I?ve had two E2es (one for the wife), a C2 (hard finish <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />) and a G2 (I made a leather holster for it <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />) for several years now. I EDC one of them at all times. The unexpected dead battery is a problem. If I am going on an outing I will swap out to new batteries. For everyday use I keep a mental note of how long the batteries have been in my SureFire and how much I have used it. I start expecting the batteries to go dead before they do. You will also notice that the light does not seem as bright as normal. That is a clue the batteries are about to go dead. I have not had to replace the bulb on any of my SureFires. I use my SureFire almost daily. StreamLite 123 batteries can be had for as little as $1.50 each.