Fenix E11/E12

Posted on by

A number of years ago I was in REI and, as I was waiting in line for the checkout, there was a bin of closeout merchandise. On a whim I picked up a small LED flashlight and have been mightily impressed with it ever since.

The flashlight, a Fenix E11, has been supplanted by the newer E12 model which features a tap switch on the tailcap to adjust brightness levels. In pretty much all other regards, its the same as the E11.

When I got started in survivalism, the go-to flashlight was the MagLite. Big, beefy, and built for cracking skulls it was pretty much everyone’s first choice. Time goes by and with the development of LED technology we now have pocket flashlights that put out more light using AA batteries than the old-style MagLites ever did with D batteries.

When you really go all in and decide to get some top of the line photon blasters you often wind up at SureFire (or, to a lesser degree, Streamlight). SureFire is great stuff and I have a bunch of their weaponlights….but they are spendy. On the other hand, if you want to go all ‘poverty prepper’ and grab a fistful of $1 LED flashlights from a plastic fishbowl in the checkout line at WalMart….well, thats great for looking for the keys you dropped behind your desk but durability might be an issue.

SO…middle of the road – durable and efficient enough to withstand use and abuse, cheap enough that if you lose it you’re not heartbroken, but not so cheap that when you need it there’s a 50/50 shot it won’t work. As I discovered, this little light fits the bill perfectly.

How much do I like and recommend? Well, putting my money where my mouth is:

I keep several of these things because theyre so dang handy. Let’s hit the high points:

Battery compatibility – my battery logistics call for only three batteries: AA, D, and CR123. This light takes one AA battery, making it compact and efficient. I’ve taken to using rechargeable Eneloops for devices I foresee changing batteries in regularly. I do this for economics…I’ll use the rechargeables and save the stored lithium AA’s for when it really counts. Battery life seems pretty good. I change the battery out every month just to keep things at maximum efficiency.

Output – Advertised is about 115 lumens. For indoor use I find it to be amazingly bright. Outdoors its pretty good for the immediate area but it’s not a long-distance light…thats where the LED 3D MagLite comes in handy. The older E11 has two brightness settings, toggled by twisting the head of the light. The lower setting is perfect for close-in work like reading notes, ro doing work with your hands as you hold the light in your mouth. The E12 uses a tap switch on the tailcap to go through a couple different brightness settings.

Size – Perfect size for keeping in your pants pocket. I carry one around as my ‘everyday carry’ pocket junk and do not find it to be the least bit obtrusive. (But I do find it amazingly handy.)

Survivability – It’s gone through the washing machine, been dropped on concrete, sat on, rolled off tables, and has not flickered once. Theres a small attachment point for a lanyard and I highly recommend using a lanyard to keep the light attached to your gear in such a way as to allow you to find it in a hurry. I  keep one in my pack with the lanyard attached to a little plastic carabiner so I can find it in total darkness.

If I had the money, I’d have a pocketful of SureFire but, in practice, I really haven’t felt ‘undergunned’ with this thing as far as pocket lights go. I would definitely take it over the AA MiniMag light or some discount bin special. For the particular niche that I bought these for (compact, pocket-size, affordable, personal light that I can carry everyday) they are darn near perfect. Highly recommended.

13 thoughts on “Fenix E11/E12”

  2. I’ll be the first to be accused of being a frugal skinflint tight ass cheap SOB, and I wouldn’t recommend cheap LED flashlights. You are wasting your dollar. I’ve had them unused out of storage not working ( yes, I put in a new battery! ). Look for a multipack deal, such as:
    *
    https://www.amazon.com/Flashlight-Tactical-Zoomable-Flashlights-Activities/dp/B01AJOZ952/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1524757342&sr=8-8&keywords=LED+flashlight+bulk
    *
    $3 each for some quality.

  3. The E-12 is my choice as well. Large enough to be useful, small enough to fit in a pocket as part of EDC, inexpensive, and no frills. I don’t need 15 modes and a strobe, just low, medium and high. the only thing I wish it had is momentary on, but I can live without it. They are tough, waterproof, compact and reliable. Best of all they take AAs.

    I looked long and hard to find a compact LED light in AA (most take 2 or 3 AAA or 1 CR123). My headlamp takes AA, my GPS takes AA, my S.P.O.T. PLB takes AA….. (you can see where I am going with this). I like the ability to only carry one type of spare battery and cannibalize from less important things if I run out, (i.e. empty my headlamp to keep my GPS running). Also, if you need batteries on the road and stop in some rural off-the-main-road gas station, chances are, if they have any batteries at all, they will be AA.

    Most importantly, they are cheap enough to be almost disposable. If I lose one I won’t cry and $40 or so will get me a replacement. Not so a $200+ Surefire! I have several, and keep an eye out for sales so I can pick up several more. I plan to chuck one in every bag/first aid kit/laptop case/glove box etc. that doesn’t already have one.

  4. I’ve been impressed by a lightweight metal LED light put out by Energizer, the battery folks. It uses 6 AA batteries (which usually come with the light). It has three modes, bright ( advertised as 1000 lumens and 9 hour battery life), low ( 200 lumens and 25 hours), and strobe. I haven’t found a model number but it works well. Found it on Amazon for $18 w free shipping and at Sam’s Club in a combo package with a headlamp for $25. I’m not connected with them, just a customer.

  5. Redundancy of course. For carry or tactical kit use upper tier torches, keep batteried up. I ratt hole hole chicom lights I get free with coupons from harbor freight tools stores. They work well for householder or utility chores, and saves usage or prestaging upper tier kit every where around the house. Packs of batteries are stockpiled, though I may not totally use them up prior to ageing out and discharging. I buy packs every year or two and rotate out like food stocks. Not gonna be scared in the dark. Turn on a light and make a snack to eat while waiting it out.

  6. I’ve been carrying around the same Stream Light ProTac, it’s probably the 1L or an older version of it, for several years. Works like a champ. I ponied up and bought a couple more of them for the Big Black Boxes Of Doom a couple months back.

    ThruNight also makes pretty good stuff without too huge of a price tag.

    • I really like the Streamlight 1L. At $40 they are cheap enough to have a spare or two in your gear or kits.

  7. I have found the current LED maglight solitaire to be an excellent value 6-7 bucks and bombproof.

  9. I keep a small one cell AAA LED light attached by a short lanyard on the micro fleece bag I keep my phone stored in my pocket. The flashlight has one of those bezels with teeth that hurt like hell if pressed into flesh and turned. Only about 20 lumens, but that is plenty for my office worker needs. The flashlight can be entirely concealed in a closed fist, another plus when walking about (bezel can be considered a weapon in certain jurisdictions I’ve heard).

  10. For the money, I’ve found that Fenix makes a good product. Over the last few years I worked I always had a Fenix TK11 flashlight on the duty rig. I even had one instance where I used it to control a person.

    Now that I’m retired, there’s a small Fenix E01 flashlight in my pocket just to keep from stumbling around in the dark. I like them because over the years I’ve really abused them. And, not a one of the flashlights has failed me yet. Should one ever fail, it’s not like I lost an arm and a leg cost wise.

  11. I’ve got a Streamlight ProTac 1AA, and a couple of their Microstreams, and they all require that the cap be rotated back and forth to make a good connection nearly every time I use it. Really annoying, acts like the battery is going dead. They’ve been like that since new. Need to find a conducting grease to use on the threads. I’m guessing that they corrode, which is puzzling, since they are sealed with an o-ring. Maybe these new battery guts are outgassing something to cause this.

Comments are closed.