Defensive Flashlights- What is bright enough?

[Floppy_D]

I keep an ASP light bedside. A buddy of mine stayed over one night, he slept on the couch. (He has a key, close family friend). He left early, I noticed this when I got up to let the dog out around 5am. I set the alarm and went back to bed. He forgot his wallet or something, so he came back to get it shortly after I had gone back to sleep. In other words, the alarm went off. I ran down the hallway with the light off, until I saw a dark figure wearing a hoodie in the dim glow of moonlight. At 120 lumens, I was a quarter blind, and he was all the way blind. He couldn't look directly at me, he covered his face up to hide from the light. He was hollering to let me know who it was, though. Later I asked him about it, and he told me that he couldn't see a thing, the light made him dizzy.

So, I personally don't have a need for anything over 120 lumens, especially with white walls.

 

[supernac]

http://www.dealextreme.com/

 

[highorder]

If it can take four "D" cells, you've pretty much got a lighthouse in your hands; a single "AA" cell? Good for peeking into the eaves and ceiling tiles or for picking your way back to your car in a pitch black moonless, starless night, but not for serious carry.

Sorry to say, most of this has been obsolete for 10 years.

I have a single AA light (Nitecore) that is 6X brighter than a 4xD Mag incan.

As for light choices?

Surefire, Fenix, Jet-beam, Nitecore, DX, Orb, Wolf eyes... the list goes on.

www.lighthound.com
www.fenix-store.com
www.surefire.com
www.dealextreme.com

 

[Javelin]

Xenonics NightHunter. If you want some serious light. Problem is the darn thing costs more than the Colt 6920 and is seemingly as heavy. But it will shed a little light on any situation

 

[PRE 64 JOE]

I love my Fenix, it takes 2 AA batteries and since i'm a photographer that uses AA batteries ni cad or nmh rechargables it's perfect and bright, about $60.00

 

[NWdude83]

They say 65 lumens is the minimum you need. But I like 100+ myself.

 

[Geneseo1911]

good grief, Javelin! I think we found the cause of global warming!

 

[RichardInFlorida]

I've have or had a lot of different lights from the major players (Streamlight, MagLight, Surefire, etc.). I've found that the Fenix lights are pretty good bang for the buck. I currently carry the Fenix L2D as my concealed carry flashlight.

--Richard

 

[JImbothefiveth]

. I ran down the hallway with the light off,

That's a cool story, of course, this being the interwebz, I have to tell you that you shouldn't go house clearing.

 

[Jason_G]

I have noticed the "more is better" mentality when it comes to HD lights, and I feel a little differently:

Has anyone here ever actually turned on their HD flashlight in their house after being awoken by a "bump in the night"?

I can tell you first hand that my 120 lumen Streamlight would not only blind an invader, but me as well! Reflected light from a powerful flashlight is enough to really blind you if your eyes are fully accustomed to the dark. Especially if you have close walls and/or light colored walls.

I can't imagine a 200+ lumen light, as some folks have suggested, inside a house after being woken up from a deep sleep.

I think a much better strategy is to have a decently bright light, around 100 lumens or so, and have your rooms backlit as much as possible so an attacker's silhouette would be easy to see. If you own a handgun, make sure it has some decent night sights, and practice with them in low light, in conjunction with your light.

JMHO. To each their own.

Jason

 

[LAK]

Anything along the lines of the Streamlight Scorpion or similar 2-cell SureFires.

There are diminishing returns to extremely bright lights. The brighter the light the greater the impact on your night vision; you may have to switch your light off now and then - perhaps often. Also the more reflected light on you marking your position and profile.

--------------------------------------------

http://gt5.com
http://ssunitedstates.org

 

[krs]

There are diminishing returns to extremely bright lights. The brighter the light the greater the impact on your night vision; you may have to switch your light off now and then - perhaps often. Also the more reflected light on you marking your position and profile.

That's the reason for light output adjustability. The Fenix's and several others that use Cree emitters have several settings that are expressed in Lumens. For example, my Fenix L2D goes like this:

General Mode: 12 lumens (55hrs)
53 lumens (10.5hrs)
107 lumens (4hrs)
Turbo Mode: 180 lumens (2.4hrs)

and it'll strobe at, I'm pretty sure, max 180 lumens.

 

[leadcounsel]

Batteries!

Get something bright and handy with a thumb press switch, that uses commonly available inexpensive batteries.

I made the mistake of buying a flashlight that uses only rare pricey batteries and I was spending a fortune.

 

[LAK]

Krs,

Yes I have a couple of lights that adjust too. I do however stick with one light with two switch settings for a general combat light; on - and off.

If I am going to search for something outside on a very open piece of ground I would bring along a stronger lamp as well.

 

[JShirley]

I've owned a variety of good lights. I think I still own three SureFires, though one (L4) needs to return to the factory for repair again.

My suggestions:

Car or house light: Black Bear Borealis.

Daily carry: Fenix L2P. AA battery, regulated LED in a MiniMag-sized package (useful for kubaton tactics), $30 delivered.

Pocket carry: Fenix L1P. AA battery, bright enough for close-range shooting but dim enough to use as a task light, 27$ delivered.

You should be able to get all three of these lights and some extra rechargeable AA batteries for just over three hundred dollars, and this will include an excellent charger from Black Bear.

I have used the Borealis in inclement weather and on the job doing security and in the combat zone*. It will illuminate small predators in poor light transmission conditions (heavy dust in air, snow and rain) at 200 meters, and will light up reflective targets to at least 500...


*before white lights stopped being SOP at the little fire base I was attached to.

John

 

[Mak92fs]

Honestly i carry a fully rechargeable Energizer 3 watt 90 lumen aprox all aluminum flashlight and i love it. its tough as nails and i dont have to keep buying batterys for it like i do my G2 the only thing i dont like about it is the fact that it doesnt have a tailend switch on it. I have mounted it on a remington 870 norincomak-90 and a taurus pt-92 and it has worked perfectly on all of them.

 

[LAK]

I carry a standard rechargeable Streamlight Stinger at work - it is however alittle large for pocket carry. Rechargeable lights make good sense though, and I would recommend Streamlight's Strion as an alternative to the cr123 cell Streamlight and SureFires. They may initially seem pricey; however they will recharge a minimum of about 300 times.

 

[auschip]

I have an Olight T20 that puts out 220 lumens. I saw that Fenix will be releasing a 630 Lumen light, but it only has 1 hour of burn time on 8AA.

 

[Impureclient]

Any thoughts on any of the lights from dealextreme.com? There are a whole bunch of 900 lumen ones
for $25-30 like this one : http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.22567

Why are they so much cheaper than any of the brands mentioned in here?

 

[tacweapon]

My carry light is a Fenix P3D it is a great light with a range of I believe 60-250 Lumen. I had it attached to my XCR and I was able to see and engage targets with it, but now I use it as a daily carry light and it is great,fairly light weight and good output.

Any thoughts on any of the lights from dealextreme.com? There are a whole bunch of 900 lumen ones
for $25-30 like this one : http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.22567

Why are they so much cheaper than any of the brands mentioned in here?

they are cheap for a reason. I ordered one after dealextreme failed to ship the Tiabl A9 I ordered and I could not get my refund. The light is not very bright my Tiablo A9 and Fenix P3D is a much brighter and more versitle light.