Losing a flashlight stinks

I'm sure it's happened to at least some of you at some point, but I lost one of my lights and worst of all it was my EDC. An Olight s1r Baton. I loved that little light. It had everything I want in an EDC. It's very easy to pocket with or without the clip. The lockout is easy to engage or disengage. It's very bright for a cr123 light. It was always reliable for me. Lastly the magnetic charging tail cap is so convenient to charge and to stick to anything metal.

I've looked around and it's looking like there is no other light that has all those features that would be an upgrade so I'm probably going to be out $65 and have to buy another s1r. Oh well I guess...

My original HDS clicky fell out of my pocket on a camping trip and despite hours of looking I never found it. That was a painful replacement cost.

That said, 5 years later and I no longer remember the loss of the $99 but I still have and enjoy the HDS.

TA_ls1 said:

I'm sure it's happened to at least some of you at some point, but I lost one of my lights and worst of all it was my EDC. An Olight s1r Baton. I loved that little light. It had everything I want in an EDC. It's very easy to pocket with or without the clip. The lockout is easy to engage or disengage. It's very bright for a cr123 light. It was always reliable for me. Lastly the magnetic charging tail cap is so convenient to charge and to stick to anything metal.

I've looked around and it's looking like there is no other light that has all those features that would be an upgrade so I'm probably going to be out $65 and have to buy another s1r. Oh well I guess...

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I automatically assume that whoever found my (insert valuable thing here) is an unappreciative ingrate and I HATE them for a while...one of the stages of loss...my condolences...

Man, I am sorry to hear that. It really sucks.

One of the lessons I learned in the Army is at that if it is not tethered to your body, you will lose it!

I am very systematic about my gear in that I have a specific place for each item, and I always put them back in the same place. My flight bag is packed the same way each time so that I can easily see if everything is there.

My most heartbreaking loss was losing a Surefire 8AX Commander with a KT5 Turbohead and a Red Beam Filter. I think about it all the time, and it breaks my heart. Though there has been times when I can't help but think it was stolen.

The worst part of the whole story is whoever obtained the light will never be able to use it, as the likelihood of them knowing enough to acquire a Surefire B90 battery and charger to use it are probably zilch.

I like to think that someday I will run across it again, but I know that's never gonna happen.

TA_ls1 said:

I'm sure it's happened to at least some of you at some point, but I lost one of my lights and worst of all it was my EDC. An Olight s1r Baton. I loved that little light. It had everything I want in an EDC. It's very easy to pocket with or without the clip. The lockout is easy to engage or disengage. It's very bright for a cr123 light. It was always reliable for me. Lastly the magnetic charging tail cap is so convenient to charge and to stick to anything metal.

I've looked around and it's looking like there is no other light that has all those features that would be an upgrade so I'm probably going to be out $65 and have to buy another s1r. Oh well I guess...

Click to expand...

My favorite light as well for a long time for all of the reasons you listed. Only thing I has dulled my enthusiasm a bit is the turbo performance, not so great if the light is much below room temp. But even with that, still an awesome light. The magnetic attachment for the charger is a great way to go.

Johnnyh said:

I automatically assume that whoever found my (insert valuable thing here) is an unappreciative ingrate and I HATE them for a while...one of the stages of loss...my condolences...

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this +2
OP, I know losing sucks, but at least they still manufacture and stock those Olights for quick ship and arrival. You lucky, lucky, lucky... Better get two or three in case they stop.

lost in the last year (moved twice, call it stress-induced attention deficit):
E1e-BK w/ Tad Customs E-socket
FiveMega 18500 body w/ z68, Elite head, Tad Customs E-socket
Vinh Maratac AAA Copper w/ Thrunite driver & Nichia 219b

hello certainly will not have the excellent quality of the olight but this "on the road m3" would seem almost a clone and in the Italian forum cpfitaly some users have this brand and it seems ok and the price is very good

Being in the Coast Guard, taught us the value of tethering also. If you couldn't tether it (pens,change), get it out of your pocket (imagine the damage a penny can do to the top of someone's head from 200 feet up). Lately the lights I lost were just misplaced (like moving, or not putting it back where it belongs). But the one that really burned my butt was my m43 disappearing from on top the fridge. I bought so many lights after that to make up for it...

I was sectioned last year and my s1 baton disappeared somewhere between hospitals. I really liked the size and magnetic tailcap. Sometimes I think it might have been the magnet that got it lost. As my stuff was put in metal lockers I reckon it might have wanted to stick around in one of them. Haven't replaced it, I have a TiNi and other lights, also going to try the Emisar D4 with a 18350 when that arrives. Now I have a box of 9 cr123 batteries and nothing to put them in! I really like the D4 I have a warm version and saw the special versions were on sale so went for one with a 18350. Its only missing the magnetic tailcap of the s1/r.

