I am looking for a good quality flashlight for my bugout bag. Anything thats AA/14500 and costs less than $100. Any recommendations?
I have a few lights in my bugout, Lumintop Tool AA is a solid contender for your AA/14500 bracket since it takes both a standard variant can be had for as little as $20~ while ones made of titanium/copper can be had for around $50~ could be found cheaper if you shop around but the prices are in that ball park.
Since you will never use it, put your least favorite flashlight in there. Would be a shame to have a Zebralight sitting unused in a bag
Something with no standby drain on battery like a mechanical switch. Or just twist the tail cap to lockout an e-switch light. AA is good since you could put lithium primary aa batts that have a 10 year shelf life and have good heat/cold tolerance; Tool AA and Ultratac A1 are good choices for single AA lights. An 18650 light that also takes cr123 lithium primaries is another good option; sofirn sp31 v2.0 or similar is a solid choice. I second that a BOB flashlight should not be your “favorite” light but a simple reliable one with a good long lasting lithium primary batt inside- never alkalines.
My BOB light is a Solarforce L2, also have an extension tube if required. can work with 2x 18350, 1x 18650 or 2x 18650.
edit: apologies, didn’t read about the battery form factor. however, 14500 also work with an adapter in a lot of lights. is 18650 really too large for BOB?
I would say something like the:
- Olight M1T Raider (CR123a/16340s) [harder to find…]
- Olight i5T EOS (AA)
- Wuben E18 (AA)
- Jaxman E3 (AA)
- Convoy Tool T2 (AA)
Second the Zebralight based on your spend parameter. However, for under $30 there are alot of good choices too.
Zanflare F2 and F2S can be had for about $10. I’ve had a dozen of these and gift them all the time. At that price I’d get two. You can equip a useful partner or just have a backup for a low investment.
Our b.o.b. has a couple handhelds, a couple headlamps, and a lantern, all powered by eneloops so they won’t leak in the heat, and a battery brick to charge things. Might not get all that for less than a hundred….
Kind of depends on the size of your bug out bag. The Thunite TN4a would be a good choice but it is not particularly compact. However, the 4AA format gives you essentially an 18650 level of performance with nimh chemistry. Twist lockout. Moonlight runs for a solid 3+ months. Would be kind of a shame to keep such a good light in a bag but if you ever needed it you couldn’t ask for much better. Personally I would throw a pack of good LSD cells in with it. If you had the room, something like this along with a TN4a and you would really be covered.
https://www.amazon.com/Solar-AA-AAA-Rechargeable-Batteries/dp/B07SC9F73V
I carry my Nitecore EC11 and Lumintop EDC05 in my BOB . The 18350 and 14500 cells are small and easy to put anywhere. The EC11 has a map reader light which is nice for low profile lighting. I also have a Brunton Ember 6000 power bank and a 40 watt Power ADD solar folding panel, it’s small and light and will charge my ham radios as well. Make sure you check and charge your BOB equipment every 3 to 4 months. If your lights are not USB chargeable I also carry an single cell XTAR charger for backup. I made a Kydex holder for my Brunton and a XTAR 2 Cell charger that hangs off the back of my pack so I can charge my Brunton and flashlight cells at the same time while hiking. Never put cheap items in your BOB because if they are ever needed reliability will be critical. I have a First Tactical BOB and there is about 3 grand invested in everything, of course this is over a period of a couple years sourcing out the best gear possible. I use my gear all the time because just letting it sit there is nuts! Titanium gear is expensive but will last you a lifetime and its much lighter then SST.
You mean if the OP buys a Zebra for his BOB, he can still use it? :+1:
Does that make the BOB an EDC?
to the OP
fyi, the Zebra is not 14500,
only AA… I like Eneloop
The Tool works with 14500, but has bad parasitic drain on the new illuminated switch …
I use my BOB every time I go camping or out on a fishing trip or when on a metal detecting trip. I use my Smaller Hazard 4 or Vanquest 3.0 gear slinger for my EDC and switch out my flashlights all the time depending on where I am going. Always use your BOB when possible because after a while you will forget where everything in the pack is and who doesn’t want to use there gear. I Carry my Armytek Wizard Pro all the time in my EDC packs and sometimes my L30 if I will be gone all night.
Anyone know if these can still be found? It seems most 2xAA lights have vanished off the market.
I have a cheap headlamp (AAA) and a (AA) flashlight. I keep in various places, car office, ect.
Rayovac is my current choice.
I keep the batteries in a ziplock, not in the lights.
So when, not if, they leak i can see it and not kill the lights.
Yeah, I know, enloops, but I don’t want them sitting for years if I don’t pay attention.
I always use my good lights for stuff. But I like knowing there is a backuo - backup.
Akk thr Best,
Jeff
if you carry a light in your actual pocket, why do you need another one in a bag to grab?
i mean you already have your best light in your pocket…
what am i missing?
if it is in your pocket already, why is it also in a go bag?
i mean do you carry another watch, pen, cell phone and wallet in there too?
does it need some other properties other than the one that is good enough to carry 24/7?
what i would do is just stick a solar charger in there, for your good light.
not another light.
LOL! If you don’t get it them there is no need to explain. If you feel comfortable with one tool then that’s great. Its like carrying a side arm with no extra mags thinking that’s all you’ll need. Different strokes for different folks.
It’s the point of having a separate source of essentials. I don’t carry a particularly great light, knife etc. when I’m wearing a suit. That said, with a bug out bag I still have a backup source if I can get to my vehicle. Pretty much the rest of the time I have a decent light, knife etc at hand. It’s just another layer of being prepared (boy scout motto).
