Cheapo Flashlights

[O-Rex]

I know this might not be the sexiest of toys, but here's a scenario:

Hanging around your fellow CAP flying buddies, one of them whips out a supercharged multi-LED flashlight the size of your pinky, and has more lumens than the Bat-signal.  It's the latest/greatest thing and despite the $20-30 pricetag, you simply have to get it, and will feel totally inadequate among your peers if you don't.

You buy this little gem, and take it to your next SAR event, which is a 2-hour flight from home.  After all is said and done, you get home, and realized you left it at the Mission Base.  Of course, much to the delight of the lucky individual who came across it after you left, it is long-gone.

Ouch.

Maybe this happened to you, or maybe you had the self-restraint not to drop that much coin on a little flashlight in the first place, and opted for something that won't make a grown man cry if it is lost or damaged.

What do you get?

Suggestions: Micro-mags go for about $5, and Ray-o-vac makes penlights that sell for $3 that fits nicely in the pen-pocket of your flightsuit...

Any others?

[isuhawkeye]

NEBO makes a great cheap small flashlight.  its the kind of thing you pick up at a cash register, but I've had great luck with mine

  I've got a few links.  ill post when I get home tonight.

[♠SARKID♠]

I've always been a fan of the minimag from Maglite, but they've come out with their own pinkie sized "Solitaire" that only runs 5-10 bucks.

[JoeTomasone]

I've bought cheapies from dealextreme.com for a few bucks each that are remarkably solid.  I usually give them out during training to those answering tough questions correctly.     They have a ton of different models in different price ranges.    Only downside is that it comes on the slow boat from China, so you're talking a week or two for (free) delivery.

[DC]

If I need something I grab whatever is on the way to the checkout line at WalMart, usually Rayovac or Energizer something or other....

I have a little $5 LED on my key chain that is brighter than most flashlights I have seen, I use that a lot if I need a quick look at something.

On missions I am very fond of my $10 energizer head lamp. It has two modes, two fairly bright white LEDs, or a single red LED. Had it for years, still works great. And you can't beat the convienience of having both hands free.

[jimmydeanno]

On missions I am very fond of my $10 energizer head lamp. It has two modes, two fairly bright white LEDs, or a single red LED. Had it for years, still works great. And you can't beat the convienience of having both hands free.

I just picked up the $12.00 version and will be trying it this weekend.  It has 4 white LEDs that can be turn either 2 at a time or all four, plus two Red LEDs.  It says that 3 AAAs last 50 hours - I like it so far from what little I've played with it. 

I even like that it can tilt up or down depending on what you want to do...

[DC]

On missions I am very fond of my $10 energizer head lamp. It has two modes, two fairly bright white LEDs, or a single red LED. Had it for years, still works great. And you can't beat the convienience of having both hands free.

I just picked up the $12.00 version and will be trying it this weekend.  It has 4 white LEDs that can be turn either 2 at a time or all four, plus two Red LEDs.  It says that 3 AAAs last 50 hours - I like it so far from what little I've played with it. 

I even like that it can tilt up or down depending on what you want to do...

Sounds huge...

I really like mine because it is bright enough, without incinerating the eyeballs of someone who happens to look into the light, it is small and light weight too. I think it runs on a watch battery or something, the battery is not replaceable, and I have used the heck out of it for two years and it is just as bright as the day I bought it...

[notaNCO forever]

 My head lamp is made by energizer sounds the same as theirs and its not that big. Works good to except it is prone to turning on when sitting in my gear so the batteries die.

[O-Rex]

I've bought cheapies from dealextreme.com for a few bucks each that are remarkably solid.  I usually give them out during training to those answering tough questions correctly.     They have a ton of different models in different price ranges.    Only downside is that it comes on the slow boat from China, so you're talking a week or two for (free) delivery.

Went to the site: Some real bargains, what's the catch?  Is there a minimum order?

It's like 'Big Lots" online. . . .

[DC]

My head lamp is made by energizer sounds the same as theirs and its not that big. Works good to except it is prone to turning on when sitting in my gear so the batteries die.

Yeah, the switch on mine does have a tendency to turn on when its in a pocket or a bag. People usually just let me know my pocket is glowing... If you get the one with the button it is better, but the switch can be somewhat annoying...

[isuhawkeye]

Here are some notes I typed up on the NEBO CSI a few months ago
http://isuhawkeye.typepad.com/halbrook_associatescom/2008/04/nebo-csi-flashl.html

[JoeTomasone]

I've bought cheapies from dealextreme.com for a few bucks each that are remarkably solid.  I usually give them out during training to those answering tough questions correctly.     They have a ton of different models in different price ranges.    Only downside is that it comes on the slow boat from China, so you're talking a week or two for (free) delivery.

