Tag Archives: edc

Gadgets, Product Reviews

OLight OClip Pro

The OLight send me a special holiday limited edition OClip Pro, which has snowflake graphics on the front of an anodized candy cane red body. A large spring clip runs the length of the unit on its back allowing it to be clipped onto clothing, gear, and objects. Furthermore, the base of the clip contains an embedded magnet allowing the unit to be attached to metal surfaces.

The unit is about the size of an OLight Arkfeld if you cut off 2/3 of the length. The Pro model has a trio of LED emitters on the front side of the unit which face outward when clipped onto a pocket, lapel, or backpack strap allowing you to illuminate the area in front of you whilst leaving both hands free. The three emitters are controlled by a selector dial on the side with an integrated button.

The unit’s emitters include a long throw beam with a tight hotspot capable of illuminating objects over 100ft away. A wide flood beam which casts a broad defuse light, and a high intensity red LED. The flood and focus beams have a Turbo, High, Medium, and Moonlight mode (and strobe). The red emitter has constant or beacon mode.

The flood beam was able to emit about 455 lumens in Turbo mode, which aligns with the 500 lumens Olight claims when fully recharged. In my endurance testing, I was able to achieve a 120 minute runtime starting in Turbo mode. Unlike many of Olights flashlights, the OClip uses a standard USB-C port for charging which I find to be a welcome option. The USB-C port cover does not allow the unit to be submersible in water.

The only drawback to the right-angle design is that he clip and ergonomics do not lend itself to be used as a clip on headlamp. When clipped to the brim of my baseball cap, the majority of the light hits my chin and some of the spill does also blind the user. Despite this one mode of use, the OClip is a useful secondary light and is bright enough to be used as a primary and is compact and light enough to truly an Every Day Cary flashlight.

BUY IT

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FHW31QWP?ref=t_ac_view_request_product_image&campaignId=amzn1.campaign.2SCO6A983ZT38&linkCode=tr1&tag=moondogindu05-20&linkId=amzn1.campaign.2SCO6A983ZT38_1779736175938

SPECS

MATERIALS
Body MaterialAluminum Alloy (6061)
GENERAL DATA
Mode OperationSide Switch
Light SourceWhite: Floodlight(CCT: 5700-6500K); Spotlight(CCT: 5700-7000K); Red: (WL: 620-630nm)
Charging TypeUSB-C Charging
Max Performance500 lumens
Beam Distance393 ft (120 m)
Max Light Intensity3,600 candela
Lighting Levels
TurboFloodlight: 500~300~100 lumens; Spotlight: 380~240~85 lumens
Turbo RuntimeFloodlight: 1 + 50 + 30 minutes; Spotlight: 1 + 50 + 30 minutes
HighFloodlight: 300~180~100 lumens; Spotlight: 240~150~85 lumens
High RuntimeFloodlight: 1 + 100 + 10 minutes; Spotlight: 1 + 100 + 10 minutes
MediumFloodlight: 100 lumens; Spotlight: 85 lumens
Medium RuntimeFloodlight: 3.5 hours; Spotlight: 3.5 hours
LowFloodlight: 10 lumens; Spotlight: 9 lumens
Low RuntimeFloodlight: 27 hours; Spotlight: 27 hours
MoonFloodlight: 1 lumen; Spotlight: 1 lumen
Moon RuntimeFloodlight: 144 hours; Spotlight: 144 hours
SOSYes
StrobeYes, (Floodlight: 13Hz at 500 lumens; Spotlight: 13Hz at 380 lumens)
TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Thickness1.10 in (27.83 mm)
WaterproofIPX6
Weight1.87 oz (53 g) (Including Battery)
Length2.24 in (57 mm)
Width1.10 in (28.05 mm)

Gadgets, Product Reviews

OLight Arkflex

The Arkflex adds a new angle to the innovative wedge style EDC. The Arkflex rounds out the harder squared edges of the Arkfeld design. It is a little smaller and lighter than the Arkfeld and lacks the rotary control, UV light, and laser. Arkflex adds a new feature: a hinged top which can tilt the dual LED emitter to 90º angle. With the tilting emitter, the Arkflex can transform from a standard wand style flashlight, into a clip-on hands free work light.

