Tactical Flashlights

Phone tree?

To the dog people -- I have a great dane and a lab/pit/whatever/x and they were both pretty worthless. The only dog that has been helpful is the 10lb wonderdog terrier mutt who is scared to death of everything. And his name is Skippy. And when a BG tries to come in, little Skippy knows something is seriously wrong and will bark his head off!

Go Skippy!!
 
On a different train of thought: if a BG is breaking into your home at night and you are trying to get OUT or sneak to your HD room-of-choice unnoticed, a red-gelled flashlight will give you minimal illumination without (1) drawing more attention to yourself by turning on lights or bumping into furniture, or (2) losing your own night-vision as your eyes adjust.
 
Probably not too practical, but on a Mythbusters show they used eye patches to retain night vision while outside in the sunshine before entering a dark room. The same principle can be used in home defense.

Go to bed with one eye covered, hear BG come in, switch on really really bright lights, then turn them off and remove your patch, the BG is now blind and you can see to evade or attack as needed.:D
 
If you are truly distressed about your home/neighborhood and cannot afford a firearm, pepperspay is a good start. Beyond that, as verti89 stated, Dobermans, German Shepherd Dog, or Rottwiellers are very loyal and protective. And many more. There are also a number of rescue leagues that can help you out as well as your local spca. Most intruders will avoid a house with even a medium size dog out of fear of a bite, as well as a house with a small dog for fear of getting caught (That annoying YIP YIP YIP!!!).

And they make good freinds too...
 
Tac lights are a great. And since you mentioned you don't have a gun, and the downside of OC spray has already been mentioned, I think you could fair quite well with a reasonably priced tac light, and perhaps an expandable baton (of the ASP variety). Anyone can swing a stick! You can get a lot of force behind one of these... So, blind w/ light, hit with stick, get the H out! :cool:
 
Kayla I bought a couple of different "tactical" lights recently. One from Cheaper Than Dirt for $30 that runs at 85 lumens, and a pair in the same pack from Sam's Club that are both 150 lumens. Both make my kids run for cover and my wife pretty mad when I light them up with them. My advice is to look for something above 85 lumens that you can hold comfortably and don't worry about words like "tactical" or what the brand name is. Both are just there to increase the retail price.
 
Might have already mentioned this elsewhere, but when I heard a noise the other night, I happily found my SureFire knock-off lights up my entire backyard! I was happily impressed.

Bedside has alarm keyfob, pepper spray, tactical flashlight, XD9 and stun gun. I can grab whatever I might think I need.

I am sleeping better these days. :D

BTW, have you all seen this?
http://www.lighthound.com/Solarforc...fits-SureFire-and-GP-Flashlights-_p_2811.html

I wonder if it would fit my flashlight?
 
I have three...

... but they are very different.

One is a SureFire, which is normally in nightstand mode. I also carry it with me sometimes, when I think I might need a really bright light to look at something for a very short time (most uses) - SureFires will burn through batteries pretty quickly if left on - or when I think the ability to temporarily blind somebody might be a reasonable option (handy for looking at things that bump in the night).

One is a Mag-Lite, which isn't nearly as bright as a SureFire, but is pretty bright and compensates by being able to sustain its illumination for extended periods of time. Useful for conducting night-time external preflights and postflights, and for letting support equipment drivers see you and not run over you at night; also potentially useful as a makeshift club, in its D-Cell incarnations.

One is a little-bitty light I bought from REI, that has four color options (white, green, red and blue) and a pretty low intensity. It's great for use in the cockpit, either to read gauges and instruments in the event of an internal lighting failure or to read a checklist or map when the other guy is flying, and use of a brighter light would cost us both our night vision. (This one is also good for reading after lights out, when in a barracks type setting; it's also handy for avoiding trip hazards when trying to navigate to the latrine without tripping into a generator power line trench - while not putting out enough light to make one stand out to distant observers).

There are a staggering variety of lights out there; in some cases you can find a one-size fits all solution, but you may find that if you identify your specific needs, you may need more than one light so you can choose the right one for your purpose at any given time.
 
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The tactical light that I carry on my duty belt I got from the NRA Store. It is a Hell Fighter X-8. It is said to have 130 lumens all I know is that it sure is bright.
 
As a note, I prefer lights that run on AA or AAA batteries, because those little lithium CR123s are EXPENSIVE.

An LED one is a good idea, too. A little more expensive sometimes, but the xenon bulbs have run times measured in minutes at high power, and if CR123s stretch the wallet, replacing the bulbs a lot will break the bank.
 
A person can get the CR 123's on the 'net for a dollar a piece if you buy them in bulk ...like a 12 or 15 pack. Buying them at the store individually is too expensive, I agree ....
Ohio Rusty ><>
 
Madcap_Magician said:
As a note, I prefer lights that run on AA or AAA batteries, because those little lithium CR123s are EXPENSIVE.

An LED one is a good idea, too. A little more expensive sometimes, but the xenon bulbs have run times measured in minutes at high power, and if CR123s stretch the wallet, replacing the bulbs a lot will break the bank.
Click to expand...

I perfer a light with multiple battery configurations. I like the rechargeable 18500's or 18650's because you can use your light for anything and just charge the li-Ion batteries again and again.

The CR123's last 10 years on the shelf and make good backups for when you need them.

Part of the reason the Olight M30 just made it into my collection.
 
Lithium AA and AAA batteries are available. They are good for long term storage, and operation in cold weather. They can also be readily replaced with alkaline batteries from any store. Not so with 123s.
 
I have a number of SureFires. I like the Aviator A2 (one of their best concepts), the Z-2 is a good one, also, and the 9P. My 870's fore end has a modified 6P of some sort.

Since my Bladetech mag pouches were made for the 6P I carry it and it works as well as it ever did. One with standard bulb, the other with the Zenon and Crennelated strike bezel. One aluminum body, and one polymer.

Zenon bulb more expensive, battery life much longer.

123 batteries? Not a problem, I just order them from SureFire by the box. 12 for $21 doesn't break the bank.

You can buy a 72 pack for $126, and as mentioned the Zenon has much better battery. Surefire also has good customer service. They sent me a new bulb assembly nc on my word that it burned out prematurely.

I agree that we can sometimes get carried away worrying about all them there lumens.

The 6P has stopped people in their tracks who approached me when walking after dark. Also great for crosswalks at night. SureFire's site even has a story about a guy who used his strike bezel to save himself on ice.

Was just looking at their site like a kid in a candy store. They keep developing more and more models all the time--and my 6P still works jus fine--oops, said that already.:D
 
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