Went to the site: Some real bargains, what's the catch?  Is there a minimum order?

It's like 'Big Lots" online. . . .

Pretty much.  Some stuff is excellent quality, some less so.    Look at the reviews before you buy.   Other than that, no catches.   I've ordered a handful of times and have been 85-90% satisfied with what I got.

Besides flashlights, they have inexpensive and decent glowsticks, whistles, and other stuff that meets the needs for 24 hr kits.    I gave out some orange whistles that had a signal mirror, compass, thermometer, and LED light.   It's cheap (and doesn't make out to be anything but), however the cadets who got them loved them, and they were $2-3 bucks or so.   

[N Harmon]

I keep one of these as my backup flashlight



I think I paid like $5 for it.

[SarDragon]

I get these at my local auto parts store, for $5.

It's a 9 LED pocket flashlight about the size of a roll of quarters, uses 3 AAA standard batteries that fit inside a tubular holder, and has a push button on/off switch on the bottom.

MFG - Performance Tools
MFG # W2370
UPC # 39564 - 13370

[JoeTomasone]

I keep one of these as my backup flashlight



I think I paid like $5 for it.

Careful, some of these are fake, they  have a small lithium button battery and NO faraday charger - when the battery dies, it's dead, Jim. 

[notaNCO forever]

 I got a good 1 LED light with a red and blue lens at Wall Mart for about twelve dollars that works good and has a good aluminum body that's relatively waterproof. It works better than the military flahlight I have.

[NIN]

I can't cotton to spending $100 on a Streamlight or something (mostly since I don't weapon-mount my lights, etc), so I've been trolling hard for a nice tactical light w/o bells and whistles to go into my gear.

The old 2-3 Cell D smash-light is out. Too darn heavy.  LEDs are definitely the way to go these days.

The local Lowes had a Coast 2-color LED light for $14.  5 or 6 white LEDs (can you say "Purple retinal spots for 2 hrs" bright?) surrounding a single red LED. (Find it on Coast's site here)  My only beef is that its doesn't have a tail-cap switch. I can deal.

I have found a few of those "3 AAA, 4 LED" lights in the checkout at Big Lots/Trader Horn/Ace Hardware, and for $3-4, when they crap out before you change the batteries, they're still worth it.  I have 1-2 in my car, a couple here in the house, etc. 

Pelican gave me a nice give-away light at AUSA.  That's going in my gear, too. 

[jimmydeanno]

Sounds huge...
I really like mine because it is bright enough, without incinerating the eyeballs of someone who happens to look into the light, it is small and light weight too. I think it runs on a watch battery or something, the battery is not replaceable, and I have used the heck out of it for two years and it is just as bright as the day I bought it...

This is the one I'm talking about:


So I used this all weekend at our SAR-EVAL.  We operated our Ground Teams out of a remote mission base set up at a local state park.  We conducted GT training Friday evening, participated in the SAR-EVAL on Saturday and did more GT training on Sunday.  Was a great weekend.

Anyway, my LED headlamp was probably the best thing I've bought in a long time.  It enabled me to keep both of my hands free while providing instruction or carrying items.  The red LED worked well for not destroying peoples night sight.

It downpoured all Saturday night (my truck bed had 4 inches of water in it the morning after.  I used my headlamp in the pouring rain without any moisture problems.  I have about 16 hours of use on it and it is still as bright as when I took it out of the package, same batteries.

I think these are well worth the investment.

[O-Rex]

I can't cotton to spending $100 on a Streamlight or something (mostly since I don't weapon-mount my lights, etc), so I've been trolling hard for a nice tactical light w/o bells and whistles to go into my gear.

The old 2-3 Cell D smash-light is out. Too darn heavy.  LEDs are definitely the way to go these days.

The local Lowes had a Coast 2-color LED light for $14.  5 or 6 white LEDs (can you say "Purple retinal spots for 2 hrs" bright?) surrounding a single red LED. (Find it on Coast's site here)  My only beef is that its doesn't have a tail-cap switch. I can deal.

I have found a few of those "3 AAA, 4 LED" lights in the checkout at Big Lots/Trader Horn/Ace Hardware, and for $3-4, when they crap out before you change the batteries, they're still worth it.  I have 1-2 in my car, a couple here in the house, etc. 

Pelican gave me a nice give-away light at AUSA.  That's going in my gear, too. 

Pelicans are great scuba-lights: I had two that grew legs and walked away.