Thanks Chaos. I will check that link later today after work.

I just got my new letherman (mini) multi-tool, and it made some space in my coin pocket. I'm going to pick up the Fenix LD01 for a lightweight/edc.

I ended up getting a maxpedition double magazine sheath. It will fit easily on my maxpedition versipack & also my belt in both vertical and horizontal position.
As mentioned earlier. It was a matter of preference...

After super, and on break, I will say a tad more. I think i'll end up with AA though since not only are they easy to aquire and store but one less battery type to keep around. be back in a little bit

Another vote for the Gerber Ultra Infinity ( with a lithium battery). It's my carry around the house light and sometime a, but not the only,GHB light. By the way, if you screw the switch "almost" on, a bit of thumb pressure on the back turns it into a "momentary on" switch. I don't do that for fear that I'll sit in such a way as to turn it on without me noticing. But it's an option I've used on occasion.

I'm looking too ... I am now EDC-ing a Fenix E01 (in fashionable purple no less) I picked up on our father's day weekend getaway to Tennessee. No, it wasn't an impulse buy, I picked it up out of necessity when the Leatherman S2 I got at Christmas decided to crap out on me.

On an interesting side note, after I got home, I put the Fenix head cap on the Leatherman and it worked again so it is definitely a problem with the circuitry in the head cap of the Leatherman. I actually liked that light, it looked nice, had a pocket clip, and had two light modes (which the Fenix E01 unfortunately doesn't seem to have). That said, I am fairly pleased with the Fenix so far. I have it clipped to the whistle I added to my EDC and both ride in my left front pocket. So far so good.

Still looking for a replacement for that mini-mag lite that was the victim of a leaky battery. I like a lot of the options mentioned in this thread but before spending such big bucks on a flashlight, I'd really like to be able to see it firsthand and that is a problem in my area.

I bought a edc light the other night but it won't arrive for a bit. Local picking is slim to none, not that you can't find a decent one if needed..... Anyways, I bought a fenix LD12. Which is a little larger than I had originally planned but will fit nicely in the dual ammo/sheath. I figure 9/10 I have a messenger bag I can put it into, or a coat and its a standard AA size which is easily replaceable.

So, hopefully I didn't buy a lemon lol

How about Rayovac flashlights.

Lee

I just discovered the bulb on my Fenix LD10 is not the same as the bulb on the current production of the LD10. Important note, that doesn't necessarily mean my older bulb is inferior. It may be a matter of preference.

The bulb in my LD10 is a Cree XR-E LED Q5. In comparison, the bulb in my LD15 is a Cree XP-G LED R4. (Sorry, I don't have a current LD10 to compare.) The beam in my LD10 is rated at 120 lumens, and my LD15 is rated at 117 lumens. However, my quick non-expert opinion is that my LD10 is approximately 10% brighter than my LD15. The LD10 throws a more natural yellow-ish beam and has a brighter and more defined spotlight. The LD15 throws a whiter and less defined spotlight.

I value a brighter spotlight more than brightness outside the spot light area. However, I have a feeling manufacturers may rate lumens based on the overall brightness of the entire beam. So, I view the lumens rating as being a general guideline at best. I guess it's difficult to get an accurate assessment of a spotlight before you view it in real life (?).

Here's a quick and dirty explanation of some of the terms.


Lumens == Total light output. Imagine dumping out a salt shaker onto a table. Lumens would be a measurement of the total amount of salt.

Candela aka candlepower == Maximum light output at the brightest part of the beam. In the salt metaphor, this the height of the tallest pile of salt.

Throw == How far a flashlight can be used to spot an object. Candela is a good way to compare throw between flashlights.

Flood == How well a flashlight illuminates a large area close to you, generally viewed as opposite to throw.

Emitter == The part of the flashlight that glows when you put current through it.

LED == Light emitting diode. An electric lighting technology that is far more energy efficient and generates less heat than any others, with emitters that last a long time (50,000 hours is a common rating) and are extremely shock-resistant.

Incandescent, or incan == A classic lightbulb. Less efficient and far less shock-resistant than LEDs, incans typically provide better color rendering.

LED flux bin == A measurement of how many lumens are output at a given current for a run of LED emitters. R bins are more efficient than Q bins, and Q5 bins are more efficient than Q4 bins. The most efficient I've seen so far is U2. This is an area of rapidly improving technology, so the amazing Q5 binned flashlight I bought in March of 2008 is now far behind the times and relegated to my BOB.

CREE == A company that makes awesome LED emitters. Typically near or at the pinnacle of LED technology.

XR-E == An older line of CREE LED emitters.

XP-G == A somewhat newer line of CREE LED emitters, throwier than XM-L but not as much as XR-E.

XM-L == Floodier than XP-G but far more efficient, the current line of CREE emitters. Note that a flashlight's floodiness or throwiness is dependent in large part on the reflector technology and geometry.

You say XP-G is throwier. However, that has not been my observation. As I explained above, my older XR-E is throwier than my newer XP-G. Both flashlights are single AA battery Fenix. Even if you somehow increased the power output of the XP-G by a little bit, I think the XR-E would still be throwier. That is, my older Fenix LD10 would still be throwier than my newer LD15. So, I'm thinking either you have that backwards, or my conclusion that I have to test the flashlight myself still stands. Please clarify.

You absolutely have to test the flashlight yourself -- the emitter is only one component of how throwy or floody a flashlight is.

And anyway I had it backwards. I'll correct it.