Your EDC Flashlight?

[Zig the Pirate]

Why not?

What flashlight do you carry? My selection rotates, but today it's a StreamLight MicroStream.

Later tonight, it will be something with more power (JetBeam PC20?)

 

[Legion]

A little AA cree from Romisen. It lives in my edc bag just in case.

 

[2Vu5_T]

(foursevens / darksucks) Quark QK2A MKIII with single AA body and white !! eneloop.

 

[SharpieB]

OLight S1R. Excellent compact light.

 

[garyg]

I like the little AAA jobies -

 

[Doc4]

I have a few ... Olight and Fenix ... with the 18650 battery being the basis of my system.

that, and a Nitecore Tube in my pocket, for easy-access 50 lumens.

 

[Doc4]

I like the little AAA jobies -

Nice patina!

 

[Zig the Pirate]

A little AA cree from Romisen. It lives in my edc bag just in case.

View attachment 1271144

Romisens are nice. Really good bang for your buck.

 

[StillShaving]

I had a few of these in different colors to keep in travel bag and to keep around the house. I like the push to light functionality. This one has been through a washing machine spin cycle a few times.

 

[tube_guy]

Foursevens Mini TURBO.

It throws like a much larger light.

 

[Tomo]

iPhone

 

[Tirvine]

A pocket size Maglite...we have two.

 

[Climb14er]

Either a Zebralight SC 62 18650, can run protected or unprotected cells or Zebralight SC52 AA, 14500. The latter is my travel light via planes as I can always find AA's , Lithiums, if I don't bring a small charger or extra batteries. Usually run strong 14500 cells, a lot of light from a very small package.

 

[narativesoul]

Klarus E1

 

[Wishoot]

Olight i3E is on my keychain.

Thrunite Ti3 is often in my pocket. Sometimes it's a Streamlight Microstream.

 

[dojpros]

Today-A Surefire E1B (1st Gen) with a Malkoff Head assembly and M61 drop in. Uses a 16340 rechargeable.
The Malkoff upgrade took it from 80-100 lumens to 350ish based on a comparison with 320 Lumen Surefire and the reported 400+ lumens the M61 gets when put into a Surefire 6P.

Most other days- a circa 2009 Quark/4 Sevens that is set to High Strobe/High. 200 + lumens and very svelte in the pocket. Recommended by Todd Louis Green of Pistol Forum (RIP).

 

[Skinbubble]

Question: I too have an E1B and I am looking to convert it to LED. Is the conversion expensive? I see that there is a LED version of the E1 now and it is fairly affordable now on the market (since the last time I looked at least).

 

[Skinbubble]

Today-A Surefire E1B (1st Gen) with a Malkoff Head assembly and M61 drop in. Uses a 16340 rechargeable.
The Malkoff upgrade took it from 80-100 lumens to 350ish based on a comparison with 320 Lumen Surefire and the reported 400+ lumens the M61 gets when put into a Surefire 6P.

Question: I too have an E1B and I am looking to convert it to LED. Is the conversion expensive? I see that there is a LED version of the E1 now and it is fairly affordable now on the market (since the last time I looked at least).

 

[GeronimoWSB]

Zebralight sc700d today but nearly always a ZL sc64w hi. Best edc ever.

 

[dojpros]

Skinbubble- Thank you for the inquiry. A bit of a ramble to follow. All prices are rounded and I am not adding links because this will be a big enough post already

I had an 1st Gen E1B that toggle switched between 5 lumens and 80 ish lumens. I liked the size and its efficiency with batteries but that was it. For a tactical light, I have put absolute reliability and full bright with a press as priorities. I also made the decision that that I am not buying anything made in China when there is a viable alternative made in the USA even though I may spend more money and I acknowledge that many Chinese flashlight makers can be innovative, well made and well priced i.e. Olight, Nitcore and Fenix.

I ended up "Legoing" my light because the screw on and be done with it upgrade from Malkoff was not in stock and I was impatient. My "upgrade" also necessitated me buying rechargeable batteries and a charger which long term is a good thing.

What I did as I wanted more lumens and I did not like the switchology of the SF E1B:

Purchased a Malkoff M61 drop in and put it in the Malkoff Valiant Concepts Head. This combinations needs a rechargeable battery to power it up to 320-350 lumens.
M61 drop in- 47.00
Head ----- -- 35.00
Rechar. Batt- 10.00
Charger----- 25.00
ALL IN 95 ish (117.00 LESS 20%) because Malkoff will give you a 1x discount code when you sign up with an email

The Malkoff Easy Day solution is their E1 Scout 1CR123 head at about 75ish shipped (94 less 20%) 320 lumens with a DISPOSABLE cr123.

You can buy and actual one cr 123 celled flashlight from Malkoff throwing 250 lumens, single output (he also has models that toggle. Not my cup of tea) at 95 ish shipped (115 less 20%) The Toggle switch models likely cost 20 ish more.

Surefire
The relatively new EDCL1-T flashlight is the tactical successor to the E1B. 1 cell cr123. Gas pedal switching-push the button a little 5 lumens, floor it 500 lumens. 165 retail, street price is probably 145ish.

The latest E1B toggle switches between 5 and 400 lumens. 149 retail, street price 129 ish.

Surefire makes a great light. They have put their R/D in reliability first, output second and everything else a more distant third.


If the Malkoff easy day head had been available, I would have do that and drove on and been 20 bucks ahead. I went the lego route because I was impatient and I had already purchased 2 or 3 M61 drop ins from some old Surefire G2/6P flashlights and they simply exude quality and work well. The Malkoffs are a husband/wife team in Alabama. Everything is made in the USA.
Their bread and butter is still likely upgrading C/D cell maglites and Surefire products as the lumen train has long left the station but there are millions of Maglights/Surefires out there that still function perfectly, albeit dimly relative to newer LED lights.

I am supremely confident that both Malkoff and Surefire are conservative with their lumen output numbers and runtimes. I am also supremely confident that many Chinese makers overstate their output and runtimes.

If the intersection of quality/value is driving the train- nobody owns that space better than Streamlight. They manufacture product both in China and the USA and are fairly transparent about that if you look at their data/fact sheets available online.

Their Protac 1L-AA (88061) with throw 350 lumens with 1 cr123 battery and about half that with a AA. Under 50.00 shipped all day long. Their 66604 light is fully usb rechargeable at 35ish shipped all day long (250 lumens.)

I find the "ten tap" programming on Streamlights tedious and a potential point of failure. I want as bright as possible light with a push of a switch. On/Off. No more complicated than a ball-point pen tailcap at the max.

My view is highly personal and tactically skewed.

Let us know what you do.