I EDC a SF M2 (sometimes an E2e, but I tend to give them away as gifts to family) and a SF L1. Covers me for three levels of light and a covers a wide range of runtimes as needed. Both lights use the same batteries.

-john

If you need to do mass 1st aid for a bunch of lacerations that are not life theatening, I think you should go the route we do for houses: 3M Vetwrap bangages, preferaably 3", a full box or more of 4 x 4 telfa non-sticks, twice that many boxes of 4 x 4 gauze, a can of antibiotic spray, like Furacin, and several cans of spray sterile saline.

Roughly debride with saline, spray on some Furacin, slap on a telfa pad and a couple of gauze pads, and sent them out the door. In such an emergency, there is not time for more.

Traveling as a tourist you don’t want to stick out too much. I visited London when I was stationed in Germany when I was in the US Army. Back then I would have had nothing more than a small pocketknife. If I were there today I would only have a few pocket items, a LeatherMan Charge Ti, and a SureFire C2. I would have nothing for smoke or first aid. Most places in London there are shops only a few steps away. It would be good to carry a bag with water, a dust mask, and a first-aid kit. I don’t think I would take my CamelBack to London. A backpack will now make you look like a homicide bomber. Most Europeans carry a briefcase. They carry their lunch in it but it would be good as a low profile PSK container.

Fitzoid,
What you mentioned may be true with the more common LED flood lights, but the newer spot style will cut through like a xenon. I used to carry a Surefire E1e-Ha with the older KL1 LED head (more flood then spot) and when I would use that in very dusty areas (I work in construction) it would have the effect you mentioned. However, I now carry a Surefire E1e with new style KL1 (more spot) and that cuts through the dust even better then the regular Xenon bulb. I'm not sure if smoke is the same way, but if it is the higher quality spot LED lights should fare fine.

Aren't all the non-LED Surefire's xenon?

If so, I keep my G2 in my backpack, clipped to a shoulder strap in a sheath. Problem is I either carry that pack, or a shoulderbag. Looking for a single carrier that I can put stuff in and just move from bag to bag.

That's interesting. I haven't had that experience with any of my LED lights, including at least one narrow beam with a fair amount of throw, but maybe I should look into this more. I took my entire flashlight collection for an outdoor middle-of-the-night test a few weeks ago. I walked through a field and surrounding woods on a moonless night. It was fairly foggy, and I was very disappointed with the glare from my LEDs. I think it would have been really hard to navigate with them in a pinch. (Of course, in the absence of fog, they are real champs.)

There are a few exceptions like the "beast" which is HID. They also have a military heavy weapon light which is HID. But in general most are incandecent.



Probably some of the most popular are the Spec-Ops Brand Pack Rat and Mini Pocket Organizer.

-john

In addition to how tight the beam, I think beam color comes into play. In reading about fog lights, I came accross the observation that more "yellow" lights are not as hard on our night vision and thus make better fog lights. I think the same thing comes into play here as the LED lights are much less yellow.

-john

Yeah, with respect to fog, the frequency of the light should be the main difference between LED and Xenon bulbs. My LED lights are mostly white, with varying degrees of purple or greenish tints -- i.e., the Luxeon lottery. I don't have a yellow LED light -- if anyone does, it'd be interesting to hear a comparison for fog/smoke usage.

I have to agree on this.

I do not think that carrying a dust mask, water and xenon flashlight every time you go underground in a subway is worth the trouble. I like to travel light (assuming I don't carry a briefcase or bag all the time; then it would be a different story and I would probably carry these items).

Maybe i'm saying this because I never experienced a tornado or hurricanes... but when it comes to survival, I think of "backcountry", "wilderness" and "8-hour drive fishing trip with nobody around". I am not too concerned by urban survival.

Just my opinion. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />


Bee