Best flashlight for Soldier overseas, those with .mil experience as an Engineer.

[SW-Shooter]

You did the right thing buying multiple lights. I don't think I could get by on this deployment with only one (or three) lights. There's just too many uses for them.

Now all he needs is a good headlamp, a good weaponlight, and a good keychain light. Possibly a helmet light too.

In my unit, we have 123s coming out of our ears. I have at least a two years supply sitting in my footlocker right now.

I'll also add that experiencially (as opposed to scientifically) blue light is harder for me to see at night than red, while a blue light SOURCE is easier to see than a red light SOURCE.

The Sidewinder I bought him has a kick ass helmet mount for .mil helmets. I am throwing in two Inova keyring lights as well, one for him and one for when his wife finally gets over there. I'm done for now.

[Frailer]

...I'll also add that experiencially (as opposed to scientifically) blue light is harder for me to see at night than red, while a blue light SOURCE is easier to see than a red light SOURCE.

I suspect what you're experiencing is the fact that blue light is difficult to *pinpoint*, as the fovea is virtually devoid of sensors sensitive to blue light.

[TehLlama]

The Sidewinder I bought him has a kick ass helmet mount for .mil helmets. I am throwing in two Inova keyring lights as well, one for him and one for when his wife finally gets over there. I'm done for now.

The keychain ones will be invaluable.

I wasn't a fan of the Sidewinder helmet mount, but then again I was able to successfully break even my SureFire helmet light's mount. Just used the PTec helmet light instead, and kept the SF helmet light as an iFF beacon as needed.

[GTifosi]

^ Old combat engineer from the days before CR123, streamlite, surefire, gizmonic doodad variant 275 alpha and every swinging dick getting NODS:

Engineers use thier hands a lot.
Bouncing wire? Rifle over back using hands.
Dealing with mines or explosives? Rifle over back using hands.
Breaching? Rifle over back using hands.
Knocking up a bridge? Rifle over there on a heap with a bunch of others and using hands.

About the only time a weapon light would be useful to a 12b is when walking from A to B or if they get roped into working with 11b's as support for patrol, house to house or whatever.

That being said, a shoulder mount or helmet mount would likely be the most generically useful. The logic being you might not always use a helmet, but you will likely always have something on your body to hang a light on, even if its just a penhole in a pocket.

A handheld that can clip to kit is nice too. (like the old 90 degree jobs you could hold or hang off LBE)

Weapon light? Not so much. Less so if the only trick it does is weapon light. You can use an 'on-person' type light while doing a great pile of things you'd normally do, including things that employ a rifle, but an exclusively weapon light is junk if you have to have the rifle in both hands to employ it.
Real tough to bounce wire with two hands while holding a rifle with two hands so that you can focus a dim light on the work going on.

Just .02 from a 'been there done that' guy from an era gone by.
Engineers are 'build and destroy' type folk, not ground pounders or house searchers.

[SW-Shooter]

^ Old combat engineer from the days before CR123, streamlite, surefire, gizmonic doodad variant 275 alpha and every swinging dick getting NODS:

Engineers use thier hands a lot.
Bouncing wire? Rifle over back using hands.
Dealing with mines or explosives? Rifle over back using hands.
Breaching? Rifle over back using hands.
Knocking up a bridge? Rifle over there on a heap with a bunch of others and using hands.

About the only time a weapon light would be useful to a 12b is when walking from A to B or if they get roped into working with 11b's as support for patrol, house to house or whatever.

That being said, a shoulder mount or helmet mount would likely be the most generically useful. The logic being you might not always use a helmet, but you will likely always have something on your body to hang a light on, even if its just a penhole in a pocket.

A handheld that can clip to kit is nice too. (like the old 90 degree jobs you could hold or hang off LBE)

Weapon light? Not so much. Less so if the only trick it does is weapon light. You can use an 'on-person' type light while doing a great pile of things you'd normally do, including things that employ a rifle, but an exclusively weapon light is junk if you have to have the rifle in both hands to employ it.
Real tough to bounce wire with two hands while holding a rifle with two hands so that you can focus a dim light on the work going on.

Just .02 from a 'been there done that' guy from an era gone by.
Engineers are 'build and destroy' type folk, not ground pounders or house searchers.

Your logic and experience, and my experience is what led me to buy the Streamlight Sidewinder. It's a take on the old OD green 90 degree angle head flashlight, but it can be mounted on a helmet, has a belt clip, pocket clip, hell it's just a jack of all trades. Here's a link
http://www.swps.com/streamlight-side...FUHDtgodPxiXZg

[GTifosi]

That would bring it.

Nice utility w/o having to frig around with multicolored lense covers too. Just flip a switch and go.
The compact size can't hurt either.

[Armati]

I have used damn near everything from Surefire. These days I have grown partial to the Energizer single AA helmet light.

http://www.energizerlightingproducts.../military.aspx

I am also fond of the Streamlight Sidewinder.

http://www.streamlight.com/product/product.aspx?pid=168

I generally prefer electronics that use AA batteries. You can find the AA just about anywhere.

I also keep a Goal Zero Nomad 7 and two Guide 10 chargers in my kit to ensure I always have AA's.

http://www.goalzero.com/shop/p/11/No...Solar%20Panel/

There are plenty of CR123's in the Army system but their availability my vary from unit to unit. Some units will hand them out like they are free while others will act like you are trying to steal something by asking for batteries.

[M4Fundi]

I do wish Surefire would make some AA lights!

The only bullet proof headlamp I have found is the Petzl Duo. I used to wear one on my head everynight for years and they are bomber in all weather and have 2 light sources.

[SMETNA]

I do wish Surefire would make some AA lights!.

The consensus around here, for some reason, seems to be that AA's are for toys. All serious lights and optics use CR123. That's a topic for a different thread though, as is the red vs. blue filters topic.

[M4Fundi]

Yeah, I know, but I've lived in countries where finding CR123 is impossible, so I try and have both AA and CR123 lights.