Emergency Gear: Electronic Sights and Flashlights

You've seen them at gun shows, those cheap, knock off electronic dot sights in their no-name boxes. They're dead ringers for the much more expensive optics used by SWAT teams and Special Forces. I know you want the cheap knock-offs to be the same quality, but they just aren't. The gun industry isn't like buying laundry detergent at Safeway or dog food at Costco. On one hand, everything is outsourced, but there is very little "rebranding" that goes on. If you are serious about gear that you can trust your life to, you are just going to have to crack open the wallet, let the moths out, and pony up for the real thing.
Now, there is lots of gear to choose from, and lots of it is over priced or over rated for what the average person needs. As much as I lust after the new Aimpoint M4 with its eight year battery life, I simply don't need anything that trick. The EOTechs will work just as well for me, have a much lower buy in, and have the mount built right in which saves another $100.

There's a good argument to be made that we really don't need more than a $200 Burris SpeedDot (ok, or that we even need them at all, but we'll address that at some other point.) Frankly, the Burris will do everything Joe Average needs done outside of extreme situations.
Myself, I think the EOTech is worth the extra money for a primary rifle because it will take almost as much abuse as an Aimpoint. Where it fails are areas I'll never to use it in - SCUBA insertions, being run over by a HMMV, in other words, extreme combat ops. Face it, few of us are never going to see any combat ops unless things really go to hell in a hand basket. Why not the Burris? Because it's internals just aren't as solid. Notice that a lot of police and military units use EOTechs. Notice that none use Burris. If we really have to subject our rifles to serious abuse due to an event like Hurricane Katrina, the EOTech stands a very good chance of taking it, the Burris is probably not going to make it. Face it, if decent products like the Burris aren't to the point of taking real abuse, the knock-offs aren't going to. That goes for the electronic dot sights we're talking about here as well as for the fantastic and durable Trijicon ACOG tritium powered scopes that are also very popular with people who depend on their rifles and gear on a daily basis.

So, the $375 EOTech is a good substitute for an $800 Aimpoint, the Burris is acceptable, but the $40 Chi-com gun show special just isn't going to cut it. In fact, do yourself a favor and keep on walking when you see them for sale at gun shows. They won't even hold up to the recoil and average knocking around of a range gun that sees moderate use. Even worse, if you have one you'll tell yourself that putting it on your emergency rifle is "only temporary" until you buy something more expensive. But, it's going to stay there for years. There are plenty of good reasons to have an electronic dot sight, but you are much better off running iron sights than having a piece of gear which cannot be trusted.Now, something has to power this stuff, so is that a factor? Yes, and of course, here it comes.... no. AA is the standard for everything. A friend sent me a bit of insight by instructor John Farnam: Best power source is AA batteries. Under nearly any circumstance, you can kick down a door, locate a TV remote, replace your dead batteries, then rejoin the fight. Such 'Exigent-Acquisition' is neither taught nor thought about much in this country, but we need to start!"

It's hard to argue with Farnam and I like a lot of stuff he comes out with. His point about AA batteries is well made and bears serious consideration. Even if you aren't going to be kicking down doors looking for batteries (and hoping there's not another guy just like you on the other side of the door who wants to keep his batteries), AA's can be found in any town, airport, and campground. If you buy your gear to do double duty - daily chores as well as emergency use, then battery availability is doubly important. There does come a point when you have to ask yourself how what is taught in class translates to the real world, the real threats, and, most importantly, how you are willing to interact with the world. There's no trick question here, just the observation that each person has to make their own choices.

No Aimpoint will take AA batteries, but EOTech has a models that will. Their N battery unit is shorter and so will sit farther forward, but the AA unit gives longer battery life on top of having a more convenient battery source. Despite the obvious advantages of the AA versions, I like the N units because of their smaller size.
Since battery type can be a consideration for electronic dot sights, you really need to look at the other battery dependent gear you will have with you. A small digital camera should come along if you have the room. If not, don't sweat it, but documenting the events could prove insightful in the future for both personal and legal reasons. If you feel your cell phone is something that has to keep going, you can find adapters that will allow it to run off a battery. Every version I've seen uses a AA's, so keep that in mind depending on your needs. A flashlight is going to be your most used, and potentially most important, battery dependent item. We covered electronic dot sights first because they are most specialized and if you need one you probably REALLY want it to work. But, you and those who depend on your will be at a severe disadvantage if your flashlight fails.

Dive lights tend to be very strong for their size, waterproof (obviously), and shock resistant. Dive gear isn't cheap, but an extra $15 now won't even be noticed by next month. The ubiquitous Mini-Mag is tough, water resistant but not waterproof (trust me), and you can find spare bulbs in any hardware store. Pelican makes lights for hard-use and has AA models. Inova is well respected and is a top choice by people who know what they are doing. Surefire and Streamlight are probably the most well respected names in "tactical" flashlights. They are also the most expensive. Thankfully, this is an area where quality doesn't have to break the bank. Avoid the $3, plastic jobbers that your grandmother kept in the kitchen drawer for black outs. Think in terms of portability and durability. The big Mag-lites will take (and give, if you want to be able to use your light as a weapon) a beating, but tend to be heavy and cumbersome if you are trying to negotiate your family to safety.
Most current, "white light"/high intensity flashlights use the 123A 3.0 volt batteries. You might not be familiar with them, but they are very common in camera gear and so aren't too difficult to find. Any Wal-Mart or Walgreens will usually have them. I have run into problems because the stock kept on hand is relatively low. Also, if you are going to travel, most gas stations and remote convenience stores will not stock the 123A's.
Some lights come with rechargeable battery packs. I do not recommend such things for emergency use. Rechargeable batteries have a bad habit to dying without much warning. You might only have a couple of seconds of dim, yellow light before the entire unit leaves you in the dark. I found this out through personal experience on the side of the road, in the middle of nowhere, at midnight, with my buddy's car buried to it's axles in sand. Of course, once spent, you need a place to plug your light into, something which will be non-existent in an emergency situation. Also avoid the gadget flashlights. These are the ones with a built in radio, or you power them by shaking them, or you turn a hand crank, or, recharge them with solar cells. Such things are sold on their gimmick factor and never on their quality. They are always cheaply made, break easily, and perform poorly. Remember, we are talking emergency gear here. If it doesn't work, you and your loved ones could die or, at the very least, suffer severe hardship if it Save your gadget self-indulgence for things that

A side note is to keep a handful of Photon Micro-lights on hand. I prefer the II model for it's "lock on" switch. It's surprising just how much that single LED will light things up when it's truly dark.