The review of Tactical light features and functions is a big issue. Many people have a “have gun will travel” mentality. But the truth is: You have to be to able to identify a potential danger, discriminate friend or Foe, and tell where to engage the threat (shot placement) before you can safely and effectively fire a shot. Shooting at outlines shapes or sounds is a recipe for disaster. Statistics state 60-80% (insert statistic here ) of the time your critical incident will occur in low light. That means all the 2 hand “freestyle” shooting you have done as training is worthless. Now you are feeling like a hog with a wristwatch trying to hold on to a flashlight (provided that you brought one to the fight). You don’t know what to do. Meanwhile Mr attacker is steadily banging away at you with his gun held sideways. He doesn’t have to be concerned with collateral damage or killing an innocent bystander because he’s the bad guy. The media will be around later to imply that you are to be held responsible for that damage. Target discrimination and shot placement as well as seeing what is beyond your target are all paramount. Unless you are wearing night vision equipment your options are only 1 - handheld flashlight. Relying on your human natural eye adjustment to darkness will fail as soon as the muzzle flashes start.
All lights are not created equal. Most tactical lights are designed around the typical flashlight shape. Flashlights have always looked like this because flashlight batteries have always been cylindrical. Flashlight manufacturers are not trying to create an ergonomic tool that is built around tactics, techniques and procedures (T.T.Ps) for fighting with a handgun. They are trying to cater to your expectations of what a tactical flashlight looks like. What flashlights have always looked like.
"You can close your hand around it into a fist around your cylindrical flashlight and you can strike with it". Big Deal! What you can’t do is get a good 2-handed firing grip. I feel about striking with my flashlight as I feel about throwing my knife. That isn’t what it was designed for. And it is too important to me as a tool to risk losing that piece of equipment at the most important moment of the rest of my life. The best thing to use as an impact device is not a flashlight…. It's an impact device. I will not be trying to turn a gun fight into a fist fight by striking with my flashlight. What I will be doing is using a tactical light and T.T.Ps that permit me to focus on aiming and firing a handgun effectively and were designed around that task. Instead of being designed around the readily available disposable cylindrical batteries. The ergonomics of tactical flashlights and worthless TTP's are what I am challenging here.
Until headlamps gained popularity with cyclists and campers recently, handheld flashlights were the singular choice. Miners and spelunkers have been switched on (pun intended) to headlamps for a long time. But the days of the old carbide head lantern are gone. What we have today are some really compact, sophisticated and well designed pieces of kit. And the market is flooding with great choices. My personal favorites are the “Fuel” and “Remix” by Princeton Tech. At around 80 Grams including batteries, these lights are well worth the cargo load. In fact 2 or 3 of them is still well within the weight limit for light sources.
PRINCETON TECH HEADLAMPS
Princeton Tech is an American Company that has made durable lighting products for a long time. But that is no astonishing accomplishment. There are myriad manufacturers of stellar lighting products. What makes Princeton Tech great is their ability to make a product that is well rounded.
When a product has to be carried around day-in and day-out it has to be designed to be light enough to accomodate it's carrier. When a product has to be relied on to perform without failure day-in and day-out, the product has to be built heavy enough that it can withstand the abuse. This is a difficult balance to strike. Infantrymen, SF Operators, SEALS, Campers. Hikers, Adventurers, Cavers and anyone else that has to pack everything in a rucksack and hump it along with them and then rely on the product to perform, can appreciate Princeton Tech's products. So can the outdoorsman who needs sound gear on a tight budget.
My favorite two are the "Fuel" Headlamp and the "Remix" headlamp.
