Yeah, that sounds weird, but what I’m looking for is a light that would be easy to clean if dropped in literal filth. (1-mode on/off is fine if not preferable.)
Think of a plumber who carries a light and drops it down a septic tank or something. It can be washed off, but there’d for sure be too many nooks and crannies for filth to get trapped, and you don’t want residual stank or contamination from it later on, so the idea is to minimise if not eliminate anything that could trap the aforementioned filth.
Knurling would be a filth-magnet, trapping everything in it, so minimal to preferably no knurling would be ideal.
Threaded junctions between body and head or body and tail, of course, would trap some filth, and would need disassembly to properly clean out thoroughly.
Switch-boots would be another point where filth would be trapped. Even if waterproof to prevent actual ingress, trapped filth should be kept to a minimum.
Obvious answer would be a dive-light, which again prevents actual ingress, but filth can be trapped, even under a magnetic button.
So… minimum number of “pieces” would be, preferably, a light without a tailcap, sort of like an old AAA twisty, eg, a Manker Boney or Glaree E03 or any other AAA twisty, but there’s that joint that necessarily is “opened” (untwisted) when the light’s off.
Charging the cell means either a usb port (bad) or having to open it up. So contact charging would be preferable, like those magnetic stick-on chargers.
Still, the switch would be an issue. Magnetic would be good, but wondering what kind of actuator would not attract and hold filth.
Any ideas? 
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That’s a tough one . I dropped a light in soupy mud once . Even after repeated cleaning , I’d still find places where it was hiding .
Take any light, insert into a condom and tie
Switch is still usable and lights goes out.
Replace the "wrapping" when covered with filth or need charging....
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Exactly. All those “weak points” of seams between sections, around any buttons, any microscopic crevice, can be a magnet that just grabs the filth and hangs onto it like Grim Death.
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Funny, but I was actually thinking about that, but wanted to preserve the beam.
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I was not juking. If you keep it tight using a rubber band the impact on beam will decrease.
Try different type of condoms
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I'm thinking an unlubricated condom that is as clear as possible in color would work best.
EDIT:
Or how about a flashlight in a zip lock bag, with the bag wrapped and taped around the flashlight.
I think generic zip lock bags are probably cheaper than even the cheapest condoms.
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A few drops of bleach and dish soap in water, a toothbrush and go to work, be sure to thoroughly rinse your roommate’s toothbrush before returning it to the holder.
Not what we have but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance.
One of them thar vibratin’ toothbrushes might work; specially if they shoot water jets.
or put it in a stoppered clear test tube. just don’t drop it while turnin’ it off and on.
"The marvel of all history is the patience with which men and women submit to burdens unnecessarily laid upon them by their governments.” ~ U.S. Senator William H. Borah (1865-1940) affectionately known as the "Lion of Idaho"
I found that NU Finish once a year car wax work well on this kind of use. Most stuff just rinses off.
I know, and neither was I.
Things like waterproof phone cases where you can still use the phone, etc., all came to mind. People jokingly call them “phone condoms.”
Might work like mild diffusion film…
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A rose-colored one to lower the duv?
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Won’t work. They all learned from last time I did that…
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Naw, the game is to prevent the filth from sticking in the first place, not cleaning it out afterwards.
I’m actually amazed there was no niche need for this kind of thing, that not even in LE or mil there’d be any such need.
Then again, with an unlimited budget, you just go disposable…
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Hmm, heard of it but never used it. Might give it a whack, at least on the car.
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I will tell you what I would not consider: anything with andruil, anything with USB port.
That narrows it down to a few lights, most of which are Convoys.
You just can’t beat simplicity.
Some of our gear got filthy some even toxic. Good finish and sealed caps, lids, etc. does the job most times. On duty gear we’d wash it with soda, Pepsi or Coke works the best if covered in blood or other fluids. Effervescent and acidic then wash the hell out of it under water. Cleaning with alcohol is tricky, it likes to get around O-rings. A few patrol man have soda and rags in the trunk. Cheap gear gets crap inside, good gear is much easier to maintain and clean. Came home a few nights and walked in the front yard for minutes before taking off the boots and coming inside. Grass cleans the sole and soul well. Also cleaners and disinfectants are on the market to spray contaminated gear with. Wearing gloves when you know it’s going to be messy.
Maybe instead of a flashlight, a headlamp would be a better choice. I’ve dropped many flashlights over the years, but never a headlamp.
And then you wouldn’t need to hold a filthy flashlight in your mouth to free up both hands!
I’d rather use my flashlight around the house than turn on the lights.
I’m thinking cheap plastic light that will hopefully float on top of the filth. And if it doesn’t you just throw it away because it’s cheap.
Exactly. On/off if all that’s required, and ports are a no-go from the start.
