Hello everyone, I'm chaosmagnet, and I'm a flashaholic.

My primary EDC flashlight is a 4sevens Quark 123-1. I've put a forward clicky on it. It's not the flashlight I would lend to someone who didn't know how to use it -- the interface is intuitive and easy for me but not so much for most people. My backup flashlight is a 4sevens Preon ReVO, in a custom leather keyring sheath. We had a power outage with the tornado sirens sounding, and the ReVO made the difference between my young daughter freaking out and being calm waiting in the downstairs bathroom while I was collecting her sisters.

Hi chaosmagnet!




(Isn't that what we're supposed to say at the FA meeting?)

I recently picked up a Gerber axle 2x3, not as fancy as my SF and 47 lights but very neat nonetheless. It's powered by 3xaaa and has white/red LED, the flat shape makes it very pocketable and it's designed to clip onto hat brim (which works very well).

Yep, and specifically wilderness as opposed to urban. Basically I've been trying to think through some of the choices I make in what I bring with me when I head out to the woods.

My usual EDC is a Fenix E01 and it's a good, bullet-proof design. It holds up well to pocket carry and really does anything I need in an urban environment. Typically, when I head to the woods I just shift it from my key-ring to a lanyard around my neck.

But, looking at my options, I am thinking of shifting to something like a simple MEC Turtle light which provides a longer battery life plus a flash option while trading off in the durability department.

I was just looking for other thoughts on what the important features are in a backup light.

Fenix should redesign their clips on the LD10 and LD01. If they made the clips reversible, the user could more easily clip the flashlights onto a brim of a hat. You can do it now, but it requires professional fiddling. You'll ruin your clip if you're only an amateur.

for those of us that wear eyeglasses... a couple of neoprene "O" rings, or wrap of tape to your E01 or similar ... can attach your key ring light to the earpiece of your glasses, to make a hands free light...slip the split ring on and then attach the front end...

If I fell out of my canoe and swam to shore, I would have at least the followng items, as they are always clipped to my beltloop when I am off the pavement: Vic classic, fire striker, compass, Fox 40 whistle, and the little light pictured without the big keyring, all looped onto one foot of paracord and a springclip.

I agree wth Hikermore that a light is not the top priority in the scenario you present, but I still carry this small one. The uses I envision require that it have a momentary push button 'on' switch with the ability to lock into the 'on' positon. Uses include emergency first aid and firelighting.

The light pictured weighs one quarter ounce and costs about .75 cents each shipped from Dealextreme in a multipack. It will not accidentally turn on in the pocket, as the momentary switch is prettry sturdy, and the little slide switch has to be moved to lock it on, and it has a little guard molded into the case. The feature I like is that it can be locked on and hung from a low branch or held in your teeth (it's plastic, no worry about freezing to a lip) for first aid or to light up the striker and tinder. There are no complicated electronics in this one. The light is so simply constructed that it will work even if it has been wet, once you blow out the water. The battery is replaceable (with a mini phillips), but it's cheaper to buy a new one. It's output is small, maybe 10 lumens, but it's servicable for the uses I listed.

In my environment, I would not travel at night with any EDC flashlight, as I have tried it with a much larger light and found that it is much better to wait until dawn.

Head mounted lights just don't seem to work for me. Bugs!! Every time I tried one I got a face full of critters.

I ALWAYS have some sort of light with me. Which one varies with the situation, but I find the safety factor of a light more than makes up for any carry inconvenience.

Nomad

I prefer a simple AAA flashlight with a simple on-off mechanism, such as twist on/twist off. I currently have the Fenix E05 on my keychain and it works fine for me. Previously, I had a Fenix L0P which was similar and worked fine as well.

I appreciate having a light that's more powerful than cheap coin-size lights. It comes in handy every once in a while (at night mostly).

The only flashlight I ever got myself to EDC along with my daily house keys and work cabinet key, was a Fenix AAA-type flashlight. Along with a Leatherman PS4.

I second the endorsement for the DX light, Byrd. I have dozens of them. The first day I had one I accidentally left it in my pants pocket and ran it thru the washer and dryer- it still worked! They're pretty bright for the size and the batteries are removable (although replacements generally cost more than the light). The huge plus of this light is the constant-on switch. I utterly refuse to purchase a light that lacks this feature.

Many times over the years one of these little "faux-tons" has saved the day. Once a coworker had a flat tire at night, and was parked at the far end of the parking lot where there was zero light. No one had a flashlight of any kind! It turns out there was a cheapo D-cell in the office but the batteries were corroded and dead. My little DX light was plenty adequate to change the tire and get him on his way.