My first post for National Preparedness Month is the Coast Slayer flashlight. National Preparedness Month is about promoting disaster preparedness. So throughout this month, I’ll share some gear that will serve you well as part of your 72-hour kit. Yet it’s also the kind of stuff you can use daily, or add to your camping/outdoor gear. Kicking it off is a rechargeable LED flashlight with some handy features that make it great for everyday carry. And if the power goes out, it’s handy to have in your pocket, purse, backpack, or nightstand.
Coast Slayer, at a Glance
Inside the aluminum body of this $79.99 LED flashlight is a ZITHION™ rechargeable battery. It’s charged via a USB-C port hidden under a rubber cover on the end. At the opposite end are dual lenses for spot and flood. Up top are the two control buttons, and on the side is a sturdy clip. Color options include silver, blue, red, and dune, which is a variation of FDE. There are multiple options for the Coast Slayer, and this one has the Beamsaver Memory Mode, which I’ll get to shortly.
Specs
Overall dimensions are 0.8″L x 1.1″W x 5.43″H, and it weighs 3.2 ounces. Five output options are available across the two lenses. For the flood, there is low, medium, and high, with outputs of 42, 205, and 380 lumens, respectively. A spot setting with 540 lumens is ideal for illuminating objects at a distance. Finally, a temporary turbo mode gives you a mixed spot and flood with 1150 lumens total. Runtimes vary from a max of 11 hours using the low flood setting, down to 2.5 hours on the high flood setting. Recharge time is two hours, and it’s IP67 rated, so it’s dustproof, and will survive a dunk in water.
Beamsaver Memory Mode on the Coast Slayer LED flashlight
Keeping things simple, the forward button cycles through the different modes. No need to memorize button sequences with multiple taps or long presses. I’ve got other lights that have all sorts of features accessed through different sequences, and if I can’t remember them, my wife certainly won’t. So this simplicity is appreciated.
Coast takes it a step further though. The rear button is used to “memorize” your favorite mode. Cycle through, stop on your chosen setting, and hold down the rear button. Once it flashes, your setting is saved. From there, it can be accessed quickly via the rear button. You can still use the front button to access the other settings, but this shortcut is nice.
Styling
My evaluation copy is the low-key silver color with a black clip mounted high for deep carry. The shape is ergonomic, and the styling has some faint firearms cues. Stacking the lenses on top of each other reminds me of a handgun barrel with a guide rod below. Angled cuts on the side are reminiscent of slide serrations. Overall, it’s visually interesting, and fits well in hand.
EDC with the Coast Slayer
I’ve never had a shortage of uses for a flashlight. Is the cat outside or under the bed? Use the memory button for low flood to check under the bed. No cat. Head out to the backyard, and switch to high flood so I can sweep the whole yard, looking for the cat. Use the spot feature to check the overgrown weeds (spider patch) on the side yard. Still no cat. Back to low to check the dark corners of the upstairs closet. (Our cat really did disappear).
Woke up in the middle of the night because I heard a sound. Instead of turning on the light and waking up my wife, I grabbed the Coast Slayer. Again, the low flood setting shortcut comes in handy. Turns out it was just the other cat, who dragged in a giant moth and was chasing it around the kitchen. I did not choose these pets.
When you’re servicing your car battery and drop your 10mm, grab the Coast Slayer. You’ll never find that socket, but the light will still be handy. Need to peek in the attic, under the sink, or inside your furnace? How about across the yard, or across the park you walk your dog through at night? It’s got your back.
What makes this good for emergencies?
Although the runtime might not be ideal for heavy use, the Coast Slayer has two things going for it. Since it’s a flashlight and not a lantern, the runtime is reasonable. Even if we had a three day power outage (or a long weekend camping), I would expect it to last. And being able to recharge it via the USB-C port appeals to me. I got tired of throwing away batteries a long time ago. We probably have at least eight different portable power banks for recharging via USB. So I don’t see capacity as an issue.
Durability is a requirement for me. With an aluminum body, recessed lenses, and sealed buttons, the Coast Slayer is dustproof, waterproof, and reasonably drop-proof. It’s also big enough to hold comfortably, without being too bulky. Nor is it so small it gets misplaced.
So what’s the verdict on the Coast Slayer?
Based on customer reviews on the Coast website, it seems to be a good value. And I tend to agree with that. It’s not pretending to be the brightest, longest-running, or fastest charging. Instead, it’s got usable modes, acceptable runtimes, and better-than-average looks and ergonomics. Unless you have a specific use case that requires more output or runtime, it strikes a good balance on the value scale. I’d definitely throw one in my 72-hour kit, or our camping gear.
As far as I can tell, the only weak point for some users has been the clip. I had no issues over a couple of weeks of carrying and use. Should the clip fail, I know Coast customer service will happily send out a replacement. If the Coast Slayer LED flashlight interests you, check it out on the Coastportland website, along with their other great products.
As always, I’d like to thank Coast for sending out their products for my testing and evaluation.