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to SureFire,
August 28, 2008 |
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TRUE STORIES |
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Surviving the Elements
Neither rain nor sleet nor snow... You get the idea—SureFire delivers.
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U2 Shows Its Mettle During Power Outage
In the dark a flashlight is a priceless commodity your senses can't do without. This is especially true when your house is enveloped in darkness for days. Our house was one of the 260,000 homes in Northern Illinois that lost power for days after a torrential rainstorm. And for those powerless days, my U2 Ultra™ was the most valuable part of our household.
My U2's adjustable light feature was invaluable at night because we used the 100-lumen setting to read, then the two-lumen setting for household tasks--because the batteries lasts for 40 hours at this setting. Days of living in the dark demonstrated why the variable-output feature of the U2 makes it the ultimate personal flashlight.
I've used the U2 Ultra's powerful 100-lumen beam in low-light shooting courses with my handgun, and now it has proven itself as a finely adjustable instrument for surviving a long-term power outage. Its balance between battery consumption and high-intensity brightness proved absolutely crucial.
Brian B.
Warrenville, IL
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E2L Excels After the Deluge
About 0030 hours, my wife woke me, saying the disaster sirens were going off and that a tornado had been spotted and was getting close. I placed my wife and daughter in the safest room in the house and grabbed my "disaster kit," which included a SureFire E2L. We called to warn my father-in-law, who lives about 25 miles away. Ten minutes later we called him again, on his cell phone, and he told us that his farm was no longer there. "It's all gone," he said.
I immediately headed out with my E2L. I could only drive within a half mile of what was left of the farmhouse, so I got out and walked, in the driving rain, my E2L in hand and my spares carrier around my neck. Moving through the terrain, I had to avoid needing rescuing myself—some of the downed power lines were still live, and the possibility of being punctured from debris was a real threat. As I maneuvered through, I found three other people in the dark, trying to search for anyone who needed assistance. One of them did not have a light source, and two of them had dead flashlights that were no longer usable. None of them could see well enough to safely navigate their way out of the debris. Using my E2L, we all managed the terrain safely and made it to the farmhouse.
If it hadn't been for my E2L, four people could have sustained injuries or gotten hypothermia. Luckily, my father-in-law was okay and everyone was safely accounted for. Now every member of my family has a SureFire flashlight. Thanks, SureFire.
Kelly J.
Springfield, MO
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SureFire Trumps Flood on Poker Night
One night, after a few hours of playing cards at my friend's house, a storm hit our area. As we played cards and joked about the power going out, our jokes quickly turned into reality. My friend's home is very susceptible to flooding, if the sump pump is not running, and he had no flashlights or candles, since he'd just moved in.
Luckily, I had my C3 Centurion® and a 12-pack of SureFire batteries with me. We began to haul five-gallon pails from the basement sump hole and continued to do so for four hours straight. After four hours, my wife finally arrived with our generator to power the sump pump. If it hadn't been for my SureFire flashlight, my friend's basement would have been completely destroyed. Now my SureFire comes with me everywhere!
Brent B.
Mankato, MN
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Out and Back in the Outback
While traveling across the inhospitable Simpson Desert in outback Australia, we became trapped between two salt lakes when a sudden storm struck. Realizing we could be trapped for weeks between the lakes, we broke camp and headed across the crust of the lake. Unfortunately, the crust of the lake was already too soft, and we broke through, smashing the front of the truck and all the lights.
Fortunately no one was hurt. We had to winch ourselves free and cross the saltpan using the light from our two SureFire Z2 CombatLights. The Maglite® we had with us was useless in comparison.
After reaching the end of the salt lake, we taped the Z2 to the roof rack with duct tape and drove for an hour. So the Z2 saved us from being trapped in the saltpan and replaced our headlights for the urgent drive out of the flood plain. I always ensure that the Z2 stays in the 4WD and we now carry a good supply of batteries! The efficiency and robustness of your products are a credit to you all. Perhaps one day I'll invest in the 10X Dominator!
Gordon F.
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Barometer Falling; Opinion of SureFire Rising
The New Zealand weather bureau called it a "bomb". The barometer had just fallen 12 millibars and we had received almost five inches of rain with wind gusts up to 110 kilometers an hour. The river behind my home had risen almost 18 ft during the day, flooding most of the property, and was still rising.
