[DeputyAlex]

What would you carry if you could only choose one. I recently was at class and caught a lot grief for stating I didn’t carry an extra mag or flashlight when I carry concealed. I know it’s stupid and I should carry another mag, but I hate having so much crap on my belt. if I had to pick one it would be the flashlight. Im considering the surefire backup. What would you choose?

[Madmax1010]

extra mag!

[collim1]

I vote extra mag also, but carrying a small light and a mag should not be too much trouble.

I carry a spare mag up front and clip a small surefire light in a pocket.

[CTfam]

A spare mag is a must. A small LED is so handy and easy to carry there's no excuse. You can have 200 lumens on your key chain these days.

[Patchman]

If it's only one or the other, I'd pick the flashlight.

The extra mag only becomes useful if you ever need to shoot your gun for real.

The flashlight can be used pretty much on a daily basis, especially now in the winter time, when daylight is short.

Personally, I always carry an extra mag on my person and a Surefire 6P in my always carried man bag. I also have a Streamlight Nano in the pocket of every coat.

[pipedreams]

Ignore the grief and do what feels right for you. You know the risks of the area where you reside and what the odds are you will ever need to pull your gun let alone empty the magazine. You are more likely to need a flashlight or a knife for an emergency than a gun. I don't carry a extra magazine but have a couple in my truck. Each person needs to decide what is right for them.

[eclark53520]

No reason to only choose one.

Both are something you should be carrying.

[nosuchagency]

i like to hedge my bets (comp-tac carrier)... honestly though, i usually carry a single and a light clipped in pocket. and yes, e1b is a fantastic light. this year's model is supposedly receiving an upgrade to 200 lm.

[ATW525]

Extra mag. I always have one with me. That said, if i'm going to be outside after dark, I try to carry a light in addition to the mag. I'll admit that now that i live in an urban/suburban environment, I find I hardly ever need the light like I did when I was in a rural area, and I've gotten a bit lazy about carrying it.

[rahrah12]

This is making me reconsider what I carry...or don't carry.

I have never carried a flashlight...mainly because I have never been in an incident where I wish I had one...

I carry an extra mag most of the time...but now I need to start looking into flashlights...lol

[bush pilot]

Originally Posted by eclark53520

No reason to only choose one.

Both are something you should be carrying.

+1, if I had to narrow it to one it would be a flashlight. Look at some of the options from Fenix, they have some great flashlights at reasonable prices.

[silverado_mick]

Originally Posted by Patchman

The extra mag only becomes useful if you ever need to shoot your gun for real.

Or if your baseplate comes off and dumps all the rounds in your primary mag on the deck the first time you pull the trigger. Mags fail a lot more than quality handguns do, that's why I always want a spare one with me. That said, I carry both. Every day.

[up1911fan]

I always carry both. Extra mag on the oposite hip of the gun is concealable and helps balance the weight of the gun. My light ( either an E1B or LX2) is clipped in the outside of my back left pocket, next to my wallet. Take's up no space on the belt, easy to get at.

[cowboy1964]

Spare mag. Keychain light if nothing else.

[John Rambo]

Are you kidding? This is a no-brainer. How often do you need a flashlight? How often have you, anyone you know, or anyone you have read about needed an extra mag?

Flashlight!

[collim1]

Originally Posted by rahrah12

This is making me reconsider what I carry...or don't carry.

I have never carried a flashlight...mainly because I have never been in an incident where I wish I had one...

I carry an extra mag most of the time...but now I need to start looking into flashlights...lol

A flash light has a lot of uses other than SD.

Flat tire on the roadside at night, trying to exit a grocery store after a power outage or a fire fills the store with smoke, wife drops a earring on the sidewalk etc... A flashlight is just a handy thing to have on you. I use mine several times a week for something other than Identifying bad guys.

[Misty02]

I rather not pick, you can get a small flashlight that fits in the pocket. Needless to say, I use the flashlight often (because I seem to be the only person that carries one); the mag has seen no use outside practice/training. I carried a flashlight long before I ever carried a firearm.

BTW, I have a bigger one in my vehicle for those times more coverage is needed (like when the AAA show up because your vehicle is not working and they can’t see diddly squad because they forgot their flashlight.

.

[RyanNREMTP]

Why does it have to one or the other? Change depending on what you are planning to do. If it's a night on the town, then perhaps a flashlight. If you are heading to a rough part of town (I don't know why someone would want to but hey) then the extra mag.

I agree that you should find a way to carry both. I do and it's not an issue.

[SCmasterblaster]

Originally Posted by CTfam

A spare mag is a must. A small LED is so handy and easy to carry there's no excuse. You can have 200 lumens on your key chain these days.

Spare mag for sure; medium-sized Surefire flashlight as well

[dosei]

Flashlight...Klarus XT-11

Klarus XT11 LED 600 Lumen Tactical Flashlight Review - YouTube

Klarus XT11 LED 600 Lumen Tactical Flashlight Review - YouTube

[unit1069]

I didn't pay any attention to anything other than guns, ammo, and holsters until about six months ago when I began realizing there are a lot of factors that go into successful self-defense.

Assuming I've taken all the steps necessary to assure complete gun/ammo reliability I'll pick the small flashlight; and this is because I've satisfied myself as to the quality of my CCW gun/ammo combo. A defender has to positively ID the target and a good light with endcap button for a quick burst of light fits the bill for me.

I walk every night because of health reasons and I always carry the little micro light with me. When I get home that same light sits right above the bedside pistol. When I'm out and about carrying the light also goes with me.

[Bruce M]

I use the flashlight I carry with me regularly.

[1smoothredneck]

I carry both. I used to carry both in a SOS dual carrier, but now I just carry
in a single mag pouch and clip the flashlight in my off side pocket. It's not in
the way, and I can access it without the possibility of "flashing" the magazine.
I like the pocket carry. It also seems to "balance out" the Spyderco clipped to
my strong side pocket. FWIW, I consider the xtra mag a must more for malfunction reasons than extra ammo reasons, but I've never spoken with anyone who lived through a firefight and said "I really woulda been fine with less ammo, I might have even been able to move quicker with NO extra mags!"
Be Safe.

[Warp]

Originally Posted by DeputyAlex

What would you carry if you could only choose one. I recently was at class and caught a lot grief for stating I didn’t carry an extra mag or flashlight when I carry concealed. I know it’s stupid and I should carry another mag, but I hate having so much crap on my belt. if I had to pick one it would be the flashlight. Im considering the surefire backup. What would you choose?

I currently have 3 flashlights on my person the vast majority of the time, 2 minimum, sometimes 4.

I almost never carry a spare magazine.

Being able to see things in the dark is useful...very often. Playing with flashlights is fun and can be done in almost any location and around any people.

[BailRecoveryAgent]

Well since I don't have to choose one or the other, I carry both. Like collim1 said, the flashlight comes in handy several times a week, if not several times a day.

I have a Streamlight Polytac LED, but lately have been carrying a little single AA 80 lumen light.