Survival Kit Flashlight--What do you use?

Midnight Scout

Midnight Scout

Joined
May 27, 2007
Messages
299
I went to the Sportsmen's Warehouse going-out-of-business sale yesterday and picked up a Photon II flashlight. I love it!

I try to keep everything in my PSK as small as possible so that the kit is convenient to carry thereby giving me no excuse not to carry a kit when I am in the field. I have the Inova keychain type light in there, but I am disappointed in its performance. I used the Inova last weekend on a cold wet night where I practiced setting up a shelter and starting a fire in the backyard, but I had to to go back inside to get the larger light out of my bug out bag so I could see. Since its beam was so weak, the Inova had to be right on top of whatever it was that needed light. I made a note to myself to look for alternatives.

I think the Photon II is a huge improvement. I used it last night at the deer lease.

What do you carry in your PSK for lighting?

(BTW, I used my Buck 119 to help set up the shelter and to make some fuzz sticks for the fire. The shelter was a space blanket tied between two trees. The fire did not ever really take off. I got the tinder and some kindling going twice, but I need more practice in keeping the kindling going in wet conditions. I had not used the Buck 119 in quite awhile and learned that it needed better sharpening. It was adequate for the job. Testing your equipment in conditions similar to an emergency is better than trying the equipment out once an emergency develops. Good-bye Inova; hello Photon II.)
 
I have one of those Princeton LED lights- it takes AAA batteries, is totally waterproof, is light, has a super long burn time. I like it a lot. I have it on a long lanyard and wear it hanging around my neck when I'm using it. I'm thinking about replacing it with my LED headlamp- because in general, headlamps are a heck of a lot more useful. I keep my PSK in my Maxpedition Versipack, and carry it every day.

I have a little Brookstone micro-light on my keychain, and it gets a lot of use. Those little micro-lights are great. But they don't put out enough light to be very useful in the woods- at least not for me.

And I totally agree with you about practicing your techniques. Practice, practice, practice! The more times you do something, the easier it gets.
 
I have Photons in my emergency kits and a Photon Freedom around my neck, as well as 2 other flashlights on me when I'm out and about.
 
Energizer Brand 2-AAA Nichia LED Penlight - about $7.00 at AutoZone. Excellent light!

Photon IIs and Photon Freedom Micros, likewise, excellent.

Fenix 2-AA, 1-AA and 1-AAA LED flashlights - awe-inspiring!
 
I have a Photon knock-off with a clip on it from County Comm and a Surefire Gen II L1 in my shoulder bag. The Surefire seems a bit big but the versatility, ruggedness and runtime make it what I consider the single most useful light I have ever owned. Two cells fit perfectly in a plastic match case and that gives me two cell changes for a pretty extended usage time. It's bitter cold here a good part of the year and having a light I can operate with heavy gloves plays a factor in my selection as well.

The L1 is a pricey light but I have gone through a lot of others which cost much less (yet were of very high quality) but the features are what sold me. I recently added a new Cree L1 to my "collection" even though it's a lot of dough wrapped up in two flashlights. I know the AA and AAA are more easily obtained but, if you're in the bush, you're not going to find any of them growing on a tree somewhere so I don't see the CR123A format being an issue at all. I have other AA and AAA lights for "in-home" emergencies where it is possible I might run across useable cells in the corner store, in trade or scavenged from the girls' "toys."

In my pocket, there is always an older ARC+P with a spare AAA as well. Fenix makes a neat little 1XAAA that can be had for about $12 which I think is every bit the light the ARC is but it was not available when I got the ARC.
 
Photons Microlights are good :thumbup:

Also look into a Fenix E01, GREAT little PSK lights. Longer runtime with regulated output is more important for me in a PSK than a brighter light with a non-regulated output and shorter runtime.

https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?products_id=435
Note the claimed 21 hour working time, 11 hours at a 10 lumen sun mode, and 10 hours in a less than 10 lumen moon mode. :thumbup:
 
well, when i look for a light i look for output/run time. I find the 60-80 lumen output with a 10 hour plus runtime fine. with extra bats its not hard to have days of light. 6 bats in total extra will give 2 hours of light each night, so I would have a little of 15 days of survival use from my tk-10.
 