I had bought my first SureFire less than 5 weeks earlier, sight unseen, and it has been on my belt every day since. Knowing I had it clipped in my pocket was comforting as I pushed my way through the driving rain to do one last check on the horses before dark. By the time I reached their flooded paddock, darkness was well and truly upon me and I needed the SureFire 6P Original to locate them. One of the mares has a late foal, and the little one was making hard work of the appalling conditions. Thankfully, with the help of my SureFire, I was able to find them all and lead them safely out of harm's way.
I’m so impressed with the 6P’s performance that I am ordering two more SureFire flashlights, one for my night stand and another for my truck.
Jim B.
Northland, New Zealand
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Forest Fire Torches Trail; SureFire Blazes New One
Until last fall, I would never have paid $185 for a flashlight, even though I'm an elk-hunting guide and spend a lot of time in the mountains at night. I got your A2 Aviator last September as part of a tip from a successful client. It came in the mail the day before I killed a bull with another hunter.
By the time I packed the elk on horses, it was get-lost dark with no moon. While I knew the area, a large forest fire had recently wiped out all trails. I turned on your high beam and could see for what seemed like acres. I easily oriented myself and led the horses and hunter out quickly and safely.
If I ever lose that light, I will gladly buy a new one, no matter what the price. (That second hunter since purchased his own SureFire flashlight.)
Chris K.
Emigrant, MT
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Smoother Sailing with SureFire
I’m a Naval Reservist with Naval Special Warfare/Special Boat Team and an avid weekend sailor. Recently I was sailing solo on the Chesapeake Bay at night in a 26' Annapolis, when a squall with near gale-force winds and driving rain churned up waves, swamping and killing my outboard engine as I was making my way to safe harbor at 11:00 at night. Fortunately, not having my 300,000 CP flood light that I normally carry on the boat, I remembered to bring my Navy-issued Surefire Z2 Combatlight®.
Although the entrance to Broad Creek is marked by a lighted day-marker, the two intermediate channel markers are not, and the last lighted buoy was over a mile away. Missing the two unlit mid-channel markers meant running aground in pounding surf, damage to the boat, or possibly even worse. Fortunately, SureFire led the way. I kept shining my Z2 where the day-markers should have been (according to the chart), and sure enough, the Z2 lit them up almost 200 yards away in the pouring rain. I was able to sail down the channel, around the last marker into the harbor, and then drifted unscathed into the nearest dock. After I tied up the boat, I kissed the dock. I sure am glad I had my Z2 to light the way.
Thanks, SureFire!
Tom W.
Virginia
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Looking for Survivors after Hurricane Katrina
I was sent by the U.S. Coast Guard to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to help look for survivors trapped by the flooding. After several times of being submerged to my chest in the contaminated water, myself and a fellow Coastie had to search a house that was open for any persons that needed help. The house was dark inside upon entry, so I pulled out my E2E Executive Elite® that I carry on my gun belt. It had been in the water several times, and on the first push of the button the flashlight worked.
When I returned from the days work I found that my gun had started to rust from the water, and after fully inspecting my gear so were my handcuffs and magazines, but the SureFire looked brand new as the day I got it. Thank you for an amazing product.
Joshua B.
Essexville, MI
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My M6 lit up gigantic portions of the superdome…
As a FEMA worker (Federal Emergency Management Agency), I am always in the worst of situations and almost always without power. I have struggled for years to find a decent flashlight that would help me help people when the unthinkable happens.
About 3 weeks before Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, I got so fed up with my Mag-Lite that I bought an E2D Executive® Defender® and an M6 Guardian® for the heavy work. I am really glad that I picked such a great choice in flashlights, for soon after, I was stationed in the Louisiana Super Dome as Katrina hit. While many of the civilian's flashlights were shorting out because of the rain and flooding (even in the Superdome), my SureFires hung tough. My M6 Guardian was able to light up gigantic portions of the superdome, something that amazed the refugees. When I pulled out my E2D, they couldn't believe how bright it was for such a little light.
I will never forget how SureFire helped me in the Super Dome, and how their quality and reliability wowed not only myself but many other people. Thank you SureFire, from myself and everyone else in the superdome!
Timothy B.
