SureFire® G2 LED Flashlight Review

SureFire® G2 LED Flashlight Review

Here is a quick list of specifications for the SureFire G2 LED high-performance flashlight:
Max Output — White Light 80 .0 lumens
Tactical Runtime 1 .0 Hours*
Length 5 .10 inches
Bezel Diameter 1 .25 inches
Body Diameter 1 .00 inch
Weight w/Batteries 4 .1 ounces
Batteries
2 123A (included)
Price range $60
*3.5 hours at 50% of max. lumens.

Editor: Mark

My Story:
For years and years I was happy with my little hand-held flashlight around camp. It was a case of not understanding my options. My brother-in-law works at a technical store in Arizona and he is the guy that first put me onto the Surefire flashlights, which changed my world.
I still like to go hands-free most of the time and so I have high-lumen headlamps that I can strap on. But I always carry one of the Surefire flashlights with me for a number of reasons.
First and foremost, this little flashlight is like having the sun in a can. I mean, if you go full power with this little handheld, powered by 3-volt lithium batteries, it just illuminates the whole forest. You can see so much further and so much better that you have to experience it to have the light go on.
These flashlights are rigorous and well made. They have a Nitrolong polymer body, an aluminum bezel, O-ring seals, a Lexan window, and a patented lockout tailcap push button switch. While not advertised as being waterproof, they are superbly put together and so having this bad boy out in the rain is not going to be a problem.
A couple of examples come to mind. The first year I took my Surefire with me I came out of my tent, turned on the light, and everyone in camp started chattering about what could possibly make that much light. Two of my buddies went out and bought a SureFire G2 within a week of returning to civilization.
On another occasion we were sitting around a small campfire chatting about our day when we could hear something moving through the pines, quartering across the hillside. Three or four flashlights went immediately to the area and we could see the occasional flash of reflected eyes, , but could not see what sort of animal they belonged to. We were in bear country and, with several younger boys in camp, were a bit jittery over that. I ran to my tent, pulled out my G2, and came back to the group. I shined my light through the trees and there we could easily make out the animal to be a small mule deer.

Using a 5-star system, here is how I rate the Surefire G2 flashlight
Design – 4.5
Performance – 5
Durability – 5
Reliability – 5
Overall – 4.8

What They Could Do Better:
This is a reliable, high-end solution in my view. There are those who say they aren’t going to spend this much money on a flashlight. I beg to differ. If you are out in the woods you don’t want something that is suspect or likely to fail you. You want reliability. You want performance. You want a Surefire G2!
While I don’t have much in the way of suggested improvements for this flashlight, I do have a bit of a warning, one that Surefire themselves bring out: this flashlight creates heat. You have to be careful. If you have the flashlight on for several minutes, the Lexan window gets hot! Keep it away from clothing, skin, or anything that could become tinder. Don’t put the flashlight face down (standing on its end) when on. The lockout feature is very nice to prevent this high-powered light from coming on accidentally.
The 3-volt batteries have a 10-year shelf life. This little flashlight is perfect for the woods and perfect also to keep at the side of the bed for those times when the power goes out. In times of emergency it is not the solution for continuous lighting, but it will light up the entire house for you as you figure out how to get the emergency lights or candles going.