Tom reviews the ASP XT DF Flashlight.
Idaho – -(AmmoLand.com)- I suppose that I am no different than any other outdoorsman in that I count a flashlight as a vital part of my gear. And like you, I am always looking for a more powerful, compact, rechargeable flashlight. At the SHOT show this year I discovered the ASP XT DF flashlight (Armament Systems & Procedures XT Duel Fuel) which is going to become my go-to flashlight. Having a dysfunctional flashlight in a crisis can be life-threatening. Whether you have a bear, come into camp at night, packing out in the dark or broke down and working on your truck.
I remember once my buddy, Shawn Lee, had packed our elk camp into the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area on his pack string. I couldn’t make it until a day later, so I took off after work and got to the trailhead after dark, loaded the rest of my gear in my backpack and took off down the narrow trail.
Not far down the trail, my main flashlight broke, and I ended up hiking the last 3-miles with the aid of only a little rinky-dink light. Not fun in bear, wolf, cougar and moose country. Much less while trying to not tumble off the trail into the river below. The year before we’d had two horses and a mule roll off in this same stretch.
As I’ve gotten older, I only use good flashlights. I could give a million more examples of disasters like above due to dysfunctional flashlights, but you get my drift, which is why I was excited to meet the ASP crew at the SHOT Show this year and get to test the ASP XT DF flashlight.
ASP XT DF Flashlight
GOOD POINTS:
- There are a few things I look for in a flashlight. Anymore, I like rechargeable lights. The better flashlights all seem to use expensive batteries nowadays so you’ll go broke buying batteries if you use your flashlight much. Buy rechargeable ones. The ASP XT DF flashlight comes with (4) attachments that allow you to charge it in your truck or at home in a wall socket. One is especially unique in that it is a retractable cord which helps keep it compact and prevents it from being a tangled mess like most of my cords become. And on top of this, the ASP XT DF flashlight comes with a canvas carrying case.
- The ASP XT DF flashlight has a 5-mode setting, Max, High, Medium, Low and Strobe. It runs on one 18650 battery, or it can also run on two C1234A rechargeable batteries. It has two O-ring seals, so it is water resistant.
- It is the perfect sized light for my standards. Not too big to be uncomfortable to carry but also not too small to be able to meet all of my needs.
If you’re like me and spend a lot of time in the backcountry, then I’d recommend buying a double set of the rechargeable CR123A batteries for back-up. Or, another option is to get a Solar Charging panel and carry it along. And, with the solar panel, you can also charge your GPS, Camera and other electronic gear.
And one last feature that might interest a lot of you is that it also has a reversible pocket clip. In the ASP XT DF flashlight, you get a lot of quality and options packed into a small package for the MSRP of $160.00 (less $$ online). Or you can go the cheap route like Indiana Jones and carry a torch and pray that the wind doesn’t kick up and blow it out.
About Tom Claycomb
Tom Claycomb has been an avid hunter/fisherman throughout his life as well as an outdoors writer with outdoor columns in the magazine Hunt Alaska, Bass Pro Shops, Bowhunter.net and freelances for numerous magazines and newspapers. “To properly skin your animal you will need a sharp knife. I have an e-article on Amazon Kindle titled Knife Sharpening for $.99 if you’re having trouble.”
Over the years I have become a big fan of Streamlight Pro Tac HL-X flashlights. 1,000 lumen, 3 modes, tough as an anvil. And half the price of the ASP.
Hello all, it’s Michael from ASP, with a couple of quick comments/corrections on this post: 1. Note there is a small typo in a couple of instances of the battery type. The Dual Fuel option for this light is CR123A. 2. The link to the Amazon purchase page goes to the base version of the light, shipped with 2 CR123A batteries. Amazon does not seem to be showing the full kit version with the Lithium Ion battery and recharging kit–we are working to get that updated, in the meantime you can see info on the full kit at https://bit.ly/2IpIdl8 If… Read more »
Tom, maybe ASP will take the three lights I have with their name on them, that have all failed within the first 6 months I owned them. I bought them all at the same time because they seemed to be a good light. They finally did send me a new one under warranty, which failed within 3 months. I have a tough time buying a light with this type of history. There are 2 other major makers that don’t make flashlights as a sideline and they seem to always work. I think I’ll have to stay with a known commodity.
Taj, we are very sorry to hear this, it is certainly not typical. Our lights are used, sometimes abused, and trusted by law enforcement officers and agencies around the world, and it is very rare for a customer to have a problem with an ASP light (or any ASP product), and honestly *three* problems is a first. Not sure what happened here, but we are very concerned to read your comments and certainly want to address the matter. We have a lifetime warranty covering manufacturing issues on all of our lights, so we’d like to see what’s up with yours… Read more »
Flashlights for me fall into two categories.. Kel Light, Stream Light, SureFire.. Flashlights I am willing to and have used in dire circumstances. and Junk lights…Flashlights kept in drawers and the shop I am willing to use when if they fail it is no big deal. I can toss them and get another from the drawer.. I carry the former on me .. I keep the latter handy so I do not have to use the former for mundane tasks. They are cheap and they work most of the time..now there is a whole new class of fatherless flashlights out… Read more »
So how’s the battery life? How did it do on your last hunt? How bright is it? How far does it shine or how wide is the beam when your tracking? How did the cold effect the battery?
You said you tested it so what happened in your “test”? How do you test it at SHOT show? Did you like take it to the hotel room or go out in the desert that night or what?
For writing the same review for multiple websites you left out a lot of information.