My Dad is always telling people that he wouldn't go anywhere without a flashlight. This year for christmas I want to give him a really good flashlight that isn't so big that he can't carry it on him all the time. He does were coveralls so it can be sorta big. I was thinking that a surefire light would be a good buy for him. I already bought him some other christmas stuff so 130 bucks is prolly about all that I will spend. What light do you recommend.

Fenix puts together a nice torch.

Pelican

Get him a Streamlight Rechargeable. It comes with the base and adapters for home and car. Get nothing other than a LED. A Strion for a smaller one or a Stinger for a larger one. I have a Surefire also but the CR123 battery cost will eat you alive vs. a rechargeable. I have a Stinger that I use while on duty, but i prefer the smaller Strion for its ease of carry. It is still stupid bright. There is a guy that posts occasionally on the classifieds about a Surefire that he modifies as a rechargeable. I am tempted to send him mine to get it converted.

BTW I bought the Streamlight Stinger for $105 from the local police supply store. I also second the Fenix lights, good pieces.

streamlight scorpion. my brother in law bought me one after I was admiring his surefire about 7 years ago. not sure which model he had but the scorpion was much brighter. i believe it was 120 lumens. bout $50 back then

I've used a Stinger for about 8 years and I'm VERY SATISFIED WITH IT.I've had to change the rechargeable battery only once.Skeeter

I have several Surefires - L2, LX2 at each door, and most packs or the truck get E1Ls

I recently added a Fenix PD20 that's really small, I like it a lot for hiking/hunting pack with three output levels + SOS.

x2

oh, and for lithium batteries - go to botach tactical. 20 pack for 30$.

Surefire GTX Pro...I really like mine.

http://www.surefire.com/G2X-B-BK?ut...dium=surefire&utm_campaign=G2XColors

Surefire Defender, has a clip so he can have it in any of his pockets, 200 Lumens on high, 5 Lumens on low. Lifetime warranty. I like mine and carry it daily.

I have been using the steamlight stingers at the hunting lodge and the camps in RSA for tracking and general use. As stated above there are brighter lights, but the battery cost will kill you along with being dead when you need them most. With the stinger in the charger all the time, you always know where it is, and it's always charged. I have been getting 4-5 years from the battery before I replace them. They are charged and discharged completely nearly every night during the 3 month season for tracking game shot right before dark.

I would not be without mine, but I have not even shopped for anything newer in a few years now.

I bought one of these and am really glad I did. Got me through almost two weeks without power on one charge and it's still going strong. 5 functions is nice to.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthread...S_Surefire_rechargeable_weap#Post3852871

Check out brightflashlights.com. I just bought two Surefire 6PX Pros and spare batteries at a very good (low) price. Call or email Kevin for a recommendation. He carries several brands.

Bruce

I've tried several listed above, but still prefer Zebralight.

The H51 is the handiest damn flashlight I've ever owned. Brightest single AA light out there. Optimized to be used with Eneloop rechargable AA's, never have to buy batteries again. Eneloops are cheap now, under $15 for a 4pack WITH charger included.

The H51 is a right-angle light. I added a magnet to the end and the usefullness of this light is off the charts. Review and lots of pics here:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?317484-The-ZL-H51-the-new-king-for-me.

I'm on my second Solarforce, first one was 320 lumens, I loved it but someone else loved it more.....
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Solarfor...t=US_Flashlights&hash=item53e9ecb5bd

Looks like one of the Surefire models and I suspect it's coming out of the same factory.
I've just bought the 820 lumen version and it's excellent, the CR123 batteries are very good and cheap from the same supplier.

The Surefire EB1 is a fantastic flashlight that he can always have with him

Streamlight stuff has treated me well. You also can't go wrong with the Surefire brand either. I wouldn't have a problem dropping the coin on either. I do love being able to recharge my Ultra Stinger though. Both are quality.

I like the rechargeable flashlights. The lithium battery costs will eat you alive if you use the flashlight. Anyone have one of the rechargeable Strion's, the Fenix flashlights look amazing that 800 Lumen D cell light would be quite handy.

Fenix PD30 is ALWAYS in my pocket.

Do they make any that take regular batteries? Who leads in customer service and quality?? I also would like a top notch light! Thx

Buy him the Surefire 6PX Pro. Its been the best flashlight I have ever owned.

