2. I also use an Infinity, Infinity Ultra or Dorcy AAA every night for moving around in the house. From a practical standpoint, I realize the ARC LSL output and the smaller lights meet most of my needs just fine. I looove flood and have the incans for distance needs.
But, for gifts.. it's hard to choose for others since I'm guessing about lights I haven't used.
The men have rather large hands and fingers, the ladies have the fairly typical "dainty" hands. For the ladies, I'm trying to decide among the EL1, L1 or HDS variants. I suppose the shorter lights are better handled and appreciated by the ladies, a likely advantage for the EL1 and HDS. The L1 is taller/longer but a low level is desirable for tasks where full bright isn't needed, like checking on kids, reading, etc. Longer runtime on high with the L1 is also somewhat appealing, plus I think it comes with a lanyard. I don't know if ladies' fingernails would interfere with the flatter switch on the HDS. I wonder if most women would be more interested in having the multiple light levels in the HDS, or prefer the simplicity of on/off of a good basic primary level as with the EL1 (I would get an F04 beamshaper also)?
My father has BIG hands, I wonder if the HDS is a bit too small for handy use for him. An L4 would be PLENTY bright (from what I read) but perhaps the E2L offers very good utility/handling for bigger hands. Ahh, maybe the L4 with the fabled McGizmo 2-stage switch, or the L2 (getting a bit big for easy pocket carry?). OK, any of these make sense:E2L, L4 with 2-stage switch, or the L2. He would need/want the PILA rechargeables for the L4. Same goes for my brother, all good choices, but can anyone argue for what you would prefer as their first such light?
Now about my wife and the ARC LSL. We live in southern Indiana very close to where the big tornado came through 2 weeks ago. I stayed up late that Saturday night after seeing bad weather expected on the news. Looking at CPF, of course. Eventually, the radio station said a tornado was crossing the river and would be in town in "5 minutes." This was about 2:45 am. I woke up my wife, got my man-purse ready and we went to the front porch. Power went out, pitch dark except for city lights in the distance. I saw a HUUUGE, HUUUGE funnel in the distance, and thought it may be just clouds, but the sides were angled down very straight, yet so wide on the ground I doubted at first it was a tornado as it also wasn't moving perceptibly. It eventually sort of blended into the mass of storm bank clouds rolling in behind it. The local emergency siren went off, then there were blue flashes on the ground on the horizon. No noise, little wind or rain. Then more and bigger blue flashes about a mile away. I knew something was tearing up powerlines. I got our son up, threw his clothes/shoes on and opened the back door to prepare for getting in the crawl space under the house. I came back up front and suddenly there was the noise, enormous and god-awful, churning with the sounds of apparently trees and house debris slamming around. We bolted out back and scraped ourselves almost face-first through the small brick opening to the crawl space. I had shoved my G2 into my sweat pants pocket, but I realized I was using the Dorcy AAA on a neck lanyard. It is pitch dark out back against the woods. I noticed a nice flood of light around me as we piled out of the house and into the small hole. Somehow my wife had gotten out her LSL and was using it to help us under the house. It made a difference. No way any of us could have gotten under in the time we did without some light. We got under there in less than 2 minutes from curiously watching the horizon on the porch to feeling inadequately huddled in the crawl space. We could hear it rumbling as it got nearer the whole time. It missed us less than a mile, but other people died nearby that night. We were unscathed, and thankful, but very sad for others not so fortunate. You never know when you will desperately need light, and how big a difference it might make in a matter of minutes, quite literally.
But, notice who was more prepared at that moment.. my wife!! I had several lights in my bag (including my LSL) and pants pocket but none of the big ones in hand with all the scooting and grabbing going on.
Sorry for the rambling, now open for suggestions!! Thanks in advance.
My in-laws have teased me in a friendly way for several years about my interest in flashlights, and especially when I'm looking at the CPF forums. They are amazed that anyone would actually arrange flashlights on a table like "still art" and photograph them for others to see on the internet. Lately, though, I've heard passing comments amongst them about how "useful a small, good light might be." I gave my wife an ARC LSL a couple years ago and she put it in her purse. I wondered if she would actually use it and didn't see her get it out often... more on this in a bit. She told me the other day that some really nice gifts for family would be some good little lights like hers.