In testing, the Arflex meets or exceeds all of its printed specs. The Arkflex outputs a little over a maximum of 1000 lumens in Turbo mode. It has a runtime of 120 minutes in Turbo and can be fully immersed in water.

But nothing is perfect. After my testing, my sample unit wouldn’t turn off until the battery died and wouldn’t recharge. It was defective. But rather than this review ending in a negative conclusion, it became a test of the company’s warranty and customer service.

I went to the Warranty and Repairs page of Olight’s website and entered in a return request. After uploading photos of the unit and describing the issue, they emailed me a PDF return label. I received a replacement unit a few days later. Unfortunately Olight was out of the Halloween limited edition lights, so they sent me a plain orange one. Far from disappointed, I was impressed with how easy Olight’s warranty return process was.

BUY IT

Amazon https://amzn.to/3CH0c3l

Shooting Sports

Olight Arkfeld Ultra

The Arkfeld Ultra is an upgrade on the Arkfeld Pro, which I reviewed just a few month ago. The Ultra increases light output by 100lumens which isn’t a huge leap in output. The more notable changes are in the design of the body and a new aluminum alloy used in it’s construction, that Olight calls O-aluminum.

The Ultra has a slightly raised and beveled face on it’s body design, somewhat reminiscent of the Tesla Cybertruck. This serves a practical purpose, shielding the control ring and button from wear and tear. For extra credit, I tested the Ultra’s claimed extra strong design by running it over with my KIA SUV. It survived, though I did bend the belt clip noticeably and scratched up the lower body (though not as badly as I would have expected).

The Ultra also features a finely checkered pattern on the sides of the box-shaped flashlight, which provides more grip friction than the Arkfeld Pro’s ribbed pattern. In performance, the Arkfeld Ultra is nearly identical to the Pro. My testing did confirm a light output near its claimed 1400 lumens. The Ultra is rechargeable and uses the same magnetic recharging cable as the Pro and other Olight flashlights.

The Ultra costs about $20 more than the Pro but the latter offers a wider array of color selection in its body. At the moment the Ultra only comes in a olive-gold like color thats somewhat infused into the metal. In addition, Olight inlcudes a limited edition Olight challenge coin in the Ultra box.

BUY

Olight affliate: https://shrsl.com/4ploz

Amazon affiliate https://amzn.to/3U31JGQ

SPECS

ARKFELD ULTRA

OUTPUT: 1400 lumen

UV OUTPUT: 900mW

LASER: Green Class 3R

BODY: O-Aluminum alloy

WATERPROOF: IPX-7

BATTERY: Internal LiPo

MAX THROW: 103 meters (Turbo)

RUNTIME: 125 minutes (Turbo), 11 days (Moon)

LENGTH 4.72 in / 120 mm

WIDTH 1.06 in / 27 mm

THICKNESS 0.63 in / 16 mm

WEIGHT 4.19 oz / 119 g

Shooting Sports

Klarus E5

The Klarus E5 looks like a flashlight Apple would design: a cross between a highly functional EDC and an overpriced minimalist fashion accessory. But the E5 is anything but overpriced. Flat EDC lights are a mini-trend in flashlights. The Olight Arkfeld is probably the best-known example. Klarus has staked out its position by offering the lightest, flattest EDC.

The 1.4 oz E5 weighs less than a pair of Apple AirPods (with charging case). It’s about the size of 3″ bladed EDC knife and shares about the same pocket space. It has a magnetic tip that allows the E5 to tail-stand as a work light or be attached to the roof of a car as a warning signal. The EP5 comes in 6 different colors, with matching colored belt clips.