I personally don't know why anyone is using a flashlight that takes CR123 batteries with short burn time. I carry the Coast Products T7 Tactical Lenser which puts out 200 lumens and uses 4 AAA batteries. The T7 will run for 50 hours on high and reach out well past 200 yards. All metal housing.

You can get it for around $55.

Hey Y'all,

It looks like the T7 is not longer in the product line. Here is the info on the new HP7:

"The Coast HP7 LED Flashlight is a great size that is easy to carry, and packs the light output and runtime that is needed by those that rely on their light every day. A quick cycle switch allows you to select between high or low output settings, allowing you to choose the right level for your application. Coast's Pure Beam � Focusing Optic System with Fingertip Speed Focus Control� provides superior beam consistency from spot to flood, with no dark rings typically associated with focusing flashlights. Our Beam Lock System easily locks in your desired beam with a slight twist of the focusing bezel. A lightweight aluminum casing offers great durability and will hold up to heavy daily use. Backed by Coast's lifetime guarantee against defects in materials and workmanship."

ANSI/FL1 standard specifications:

Light output: High - 251 lumens; Low - 58 lumens
Runtime: High - 5 hours 45 minutes; Low - 10 hours
Beam distance: High - 196 meters (642 ft); Low - 66 meters (216 ft)
4 X AAA batteries (included)
Aluminum casing; Rubber rear switch
High and low output modes
Impact and water resistant
7.2 ounces (including batteries)
5.54 inch length
Diameter: Body - 1.24 inches; Bezel - 1.49 inches

$53 here: http://www.lightsandknives.com/Coast-HP7-Focusing-LED-Flashlight.html

the only company I now of that makes really really good flashlights is surefire, and they charge for it. if a guy is not recommending a surefire likely they have never owned one. I have been using an executive E2e with KL1 conversion on it. the KL1 is just an LED lense that uses alot less power than the bulb. you can buy a surefire in the same configuration without needing to convert it. I have been using this flashlight for over 8 years. its on my side at every moment except when I go to church. I use a leather double 45 ACP mag pouch to hold it and a leatherman, the corners and edges of the light have been carried so much they are polished. everything is machined aluminum, alot of the lights recommended are made in china, I don't know where surefire is made but they don't have a chinese feel to them. none of the oversees lights are going to hold up to what I have put this surefire through. it gets used everyday and I don't see any signs of it needing replacement, I don't think its even half used up. a flashlight that could last 20 years of being carried and used everyday, umm thats a pretty darn good flahlight.

looking at surefire's site they don't make my exact light anymore, the closest thing they have is this

http://www.surefire.com/E2L-Outdoorsman

it has dual illumination, it looks like I could actually change my flashlight to it by using that conversion head, I might do it. clip the unit to your hat and you have a long lasting headlamp.

We run SF, SL, and UKs. Our Sure Fires use the disposable 123 Lithium batts and you're lucky to get 45min from a set. I have also used the rechargeable Scorpion from SL and it's a better set up than the disposable Lithium batt lights IMO.

If you don't want to break the bank, I prefer UK. I run the SL6s that run on 6 C cell alkaline batts. They give me a really bright white light for around 4 hrs on a set of batteries, but may be a bit bulky for a pocket light. The 4AA Xenon UK is another favorite for a smaller light, but it doesn't have near the lumens of the others folks have mentioned. UKs are pretty cheap in comparison as well, 4AAs are only around $15 each and SL6s are about $40 each(They come with a set of Duracell batts from the factory). I probably have 6-8 UK SL6s laying around. Been damn good lights for many years. If they work for diving, they'll serve the purpose for what I'd use em for.

Have a good one,

loder

candlepowerforums.com

But be warned. The flashlight loonies you find there are, if anything, loonier than rifle loonies.

Surefire 6PX pro or G2X pro

200 lumen or 15 lumen settings

You don't always want to be using a super bright beam all the time.

I believe in Surefire's brightness ratings-other makers -not so much.

Surefire is tops when it comes to reliability,durability and good electronics.

The point of using the 123 lithium cells is longer shelf life,lighter weight and better cold temperature performance.

The 123 lithium cells can be had as cheap as alkaline cells these days.

If he likes AA battery lights check out the Surefire E2L AA.

