Small EDC flashlights vs medium size flashlights??

Methos777

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Which is better in your mind for all around EDC, Flashlights sizes like zebra and emisar vs Fenix Pd35s and nitecore p series, and thrunite
TN series size lights?

 
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Random Dan

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The biggest lights that I've carried regularly are Zebralight SC60 and HDS Rotary. I don't think I could go any bigger than that for in-pocket carry.
 

ma tumba

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I'd say that my fav form factor is e1e with 2-way clip.

I used to edc an emisar/18650 but found it too big for pocket carry. The 18350 is better but still too thick and failed to find a decent clip that would not tear my pocket.

In fact, for edc a good clip may help decide in favor of a bigger light
 

bykfixer

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All depends on your needs/wants. More runtime or output (or both) is still held hostage to physics.

A few minutes here, a few seconds there within a few metres the physics are not as important as say long runtimes at distances.

Also 'storage' matters. A lady with a giant purse may prefer a bit larger for ease of finding it. A police detective would likely prefer smaller since it would ride in the pockets of well fitting trousers.
 

ven

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A lot depends on what your happy carrying, imho zebralight have got it very well. 18650(so lots of juice available), compact and similar in size to some 16340/CR123 lights. I would say, go with the largest your comfortable carrying . So many variables, might find single mode is a must, that can rule out a lot of lights. Or you may need (or want) 1000lm, again ruling out many. Now if you need 1000lm for a few minutes rather than seconds, again many ruled out. Personally the pd35 is a little too big for me to carry , other than in a coat pocket.

Generally i prefer 16340 type lights, but now i can mix this up with some zebralight 18650 ones, thanks to being as compact! Zebras 18650, rest 16340 fed
lQJf34vl.jpg
 
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Buck91

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Smaller is better. I have very little extra pocket room in my EDC unless I'm carrying a pack for one of a few reasons. Normally it's just me and my 1xAAA Fenix keychain light though I add an aging solar force z1 if I'm working EMS that day.

The bigger better lights are dedicated lights for fun, camping, hiking or bedstand use.
 

Gilfner

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I've carried both as EDC. But the 18650 lights ( Both a Nitecore P12 & a Thrunite TN) I have always carried in a belt holster. I started carrying both at my previous job when I was on the emergency response team. I needed the bigger light to throw up to second plus story ceilings to look for water leaks in a jumble of pipes. To me they both have uses. When I need more power, I reach to the belt holster. For quick look at something, the 1xAA (Usually an Eagletac). I need a new small light (Lost my Eagletac D25A) and I'm thinking of trying a D25C and that maybe all I need. I'm currently not carrying the 18650 light, but only because my belt holsters have worn out and failed. The ones included with the light won't last much longer than a year.
 

terjee

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I really don't think there's a "better", more like right tool for the job.

Personally I'm having a small EDC (keychain), and a larger or EDC (backpack). That let's me always have a light with me, and the options are greater if I'm carrying my backpack.

For me, this is Zebralight 18650-sized flashlight and headlight in backpack, and Lumintop Tool AAA on keychain. Especially the backpack-stuff I'm extremely pleased with. It's reliable, it's there when I need it and it works when I need it, and it's both small and light enough that I don't mind backpack-EDCing them. The wide choice in output is also perfect for EDC IMHO. I don't know what I'll need it for, but the lights adapt well to most needs. For me, that's made these perfect to the point that I'm not currently considering alternatives.
 

seery

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My EDC light is my iPhone.

And every time I leave the house, an Acebeam X65 and Fenix HL55 are riding shotgun in my truck bag.

So for me, it's small, medium and large.
 

ma tumba

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Actually, my true edc light is my i-beam wristwatch with an integrated 3mm yellow led. Even when i dont have my pants on, the light is always available from my wrist
 

bykfixer

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In that regard MaTumba, I used to carry a Streamlight Nano on a leather cord around my neck. It went everywhere I went. Swimming, shower, you name it. One day I just stopped wearing it. But it was pretty convenient if the worst ever happened.

With availability of brighter and smaller I edc pants pocket carry a 1x123 and 1xAAA. But for times more impact is required I keep multi cell lights nearby.
 

Archibald Tuttle

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I'm a tradesman and surrounded by headlamps and drop lights. My favorite work light is a Phillips, rough service , led lamp on mains power. For pocket carry I choose medium CR123 powered lights for carry and dependability. The Tekna Splash Lite below has over a 3 decade performance record. Pocket lights are not my preferred means of lighting for work, but I have fixed endless items under the glow of the Tekna. The Jetbeam TCR1 has been carried since 2012 . It only has another decade or so and will be considered reliable. 23 mm red filters fit it very well and it's being utlilized in my burgeoning astronomy fascination. Sub lumen red light is sublime.

16j34gp.jpg
 

Dicaeopolis

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I have all sizes. Depends on how you are dressed, where you are going, and what you are doing. At work, I carry one small during summer months, and add a larger light in coat pocket during winter. Just going around town during off hours I have Malkoff MDC (1CR123), or sometimes just put Maglite Solitaire in pocket. Sometimes bring a bigger light in bag if going very far from home.
 

bykfixer

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eh4

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The smallest lights that can take 18650 seem to me to strike a good balance between power, capacity, and compactness.
ZL 600 variants with pocket clip are about perfect for me, also about the biggest light I'd carry 24-7.
I like AA powered lights as well, but for the greater capacity and power I much prefer minimalist 18650 lights.
Something flatter that used prismatic or Lipo cells and had the capacity of 18650 could be really good too. If the body had a low enough volume and mass compared to the battery, I could even see overlooking a non removable battery and keeping a spare light instead of a spare battery.

Another perspective is to keep a more capable light in a bag and carry something smaller that cam get you to the bag. I don't usually carry bags though,
and an 18650 powered light with good mode levels can give you months of basic utility lighting, days or weeks of navigation lighting, a work shift of practical work light, or a hour or so of something like an cars headlight.
 
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terjee

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Yes, I often use my small EDC light to find my medium EDC light, lol :D

This!

I absolutely love my SC600-series lights, one of them live in my backpack at all times. My backpack isn't always on me though. Keychain light is how I'd get to the backpack in a power outage for example.
 

Archibald Tuttle

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Good story Archibald. 3 decades. That's awesome.

Not long ago there was a thread about the fabled Splashlite.
They were some of the original 'backup' cop lights when police still carried big ole Maglites and Streamlights.

And in case you did not know the tek-tite sight has parts and the owner is a CPFr from the early days.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?100953-Where-did-all-the-oldtimers-go/page16
See post #787


Sincere thanks for the links! There is a rapidly shrinking crowd of Splash Lite users around the globe. It consists of mostly retired law enforcement, NASA employees, divers and tradesmen. It originally cost me about 7 hours of pay, per month to operate. I would estimate lamp life by bulb resistance measurements and battery voltage.
 

bykfixer

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I like the micro-lite that runs on a pair of N cells. They have a propriety 3 volt alkaline cell for it but they're $5 each +s&h. I found PK brand alkaline N cells for about 50¢ each. (Not the great designer PK but a company called PK Cells.)
Swap an LED from tek-tite in it and run time is much improved.

It's called L222 and is an LED in the 222 base.
 
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