I feel that I should share my experience and maybe help save someone from a near fatal encounter that I suffered while doing BPO's! A couple years ago I was conducting an interior inspection and when I went to the dark basement I discovered it was completely filled with water to the top step. The water was crystal clear and undetectable. Someone had placed pennys in the fuse box of this century home and the water was electrified. By the grace of God I stopped before taking that next step. I went upstairs and found the kitchen floor covered in running water from frozen lines to a disconnected dishwasher and the power lines were lying in the water uncapped and live. This was a "Supercharged House from HELL" Needless to say, I notified the proper authorities and said a few prayers and thanked God for giving me another chance. That night I went home and started a quest for a GOOD flashlight. I joined Candle Power Forums (http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forum.php) and became a "FLASHAHOLIC" buying and trying a vast array of assorted illumination tools to find what suited my needs best. I also own a property preservation company (RPM LLC) and service everything related to the REO industry. Most homes we service are without electricity and it is vital to have the proper illumination to assess and secure these homes. I tried hundreds of flashlights ranging from $20 to over $1,000. I became the "King of Catch and Release" on that forum because I bought and sold so many different flashlights doing research to find what best met my needs. I wear a tiny jewelery grade custom light on my gold rope neck chain at all times. This is referred to as EDC (every day carry). I also carry a $500 custom titanium light by McGizmo aka. Don Mcleisch in Hawaii. I advise you all to do a little research and find what type of light best suits your personal needs. Some lights are designed for flood (short distance full coverage of an area. Others are made for throw (long distance illumination for objects far away). I have consulted with many LEO (law enforcement officials) to discuss what they use. Some lights offer high and low beams in combination and also strobe lights to disorient an attacker or for emergencies. Through my research, I have gained a wealth of knowledge and would be happy to share advice on finding the right light for you! Next to dependable transportation and a good camera, a good flashlight should be part of everyones' EDC. Some good deals can be found on ebay especially on foreign makes (Solarforce). Malkoff Devices makes some virtually bullet proof lights and modules that my staff use daily. Oveready aka. electron guru custom bores Surefire lights and custom coats (cerakote) these in many colors. I gave my wife a pink one for Christmas and I carry a yellow one that matches my FJ cruiser. He also makes a triple LED module (1100 lumens) that turns darkness into light. HDS (ra lights) are totally awesome and indestructible. Surefire lights are military grade but often over priced. 4/7's (four sevens) are great and economical as well as are Nitecore lights. In conclusion, DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT YOUR FLASHLIGHT... IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!

I guess my flash is as good as the last time I changed my batteries. This a pretty good post. I haven't hit a super charged house, but I've had my share of near misses in dark, dangerous, dumps. That's reo aliteration. Good gear will save your life.

Karl, thanks for the great post and the heads up. I would have never imagined all the choices for a flashlight. I almost fell into a basement full of water once but not electrified.

Very clever way to promote the sales of a flashlight. No one is that passionate about something unless there is financial gain. My .99c Wal-Mart and my 2.99 Sears do the same thing and come in a variety of colors too

BPOmaster....I have to strongly disagree with a generic flashlight doing the same job! Until you have experienced to power of a real light ....you have NO CLUE! As a kid we owned a construction company. We employed about twenty masons and they laid brick until quitting time. My dad would come home and grab a bite to eat and head back to the jobsite with me and my sisters to rake out the mortar joints. If you strike the joints when the mortar is still wet they will turn snow white and look horrible. This task often went well past dark especially in colder weather. I had numerous Maglites and two and three "D" cell Eveready lights and they got the job done on a minimal budget. I had no idea that there even were other lights available and with the advent of recent LED (light emitting diode) technology....we have awesome choices few of us have even heard of. The purpose of my thread was to share the fact that we now have choices! I average about 45 BPO's a week, 1000 field inspections a month, 30 trashouts and preservation orders per month, and feel that a GOOD flashlight is imperative for my workers to stay safe and alive! No brand promotion was intended but I wanted to let everyone know there are choices beyond WalMart! Once you use one of these expensive lights and realize the safety factor of ultimate illumination, you will then too understand my fascination with exotic flashlights!

This is a very illuminating post. Pun intended.
I've been okay with a 4 battery mag light. It's not just the light you carry, but how it's carried. I had a trooper advise me to hold it high and off to one side. Like a statue of liberty pose. He stated that an adversary will focus on (and fire at) the light. Further it's positioned to swing it, and it makes one look larger then actual. In conjunction with a can of hornet/wasp spray it may give one time to flee. Hornet spray is like Mace with a 40 foot range.

Good post Karl. I like quality flashlights too. People who are not familiar with performance flashlights would be suprised by them.
There are many "quality" brands out there and some cost plenty (2-3 bpos cover it).
One thing I don't care for is flashlights that use the odd batteries so I tend to avoid them.
My newest flashlight is the Fenix LD20. Stunning performance and uses two AA batteries. Bought for $55 on Amazon. Read the reviews there and elsewhere. They are made in China so the price is less than the quality American brands. It's brighter than my 3D cell LED Maglight. And it's about the size of your typical 2AA flashlight.
Another good cost effective flashlight that is readily available at Lowes is their 2C cell LED Taskforce flashlight. Retails around $29 but can be had for less. Super performance.
Of course there are plenty of nickle and dime plastic toy flashlights for those type of nickle and dime folks.

You are obviously not familiar with candle power forums, and your junk flashlights do not compare to what those guys build and buy. For future reference you might want to research before you make such an ignorant reply.

Op you might want to put some paragraphs in your post to make it easier to read.

Thank you for the post, Karl. You never know what you're going to run into at a vacant [or unknowingly occupied] property and you definitely need to be on your toes.

Even in the daylight, some places are dark enough that you can't see a 2' x 3' hole someone cut in the bedroom doorway and fall in, which happened to one of our vendors in Oregon.

I agree with the assessment of larger flashlights. They make fairly decent weapons if you come under attack, whether by a human or an animal.

I carry the large heavy duty Maglite with high and low beams. No strobe, however, but it's certainly worth looking into.

Thanks for the enlightenment. **smiles**

Linda

Heh, that must be why they hold their flashlights this way on CSI & NCIS! Thanks for clearing up that mystery, Jack! I do find a flashlight to come in very handy with interior bpos and inspecting reo properties.

Linda

As you well know, I'm "old school". I still use my Colt 357 to light up a room (muzzel flash). It also has the added ability to empty a room. All kidding aside, a good flash light is a necessary tool for our business. I prefer the heavier version.

lol, CandyMan. But you still need light first so your "muzzle flash" isn't wasted on empty air........ or a wall, ceiling, etc.

But it might be enough for round two. **grins**

Linda

Apparently, you've never hunted deer in my state...........lots of "sound shooters". The key to making this all work is in the triggr finger. I receive that training from EML when back in the day we "played click monkey".

Nope. When I lived in Kentucky, I went hunting just before the crack of dawn. The advantage of the light went both ways so I just had to be more quiet so I wasn't spotted first.

So you're saying you "click" on everything that makes a sound? The thought/image of you doing that just tickled my funny bone.

Thanks for the smile this morning.

Linda

I carry a 4 cell maglight with LED upgrade and a 10 million candle power spotlight. If I can't beat my attacker away with the maglight I'll signal Batman with my spotlight! lol.

The spotlight is also great for catching neighborhood kids who like to shine a laser pointer in your window from across the lake at night. You use your night vision to find them, call the cops, have the cops on the other side of the lake and turn your spotlight on to show them the kid. I swear the kid had to change his pants when the cop came around the corner of the house. He must have thought he saw the light and was hearing God. I still laugh when I think about it.