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9 years ago I used to keep my phone in a glad Ziploc sandwich size bag when working. This was just because of dirty hands and dirty gloves. I could still swipe and tap and fairly easily use the phone for most phone things. In 2014 I got my first Kyocera phone with a Sapphire screen and the phone was fully waterproof. I could wash it under running water without an issue so I wasn’t so worried about keeping it so clean. That first Kyocera phone actually went through a full front loading washing machine cycle without problems. That was the cleanest it had ever been. I still use Kyocera phones and they are still waterproof. They also have a provision to attach a lanyard. As for flashlights, yes a lanyard on almost every one. Even if you don’t actually put it on your wrist I often pinch the leash with my pinky and ring finger while holding a light. Of the flashlights I have, I think the armytek wizard would be the easiest to deep clean on a regular basis. It’s waterproof to 10 meters so you could take a pressure washer to it as a first step if you wanted to. Magnetic charging on the tail that’s very easy to clean with a toothbrush. The tail cap is the only part that comes off other than the clip. There is no knurling and no sharp corners or creases for things to hide in. The switch boot could hide a little bit of bacteria but it’s still not that hard to clean out. Switching/replacing the homemade lanyard would be a bit of a pain because of the way I have it tied on there with 2 mm paracord and then 550 cord as the main leash. It’s been in some dirty things but not a septic soup.
You can't compare the big flashlight in the sky to the little flashlight in your hand.
+1 to Armytek, they go full out on water proofing and drop proofing.
Works great for polishing up my reloading brass too. Wet tumble to clean, dry tumble with NU Finish to keep em shiny.
And yeah, septic is the issue as to why something should be filth-free, easily washable without any places to retain any nasties.
Autoclavable might not be doable, but soaking in bleach might be. Still, even sanitised filth isn’t too appealing.
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that is a really good idea…car wax.
fill up the crevices with wax or Vaseline or whatever.
then, when the inevitable happens, just rinse off.
crevices are covered. rinse, repeat like shampoo.
without the poo.
Agreed that car wax/polish would help with cleaning, but the slippery surface may also be the cause for dropping the flashlight in the first place.
I’d rather use my flashlight around the house than turn on the lights.
I’ve been doing this with older blue steel pistols and revolvers. A little dab rubbed in seals the metal but doesn’t leave it slippery. It does leave it feeling smooth, texturing keeps them in the hand. Lanyards are nice but crap magnets be prepared just to cut off and toss.
Put the light in a test tube or a clear plastic bottle? Hopefully one where the cap is a bit flexible to force it to click a switch? I used some moldable plastic that melted in hot water to fix a disintegrated rubber switch cover on a energizer headlamp. Stretched it thin enough to actuate the switch. It’s an added step but better than cleaning all the nooks and crannies of a sewage light. Might have issues with thermals though.
Dive light in a clear bottle with water? /s
Seeing a video recently (maybe on r/flashlight) of someone using a magnetic tailcap in one flashlight to turn on another light (a dive light, IIRC) reminded me of this and an old bad idea from the gun community.
There used a to be a gun safety device that was a ring you wore on your finger, and the gun wouldn’t fire without that ring in close proximity to a sensor in the gun.
So, what we need is a sealed plastic light with charging contacts that turns on by grabbing it with your magic ring of power. It also needs to float, and have some sort of aux lights so you can find it if you drop it in the filth.
If you put the leash over your wrist before you get over the septic tank then you cannot drop it. I will say that some of my very short homemade leashes do make it slightly difficult to operate a tail switch. Depending on the length of the light, keeping the wrist strap just straight back in the grip of your last one, two or three fingers works. Or on fairly tight wrist straps just putting it down over four fingers deep into the palm of your hand before you grip the light works pretty good also. On my secondary EDC I have two wrist straps on it. One is attached to the clip and is slightly larger so that it will go over a gloved hand. The other is slightly shorter and tied on to the body to go over a bare hand. That one is yellow paracord to make it slightly more visible if it’s lost (while not turned on) in leaves or grass or other vegetation. The second strap has only been on about a year after an incident where I lost my primary EDC in a 30 foot area in many freshly fallen leaves. It was nearing dusk and with the secondary EDC I was able to find the primary. I was just about to give up and go back to the work site a few days later with a leaf blower to clear the area out. On some jobs now I just automatically go to one of a few backup lights from the truck. Wowtac A1S in neutral white is my favorite dirty job light.
You can't compare the big flashlight in the sky to the little flashlight in your hand.
Yeah, use a leash.
And if it gets filthy, wash with engine/motorcycle cleaner and hot water.
You may then tag it with red spray paint, once dry, as non-virgin no more.
PS: Put it in a pickle jar and close the lid. A glass for pickled olives or for wiener suasages might do, they are long and slim and the bottom is quite flat in the center.
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