I'm leaning toward some Surefire's, maybe HDS also. I own an E2, G2 and an ARC LSH clicky (this one is my EDC, E2 also at night). From personal experience with these, I find the LSL output to be quite adequate for most all up-close to some medium-distance tasks. Occasionally I think I want more flood output "just because" and get curious about the L4 and L2. I also use an Infinity, Infinity Ultra or Dorcy AAA every night for moving around in the house. From a practical standpoint, I realize the ARC LSL output and the smaller lights meet most of my needs just fine. I looove flood and have the incans for distance needs.
But, for gifts.. it's hard to choose for others since I'm guessing about lights I haven't used.
The men have rather large hands and fingers, the ladies have the fairly typical "dainty" hands. For the ladies, I'm trying to decide among the EL1, L1 or HDS variants. I suppose the shorter lights are better handled and appreciated by the ladies, a likely advantage for the EL1 and HDS. The L1 is taller/longer but a low level is desirable for tasks where full bright isn't needed, like checking on kids, reading, etc. Longer runtime on high with the L1 is also somewhat appealing, plus I think it comes with a lanyard. I don't know if ladies' fingernails would interfere with the flatter switch on the HDS. I wonder if most women would be more interested in having the multiple light levels in the HDS, or prefer the simplicity of on/off of a good basic primary level as with the EL1 (I would get an F04 beamshaper also)?
My father has BIG hands, I wonder if the HDS is a bit too small for handy use for him. An L4 would be PLENTY bright (from what I read) but perhaps the E2L offers very good utility/handling for bigger hands. Ahh, maybe the L4 with the fabled McGizmo 2-stage switch, or the L2 (getting a bit big for easy pocket carry?). OK, any of these make sense:E2L, L4 with 2-stage switch, or the L2. He would need/want the PILA rechargeables for the L4. Same goes for my brother, all good choices, but can anyone argue for what you would prefer as their first such light?
Now about my wife and the ARC LSL. We live in southern Indiana very close to where the big tornado came through 2 weeks ago. I stayed up late that Saturday night after seeing bad weather expected on the news. Looking at CPF, of course. Eventually, the radio station said a tornado was crossing the river and would be in town in "5 minutes." This was about 2:45 am. I woke up my wife, got my man-purse ready and we went to the front porch. Power went out, pitch dark except for city lights in the distance. I saw a HUUUGE, HUUUGE funnel in the distance, and thought it may be just clouds, but the sides were angled down very straight, yet so wide on the ground I doubted at first it was a tornado as it also wasn't moving perceptibly. It eventually sort of blended into the mass of storm bank clouds rolling in behind it. The local emergency siren went off, then there were blue flashes on the ground on the horizon. No noise, little wind or rain. Then more and bigger blue flashes about a mile away. I knew something was tearing up powerlines. I got our son up, threw his clothes/shoes on and opened the back door to prepare for getting in the crawl space under the house. I came back up front and suddenly there was the noise, enormous and god-awful, churning with the sounds of apparently trees and house debris slamming around. We bolted out back and scraped ourselves almost face-first through the small brick opening to the crawl space. I had shoved my G2 into my sweat pants pocket, but I realized I was using the Dorcy AAA on a neck lanyard. It is pitch dark out back against the woods. I noticed a nice flood of light around me as we piled out of the house and into the small hole. Somehow my wife had gotten out her LSL and was using it to help us under the house. It made a difference. No way any of us could have gotten under in the time we did without some light. We got under there in less than 2 minutes from curiously watching the horizon on the porch to feeling inadequately huddled in the crawl space. We could hear it rumbling as it got nearer the whole time. It missed us less than a mile, but other people died nearby that night. We were unscathed, and thankful, but very sad for others not so fortunate. You never know when you will desperately need light, and how big a difference it might make in a matter of minutes, quite literally.
But, notice who was more prepared at that moment.. my wife!! I had several lights in my bag (including my LSL) and pants pocket but none of the big ones in hand with all the scooting and grabbing going on.
Sorry for the rambling, now open for suggestions!! Thanks in advance.