Yup, losing your EDC stinks.

I lost like 3 Microstreams over a period. Lose it, then the replacement wouldn't seem the same.

I recently acquired one like my first one but am afraid to EDC it because the 2008 model is all but impossible to find new and used ones rarely show up for sale.

Losing your EDC is an excuse to upgrade right? :twothumbs

Mine is attached to my keychain though, so I haven't lost it yet.

Thanks guys. I feel bad for anyone who has lost a light. I hope I have as good of luck with my replacement as my original. Olight has been pretty consistent for me so far, aside from a s10r baton III I had a few years ago that quit.

I've went back to carrying my Zebralight sc62 for now, and it's a great light, but even that seems kind of big after carrying the s1r for as long as I did. I'm itching to get another soon.

OP sorry for your loss. I HATE loosing things. Hopefully it will turn up. I have found things that I thought were gone for good, but turn up when I am not looking for them.

OP, sorry that you lost your EDC. I lost my HDS rotary once and was devastated. Eventually it turned up in a friends car. I hope yours shows up soon!

And then there's my Surefire U2 Ultra resting eternally at the bottom of the Mississippi River.

[Bugle playing taps in the background]

There are several kinds of losses:

1: You lose it as in gets destroyed. Bottom of the lake, fire, run over by a tank. Gone as in metal to be recycled.

2. Lost. Left on a bench in a public park. Or the airport. Or the bus or the metro. As I did to my Surefire G2x Pro. In this case, the wealth just gets moved around. It's not lost. It's lost to *you*

But let's think about that for a second shall we. You have a dozen nice, expensive high-performance lights. So some guy finds it and may actually really need it lots more than you. Maybe it's his only light. And suddenly he has this Surefire or Malkoff. He will figure out, in time where to buy the cells.
So #2 isn't really all that bad. It's fate redistributing wealth to a more equal situation. You still have nice lights some of which you don't use and some that you possibly might never use. So you have this item locked away behind a glass that someone could really benefit from, as in some truck driver or an emergency medical person or airplane person, or someone. Somewhere.

3. Stolen. It's hard to say what makes me more angry, #1 or #3. A natural disaster that takes out your light is bad but think of it this way, it's just generated business for Mr. Malkoff or Surefire or various asian factories. So now someone gets paid. When they manufacture the light you buy to replace the destroyed device. Now as for the stolen property, you can only hope the bad guy somehow transfers it to a good guy. They don't deserve it but that's life.

So philosophically, #2 isn't all that bad, think of it as sharing on a long-term basis. #1 is terrible but #3 is the worst. You just hope things work out in the long run.

etc said:

But let's think about that for a second shall we. You have a dozen nice, expensive high-performance lights. So some guy finds it and may actually really need it lots more than you. Maybe it's his only light. And suddenly he has this Surefire or Malkoff. He will figure out, in time where to buy the cells.

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First, if the guy is poor, there's no way he's going to buy expensive CR123 cells for a Surefire. If the cell takes 18650's, he's not going to have a clue what those cells are, much less know proper charging and care. The only chance he might have, is if the light is running on Eneloops. Then, he'll replace with alkaleaks, and have a under-performing light.

Second, unless he's already a flashaholic, there's no way he'll appreciate a nice light. He'll treat it like a crappy mag, and probably just throw it in the garbage when the batteries run out (see above).

I find that very presumptuous.

If my knowledge level was at zero and I found some kind of a light on the street, the first thing I would do is fire up a search engine and key in the name on it to figure out what it is after realizing AA cells do not fit into it. Every light that takes 18650 also takes CR123A cells and they are available in every drug store and 'Bay and Amazon, etc and of course Big Box Stores like Walmart. They are neither rare not that expensive and not require a 3-digit IQ to replace.

I probably wouldn't worry about rechargeable Li-ion cells.

Basically, you never know. It may end up in someone's glove box -- until it's needed and actually used, nothing wrong with that, or it may end up actively used every day, nothing wrong with that either. Or travel around until it finds its destination. As in, hey look what I found and someone in the family will repossess it.

You never know.

etc said:

Every light that takes 18650 also takes CR123A cells

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What???!?

I'm not sure if I have any light that takes either 18650's or CR123A cells. They either wouldn't fit, or two in series would make the voltage too high. Well, maybe some of my lights will take a couple of CR123's, but here they cost $24.99 for a pair, in stores. No, thanks! Even I would throw out the light rather than be forced to run it on CR123's.