Check this company out. http://www.blackbearflashlights.com/l_bearcub.htm

Seems like people hear like them, including Rick Bin. http://24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/5576673/1

+1. My wife and I both have these models. I like how the first click of the light is always low beam.(reading maps,checking gear,etc.) Clicking twice for the high beam. Sold on the Surefires. In fact, my dad just bought a 6PX Pro after seeing mine. He has a Streamlight rechargable but for those long trips, tough to charge without power. Check out Brightguy.com.

Also...seem to have good luck with surefire brand batteries.

I have used Fenix, Coast and Olight with good results. I mostly run the AA battery versions, but have some that run the CR123's. I use rechargable batteries in all of them. There is a single battery ( #18650 I think ) that will replace 2 of the CR123's. I have done business at Flash-lights.com and batteryjunction.com with no problems.

i should have mentioned that my dad isn't too high tech. I think that it would be best if the light ran on aa batteries.

For the fun of being different ... er, broadening your list of options ... I'm going to suggest something else: Coleman 3AAA LED Aluminum Flashlight. I get 'em through Amazon.com for just under $22 each.

They've changed the design just a hair since I bought mine, mine doesn't have the lengthwise fluting in the .. part where the light comes out but the switch is the same, everything else seems to be the same.

What I like is the use of the AAA batteries. I carry 2 maglight single AAA battery "solitaires", I think they are called, plus a tiny digital audio recorder that runs on AAA batteries when I'm camping / backpacking in the deep woods. Its nice to have all the electronics run on one kind of battery.

This little SOB puts out more light than my old 4D mag light even with its LED upgrade. It's truly an amazing little light.

Tom

Oh, for an AA battery light, I like the 2 AA size mag light with a "Nite Ize" LED upgrade. The "Nite Ize" bulb is better than the factory LED versions.

Tom

I carry a Fenix L2T on my belt everyday.
It uses 2 AA rechargable batteries.
It has 2 levels of power, on high I get several hrs of run time, on low it will last for days.
Very simple to use, click button on rear for off and on, twist head change brightness levels.
I am a plumber and I use this light daily and it is 2yrs old and still going strong. I think it cost about $30 with batts and a charger. It will also use regular AA if needed.
I also have Pelican,Surefire G2, E1,Avaitor, and other Fenix lites.
The L2T is my favorite.

Coach

anyone have that 800 lumin Fenix that uses 4 D cells, the model TK60?

Four Sevens make some decent lights, they also sell Fenix.

www.4sevens.com

Both Four Sevens and Fenix are made in china but are good quality. Fenix is probably a bit better quality than Four Sevens.

Anyone here familiar with EagleTac? How do they compare with fenix, surefire etc...

www.malkoffdevices.com
Made in America by a man, his wife and children. Customer service is the best ever. If you don't like it, send it back.

They also make a "drop-in" for mag lights.

I have had good luck with Pelicans, Mag Lights and most recently by cheapo Craftsman LED. I have gone through 3 Streamlights and everyone has had the switch go bad. I'm pretty hard on lights and the Streamlights haven't held up as well as the others. Jury is still out on the Craftsman as I have only had it less than a year.

....ain't that the truth.

I made the mistake of going there for the first time several years ago.

Now I have multiple looniness syndrome.

Once you try out real quality flashlights, the rabbit hole gets real deep, real fast.

I understand that, I think I'm a flashlight loony too. My dad's the same way . We just buy each other differnt types of flashlights for x-mas and we are happy....Last year he got me a stylus and headlamp (both made by streamlight). I bought him one of the LED Lensers from home depot (I've got 3 of them now and they are bright sumbishes and the batteries last for a long azz time)....

I sent away for two fenix lights. One for my dad and one for my sister. i'M Prolly going to get one for myself however I'm not sure which one at the moment. I'm not sure how many lumens I need for just a flashlight.

I just got a PD32 and it seems like a very nice light. Really bright for the small size.

I'm a retired Police Sergeant, who worked straight nights for about half my 28 years. Carried nothing but Maglites until Surefire hit the scene. Surefire is the real deal, and while I'm retired I carry an E1B every where I go. As for the batteries, buy them in bulk, you can get them for a dollar a piece. Second choice would be an LED light from Fenix. I don't own one, but everyone who does says nice things about them.

