Rather than put up a new topic on the same light I figured I'll just add my review here. Enjoy.
Item being reviewed: Streamlight Sidewinder Flashlight
Description of item: The Sidewinder is a rectangular flashlight with a moveable head that takes two AA batteries. It has one large white LED light as well as smaller red, blue and IR lights (a green light is used in place of IR on civilian models). There is a dial on the side of the head that allows you to choose the light you want and a button in the center of the dial to turn it on/off and adjust brightness or select strobe mode. On the body of the light is a pocket/molle clip that can be mounted to either side (nice feature if you want to change the where your switch sits as the light is worn on molle gear). Also a well thought out feature is the way the battery cap attaches to the body of the light. There is a small cable that connects the two so you dont have to worry about losing the cap while changing batteries in the dark/over water/etc.
Description of review tests: I've been wearing this light on my issued vest for several months now doing everything from jumping in and out of Humvees, low crawling through lava rock (fun!), rolling around in the dirt, night operations training (IR and red LEDs) and just general wearing around doing everyday tasks. I was most worried about the light coming off of the molle webbing or the clip bending if/when the light would catch on something, but I havent had any issues with that yet. In general the light is holding up great, although the body is pretty beat up on one side from the low crawling incident.
Pros: Small, lightweight, unobtrusive while wearing on your body armor, battery life seems good. Having the different colors in one compact package is great. Sturdy construction and user friendly (once you memorize the dial positions so you dont have to cycle through all the colors to find the one you need). Also fits perfectly in the calf pocket on the ACU uniform if you dont want it on lyour vest.
Cons: It could be a bit brighter
Best Uses: Attached to molle gear for general lighting needs
Duration Used: Less than a year.
Where purchased: My homeboy Jeff
Cost: about $50
Rating: 4 out of 5
