http://www.intl-outdoor.com/balder-bd1p-xmlt6-1-or-2aa-flashlight-p-232.html
As fun as an assault bezel is, I would suggest against one for a bug out bag. It can chafe a hole in your bag and/or damage the other objects in the sack. As a makeshift weapon they’re near useless.
Crenelations are still good for letting you know the light is on when you put it face down on a surface, but not for a bug out bag or camping really.
Not if you know how to use it. They can act like multiple Kubatons at minimum - again if you know what you’re doing. And all he has to do to help prevent chafing up his bag is to wrap the head in a heavy-enough rag, leather scrap, whatever, with a velcro-strap that holds everything snug. The velcro strap also functions as a handy extra no-weight thing to have.
He should be carrying at least two torches anyway. One for backup, and preferrably one that has exceptionally low-light long runtimes as an option and the most common battery size as in AA. That one I suppose could be non-crenalated if it makes a difference.
Last note: A bug-out bag should have a pair of heavy-work gloves. Preferrably thick but pliable leather. Stick your crenalated light in one of those and wrap it up with aforementioned velcro strap for double-duty. It ain’t going to chafe through anything unless the crenalateds are literally razor-sharp - which is not recommended anyway. That’s for a knife. lol
What’s a “Bugoutbag” exactly?
A bug-out bag is a portable kit that contains the items one would require to survive for seventy-two hours when evacuating from a disaster. The focus is on evacuation, rather than long-term survival, distinguishing the bug-out bag from a survival kit, a boating or aviation emergency kit, or a fixed-site disaster supplies kit. The kits are also popular in the survivalism subculture.
I’ve heard of the kubaton before, but that seems to me to be more of a EDC last resort self-defense thing. I suppose it depends on ones ideal bug-out bag. If you’re looking to maximize potential emergency weapons, the bezel maybe your choice. I also think that a single cell flashlight will likely be too short to serve well as a kubaton. Maybe get a Sipik SK68 and get the mod extension tube as mentioned here.
This is what mine looks like:
Or try this logic: get a 3D LED Maglite with parallel 3xAA shells instead of D cells. Holding the head makes the tail a solid bludgeon. Gives option of running on AA or D, can store 9x AA, which you can steal out for other use or charging, and still use the light since they’re in parallel.
Of course, some people will object to that much weight for a bug-out bag.
subduers and weapons. They generally are used to incapacitate and ‘persuade’ cooperation without necessarily lethal application. And they aren’t long to begin with so a short light with crenalations will still suffice in most cases. Just apply some pressure with that shorty crenalated Sippy 68 behind your head around the neck area, to the back of the hand, arm, around your rib cage area, or especially any hard bony regions and the person feeling pressure will notice and quickly comment.
A guy with a single AA light with an “attack bezel” is about as well armed as a guy holding a rock or a roll of quarters or a glass bottle or a multi-tool or a large belt buckle or an unopened folding knife or an electric shaver or a pine cone or a shot glass or a t-bone from a steak.
In other words, as a weapon a small flashlight is no better than a hundred other things that are always at hand and those other things tend to be less delicate.
Putting aside the weapon aspect, I think AA makes a lot of sense. You have options of rechargable, li-on, or primary. There are more AAs in the world than probably all other batteries combined so any store that sells batteries will sell AAs. It is the closest thing to a ‘standard’ battery size we have at the moment.
check out itp sa1…I love mine and it runs great on aa or 14500…no assault bezel, infinitely ramping output or hi-mid-low-strobe, ipx8 rating…reverse or forward clicky, reverse clip so that it fits on a baseball cap as a headlamp…it’s only con is low isn’t that low ~5 lumens and there is no extension tube…37.99$ at hkequipment…39.95 at goinggear…there is a coupon code at gg I think it’s ggcpf10 for 10% off…
or for that matter his best one? Nonetheless it might be better than just bare hands when you don’t have time to pick up a shot glass, glass bottle, roll of quarters, or time enough to take off a belt, etc. Not all of us are black-belts. lol
If it happens to be in your hands and you’re out on a bare parking lot with nothing around you, I’ll sure use that light if I have no other choice better ‘at hand’. Point being, I’d rather have even a small crenalated AA flashlight for bug-out and possible defensive purposes than not have one. So why not have one.
But hey, to each his own. Good luck.
+1
The SE-1’s a nice light and gives you lots of battery options (1 or 2xAA, 1x14505 Titanium Innovations primary, 1xLiFEPO4, 1x14500). I’ve been using Westinghouse 3.2v LiFe cells from W@lm@rt and it’s uber bright but it keeps the low-low mode.
The AA solutions do have merit, and in their support I carry a slightly modded AKoray AA. I replaced the driver with a single mode .8v - 4.2v one. It’s a little brighter than I’d like with a 14500 lithium, but it will work with ANY AA sized battery.
