I need some tactical enLIGHTenment...

[Chefdog]

Thanks for all the info gentlemen. I 'spose ill need to dig a little deeper and look into things a bit more closely. There's definitely more to take into consideration than Flashlight/Lightswitch.

Moochose Grassyass.

[David Armstrong]

Here's a question for those of you with the tactical experience and knowledge that I am lacking.

I'm convinced that the WML is superior to a handheld light, thanks to the well articulated reasoning here by a lot of you. What I'm not grasping 100% is why, if I felt the need to go downstairs and investigate, I should choose to rely on the WML/flashlight instead of flipping the switch and turning on the lights (power loss notwithstanding)?

I'm guessing some will reason that using the lights gives the intruder a chance to see you, which I agree with. I'd argue that with a flashlight he knows where you are anyway, and I'd assume he'll have a light as well (I would if I were breaking in). I know which switches turn on which lights and could conceivably come down the stairs and very easily light up almost the entire first floor with the flip of a switch or two and not have to sweep around with the flashlight to find the threat (or cat?) and ID. I realize the hallway lights and ceiling fan won't be able to blind an intruder like an X300, but it seems like it would be effective to be able to light up a couple rooms at once since the bad guy won't know where you're coming from.


So, what am I missing? I'd really like to get the scoop from people in the know, because old dvd's of "The Unit" probably shouldn't be relied upon when the safety of my family is at stake.

Thanks, I look forward to being schooled on this. I also appologize for the terrible title to this thread

I've argued that point for years with a number of folks. My reasoning is that once you use your light the first time you have now managed to ruin your night vision anyway and are now wandering around in the dark without any real advantage. So go ahead and turn the light on in the room and do what needs to be done. It pretty much changes the scene to one of "clear the room during the day" techniques, and most of the time I'd much rather claear during the day than at night.

[Chuck Haggard]

I've argued that point for years with a number of folks. My reasoning is that once you use your light the first time you have now managed to ruin your night vision anyway and are now wandering around in the dark without any real advantage. So go ahead and turn the light on in the room and do what needs to be done. It pretty much changes the scene to one of "clear the room during the day" techniques, and most of the time I'd much rather claear during the day than at night.

My experience is directly opposite Dave. I'll leave it at that.

[ToddG]

My experience is directly opposite Dave. I'll leave it at that.

How many hours of formal training do you have for low-light searching, shooting, etc.?

How many hours of dedicated practice have you put into low-light searching, shooting, etc.?

How many hours of well designed and executed force-on-force exercises have participated in invoking low-light searching, shooting, etc.?

[KevinB]

I for one agree with Chuck.

To me the dark is a tool to be exploited. Very few folks "hunt" well in the night, and so I view it as an advantage to be exploited.

Yes is is easier in the light, but it is more of an equalizer for the bad guy who I doubt has the night fighting training.

[Chuck Haggard]

How many hours of formal training do you have for low-light searching, shooting, etc.?

How many hours of dedicated practice have you put into low-light searching, shooting, etc.?

How many hours of well designed and executed force-on-force exercises have participated in invoking low-light searching, shooting, etc.?

Exactly.


Just dope raids alone I can document over 2000 times through a door. I've been working some sort of night shift for 25 out of my 27 years. Adjunct for Strategos on the side. Started my first FoF learning from and going against Ken Good.

Opinions differ. I just get hackled up when people proclaim the one true way without considering METT-T makes everything "it depends" (not you in particular Dave, I'm editorializing...)

[Chefdog]

Thanks again guys, i appreciate the input, even if I'm missing some of the implications. I think I'm beginning to see just how much I really don't know. So, that begs my next question:
Do the possible negatives of using improper (or less than ideal) flashlight/lowlight tactics while clearing your own house outweigh the negatives of lighting up the whole place and fighting on equal ground? I guess the simple way to out it is which is the lesser of two "evils"? Clearing in the dark with imperfect skills, or flipping the switch?
FWIW I'm on the 3rd floor of a 3 story townhouse and both kids are on the same floor. If I knew someone was downstairs and I confirmed both kids were upstairs, I could post up at the top of the stairs and deal with anyone who chose to come up in a very straightforward manner. I would only have to leave the 3rd floor if my son wasn't in his room. I generally don't bother to get up and investigate the "bumps" unless the dog seems interested, at which point I generally let her out of the room and wait a minute before going down with the flashlight (and wondering why I didn't just turn on the lights, which prompted this thread).
Thanks again.

[Chuck Haggard]

In my house I use well placed lighting to make things unfair. A bad guy would have to get into the house without waking me or the pups, then disable the night lights that would leave him backlit, in order to get up some 110+ year old stairs that creak just a bit.

In your situation I would have lighting placed so that a bad guy had to be either back-lit or trying to disable the lights. I'd also think about a WML on my gun and just posting up on the stairs and waiting in ambush mode. Verbally announce, if they have any brains they will didi mau, if not you have a clear idea that things are likely headed for shots fired.

[Chefdog]

Thanks for the help. Seems like flipping the switch is just a bad move unless absolutely neccessary for whatever reason.
I did start searching amazon for some motion-activated night lights after they were mentioned earlier in the thread and even swiped one from the babies room to put in the kitchen until i get something better. WML is definitely the next purchase.

I appreciate the patience and advice.

[Slavex]

Given the push for motion activated lighting in hallways especially, do you think (you being, you guys) is going to change any of the dynamic of clearing houses or buildings. I noticed all the hotels I have stayed at recently in Europe are this way, and more and more are going that way here. I've also toured a couple spec houses and saw the same trend. As soon as you enter an area, the lights come on, once you stop moving or leave, they go off after a certain period of time.