I have an Arc AAA. I wanted something with:

Decent run time
11 or so lumins
Twist switch-less to go wrong
One level of output-less to go wrong
Easy to purchase batteries
Very durable
Takes lithium battery for ease of storage and tempiture resistant
 
I have several flashlights but if I were stuck in the woods for a while I would pick the Pak Lite Super with the glow in the dark housing.

http://9voltlight.com/inc/sdetail/5414

At high level is has about 20-30 lumens which is fine for traveling at night. At low setting it has about 10 lumens which is fine for around camp. At 600+ hour burn time, hard to beat.
 
The Pak Lite is cool. I have seen them before, but was concerned about their quality and ruggedness. I'll keep an eye for them, but is there any way to attach it to a cap so that it becomes a head lamp? I think head lamps are very convenient.

What I like about the Photon II is that it is very small and light, has a regular switch instead of just a pressure switch, and I can attach it to a cap bill with a small accessory for "no hands" use. Hard to beat a set up like that in a micro light.
 
If you have a bit of money to drop, also look at the Fenix LOD, L1D,L1T, P1D, and P2D/PD20 (in addition to the small light offerings by Surefire). They're all small lights that would be great for PSK use :thumbup: The L0D also has an optional clip if I recall correctly.

Midnight Scout said:
What I like about the Photon II is that it is very small and light, has a regular switch instead of just a pressure switch, and I can attach it to a cap bill with a small accessory for "no hands" use. Hard to beat a set up like that in a micro light.
Click to expand...

Very true, the Photon II is an excellent little light. The only thing it doesn't excel at is runtime. If only they could make a light the size of a photon but with constant output and long runtime.... I'm looking to pick up one of those $11 freedom versions though. :D
 
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CountyComm $1 LED lights sprinkled all around--- pocket, glove box, PSK, etc
Fenix E01 flashilght, pocket PSK
Fenix P1D, BOB
Black Diamond Night Ray headlamp, hiking
Black Diamond Gizmo headlamp, hiking
Petzl e+Lite headlamp, PSK
Atom Cyclops headlamp, another PSK
Princeton Tech Scout LED light, on my pack strap

Can't get enough lights :D

The Photon lights work great, but are overpriced, IMHO.
 
One thing I like it to be able to see a ways away, roughly 200 meters away I can light someone up.
P2010099.jpg
 
I've got 4 Fenix E01's (one in each kit) and a couple, three CountyComm $1 coin cell lights in each kit but my Altoids PSK. The Altoids only has one coin cell light.
 
I also have a Photon in my pocket kit, but I use the headlamp recommended by Doug Ritter (www.equippped.org top left corner) for my day pack or any time I think I might really need a light. The headlamp is very light, won't turn on in your pack, and produces a very useful light. (That reminds me that I should order another. I use the headlamp while working under the house, etc., and some important time it probably won't be in my pack!)

Spud
 
I have one Photon and several of the great clip-lights from County Comm dispersed in my bags and packs. I usually have a Nitecore Tactical PD10 or Fenix LOD-CE Q4 in my pocket if I head out at night or think there is a chance I'll be out past dark.

If I KNOW I'm going to be out in the dark, I usually carry a Black Diamond Icon or Petzl Tikka headlamp and a Surefire 6P or G2 flashlight (older models but with newer Cree LED conversion modules).

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
Fenix LD10 is in my kit bag, with some lithium batteries. Low mode is bright enough for most tasks, with a long run time. High mode puts many larger lights to shame. I also keep a diffuser tip with the light. Makes a great emergency beacon in strobe mode.
 
rksoon said:
Photons Microlights are good :thumbup:

Also look into a Fenix E01, GREAT little PSK lights. Longer runtime with regulated output is more important for me in a PSK than a brighter light with a non-regulated output and shorter runtime.

https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?products_id=435
Note the claimed 21 hour working time, 11 hours at a 10 lumen sun mode, and 10 hours in a less than 10 lumen moon mode. :thumbup:
Click to expand...
For a kit, I doubt anything can beat a Fenix E01. $15 for 1xAAA, 10 hour non-dimming runtime at 6lumens with an alkaline, 15 hours with a lithium...
 
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