The EP5 has two light emitters. In function, it’s intended to be primarily a clip-on lapel light. Its main LED emitter is its larger round light on its side. Its auxiliary light forms the top end opposite its magnet. Both lights are activated and controlled by a single side button the light. Tapping on the button after the light unit is activated switches the main light from low-medium-high-flash/signal modes. Keeping the button pressed after activation switches between the Main and Aux light emitters. Double tapping the button activates the Aux light in strobe mode. Triple tapping the button activates the Main light in Turbo mode, outputting a maximum of 600 lumens

The EP5 trades off ergonomics in controls and function for minimalist aesthetics. The EP5 is stylish and lightweight, making it appealing, but it lacks features like mode memory, which are required in a real EDC work light. But its low price, lightweight, and packability make it a great every-day-carry light, just not an every-day-use light.

BUY IT

Amazon affiliate https://amzn.to/4gtwE8L

SPECS

• Maximum Brightness：600 lumens
• Weight: 37g
• Thickness: 8mm
• Battery Capacity：450m
• Charging port: USB-C
• Max runtime: 12hrs
• Waterproof: IPX4

Gadgets, Product Reviews

Fenix PD32R EDC flashlight

I assume ‘PD’ in PD32R stands for Police Department because Fenix designed their entire PD flashlight line “professional” users such as LEOs, security, and first responders. First impressions of the unit are that it’s a ‘typical’ looking tactical flashlight with a 1″ barrel, tail click button, and crenellated bell. But looking at the Specs we can see it’s an evolutionary rather than evolutionary flashlight.

The PD32R runs off a standard 18650 lipo cell. An o-ringed screw down collar below the bell covers a USB-C port which allows you to recharge the battery inside the PD32R. The flashlight is IPX-68 rated means it can be submerged in down to 2m of water for up to half an hour. I tested it sealed in a water jug for an hour with no moisture leaking in.

It has a silent tail click button that activates the unit and based on the length and number of presses allows you to cycle through it’s brightness modes: low, medium, high, and turbo. The button is partially hooded to protect it from accidental presses but will not allow it to tail stand. mode has offers up to 1400 lumens of brightess that automatically dims to high and medium to avoid overheating the electronics.

There is a strobe mode which is activated by keeping the button pressed for 3 seconds. This is intended to be hide the strobe from accidental activation or activated under stress when a user crunches down on the button. I would have liked to allow the user to means to change this feature to switch out to Turbo instead of strobe for those who absolutely do not want a strobe on their EDC.

BUY

Get 10% off using code AF-MOONDOG
on Fenix LIghting’s website https://www.fenixlighting.com

Amazon affiliate: https://amzn.to/3WeBwoJ

SPECS

PD32R

Max Lumens: 1400

Max Beam Distance: 344m

Max Runtime: 70 hours

Modes: 4 + strobe

Bulb Type:  SFT40 LED

Color Temp: ~6500K

Length: 5.32” (135mm) 

Head: 1.04” (26.5mm) 

Body: 0.93” (23.6mm)

Weight: 4.80 oz. (136g) 

Battery: 18650  or two CR123A

Shooting Sports

OLight Arkfeld Pro

OLight turned heads when they released the Arkfeld EDC light a few years ago. The Arkfeld’s innovative flattened box design was an inspired departure from the barrel tube body of flashlights since the 19th century. This newest version, the Arkfeld PRO, adds both a UV inspection light and a green laser pointer to a high lumen output multi mode white LED.

The primary controls are an ergonomic dial and a single, if not completely intuitive, activation button on the side of the unit. The dial switches between white light, laser, and UV light. Its internal battery has charge indicator lights below the mode dial. It is recharged via OLight proprietary magnetic charging adapter calbe which is USB-A compatible. The magnetic charging port at the tail of the unit has the secondary function of allowing the flashlight to be attached to metal surfaces, like a car hood.

The Arkfeld features a deep cary clip which can be removed. The clip is 2-directional allowing it to be clipped into the brim of a cap to function as a headlamp. The body is a solid feeling box of aluminum that comes in a variety of colors and some special edition graphic paint jobs.

