I need to get a good “tactical” flashlight
The pickup for me today:
Small little frame lock from CRKT
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That looks like the one I use at work all the time. Love that thing!
I’ll grab a pic tomorrow.
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These three are in constant rotation, mainly because of pre-6AM dog walks:
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Fenix LD15R: I’ve found the Fenix brand to be on par with Surefire, but far less expensive.
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Black Diamond headlamp: Ridiculously handy. Not the fanciest model, but all I want is one big button. Works great with gloves. Hold down the button to cycle from super bright to dim.
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5.11 Tactical TMT L2: Wasn’t sure about the quality of 5.11 lights, but this one has been great.
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Here are two lights I use daily, the first is a Surefire G2X with a Thrym Switchback clip/finger ring. It has a “clicky” switch that goes Low then High, which is all I want. High is 600 lumens, with a pretty tight spotlight, so it is blinding at close distances, which could come in handy in a self defense situation, and the polymer body is extremely tough. It’s plenty bright enough to search a large space, like a field or parking lot.
The battery is a Keeppower 16650, which takes the place of two CR123a disposables, and has a life of 1000 charge cycles if you treat it well. The 16650 cost me $7 last time I ordered from ILLUMN, and if you do the math, it takes the place of $2000 worth of disposable batteries.
It’s been my daily carry off and on for at least four years. The only time I carry something else is when I’m trying out a new light, or I’m dressing nice, in which case it’s a smaller light. It’s not perfect, I kind of like a press for momentary on, twist for constant on setup, but that doesn’t work with the Thrym Switchback.
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The second light is a Streamlight Protac 90X. I wear it at work on my radio strap, been using it for about a year. It claims 1000 lumens, is not a tight spotlight but a very wide flood. It won’t reach out very far, but lights up a room nicely. 1000 lumens is often so bright that in many situations you can’t shine the light directly at the person or thing you’re working on. A great technique is to shine the light at the ceiling, which, if it is painted white lights up the whole room with a nice even light.
The battery is an 18650, which like the 16650 replaces thousands of dollars of CR123A batteries. This one has a built in charging port, which is nice. I have said it many times,
Rechargeables are the way to go. Aside from cost savings, dual fuel lights that are compatible with 18650s and CR123As will actually run brighter and longer with 18650s.
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File this under “gear I wish I’d bought sooner.”
Zippo rechargeable hand warmers. Replaces those little disposable baggies. Walking dogs in negative temps is a lot more pleasant. You get around 2-3 hours from a charge depending on whether you’re using the high or low setting. (Low setting is too weak in my opinion.)
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Thanks for that. Need to look into these things.
There are dozens of brands, the vast majority are made in the same factory. Keeppower is good to go, ILLUMN.com has some of the best prices.
For a charger I would highly recommend one from Nitecore.
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Wife picked this up for me during her trip to Yosemite
Not sure what brand or anything, but it looks sweet… would get another if i could get it with a bigger handle.
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My classic (1989-ish) Benchmade balisong. I never got really good at flipping it, mainly because a “gravity knife” is illegal to carry in most states so I didn’t practice much.
Silly law, of course. But the bad guys in movies had these knives, so they must be extra stabby or something, right? 
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This is a good portion of my Spyderco “collection”. A couple (not pictured) are stashed at work. The Yojimbo is a Christmas present from my wife, which I helped her out by telling her which one I wanted and where the black friday sale was.
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It has been well used over the years. My granny carried this in her fishing satchel as far back as I can remember.
My grandpaw’s
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SOG Vietnam-style tomahawk. Kind of a cheap hawk, but I can’t quite justify $400-$800 for a Halfbreed Blades or Winkler model.
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ASP P12 Protector baton and a Cold Steel Hide Out. I used to carry this combo on downtown walks before I got my concealed carry permit. Lots of unpredictable, yelling-at-ghosts homeless in certain areas of the city.
Cold Steel used to be synonymous with high quality, but now they’re a mixed bag. This little knife falls into their “cheapo” category, but it’s still cute in a dangerous way.
CRKT Scrub – Wickedly thin and sharp. Designed for last-ditch self defense. This retailed for $50 but was discontinued. Found it for $15. Rides in the car door in case I get jacked by an Amazon box or an envelope who was paroled too early.
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I’ve had several multitools over the years, but this little Gerber Dime is the handiest since it’s compact. Also, I like this carabiner/bottle-opener keychain from Spigen.
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Al Mar SERE (Survival Escape Resistance Evasion). This is number 157/200.
Al Mar was the high-end brand in the late 80s and early 90s. Unfortunately after the death of the owner/designer, Al, the brand never quite came back.
I picked this up in 1990 or so.
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I remember Al Mar knives! I loved knives even as a teenager, didn’t have the discipline to save up my allowance for one. Have you looked up how much that one is worth now?
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