Trumbull, CT
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Change a Flat in Nothing Flat
I purchased my E1L Outdoorsman about six months ago. The E1L is indeed an excellent light with small size and great output. I always carry it with me.
There was a snowstorm a few nights ago in Ontario, Canada, and while I was driving home, I had a flat tire. I had to pull over and change the tire in the snowstorm on a small countryside road, surrounded by complete darkness. I clipped the E1L to the brim of my baseball cap, so I could light up the tire and have both hands free. The whole process took about half an hour, and the E1L performed its duty perfectly. It really saved me.
Thanks for producing such dependable flashlights, SureFire.
Yu-Jen C.
Ontario, Canada
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E2E Takes Hiatus from Hunter
My E2E Executive Elite has been a great tool in the duck blind. On early, dark mornings, I was able to use the lightweight light to tie decoys and set out my spread. It was also a great help in getting the equipment and guns organized before the sun began to rise.
I was extremely disappointed when I couldn't find my light after the first weekend of duck hunting. I looked everywhere for a couple of months but wasn't able to find it. Then on a late-season duck hunt, I dropped my duck call in the back of the steel blind into about 10 inches of water. While looking for the call, I raked my hand across the flashlight and pulled it out of the water. I clicked it on, and to my amazement, the light powered right up, just as bright as the day I bought it. For over two months, that light had been completely submerged in freezing water and mud.
Today, a year later, the light still works flawlessly. The O-ring seals and durability of this flashlight are amazing. Thanks for making such a high-quality product!
Ryan S.
Baton Rouge, LA
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Uniform Changes, Flashlight Doesn't
My Surefire 6P has earned a place as a permanent piece of equipment for the remainder of my professional life. From being a team leader of a protective services detail in Iraq for a two-star General to working graveyard shifts as a police officer, it has served me well.
My 6P was an essential piece of equipment while convoying from Kuwait to Baghdad, especially with the red lens flip cap. I was able to work in complete darkness without worrying about who might be observing me. And the light was plenty bright enough without the red lens to allow me to search buildings and other threat areas before my "boss" would arrive to ensure their safety.
While on patrol as a police officer, the light is small enough to fit in a side pocket but bright enough to be a close second to the spot light on my patrol car. I have used the light numerous times to temporarily blind suspects; it is great for getting their minds off of running away and forcing them to concentrate on getting the light out of their eyes.
Working nights, light is our friend. I know that the 6P can go for a while before I have to change batteries. And whenever a lamp dies, I simply replace it. I carry a battery and light bulb spare carrier, so a replacement is always at hand.
I live by my SureFire. I trust it, and it is extremely durable. After a year of combat and time on the mean streets, it shows a few signs of wear, but the quality of the product has never faded. Thank you for creating such a superb product.
Eric P.
Puyallup, WA
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Don't Get Stuck Without Your SureFire
It was midnight. My friends and I were heading back from a really fun evening playing video games with an old friend. On our way back, the driver decided to take a shortcut by taking an old road. It's winter here so the roads are not totally safe. All of a sudden the right tires run over some black ice. My friend lost control of his car and we crashed into the snow on the right side of the road. The car was almost at 90 degree. No one was hurt but we were stunned. Outside it was freezing cold and there was no light at all. The only light we were able to see were from some houses far away from us. I took my Surefire L4 and looked for damage. There was no damage that I could see but the car was seriously stuck in the snow. I helped my friend shovel the snow and I lit up the place with my trusty L4 that I luckily carry with me all the time. I saw a car coming at the horizon and I made an SOS signal with my L4. This got their attention and they stopped to help us. The father and the son were impressed by the amount of light my little L4 was producing. After about an hour of great effort we were able to put the car back on the road with the help of these good people. Without my L4 we would not have been able to see anything in the dark nor make a signal to the car that eventually stopped to help us out. Thanks SureFire, for making very reliable products.
Mathieu B.
Pont-Rouge, QC, Canada
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Live power lines lay hidden all around us
Three days after Hurricane Katrina my dad and I returned to Gulfport to check on his house. Arriving in the dead of night, we could only get my truck within about 100 yards of the house because of downed trees and other debris. The truck’s headlights didn’t reach to the house, so I grabbed my new SureFire M6 flashlight from the glove box and stuck it in my pocket.
