In just about every EDC there is some sort of light included whether it is a weapon mounted light, your phone or something like the XBT A2 Tactical Flashlight. At first look as I unpacked the XBT I was a little skeptical about the ease of every day carry with this flashlight due to its size. It isn’t overly large but to me it just seemed like something I wouldn’t want to carry. I was WRONG.
The diameter of the light is only 1 inch but it is a whopping 6.25 inches long. The length makes it very easy to maintain positive control of, but doesn’t do much for concealability. Then I realized that it fits perfectly in my back pocket and almost disappears. The light is pretty rugged and durable; made out of aerospace grade aluminum. It is water-resistant as well, while I didn’t submerge it in water to test its durability in that area, I did get it soaking wet several times due to rain in the great state of Texas.
The XBT A2 Tactical Flashlight is an LED light that is capable of putting out over 225 lumens, but the concentration of the light is not adjustable as far as width goes. A huge plus for me on this light is that it is powered by two AA batteries. I always have AA batteries lying around my house just like everyone else and they are much cheaper and easier to find than the CR123 batteries that are commonly used in the ‘tactical’ world. The light also has a nice rugged metal clip to aid in retention.
All in all this light definitely fits the bill as far as a cost-effective EDC Flashlight goes. The going price is about 45 dollars on a variety of sites. Whether you are going to carry it on your person, leave it in a go bag or have it on hand in your vehicle, you definitely won’t be disappointed with the quality and power of the XBT. 5.11 once again hit the nail on the head with versatility with a product that can fit so many different roles.
Author – Wes Nanny is currently a sgt in the Marine Corps until January at which point I will be ending my career with the Marine Corps to join the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in Texas. I did 8 years as a grunt being a team leader and squad leader. I deployed to sangin, Afghanistan in 2010-2011 with 3rd battalion 5th Marine Regiment. After that I stayed with that unit and went on the 15th and 31st MEU’s. Iv attended numerous schools like CLS, TCCC, Assault climbers course, combat hunter trainer course, HRST masters course, infantry squad leaders course, raid leaders course and some others I cant think of. In my spare time when im not with my family I like to climb, shoot, and hike. I stay very current on firearms and fear of all sorts. I also did some side work with custom kydex for the last two years.
