It’s almost the end of the year, and it’s been a good one for EDCers. From knives to lights to bags to tech, there have been plenty of releases primed and ready to be added to our kit. We obviously love talking about gear around here, and with this series, the Everyday Carry staff have put together a few lists of the ones we can’t wait to get our hands on. We hope it gives you a good idea of products that you may have missed throughout the year, and gets you as excited as we are to pick up the latest and greatest gear for your EDC.
Before we begin, we want to know…
What new flashlight is on your EDC wishlist?
We’d love to hear about what lights you want that came out the past year. Leave a comment below with the light you want, and we’ll feature your picks in a follow-up article! To get the ideas rolling, we’ll start things off:
5 Flashlights We Want Right Now
ThruNite TN42 LED Searchlight
Mikey Bautista: I’ve had and used my share of keychain lights, EDC lights, and have recently bought my first high-powered 18650 flashlight, but one category that’s always fascinated me are the so-called “soda can” throwers. Boasting unparalleled lumens and candela, these are the lights you use to cut the night sky in half (seriously, check this out). And the current king is none other than the ThruNite TN42 searchlight with its ridiculous 600,000 candela emitted from a single XHP35 HI LED. This gives the light up to 1550 meters (some say even further) of throw, putting even car highbeams to shame. While I wouldn’t know what to do with it on a normal day, having that kind of power in my bag sounds too good to pass up. Oh, and did I mention that the light even has neat EDC features like an IPX8 rating and 58 days(!) of runtime off its Firefly setting?
Nitecore LA10 Mini Camp Lantern
Bernard Capulong: I’ve owned plenty of flashlights that fill the EDC role nicely, so now I’m more interested in specialty lights to cover the rest of my bases. The Nitecore LA10 has such an interesting design and versatility, combined with a newly released high CRI version, that it’s on the top of my wishlist. It’s primarily a lantern with a built-in diffuser, but it can extend or retract into the body of the light to control the beam. When fully retracted, it acts as a floody flashlight, and when fully extended, a hands-free lantern. I think it’d make an excellent light for in-doors work, during blackouts, or for setting up camp outdoors. Plus, it’s got plenty of features I already look for: multi-mode, high CRI, a magnetic tailcap, and a compact aluminum body.
Nitecore SRT9
Jonathan Tayag: The Nitecore SRT9 is a monster of a light that offers huge output and a plethora of versatile modes. But unlike with other lights, I don’t have to play morse code simon says to select the right mode each time I need to use it. Nitecore’s Smart Selector Ring allows me to dial in the mode I want on a consistent basis. That way I don’t have to ruin my retinas flipping through strobe modes in the dark. That’s especially important because the light puts out a max of 2150 lumens. Off two 18650 batteries it’ll run out to 48 hours and throw that light to a distance of 246 meters. The alternate colors also appeal to me, especially red for low light tactical use. It’s bigger than most everyday carry LED flashlights, but I’m not looking to carry it in my pockets. But I do appreciate that it isn’t too big to fit in my daybag.
MecArmy SGN5
Ed Jelley: The main thing I look for in a flashlight is ease of carry. Although they’re not the most important part of my EDC, I do find myself using a flashlight much more in the darker winter months. Even though 18650 and CR123 powered lights are super bright, I find the form factor difficult to carry and uncomfortable in my jeans pocket. That’s why I have been wanting the MecArmy SGN5. This small light carries more like a zippo lighter than a tubular flashlight. It’s small, compact, and easy to throw on my key setup or into the coin pocket on my jeans. This tiny, USB-rechargeable light is affordable, yet still packed with features. There are 6 brightness modes that pump out up to 560 lumens – an impressive brightness for such a small light. As as added bonus, there’s a high decibel personal safety alarm. If you happen to find yourself in a dangerous situation, the side switch activates a loud ringing sound to draw attention to your location. This little light checks all the boxes for me, and then some.
Manker E02
Adam Molina: As someone who doesn’t like to carry too much I’ve never really subscribed to the whole “two is one, one is none” belief. The gear I had on me always seemed to get the job done. But lately I discovered hiking and like any over-enthusiastic amateur, I’ve found myself in some not-so-cool situations where I was racing the sun back to the road. It got me thinking that maybe a backup light isn’t such a bad idea, especially one that I can attach to my pack like the Manker E02. It’s L-shaped body means that I can keep my hands free if I clip it to my shoulder strap, and it only weighs a few ounces which is perfect for both EDC and hiking. Plus if I’m with friends who usually don’t EDC flashlights I can hand them one of mine in case the sun gets the better of us. It’s single AAA battery gives it a max output of 180 lumens which is fine, but more important it has an SOS mode in case things get rough. It might not be a grail light, but for the price it fits my needs perfectly.
Hopefully this list got you thinking about which light your EDC could use next. Leave a comment below with the light you want with a chance to be featured in our next round-up.
For more reader’s picks, check out the 5 EDC Bags the community recommended.