For what it's worth I bought a cheap little Coleman LED light at Walmart that takes 2 AAA batts, and it gives light all out of proportion to it's size. I use it when I walk my Airedale, as we have coyotes and armadillos and possums and such around here and he goes nutso when he sees/hears/smells them, and I like to be able to identify what is around. That little flashlight throws a pretty good beam, only costs around $20, and if you lose it or something happens to it, it's expendable. It's made out of aluminum, so it's durable and lightweight.

Took my Surefire E2L Outdoorsman to Alaska Sept 2008. Used it daily, or I should say nightly. The day we shot my moose, it was getting late and our outfitter was trying to find the path that would take us to through a swampy area otherwise it would be miles going around. He walked around and around for an hour with the light on the higher, 60 Lumen, output. He was extremely impressed, as I was too, at not only the brightness, compactness but battery life as it really lite up the area. He really liked the fact that it lite up some eyes a good 100 yds out and likely kept the grizzly from getting closer than it did. Three years and 3 months later, I still have the same set of batteries in it and it's as bright as ever.

http://www.surefire.com/E2L-Outdoorsman

Alan

I fought off a belligerant skunk the other night with my SureFire....does that qualify for recommendation?

I'm a flashlight fanatic. I've got Surefires, old Maglights, Streamlights, and all sorts of stuff. In the day, Maglights were a work of art. Technology has passed them. IMO, this is true of Surefire too. As much as I like them, especially being made here, they aren't the best when cost is considered. I wouldn't buy a Streamlight.

IMO, when cost is considered, just go to Sam's and get a pack of these:

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=prod3460287&_requestid=156527

Or get a two-pack of "Element" flashlights.

These are excellent lights for the money. They take AAA's so you don't have to hunt and pay the price for 123A batteries.

I'll put a vote in for the 4sevens lights.

I've got the 2 AA Quark tactical and it is excellent(very bright, waterproof,and lots of neat features and accessories if your into those things. I paid $49 for mine a year ago; now they have an upgraded version with even brighter LED for $10 more at $59.

So far seems very durable and well made.

I'd buy another if I needed one.

Leftybolt

I like my Surefire E2D LED, but it is very pricy.

Which Fenix?
I just got the TK41, using AA's was a plus for me but a protective holder/sleeve (for belt carry) would be nice.

This is my first experiment with high tech torches.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZce7ZE5j1g

My son and I tried one of the Surefire a few years back, lets just say, Blinded by the light, you know the rest of the song. They freakin really bright!

I sure don't like the 123 batteries and their 2 hour run time. I have an older Streamlight Scorpion and not once but several times the thing has gone dim on me walking to my stand, its a random POS in my opinion. These tacticool flashlights that use those batteries are an accident waiting to happen. I switched to headlamps several years ago and these days I use a black diamond 50 Lumen AAA powered unit to walk to my stand.

If you want an unbelievable 100 lumen flashlight for $15 go to Home Depot and buy one of those Rayovac 2 AA flashlights. I bought 2 of them! Its a metal body, very good beam, and has a lanyard attachment point....AND it lasts longer than 2 hours for $15.00.

The OP says he wants this light as a Christmas gift for his dad, who's really into flashlights. Something nice, he said.

With a budget of $130, I'd advise a Surefire. Made in America. Uber cool value.

His dad will love a Surefire. He won't love a Rayovac from Lowes.

I've had a couple of Surefire LED lights, an E2L and some newer version that replaced the E2L. Both have two settings, one that's a mild light, and the next that's bright enough to be a tactical light. The battery life is extremely long with these and they are worth the money. You don't have to worry about bulbs and batteries for most trips. You just grab and go and know that if you need a really bright light to find something in the woods, light up a house address in a rural area, or the like, your light will do it. I preferred the color of the E2L, which was a warm color. The newer one is a little greenish by comparison.

Great gift!!

You said a mouthful about all these little lights that take 123's. Yeah, they are very bright but they go through batteries pretty quickly IMO and I've owned a bunch of them. If I were hellbent on getting something that used the 123's I would strongly suggest buying the batteries in bulk from Sure Fire or one of their distributor's.

If your going to be banging a flashlight around definitly go with an LED lamp, between battery life and usable bulb life they are the only way to go.

