By Vic Laboy
For the past few years, I have been slowly improving my EDC to fit my everyday needs. When I first became interested in building my personal loadout, I considered the idea of a pocket flashlight; however, I never acted on it. Until one day, I was scanning the aisles of the outdoors shop I worked at and found a Streamlight ProTac 2L. I must admit, I am partial to Streamlight from being raised with a police officer in the house and this being one of his primary components on his duty belt. I carried this light for three years and never once had any issues with it, which lead me to believe that I would never retire this. I was mistaken when I was scanning the selection and found the Streamlight ProTac 2L-X, which made a significant difference.
More than Just a Flashlight?
If you are in the market for a suitable pocket light that is non-obtrusive when carrying and is bright enough to light up the night sky, this may be one to consider when building your EDC. While evaluating the capabilities of this light, I found myself in awe of the ruggedness as I put my lights to good use, almost torturous in other’s eyes. There are countless times where I find myself using this light, only to drop it on the cement and retrieve it with no damage other than a few minor scratches. In addition to the abrasion-resistant coating, this 500-lumen pocket beam will light up a room with ease. To give an example, a good friend of mine and myself assisted a stranded motorist that had found herself with her vehicle in a ditch. Normally, this would have been resolved without a hitch; however, we were on a pitch-black road with constant traffic. Immediately, I thought to pull my light from my pocket and began directing traffic with ease until local police arrived at the scene. When the officer confronted me, we spoke briefly about this light and I showed him the capabilities, only for him to later purchase this exact light for his off-duty carry.
The Capabilities of This Light
What sets this apart from the competition is that Streamlight understands the needs of their consumers. Many of us need a flashlight that will perform no matter the situation. The fact that you may abuse this light, pulling it from water or snow and power on when exposed to the elements, is just one attribute that separates this from other lights on the market. While producing 500 lumens may greatly assist you when navigating through the terrain or woods at night, you may also select the defensive strobe and low-light features to fit your needs where it’s needed. The flashlight features a tail-clap switch for both momentary and constant on operation along with a pocket clip for ease of access. Lastly, you have the option of using disposable CR123A batteries, or if you do not wish to continuously purchase batteries due to high usage, Streamlight offers a rechargeable lithium ion cell battery that increases your strobe time from 2.5 hours to almost 4 of constant-on mode.
TEN-TAP Programmable Technology
Another notable upgrade for this light is the ability to program different modes. The standard order of each mode is the high-beam, defensive strobe, then low-beam. For those who only deem it necessary to use the high-beam option, press the rear switch a total of 10 times while clicking down on the last press. You will notice the low-beam changes instantly back to the high then cuts itself off. Depress the switch, then reengage your light. It is now set to high-beam only and will only show this setting, removing both the low-beam and strobe functions. If you only wish to remove the strobe, but retain both the low and high-beam, follow the same steps by pressing the switch 10 times, fully engaging on the final press. You will now see the transition from high to low, then it will power itself off. Now the light will only operate with the first click as the low setting and the second hit to get to the high-beam. This gives you the option of first lighting your way with a dimmer setting, allowing you to switch to the brighter setting if necessary. To reset this to factory settings, repeat the same process and you will know it is complete by the strobe at the end before shutting down. This now places your light to the original programming, so you may use all available features.
Streamlight ProTac 2L-X Final Thoughts
Whether you own a few tactical lights or are looking to obtain your first light for your carry, the Streamlight ProTac 2L-X Flashlight may benefit you greater than others out there. It is impervious to shock, built to last, and will perform in any elements. You are bound to enjoy or appreciate what this EDC flashlight has to offer. At an affordable cost of $43.60, this device can easily fit into your daily setup. Visit our retail store in Arlington, Texas or online at gritrsports.com for pricing and availability, and we will be more than happy to get you taken care of. As always, train hard and be safe.
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