Life as the Zero continues apace.
Had a Zero Moment on the way to Helena yesterday. Couple kids slid off the road and flipped their rig. They were fine but it reminded me that I need to make sure to remember to keep a crowbar in the vehicle for those impromptu victim extractions.
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Its very easy to get lulled into a sense of complacency. Wake up in the morning and the heat is on, CNN is on the TV, theres food in the fridge, hot water for the shower, and clean clothes to wear. Life is good. And thats what makes it so maddeningly easy to sometimes fall behind in taking the little steps necessary to make sure that standard of living can be kept if things suddenlt take a turn for the wierd. Case in point – bought a nice, new Blitz 5-gallon steel jerry can for gas. Picked up a nice spigot to go with it. Some Sta-Bil too. And, yet, I still havent just taken the bloody thing to a gas station yet and filled it. Its those little lapses in diligence that are going to put me in a bad situation some day…..
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Received an order of gear from Blackhawk the other day. Some odds and ends. SOme of the stuff seems good and some..well..not so much. I’ll have some details at a later date. For the moment I think that for web gear, packs, etc, Im going to stick with London Bridge, Tactical Tailor and the like. Prices are a bit higher, but I have been pleased thus far with the TT backpack I got.
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While at the Helena gun show I picked up a couple SureFire Nitrolon G2 flashlights. For $30 you get a great little retina-burner. Yes, its a ‘tactical’ flashlight…but you know what? This world we live in sometimes calls for a tactical mindset. Anyway. I picked up one for myself as a ‘disposable’ in case my regular SureFire gets lost or something, and I picked up an extra as a gift for someone. For $30 they might make a decent Xmas gift for the LMI.
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Speaking of…I saw a slick little 1970 Bronco (lift kit, 302, winch, extra tank, rebuilt enging, etc) for sale a block from my house. Mmmm…it looks good. Wouldnt mind having something like that for my personal use.
Yes, its a ‘tactical’ flashlight
What would the difference be between a tactical flashlight vs. just a good survival flashlight/heavy duty camping flashling?
There are a several characteristics that define a ‘tactical’ flashlight. Those are output, size, durability, type of batteries, and the switching mechanism. There are no hard and fast rules. These type of lights are typically made by Surefire or Streamlight, though there are a few other manufacturers as well. From what I’ve seen, most seem to consider a light that puts out over 30-40 lumens acceptable for tactical use. Most of Surefire’s incandescent lights put out 65 lumens on low, and 120 lumens on high. As an example, a typical 3D Maglite puts out about 25 lumens. They also typically use C123 lithium cells, which are small, and put out 3V per cell. This allows for a much higher voltage lamp in a smaller form factor. The self-discharge rate on Lithium cells is also much lower than any other battery chemistry. They can last on the shelf for up to 5-10 years. The switching mechanism on a tactical light usually includes a momentary switch on the tailcap which allows for a specific type of two-handed grip while holding a handgun. Also, in terms of durability, most tactical lights are machined from aluminum and then HA-III mil-spec anodized which is a much harder surface treatment then HA-II anodizing typically found on a maglite. In the case of the G2 Nitrolon, it’s made from a very durable plastic that has the net result of reducing the cost of the light, ($34 vs. well over $100 for a comparable aluminum light).
Commander, if you would prefer a glass lens for those G2s, You can get one at flashlightlens.com.
I’ve become less and less impressed with Blackhawk’s offerings. Some of their things are still pretty decent, but given the hit/miss ratio I have had, unless I manage to get my hands on the product before I purchase, I won’t.
I took your recommendation on the Tactical Tailor backpack, it is very nice, good call there.
–> ($34 vs. well over $100 for a comparable aluminum light).
Do you mean from another manufacturer? The G2 owes its lineage to the 6P personal, which now sells for $56.
I bought one for myself for my birthday much earlier this year. 6P in gun metal grey, with a nylon holster 🙂 Hotdamn. Best lighting purchase Ive ever made. As geeky as this sounds, I carry my 6P on my hip every day.
I intend on picking up a G2 sometime soon, why not, at $30 they are “cheap”. More specifically, I want to get either the Z2 Combatlight, or more intelligently for myself, the C3 Centurion. I would like to get one of the higher output lights before I buy another high cost 2 battery light. The 65 lumens is pretty impressive, but I would like to have the 105 of the 3 cell light on hand 🙂
Which reminds me, I need to order another box of batteries. Wow, the D2 is now selling for $59. Hrrm. That must be because of the newly released D2 Defender with the strike bezel.
I dont know if she will see this or not, but I for turning me on to Surefire lights.
blamecreditDo you mean from another manufacturer? The G2 owes its lineage to the 6P personal, which now sells for $56.
I just overstated the difference. I didn’t know the 6P was $56. There are several other decent Surefire lights for under a $100 as well.
Ah. Thats cool. I was wondering if I missed something cool somewhere else.
Unlikely. Surefire generally makes the highest quality and a subsequently, the highest priced flashlights that are mass produced. Streamlight also makes some good, cheaper lights. There are also a few boutique manufacturers that make custom made stuff. If there’s a kind of flashlight you want in terms of power source, and light engine, the chances are that someone makes it.