Picture this: You have driven up on a crash at night in the rain and you must administer first-aid, but you can’t move the victim. The car has spun so that there is no light where you need it and the rain is coming down hard. What do you do?
For most of us, we reach into our pocket or Go Bag and pull out a flashlight and first aid kit and get to work. Carrying a flashlight became part of my EDC (Everyday Carry) one night at a match. Someone needed first aid but not in such a way that required an ambulance or hospital. A friend had a small Streamlight in his pocket and whipped it out to help. There were a few features that caught my eye about his light:
If you aren’t carrying a light, here are a few of my favorites to get you started:
This is my go-to for a pocket light. It has all the features listed above, and its reasonably priced at around $20. It holds up to crappy weather and is rated at 45 lumens for 2.25 hours
Surefire flashlights were the first real flashlights I ever dealt with. The place I worked carried them and I was blown away by the E2D. The beveled edges were the seller for me on this one. Not only is it rated at 1,000 lumens on its highest setting, but you also have an applied-force weapon added to your setup. It’s also one of the coolest looking lights I own, and we all know that’s important too.
Dark alleys and walkways are no place for ladies to be and the Olight Diffuse flashlight was designed with them in mind. Rechargeable or AA battery powered and loaded with features. With 5 brightness settings, a strobe that would disorient anyone, and stylish looks, the Diffuse also packs a bit of a bevel around the front of its aluminum case for strikes!
Cloud Defensive jumps into a higher grade of flashlight. Everything from its durability to its internals are made on another level then the afore mentioned competition. This model puts out an astounding 1700 lumens on its highest setting! The battery life at this setting is a full 65 minutes with the interchangeable 40,000 candela head with the fully charged included battery but can also run on a lithium CR123 as a backup. The MCH-EDC comes at a higher price, but the features more than make up for the inflated sticker.
Rounding out this top 5 list is a brand that has been growing quickly over the last 5 years. I see more and more of their products out and about so I gave one a try for myself. The E02R was designed to go on your keychain so you always have it on you. For me, this was about having a light even when I forgot my pocket light. The E02R is surprisingly bright at 200 lumens on its highest setting but also has a lower 15 lumen setting for a less abrasive blast of light. I can’t tell you how often I use this thing. I bet you will too.
Stay well-lit out there.
-Nick
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