That’s literally what happened to me a “headless horseman hayrides” in West Park, NY. Lost a decent 14500, kept my SK68 Sipik (yeah, not expensive, but at the time it was a good light for me), SK68 still has its uses
I keep looking for the perfect travel light. Pocketable in any type of attire, robust, good UI with easy moon and high, waterproof, “bright enough” and versatile. Plus rechargeable but also compatible with easily sourced primaries… Oh, and it must have good tint and CRI (willing to balance those options although I like 3500-4000k and 90+ CRI).
I’ve tried many, and like the single AA concept for easy maintenance… but so far I’ve used my Wizard Pro XHP50 Warm for a couple years now and its been close to perfect. CRI seems better than the 80 I thought it was rated for and tint is great, too. Pair that with a 219B AA or AAA vampire and I’m happy.
I actually worked there as a scare actor a few years later. Security doesn’t want visitors scaring the actors or ruining the scares with flashlights. Bunch of bullshit if you asked me, security there buncha rent a cops with more ego than brain matter, probably more interested in pocketing confiscated items (knives, flashlights, whiskey flasks, weed etc)
I will try doing the same next time I travel. I have a few (dispensable, cheap) pen lights which look like long pens. Maybe I will just remove the metal clip and let it blend in as a “pen” when going through security check-points.
I often carried Novatac 120T in several domestic flights.
One morning in Bali, I forgot to remove it from my belt holster when entering X ray/metal detector area. The officer asked and I show him the flashlight.
He clicked the light while looking at the LED :person_facepalming:
I remember reading maybe 10 years ago about a flashaholic who had carried a McGizmo flashlight with him on a plane trip. The light had a custom crenelated bezel. TSA considered it a weapon and confiscated it. The guy said it’s a flashlight, not a weapon. The TSA agent pointed to the bezel. “I can take that off.” The agent wouldn’t hand the light back to him. No recourse. $400 gone.
I never carry any of my prized lights with a crenelated bezel attached. Plus, I’ll remove batteries and rubberband them together in a ziplock back, stuffed with my packed clothes. One time a TSA agent asked “what is this,” regarding my FW3A without battery. I explained it was a flashlight. The guy pressed the button and of course nothing happened. “I took the battery out, per TSA safety regs.” And then he was OK.
Seriously, more time and convenience has been wasted due to woefully inept TSA policies. The radicals who started this whole thing on 9/11 must be laughing at us.
The last 5 years I’ve had a Ti3 in my pocket and a A6 (18650) in my luggage, never had someone interested in these 2. Lately the one in my luggage may vary a bit, last trip it was a IF25A.
We’ve always traveled (flew) with ZebraLights. Mine is the SC52w L2 (14500) which is always in my backpack and my wife’s is the SC62w (18650). These are some of my first flashlights and traveling is the only time I use mine, unless rarely needed at my desk job. My wife love my old SC62w which is fine by me since I’ve become a tint snob. We’ve never had an issue with TSA or any other country’s security.
But given the info above, perhaps I need to rethink what we fly with. Maybe my old Sunwayman D40As (4 x AA) instead. I’d hate to have my ZebraLights confiscated for “security” reasons.