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Lights
Super Light: Fenix TK70
I’m pretty sure this will be the last serious light I buy as it pretty much can handle damn near anything I need to do (that and I’m not that much of a flashlight-aholic). I’ll still buy some lights here and there I suspect (mostly for giving away etc.). I had originally considered the Olight SR90 as I think it’s got more ‘punch’ but I’m not a big fan of integrated batteries and as much as I dislike the “standard” D-cell batteries used by the TK70, it certainly makes it more accessible/cheaper to use. Also helps that the TK70 is almost half the price. This will likely be delegated as a specific-purpose and bedside light.
I’m pretty sure this will be the last serious light I buy as it pretty much can handle damn near anything I need to do (that and I’m not that much of a flashlight-aholic). I’ll still buy some lights here and there I suspect (mostly for giving away etc.). I had originally considered the Olight SR90 as I think it’s got more ‘punch’ but I’m not a big fan of integrated batteries and as much as I dislike the “standard” D-cell batteries used by the TK70, it certainly makes it more accessible/cheaper to use. Also helps that the TK70 is almost half the price. This will likely be delegated as a specific-purpose and bedside light.
Medium-Punch Light: Fenix TK35
Quite a lot of punch for a single hand light, it's not as aggressive as the Fenix TK15 nor has the output-to-size performance of the Fenix TK21 (although I suppose that's debateable), having almost twice the output of the TK21 yet still being a one-handed light is fantastic as a first-response in-the-bag light. Depending on what other flash lights fill out the mix, this may (and probably will) end up being the "heavy" light I pack in my car.
Quite a lot of punch for a single hand light, it's not as aggressive as the Fenix TK15 nor has the output-to-size performance of the Fenix TK21 (although I suppose that's debateable), having almost twice the output of the TK21 yet still being a one-handed light is fantastic as a first-response in-the-bag light. Depending on what other flash lights fill out the mix, this may (and probably will) end up being the "heavy" light I pack in my car.
Primary Tactical Light: Fenix TK15 or Fenix TK21
This is a tough choice. For the TK15, it has a slightly longer throw (not something I'd likely notice to be honest) and is more pocket friendly and has a nice crenelated tip while the TK21 has 100+ more lumens on maximum output and an extra 78hours (!!) of burn time on the lowest battery setting. Of course, the TK15 has an extra 7 hours of burn time on the medium (and possibly more useful) setting. I'm not entirely which of the two I'll end up taking although the crenelated tip makes the TK15 more appealing as a big-brother to my TK11.
Secondary Tactical Light: Fenix TK11
My first light that I bought on my own, I love this thing: puts out enough light to be useful indoors during the daytime as an inspection light and is convenient enough yet powerful enough to be carried at night as a walk-through-the-neighborhood light. I had considered replacing this light with the Fenix TK12, but just looking at the operation of the light confuses me all to hell with the different secret modes and such.
My first light that I bought on my own, I love this thing: puts out enough light to be useful indoors during the daytime as an inspection light and is convenient enough yet powerful enough to be carried at night as a walk-through-the-neighborhood light. I had considered replacing this light with the Fenix TK12, but just looking at the operation of the light confuses me all to hell with the different secret modes and such.
Tertiary Tactical Light: Surefire 6P LED
My first serious light ever, this thing was a wonderful introduction to the world of serious lights. This venerable light has since been discontinued and I contemplated selling/replacing it with a Surefire 6PX Tactical which seemed like the most direct descendant, but then I looked and Surefire 6PX Pro offers a lower-intensity battery saving mode for the same price/package which would make it a more practical light and on the other end, the Surefire 6PX Defender is a more aggressive version of the Tactical, featuring a crenelated tip. Of course, this now gets into the realm of supplanting the role of my TK11, so I opted to keep the tried and true light the way it is. A while back, I bought a clicky-tail cap and while it's not as well built as the stock twist-cap, at least I can lend out the light and people will know how to turn it off.
My first serious light ever, this thing was a wonderful introduction to the world of serious lights. This venerable light has since been discontinued and I contemplated selling/replacing it with a Surefire 6PX Tactical which seemed like the most direct descendant, but then I looked and Surefire 6PX Pro offers a lower-intensity battery saving mode for the same price/package which would make it a more practical light and on the other end, the Surefire 6PX Defender is a more aggressive version of the Tactical, featuring a crenelated tip. Of course, this now gets into the realm of supplanting the role of my TK11, so I opted to keep the tried and true light the way it is. A while back, I bought a clicky-tail cap and while it's not as well built as the stock twist-cap, at least I can lend out the light and people will know how to turn it off.