With all the good suggestions, I have little to add, but here is my $0.02. It probably isn't worth that, but I do have eight Sure-Fires, six Fenix's, one Streamlight, and two or three other brands. As varmintsinc above said, an LED light is the way to go. If you want a pants pocket light, I think that much over five inches long is too much. A double AA battery light will be longer than that, so I like CR 123 lights. If for coat pocket carry, a larger light will work. The bigger lights, like 600 lumens and up, seem too large for regular carry but are great truck glove-box lights. Coverall pockets are larger than pants pockets, but a long light would be annoying to me to carry all the time. I think a two level light is handier than the seemingly more common one's with the choice of five or six levels of illumination, but then I am a simple guy. I have not found CR 123 battery life to be a problem in the newer lights. My wife uses a Surefire with 123's to feed horses every morning in the dark and is satisfied with battery life. Last, I have not used a rechargeable light as I don't want to fool with it, but the strong recommendations by some posters have encouraged me to at least try one.
Merry Christmas
Alan

Im a fenix and surefire fan myself

Brownwells has some new flashlights (their own brand AND made in the USA) for $60-$80. One is a 160 lumen and the other a 280. Any idea if these are worth a darn (previous experience with anything Brownell's would indicate they should be pretty good).

One needs to realize that the single brightness 123 lights are now obsolete (and so the complaints of their short runtimes).

A good 123 light with multiple brightness settings like the surefire LX2, E1B are superior for many reasons.

There are also custom made drop ins for the Surefire lights (that take P series bulbs, 6p,9p,c2,c3 ect) that allow you to pick your lumens and runtimes and even tint.

check out malkoffdevices.com

There is no reason not to go with 123 lights.

I carry a Surefire LX2 Lumamax, but in the OPs price point I would go with the 6PX Tactical (single output) or 6PX Pro (dual output with click switch). On low power the Lumamax batteries last forever, and you still have the power to reach out when necessary. I buy the 123 batteries by the dozen.

I also bought a lot of single AA Nebo CSI Edge 50's (50 lumens) from the local archery store for $10 a piece and keep them all over the place and give them away as stocking stuffers. They are, essentially, disposable. They do have a goofy strike bezel that can use some adjustment with a Dremel tool.

I carry this one with me everywhere I go:
http://www.amazon.com/Surefire-E2LAA-Outdoorsman-Batteries-Flashlight/dp/B0043A3DNE

There are much cheaper options, but I really like this light.

I like My G5 Maelstrom. It has a good balance of sensible output, good build quality and user friendly UI. It is on the smaller side of sorta big.

4Sevens Maelstrom G5 Tactical LED Flashlight Review

Great thread. This will keep a shopper busy for days. I use a SureFire but like others I'm tired of buying batteries.( Heck, I'm still trying to find good Strike Anywhere kitchen matches.) When this thread wraps up I'll have to do some homework and make a new choice.

O light M20S-X Warrior
Up to 500lm for only $85 if you Google it.
I have 2 of these and they will knock your eyes out of your head.
Check their web site for more info.

The new Surefire Fury #P2X-B-BK arrived in yesterday @ $155.00.

SureFire�s Fury� is a more powerful, slightly larger version of their best-selling dual-output 6PX Pro. It features the same 15-lumen low-output beam that�s perfect for tasks where too much light might compromise your dark-adapted vision, or situations in which extended runtime is a higher priority than maximum output. But the Fury�s high-output setting is an incredible 500 lumens, two-and-a-half times that of the Pro model. A larger reflector focuses all of this light forward to create a tight beam with plenty of reach that�s perfect for searching, signaling, or lighting up a target far off in the distance.
The Fury features a tough but lightweight hard-anodized aerospace aluminum body and an orientation-independent tailcap switch that controls output: press (for momentary-on) or click (for constant-on) once for low output; return to off then press or click again (within two seconds) for high.

FEATURES
Virtually indestructible LED emitter regulated to maximize output and runtime
Two output levels�high for maximum light, low for extended runtime
Precision micro-textured reflector creates smooth, optimized beam
High-strength aerospace aluminum body, hard anodized for extreme durability
Weatherproof O-ring and gasket sealing

