For over a year now, maybe closer to two now, I have been carrying a small, everyday carry flashlight. The reason it’s made it this long as a daily carry and not been exiled to the drawer of misfit flashlights is, as I just mentioned, it’s small.
Like a lot of people, I have several flashlights that I have picked up over the years. They range in size, features and application. None has made it as a daily carry, though a few have made it to the dust bin of history.
The Fenix E09R has outlived them all. There are three things that make this an ideal flashlight for me.
Size Matters
The first is its size. The overall length is only 3.11” and the body diameter is 0.72”, which puts the weight at a barely there 1.59oz.
This has been in my pocket almost every single day and the reason for that is I forget it’s there. The size is comparable to that of a simple chapstick. It doesn’t matter if I am wearing shorts, jeans, dress khakis or a pair of 5.11 tactical pants, I never notice the mass of the Fenix E09R, which makes it really hard to find a reason not to bring it along wherever I go.
Rechargeable
One of the many reasons to sideline a flashlight is battery consumption. Unless you bulk purchase AAA, AA or CR 123 batteries, feeding battery-powered flashlights can be soul-sucking, not to mention a money drain.
The Fenix E09R is rechargeable. I do not use it as a flashlight all the time so I haven’t had to recharge it as frequently as I might if it were in constant use. But I have had to recharge it a couple times now and it charges via a built-in USB Type-C charging port.
This is a feature I really appreciate it. There is only a cable needed to charge it. No charging station or cumbersome docking unit that has to be stored away in a random drawer you can never seem to find anything in. I plug it into a USB port on my computer and let it do its thing.
The convenience of easy rechargeability cannot be overstated.
Lots of Lumens
Despite the size of the E09R, it packs a lot of lumens. Its light output offers four continuous modes with a modest 3 lumens ‘Moonlight’ mode, a 25 lumen Low, a 100 lumen Medium and a 300 lumen High. There is even a 600 lumen max burst mode.
The lifespan of the flashlight’s charge ranges from 70 hours on the Moonlight setting to 1.5 hours on high. Depending on when and why you are using it, the life of each charge can be substantial.
I usually use this in early morning when walking my dog before the sun comes up. Streetlights along the sidewalk make use of the flashlight unnecessary most time, but once we veer off the sidewalk the Fenix E09R comes out.
There are a number of things one doesn’t want to stumble upon in Arizona, and we’ve crossed paths with coyotes, javelina, and even burros. I like seeing them as early as possible, especially under the cover of darkness.
This flashlight was also an absolute must when walking out into the desert this past dove season. Getting out to my hunting spot to be ready one-half hour before sunrise on September 1st, and walking back at or after sunset, means navigating cacti, other thorny plants and, of course, things that rattle when you get too close.
You never love a flashlight more than when you think you might cross paths with a rattlesnake in the dark.
Final Thoughts
If you are all about that tactical lifestyle, this may not be the flashlight for you. There is no cool pocket clip for you to hang it in one the million pockets of your tactical cargo pants, or off your plate carrier. But don’t worry, Fenix has a number of lights to meet those needs.
If you are looking for an easy to use, simple to carry everyday flashlight that will be there when you need it, then you definitely want to consider the rechargeable Fenix E09R. Especially since its $39.95 price tag doesn’t come close to breaking the bank.
-- Paul Erhardt, Editor, the Outdoor Wire Digital Network