EDC Light: Fenix E15
I was deciding between this light and the Olight i1 EOS. The Olight has more punch but not as useful light settings (4/40/180 vs 10/75/140) for what I would want - although 3 days of runtime at the lowest setting is pretty amazing. I’m not a big fan of the lack of clicker but I suppose it’s a compromise needed to keep the size down. I'm also considering the Fenix LD15 as a 'common battery' EDC.
Headlight: Fenix HL21
This is a bit more straightforward as there aren’t as many competing products. I guess I would consider the Surefire Minimus but the price tag of the Surefire unit is a bit of a turn off (as this would only see very specialized use). The HP units pack a lot more punch (more than twice the output) but that's just overkill for my use for a headlamp (which will likely be close-range, under the table type of application, so I'm not looking to blind myself with the spill!
Misc./Gift/Scatter Lights: TechLite LumenMaster
Definitely need to buy a bunch of these for gifting/misc./scatter purposes. Costco has them for $18 so that’s an outright steal. Can pretty much guarantee having a somewhat decent light anywhere I might need one. I definitely need to buy a couple packs of these, keep giving them away to people who pack dollar-store lights in their car.
Definitely need to buy a bunch of these for gifting/misc./scatter purposes. Costco has them for $18 so that’s an outright steal. Can pretty much guarantee having a somewhat decent light anywhere I might need one. I definitely need to buy a couple packs of these, keep giving them away to people who pack dollar-store lights in their car.
Kit Marker: Tritium Glow Ring
I won't be ordering from there but something along those lines. Definitely handy for zippers, keychains etc. I don't really use a zippered [school] bag anymore but my quick shoulder bag (aka purse for my tablet lol) could use one of these too.
Optics
Sunglasses: Numa Optics X-Frame
I originally considered the Numa Optics Point Ballistic due to the addition of the MIL-PRF-31013 rating - not that I plan on parachuting into enemy territory but having a well defined impact protection test helps ease my mind while using it as a safety glass, the more common ANSI 87.1 (drop test vs projectile test on the lens). Ships with a bunch of different lens options too (you can read the different purposes here) and is just generally a good solid package for not-too-much money -- definitely money better spent on very sturdy and functional glasses over a fashionable pair any day!
Action Camera: Contour ROAM
This replaced the ContourHD as their base model camera and brings one massive change: the upgrade to a 170ยบ wide angle camera! Contour says they improved the battery life and the laser leveling as well so that's fantastic action camera and more importantly, an affordable dash camera!
Clothing
Footwear: Outdoor Research: Crocodiles
This is awesome: finally I can wear my shoes during the winter and not have snow and slush in my shoes! :P I might splurge for the tougher (and more importantly, wider) Expedition series but these are just awesome. There are rain-oriented Salamander set which may be more useful in the February-March slush-fest (and are certainly more portable!)
Footwear: Hikers...
Arctic Parka....
Electronics
GPS: Garmin NUVI 3490LMT
I've had my faithful 265WT for the longest time now and while the updates keep her useful, she's definitely starting to show her age. At the time I bought this, the top of the range 785T was just too damn expensive (like triple the price!). I was just about to start looking at prices for the 3790LMT when Garmin made their announcement for the 2012 lineup. As confusing as the naming convention may appear, the 3490 does seem to be the replacement for the 3790. I'll wait until the new year to see how the pricing and reviews for this new flagship unit work out -- it's gotta last me until my next car where I can more properly integrate a tablet to run Google Navigation!
Computing
Internet TV: Logitech Revue
Logitech finally realized they couldn't just sell this product for $400. Bringing it down to $100 makes it's a much easier to achieve any amount of market penetration. I don't really know what this is like or how this works or anything about it -- but that's kind of what it's supposed to be like as an early adopter.
Webcam: Undecided, leaning towards Microsoft LifeCam Studio
This is a particularly tricky choice. My typical "go to" has been the Logitech line up -- I currently use a Logitech WebCam for Notebooks Pro (C905) which is, as the name suggests, a notebook oriented webcam. Other than the size, there's nothing particularly notebook-esque about this webcam -- other than the difficult to work with clip. I've had a decent experience with this web cam, so I first went and looked at the Logitech HD Pro C910 -- the only thing that initially stood out was the 'different' stand/mount -- but something I could get used to (I like the more traditional mount the Microsoft unit uses). On paper, it would appear that the Logitech unit is the clear winner -- stereo mics, 1080P recording as opposed to the single mic and 720P recording. Reading a bit deeper, it appears that the 1080P recording is only available using Logitech's custom software (which -- there's not a chance in hell I'll be installing) and I've heard that you can record 1080P using third party software on the microphone. In all likelihood, I'll probably sit this round out and wait for the next set of super-webcams.
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