My Bug-Out-Bag includes a UF-501A host from Manafont, (thanks for the tip E1320), with a 3-mode, XP-G drop-in. Add a couple or 4 lithium 123, 3 volt batteries, and you have a light that will work for some years to come if you need it. Long shelf life, no dead battery. $25.00 or less.
As far as “Strike Bezels” are concerned, I avoid them, it makes for a light that I won’t carry much.
I live in a CCW state, and I’m not about to engage someone in hand to hand anything.
I keep a 1-mode Solarforce L2T or L2M next to the spare magazine for my G27.
As a matter of fact. if you’re carrying a Strike Bezel light, I hope that you have a firearm too, because a lot of things have already gone wrong, long before you get a chance to hit someone.
Bugging Out means leaving your current location for safer areas or to re-unite with loved ones. Getting there intact is utmost.
Hope you never need it, but have fun assembling it!
later,
You cant blind someone with a rock or pine cone……Given the fact it is at night, a flashlight in the eyes of the offender is one of the most effective “weapons”.
Thanks for all the great suggestions! Some of them I already have - the Baldur SE-1 for example. I also ordered a couple, the Solarforce L2r with the suggested lamp though. I will order some of the others and report back on which one makes it into my kit.
Regarding the weaponary commentary - CCW? Hardly, I am north of the 49th and for better or worse that is just not part of the plan here.
In putting together a bug out bag one philosophy I subscribe to is that, ideally, each item in your bag should have more than one use. An assault bezel may or may not be the most effective tool but it provides one more potential use for the light.
The more I thought about it I also like the idea of the 123 Lithium primaries - no worries about whether the batteries in my kit are charged or not. a couple of pair of Lithiums and a couple of pair of rechargable enerloop AA’s - so I guess a lamp that can handle both would be a great option. I will have to re-read all the postings to see the contenders!
Many thnaks and keep the suggestions coming.
technically, you could; if the opponent would keep still while you were grinding the pine cone into his eye socket.
Given location, I’d suggest a low enough draw and/or enough unused batteries safely stored for at least 48 hours of run time for 72 hours planned clock time. Solar recharging in winter may well be inadequate - what is acceptable in survival plan may not be for 72 hours of unknown evac/staging where you may need to stay on the move or post round the clock watches or tend to others with medical needs.
If you don’t regularly use your bug-out lights (on person and/or in a gear/survival kit you always on hand), I’d suggest considering very low discharge batts (lithium primaries). Even if you do, you probably want LSD as unused spares in the bug-out bag.
Also a good idea to put a bag check on a calendar or reminder that will alert you at least every 6 months to update/improve your bag.
Now here’s a guy that really knows what he’s talking about. Don’t listen to any other “you probably won’t need it because if you have a firearm….” bizarro non-sensical ridiculous philosophy based on the assumption someone can predict the outcome of every unique fight or flight event (Including the misplaced assumption that said semi-auto firearm/ammo/mag will function or be terminally effective 100% of the time under all conditions - because it won’t.) when in fact that’s exactly why you should have it given all other alternatives.
If it’s readily there to use as a dual-purpose device, it’s affordable, it doesn’t encumber your other provisions, or slow you down, and you can basically live with it, then by all the heck means include it. It costs you essentially nothing. That’s a good deal.
Anything that works with AA Lithium primary cells, and a few dozen of those — for before you have time to check or charge anything when you just need light right now reliably in bad conditions.
You might look at a Xeno E03. Runs on anything AA-sized, from 1.2V NiMH to 3.7v Lithium Ions. AA size is a good choice for emergency use, as they are the size that you are most likely to be able to find, no matter where you are.
Pete
Sorry nanook about the CCW mention, I didn’t know about your local firearm laws.
I assumed the strike bezel mention inferred travel after dark. My experience has been some of the less prepared are also out after dark in a disruption of our normal lives. They are probably looking to improve their circumstances too.
I would either not travel at night, or be prepared for a bigger fight than I could resolve by myself.
In July 2006, St. Louis sustained a massive blackout, estimates between 300,000 and 500,000 homes were without power for days. Several of my neighbors left the neighborhood by the second night. The home break-ins started the third night.
Over the next couple of days, my wife and I, saw/heard two or three groups of people walking around in the dark. I didn’t have any need to find out who they were.
At the time the only flashlight I had was a 5C cell Maglite.
I’d much rather avoid an encounter than confront it hand to hand.
I was advocating preparedness, and I still contend if you find yourself contemplating the defensive use of a flashlight strike bezel, you have already made several rather big mistakes to get to that point in the first place.
I modify my lights to either replace or machine down the strike bezel. I don’t carry my lights in a pouch and the sharp edges are hard on my clothes and such.
I do understand the “multi-tasker” idea, but I would like you to include a first-aid kit of whatever size you see fit.
I saw a short Youtube video about BOB’s that I really liked, but have yet to implement. It’s most important idea was to amass your gear and then find an appropriate sized bag, instead of choosing a bag and filling it. The author said “You WILL fill the bag”, “get the right sized bag”.