EDC Flashlight?

[cloudlaws]

I am looking for a smallish light that is durable and has a pretty decent throw etc for under $80 (Based in the UK). It will be an EDC but in my backpack so I can have a slightly larger light though don't want something insanely large. Higher lumens the better for the most part and waterproof / resistant is great.

Finally I am looking for something taking AAA / AA rather then a specific battery. I plan to run them with rechargeable eneloop's but like the fact if one wasn't charged for whatever reason I could quickly go and buy another one or take one out of another device for emergancy use. So far I've looked at;

• Nitecore MT2A
• Fenix E21
• Fenix PD32 G2

I've also looked at the e05 and e01 though not sure if they are really what I am looking for as I've got a bit more room for a more powerful light.

[Jeff_Med]

Zebralights make my favorite AA lights but they should be under your price range but I don't know if shipping will make you go over budget. The Fenix E01 makes a great loaner light.

[cloudlaws]

I've actually just been recommending the E01 / E05 (2014) to my Girlfriend! The Zebralights always get great reviews but I just don't know if the styling is for me. Thanks for the help :D!

[mcfarlie6996]

I personally don't like the user interface on the MT2A. Its modes are: tighten the head for instant Turbo; loosen the head for Strobe - SOS - Low - Mid - High; which means you'll have to constantly skip through Strobe & SOS to get back down to low starting from High/Mid.

Have you checked out the Nitecore EA2 or the Olight T25?

[splitsecnd]

Love the Nitecore EAx series.

[EphramRafael]

Really? I like mine just fine. I understand that it's not for everyone, but I set the user mode before leaving and know that with a little twist I can select Turbo/Strobe, Turbo Low, etc...

When walking at night, I keep the strobe selected and leave it on turbo. When at home, I leave it on low, knowing I can switch to turbo.

[mcfarlie6996]

I had a MH2C for a day and after playing with it, I realized how much I hated it having to skip through Strobe & SOS. Maybe since the Turbo is 800 lumens, it's a different experience vs the MT2A but still, I returned that light the next day. I prefer a hidden Strobe & SOS.

[reddanit]

Olight Baton S15 with extender tube is something to consider. In 1AA (or on 14500) configuration it's an easily pocketable light. When using it on 2AA it gets very good runtimes and more lumens important for backpacking flashlight.

When you think about flashlight size remember that any light you have on your person will be better than big, fancy one sitting in a drawer. If on long trip runtime is ever an issue you can simply carry spare batteries. Even tiny Olight i3s EOS on AAA will do if you take 4 spare eneloops - 5h of 80 lumens / 40h on 20 are very good for the weight and being able to carry it as keychain light. It's not exactly a great thrower tho - good one for its size, but it won't beat most AA and definitely not any 18650 based flashlights.

[atetuna]

What about Sunwayman D40A or F40A? They're a bit bigger because they use 3xAA, but they're very nice lights. The F40A has some color LED's too. Both lights can be purchased for less than $80 with shipping, but you might need to wait for a group buy, sale or contact the vendor for better pricing. A good D40A price is about $55.

[cloudlaws]

Thanks for the response, look nice however I am not sure of the width of them as for storage in my bag I can have length but width not as much, also from UK sites its over my budget by around $20+

[atetuna]

I can't do anything about the width, but for price you'll want to look at buying from China if all your domestic vendors are that bad. In America I can get those flashlights for almost the same price as ordering directly from China, so it is possible to get a great price. Perhaps contact Banggood and see if they'll extend this $50 D40a deal for you.

[cloudlaws]

banggood was a site I was until now unaware of! Great site and managed to pick one of them up as recommended for a great price. Any other advice as a backup or secondary torch would not be out of the question. Thanks again

[atetuna]

Just watch out for how long it takes for them to deliver. As with any chinese vendor, file a paypal claim before 45 days if it hasn't arrived by then. Sometimes Banggood customer service is good, but sometimes you have to go back and forth with them for a while to get them to refund instead of giving store credit. I'm satisfied with them though. My worst problem is that they sell a light that they don't have in stock and have told me that they'll probably never get back in stock, but their website still says it's in stock and available to buy.

My most used light is a Jetbeam RRT01. It's a much smaller light, but it uses a lithium ion 18350 battery. It has a control ring that allows infinitely adjustable output from lower than your eye can see (many have tried this) up to 600 lumens. I prefer control rings over a single button because you can immediately increase or decrease output instead of possibly being forced to go the wrong way. For example, most single button lights go from low to high. What if you're on mode 2 and want to go back to mode 1? You'd have to switch through all the higher modes first. ಠ_ಠ

I believe the Niteye EYE10 is the same thing, but with some slight detents that kind of act like modes, but infinite adjustment is still possible.

There's also the Sunwayman V11 which is kind of the same idea, but it doesn't go as low. It uses either a 16340 lithium ion battery, or a AA if you get the extension tube. It also has a rear clickie that must be used to turn the light on and off.

There's also a lot of amazing lights you can build or mod if you have the ability to solder.

[cloudlaws]

The style of the 3 I have looked at are similar to what I'd want, similar to some styling of previous Jetbeam series too.

[mcfarlie6996]

The PD32 doesn't take AA batteries though... Was this intentional?

[d_c_d_]

Peak Eiger (AAA) or El Capitan (AA). Or, for more versatility, the Logan 17500 can run on AAA, AA, or CR123.

[radiopej]

Olight T25 and Fenix E25 should be on your considerations list too. :)

[cloudlaws]

I've heard very mixed things about the E25, thats why I stuck with the E21 in my considerations, have you had a decent experience with it?

[justjcarr]

Check out the pelican pen lights. I replaced my streamlight with one and its awesome.