By Mitch Trujillo, PCI #244T
IPMBA Industry Relations Committee
Boulder Police Department (CO)

While conducting some nighttime patrol-bike training for the Lafayette (CO) Police Department this past fall, I got a lead on some useful gizmos. The Lafayette crew has been employing the QuigLite™, a stealthy pocket-clip light that allows the officers to see their notes and keep their hands free. I later came upon the Coast Cutlery Flex Light and put it through some field use. I don't carry a lot of unnecessary stuff and can't consider myself an "Inspector Gadget" by any means, but both lights proved their worth. Both brag LED (Light-Emitting Diode) technology, and are shock-proof and water resistant.

LED Lenser 360 Micro Flex Torch by Coast Cutlery

I've been using this little guy for the past three months. It sports a silver anodized stainless body and flexible neck with a white LED bulb on the end. The pen-like mechanism is lightweight and takes up little room. It clips to your pocket, lapel, cap, etc. My version has a lanyard ring so it can be worn around the neck. It measures about four inches in total length; the flex neck measures about two inches.

In the field, the Flex Torch puts out just enough focused light to write tickets in the dark, but doesn't jeopardize tactics. The flexible neck allows the beam to be positioned in any direction. The small on/off switch is easy to activate with a touch of a finger. The only drawback I've encountered is that the push-button switch has to be positioned in such a way that it can be easily accessed without accidental activation.

The cold-burning bulb means no bulbs to replace and 100 hours of light without a battery change. Button watch batteries are included. Coast Cutlery makes several versions of the light and offers different beam colors. Eddie Bauer® markets a Coast Cutlery-made flex light.

Coast Cutlery, which has been in business since 1919, boasts German engineering and a Lifetime Warranty.

MSRP: I got mine for $12.99 but I've seen them as low as $9.99 online. Contact: Coast Cutlery at www.coastcutlery.com.

QuigLite®

The QuigLite® is a super-thin, stealthy black, clip-on light source that is easy to place in your pocket, lapel, cap, etc. The unit measures about 3" by 1 ¼". The bright LED bulb comes in white, blue, green, or red. I've heard that the red or green beams are probably best for looking at driver's licenses, and the blue seems to wash out Colorado DL's. The bulb is more powerful than the Flex Torch, which is a tactical aspect that might be considered.

A rotating arm moves up and down but doesn't have quite the flexibility as the Flex Torch. The QuigLite® takes two lithium batteries and offers forty hours of continuous use. There is a battery saver feature that automatically turns off the light after five minutes of use. The push-button switch is easy to access and does not accidentally activate.

Probably the only significant downside to the QuigLite® is that it takes up a lot of room in your pocket pen-slot. The QuigLite® can be ordered through Galls® online for less than twenty bucks.

MSRP: As low as $17.99. Contact: Galls® at www.galls.com.

Mitch is an IPMBA Instructor Trainer, an IMBA National Mountain Bike Patroller, and has a penchant for singlespeeds. He can be reached at trujillom@ci.boulder.co.us.

© 2005 IPMBA. This review appeared in the Winter 2005 issue of IPMBA News.