Thorfire C8S Flashlight Review

I was sent this Thorfire C8S flashlight from the administrator of SurvivalistBoards forum a couple of years ago. After some brief use, I started using it in my EDC (well, maybe not every single day, but a lot). I've brought it along on survival "outings" along the rivers in my area. I've dropped it plenty of times, had it submerged in river water when my gear flipped off the kayak, had it covered in sand and river silt, jostled around in backpacks, etc. Just a brief review on a simple and light with a lot of power options.

First, I enjoy having the four power modes. The lowest light is "moonlight", and from there the beam increases in intensity all the way up to 1,600 lumens with a very wide beam. At night I am able to light up an entire tall oak tree. The casing is waterproof and has some high quality rubber gaskets that do a good job of preventing anything from getting inside. The light housing also seems to be quite shockproof. As I mentioned, I have dropped it on concrete and there was minimal blemishes and no reduction in reliability. I am also happy with the location of the button for turning it on and adjusting the power. It's located on the tail end of the flashlight and covered with a rubber cap. Pushing it all the way turns the light on and off, pushing it lightly switches the power modes. Very simple. There is a lanyard hole on the tail end as well.

One downside is that the light takes a pair of CR123 batteries, which are not cheap. I do not recommend using the light on the highest power setting for long, as it can get warm and use your batteries up pretty quickly. Another drawback for some might be the large head and lens. This can make it a bit uncomfortable in a pocket for EDC.

Overall for a price of under $20, I do recommend trying this one out if you get the chance. Let me know about your flashlight EDC.

Added notes: 1. Often I have found packs of CR123 batteries in the PX (usually in clothing and sales) on large US Army bases (Namely, Fort Hood and Fort Stewart) for CHEAP. If you have access or know someone who does, you might be able to stock up. A lot of weapon optics and lights seem to require these weirdly expensive batteries.

2. It does appear that Thorfire has branched the C8S off to "Windfire" as the C8. Same light, different name.