FUEL HEADLAMP
The Princeton Tech "Fuel" is a slight little light with 4 white LEDs in an oval shaped body. It pivots about 45degrees on it's base to light up the ground in front of the user / wearer or the sky. It is very light weight yet rugged at the same time and is very affordable. It is powered by 3 AAA batteries
REMIX HEADLAMP
Princeton Tech's "Remix" headlamp is very similar to the "Fuel". The main differernce is that the user gets to choose between 70 Lumens of white LED light or red LED light. When operating at night, maintaining your natural night vision is very helpful. It takes 20-30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to darkness. One second of white light resets your night vision and takes a new adjustment period to get back to beeing able to see in the dark. Red light does not have this blinding effect. This is one reason why the military so often uses red light and Military maps are designed to be "red-light readable".
"You can close your hand around it into a fist around your cylindrical flashlight and you can strike with it". Big Deal! What you can’t do is get a good 2-handed firing grip. I feel about striking with my flashlight as I feel about throwing my knife. That isn’t what it was designed for. And it is too important to me as a tool to risk losing that piece of equipment at the most important moment of the rest of my life. The best thing to use as an impact device is not a flashlight…. It's an impact device. I will not be trying to turn a gun fight into a fist fight by striking with my flashlight. What I will be doing is using a tactical light and T.T.Ps that permit me to focus on aiming and firing a handgun effectively and were designed around that task. Instead of being designed around the readily available disposable cylindrical batteries. The ergonomics of tactical flashlights and worthless TTP's are what I am challenging here.
Until headlamps gained popularity with cyclists and campers recently, handheld flashlights were the singular choice. Miners and spelunkers have been switched on (pun intended) to headlamps for a long time. But the days of the old carbide head lantern are gone. What we have today are some really compact, sophisticated and well designed pieces of kit. And the market is flooding with great choices. My personal favorites are the “Fuel” and “Remix” by Princeton Tech. At around 80 Grams including batteries, these lights are well worth the cargo load. In fact 2 or 3 of them is still well within the weight limit for light sources.
PRINCETON TECH HEADLAMPS
Princeton Tech is an American Company that has made durable lighting products for a long time. But that is no astonishing accomplishment. There are myriad manufacturers of stellar lighting products. What makes Princeton Tech great is their ability to make a product that is well rounded.
When a product has to be carried around day-in and day-out it has to be designed to be light enough to accomodate it's carrier. When a product has to be relied on to perform without failure day-in and day-out, the product has to be built heavy enough that it can withstand the abuse. This is a difficult balance to strike. Infantrymen, SF Operators, SEALS, Campers. Hikers, Adventurers, Cavers and anyone else that has to pack everything in a rucksack and hump it along with them and then rely on the product to perform, can appreciate Princeton Tech's products. So can the outdoorsman who needs sound gear on a tight budget.
My favorite two are the "Fuel" Headlamp and the "Remix" headlamp.
FUEL HEADLAMP
The Princeton Tech "Fuel" is a slight little light with 4 white LEDs in an oval shaped body. It pivots about 45degrees on it's base to light up the ground in front of the user / wearer or the sky. It is very light weight yet rugged at the same time and is very affordable. It is powered by 3 AAA batteries
Fuel Specifications: http://princetontech.com/index.php
Power 43 lumens (output volume) PO Box 8057 Trenton N.J 08650
Lamp 4 ultrabright LEDs 609) 298-9331, 800)257-9080 Can the 3 AAA be
Burn Time: 146 Hours 1-3.6 volt?
Batteries: 3 AAA
Weight: 78 Grams $29.00
REMIX HEADLAMP
Princeton Tech's "Remix" headlamp is very similar to the "Fuel". The main differernce is that the user gets to choose between 70 Lumens of white LED light or red LED light. When operating at night, maintaining your natural night vision is very helpful. It takes 20-30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to darkness. One second of white light resets your night vision and takes a new adjustment period to get back to beeing able to see in the dark. Red light does not have this blinding effect. This is one reason why the military so often uses red light and Military maps are designed to be "red-light readable".
Remix Specifications Source Citation : http://princetontech.com/index.php
Power 70 Lumens
Lamp: 3 Ultrabright LEDs, 1 Maxbright LED
Burn time 200 hrs
Batteries 3 AAA
Weight 83 grams. $39.00