In my testing I was able to get more than it’s 1300 lumen advertised maximum brightness. It met my drop test and water proof testing. Fully recharged I got a runtime of about 140 minutes starting in Turbo mode which aligns with OLight’s specs.

I’ve been used to wearing a smaller and lighter EDC but despite the Arkfeld’s larger size and weight, its flattened design allows it to fit into most pants pockets with minimal printing or encumbrance. My only peevs with this otherwise near perfect EDC is that the simple one-click activation can lead to accidental activation in pocks and that a double-click could lead to accidental strobe activation.

AFFILIATE RETIAL LINKS

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xSObW9

SPECS

Battery:Built-in 1500mAh Lithium Polymer Battery
Dimensions:4.72″ long x 1″ x 0.6″
Lamp Type:White LED, UV (Ultraviolet) LED, Green laser (choice of cool white 5700-6700K or neutral white 4000-5000K
Light Output:1300, 420, 100, 15 or 1 lumen (white)
Weight w/batteries:3.92 ounces
Run Time:2.1 to 55 hours
Charging Time:2.5 hours
Focus Type:Fixed
Waterproof:IPX 7
Material:Aluminum
Origin:China
Warranty:Limited 2 year

Shooting Sports

5.11 Bravo “John Wick” Jacket

At the 5.11 booth a came across their BRAVO travel jacket. This blazer sports coat has internal secure pockets and retaining straps. This covert jacket allows you to carry various EDC gear in a secure and ergonomic manner for rapid access and deployment. It isn’t quite John Wick’s bullet proof Italian suit but I imagine it’s a suit he’d wear while on vacation from a “job”.

Gadgets

5.11 Braddock DP

5.11 Tactical is a outdoor and tactical outfitter which is best known for making specialized backpacks, hiking, and duty pants. At their own stores and 5.11 branded sections at retailers, you can also find 5.11 accessories like EDC knives; almost as an afterthought like swag.

One of their newest is the 5.11 Braddock DP and on first blush it could be easily overlooked. The Braddock has the generic look of a archetypical tactical folding knife. Polymer handle with a frame lock design and a traditional drop point, with a half-length swedge and a black stonewashed finish.

On closer inspection, I found the handle to be solidly constructed with a grippy textured finish without the creak you’ll find on cheaper polymer knives. The blade was very sharp out of the box able to cut paper, 1/8″ paracord, and 1/4″ nylon clothesline with ease.

Overall it does feel a bit basic. The only stand out feature was the reposition-able pocket clip which comes in a matching color to the polymer body panel (kangaroo brown or black). The clip itself was shorter than typical knives. Its short length and matching color has the advantage of making the Braddock slightly more covert than most EDC knives.

5.11’s products command slightly premium pricing not as much as Arc’teryx or TAD but certainly in that “technical clothing” eco-system. While its a bit more than a baseline model from better known knife brands, the Braddock DP is well designed and well constructed. You’re getting good gear while paying only a modest brand name premium.

Available on Amazon through this affiliate link:

Shooting Sports

5.11 EDC gear for 2024: SHOT Show

5.11 got its start making rock climbing pants and is known as an outdoor and tactical outfitter. So its a natural evolution that they would develop knives and tools. Their offerings include folding knives, sheathed knives, and hatchets. At SHOT Show they literally opened up their drawer and let me see their product line.

I’ll be posting a review of their new Braddock DP EDC knife soon. The striking orange knife you see in this video is the Fero knife and is available on Amazon https://amzn.to/49trjul

Shooting Sports

OLight at SHOT Show 2024

OLIGHT debuted their newest models of their Arkfeld flat EDC flashlight and Baton. The Arkfeld now offers a UV mode in addition to being a flashlight and laser pointer. Their popular Baton compact EDC now comes with a powered charging case that features a USB-C port and a 5000mAh internal battery. It will recharge the Baton up to 5 times or can be used as a portable power bank.