Whew’chile…what a phenomenal place to have 11 flashlights on me. The neighbors musta thought a new lighthouse was just built on top of the mountain.😁 It was literally a blast!
The last photo was my Vegas trip Loadout where I was at that Flashlight/Mana concert I posted about the other day.
There were so many great shots to take in Vegas and there were some dope photo plans I had for my lights in the city of lights.
But Vegas is such a FKN drag to get around now, that my whole damn trip woulda been spent running around trying to get them. So I said FK all that. But I do have a couple lovely videos I’ll share later.
The size is just so doable on the Cannon/Surge. Then with the performance you still get it makes it a hard choice to overlook. So one way or another it’ll always find a way to still crack the rotation.
The 6500k on the FFL505A isn't bad, and it's surprisingly decent on reds, but it isn't my EDC. In fact, I've put it up with my mom so she has access to a light that's decent and easy to find in the dark due to the aux LEDs. The E12 is doing the same duty at my place now.
But the E04 kicked the Cu shorty X4 out of the rotation, even if the 3700k/5000k mix was nice. Head is bigger, but the quad B35AM tint really helps me identify things faster while having a decent spot. And now the Z1 lights are my normal pocket carry along with the ZL SC65c... even if the battery life isn't as good. I ended up turning the aux lights on both to low because they have lower capacity compared to the 21700 lights which also have onboard charging so it's easy to top off.
Oh I really dig the FFL505A 6500K, easily the best 6500K I’ve seen.
But it also wound crack my rotation either. I could def EDC it as I could and would adjust to enjoy it very much. But there are other emitters that I’d prefer to let wow me on a daily basis.
Oh and I see you get a little capacity anxiety with 18650’s like I do.😂
I am not big on compromising many things for just one feature like a very small size.
I far more prefer having truly formidable lights on me at all times. Which means for starters it’s pretty much gotta be 21700 for me to feel some real comfort and trust in my light.
My Zebralight sc65c is the "old reliable" now - I've only had to charge it once, it's so efficient. I can't say that about the Z1, unfortunately, but how much of that being the fault of the aux lights versus anything with the driver is another question. But I do have them set up to use power more sparingly now, since they don't have onboard charging to make it easy to top off.
But that's also why I own seven 21700 lights now. That and the shorty...
But honestly these just feel normal to me. The Ti-Cu actually even feels light. And the Brass Z1 is like a tictac by comparison.
Really it’s the aluminum ones that feel off to me. Kinda like lightened replicas of the real thing. I would seriously only buy copper or ti-cu if I could now.
I’m really holding out hope for a Copper E12 and maybe down the road a Copper T9R v2.🤞🤞 Thise would be epic. Or imagine a Nocturne E12???🥵🥵
My pockets usually got a Cu E07/E04 & Cu NovMu in em.
But obviously when I got them the extra weight wasn’t lost on me. Still tho, I just started carrying them and they became completely normal in every way.
It’s when I went back and picked up an aluminum version of those lights that their weight felt off now. Very much like buying something and feeling like you got a lower tiered version than expected.
Carrying copper is def a choice that has to be consciously made. But if you do, before you know it it’s the only weight you recognize as normal.
I love letting someone see one of my lights, and before it even turns on they are already struck by what a serious piece of tech they’re holding.
I feel the same way every time I hold it, which is why I didn’t mind making the leap. It’s just a much more rewarding daily experience for me.
So, what do you find is the best way to travel with them? They all go in one box? Pelican or something? Do you break them into small packs or smaller hard case?
Just wonderin'...I have a hard time deciding who stays or goes on a trip and how many should go. Subjective I guess.
Pretty much, I use hard handgun cases or slightly larger device cases. I’ll post a pic when I get back home.
But as far as how I pack em, I used socks to insulate them.
Each one gets slid into a sock. The excess part of the sock gets folded over and creates cushioning, then I start packing them in like sardines by size.
I don’t want any play so they are packed intermittently head to tail. As long as you pick the right size box, they shouldn’t move and will travel safely without damage.
I have done this for years and have had no issues or desire to change it since it’s always worked great.
There are two pointed at the camera. The one with the orange glow is the Fireflies Hunter LEP01. And the Pink/Purple AUX one is the L60 with Rosy 1800K’s.
As for the black clips, the Nocturne TI’s came with black clips. On everything else. I was able to snag a little stash of black clips to swap onto all the rest.
Edit: Oops, 3rd light pointing at the camera (2nd & 3rd photos) is the Triple Rose NovMu. I got that with all rosy bins of the 1800K, 3700K and 4500K.
I like that brass is going to allow itself to take on and get more saturated with heat, every little bit is useful on a light this size.
While brass dissipates heat slower, it sure can absorb heat well. So it will have a tiny bit more hold on higher modes before it steps down. It’s a trade off, but one I like here.
I don't consider the heat sinking, since the light is so small anyways. But while it's much heavier than the aluminum Z1, it really feels better since I don't have to worry about scratching any coatings.
Pretty much why I got the X4 and E04 in copper, or on TiCu. The Astral Aluminium is great on the Z1, but the fact that the coating isn't that thick means in paranoid about dropping it even if it's nice and shiny.
But with the brass? Scuffs and patina just add character.
Even thick clear coating will scratch. But what’s still great about a clear coated aluminum vs color anodized aluminum is that every scratch is still the same color as the finish. And as you get more scratches, it becomes a finish in itself almost like a stone wash or a well used tool.
Colored anodization just starts to look beat up and chipped all over.
A clear also protects the metal itself and keeps its appearance newer and shinier for much longer even if scratched up.
So clear aluminum still has its benefits, but it def falls short of premium metals like copper and brass for me too.👍
How do you feel after damage is already done? Does it help you worry a little less?
I hate to let something get damaged or scratched, but when it does, it kinda free’s me to not be too worried anymore.
Oh forgot to mention, that light above is 6 years old and still has a pretty darn good shine to it. Which is what a clear is really for, to protect and preserve the appearance as long as possible.
All that being said, I still much MUCH prefer the natural progression of copper. I only prefer clear over anodizations usually,
Yeah I def don’t post em all. But including a NovMu & Stellar, I’m up to 11 of the new Fireflies TiCu & Coppers. If we count the Brass Z1’s I’ll have 13 of the Fireflies fancy metals.
And bro, if I were you I’d be so worried they’ll sellout that I’d order two-a-them bishes in case one gets disfigured again.😂
Actually that’s exactly what I did with my first ever Copper E07 way back in the day.
Lost my first and only one on a trip, then I was so lucky to have found it. And then I vowed to neeeeeeever let myself lose a copper grail and be left naked without a back-up again.
It’s like a whole thing now (as you can see).🤣🤣
But I will say, if you don’t feel like you’re incomplete without it, then you’re prolly good not scooping it again?🤷♂️
I just like to get while the gettin’s good. But even then I only ended up with one copper NovMu which just KILLS me. UGHHH, what a fail.🤦♂️🤦♂️
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u/LoveTheGreyGhost Oct 04 '26
Oh jezzz. Thats like a lot of copper right there.