As we climbed over fallen trees on our way to the house, we could hear a low humming noise. The light from the truck quickly fell off, so I pulled out the M6. I had not used it before and was amazed by its brightness. And dead in its spotlight was a downed transformer with hundreds of feet of live power lines hidden in the shadows all around us. We were headed straight for it.
Without a doubt, if it weren’t for the SureFire M6 one of us would have been part of a quick and lethal fireworks show. Needless to say, I’m now a huge fan of SureFire products and they are now a big part of our hurricane-preparedness kit.
Tom A.
Miami, FL
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6P Makes Farming Easier
My father is a do-everything farmer in Minnesota who really appreciates good lighting during his endeavors after sunset. So, on Father's Day a couple years ago, I bought him a 6P. He fell in love with the light instantly and has kept it with him wherever he goes. Even after a couple years of being dropped, scratched, and exposed to the elements, it has never failed to work. In fact, while repairing a hog fountain in the middle of the Midwestern winter, he accidentally left the light outside in the snow and thought it was lost. I ended up buying him a 6P to replace the much-missed light, but a couple months later-that spring, I discovered his flashlight sticking out of a melting patch of snow. It worked as flawlessly as before. It's now back on Dad's tool belt. From illuminating an obscured bolt in the machine shop, to checking the livestock, to glancing over the combine on a late fall evening, Dad's surefire is constantly in use. Thanks for making the job of a farmer that much easier.
Andrew H.
Lakefield, MN
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E1E is Hawkish Out in the Field
As a licensed master falconer, I find myself out hunting with my birds in incredibly cold winter months. On one such hunt we had a great day in the field with my red tailed hawk having caught a few rabbits. As we entered twilight, after several miles of walking back to my truck, we noticed that one of the miniature telemetry transmitters usually affixed to the bird was missing (these tracking devices are not cheap). Well, after an hour of walking and tracking the radio signals for the missing transmitter we pinpointed its location to a deep creek. Apparently, during one of the hawk's flights the transmitter fell off and landed in some murky water making its final location like finding a needle in a haystack. I'm glad I had my E1E handy. It took only a moment to scan the murky waters and find the shiny transmitter reflecting from the beam of my light. Thanks to Surefire, the hawk-and the very tired falconer, got home in time for a nice meal and some dry clothes.
Troy M.
Barrington, IL
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Defender Dazzles Doctor
As an ER doctor, I have been using a SureFire yellow G2® Nitrolon® for years at work, checking pupils, looking at wounds, etc, and I've always found its bright, dependable light amazingly useful. However, I really developed a new appreciation for my SureFire flashlights this spring, over Easter weekend here in St. Paul.
It snowed about a foot over three days, and during all the shoveling I did, my original (and favorite) SureFire, an E2D Defender® fell out of my jacket pocket without me noticing. Five days later, after worrying that my light had been picked up by a passerby or otherwise lost somewhere else, I found it. Our Jeep was parked on it in the snow/ice/mud, and had driven it completely into the goo, where it had endured the freeze/thaw of a Minnesota spring for a week. I'd read on your website all about SureFires stopping bullets or going through snow blowers, but I can't tell you how great the feeling was to hit the clicky tailcap of my own light and see it fire right up.
Now, after cleaning it off, it's right back in my now buttoned coat pocket. I can't wait to add an E1B Backup™ to my current stable of SureFire flashlights (two G2s, an E2D, a Kroma®, and a 6P® LED), as it looks like a real winner. Thanks for the great tools!
Luke A.
St. Paul, MN
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AWOL for Five Months
While driving home from a friend's place in the interior of Alaska, I ran my truck into a ditch. I used my E2E to assess how to get back on the road, and in the ensuing battle to get it out of the ditch, I dropped my E2E. Horrified I tried in vain to find it through the two-foot-deep snow, but my efforts were unsuccessful. Reluctantly I took note of the approximate vicinity of where I dropped it and vowed to find it when the ice melted.
I bought a new E2E replacement to use while I was deployed to Afghanistan. When I got back, it took me all of five minutes to go back to the area where I'd lost the old one and find it. I picked it up and tried to turn it on, but no success. So I threw in a fresh pair of batteries, and it worked as good as new. Five months of -30° temperatures for five months and all that needed replacing were batteries. That's why I own three of these bad boys.
Kevin L.
Daly City, CA
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