SPECIFICATIONS
OUTPUT:
Low - 15 lumens
High - 500 lumens
RUNTIME:
Low - 46 hours
High - 1.5 hours
BEZEL DIAMETER:
1.375 inches (3.5 cm)
LENGTH:
5.4 inches (13.7 cm)
WEIGHT:
5.7 ounces (161 g) with batteries
SWITCHING:
Dual-output tailcap click switch�press or click for low, return to off then press or click again for high.
MATERIAL:
Aerospace aluminum, Mil-Spec hard-anodized; polycarbonate window
COLOR:
Black
BATTERY:
Two SureFire 123A lithium (included)

in 2007 i bought a surefire G2 LED... i really thought i had the worlds best flashlight... it runs for around 8-10 useable hours on 2 cr123 batteries, and maintains peak brightness for around 3 hours... i still think it's very good, but in 2008 my son bought me a simple energizer headlamp, and the world of flashlights changed for me... i'm in and out of the house enough that, most evenings now, i put on a headlamp and wear it til bedtime... i do a lot of walking on rural roads, and after dark i use a red LED headlamp on the back of my head, and a white one in front...
i see that they now make headlamps for walkers with this arrangement on one head band...

i still love the old surefire G2... i see it's a discontinued item... glad i got mine while they were available... it does all that a 3 D cell maglite ever would, and weighs probably 1/10th as much... dead reliable with no bulbs going bad, and fits in any pocket...

meanwhile energizer has expanded their line-up of lights and i recently bought a very nice headlamp at menards for under $10...

the only issue with the energizer lights as opposed to, say, the petzl's or princeton tec's is that there are different color lamps and brightness settings, and on the energizer light you have to cycle thru the settings to turn off the lamp... with the petzls i have, you cycle thru the settings til you get the light you want, then after the light has run for a few seconds the next push on the switch extinguishes the lamp immediately...

that, and you can buy the energizer at any farm and fleet, while the petzls are a catalogue item...

for almost all uses, put me firmly in the headlamp camp... and $15 at farm and fleet buys a LOT...

that surefire looks like a great light! For small gifts I went to Home Depot and bought those Rayovac 100 lumen AA flashlights that they show running a truck over. For $14.00, 100 lumens, and pretty tough they are not a bad gift for your erst while hunting buds. I tried one out for a month and found it to be satisfactory for $14.00.

Surfire are hard to beat. Watch camofire.com and you can pick one up for about 50% off. They are offering one today even.

Wow! Do they make one without the click switch? I don't like cycling through for the dual output.

I have one of these on my ar15. really bright. www.lumaforce.com

surefire

I found these at Costco TechLite Lumen Master, 150 Lumens, High/Low/Strobe and red low batt indecator. They are so bright that I use them on my duck boat instead of the 55 watt bow light or plug in spot. They seem to run a long time on three AAA batts as I use them while cruising the log strewn river in the dark.

Best part they are 3 for $19. and made of machined aluminum.

I gave one to my BinL retired sherifs deputy and he thinks its every bit as good as his duty light.

Well, I've been reading and doing some research based on above discussion. Best bang for buck on a bright light with good throw etc. Klarus XT10 is my pick.

It does look very nice for that amount of money.

Bruce

Sure does. A guy I met while doing my research that is a dealer for several different big names liked that one the best. And he had experience with all of what he carried... Hope this helps anyone who wants a NICE light

I've got quite a few Surefire models and love 'em. I recently bought some of these from Brownells. Got an extra one for me to keep. Very well made.

Bob

angv350

Here's a thread you might be interested in.

Klarus XT11

Thx bh. At 68.00 for the XT10 I couldn't pass it up. I do appreciate though!

You're welcome

Bruce

Haven't read the thread and maybe I'm naive in the world of flashlights... but at under $40 on sale my Maglite XL200 is pretty cool. And it runs on AAA's- big plus for how I use it.

The Streamlight Junior LED is the best inexpensive flashlight I've used. Very bright and tough. You can find them for under $40 online. I used one for over two years on the job and never found it lacking.

The Maglite I mention uses the new Cree LED and gets 172 lumens out of 3 AAA's. It's also got a few cool tricks it does. But mostly, it's the combo of BRIGHT, running AAA's instead of those spendy 123's, and then the fact it's a Maglite...

Didn't read the whole thread, FWIW.

I have in the tool pocket of my Carhartts a minimag with the LED conversion. Plenty of light for working around stuff. The LEDs and batteries have been in use for more years than I can remember.

6PX Pro here

I carry a Streamlight PT2L in my hunting bag and a Surefire 6P LED with a strike bezel on my EDC bag. Both are excellent lights. I also carry the little Maratac AAA in the watch pocket of my jeans. It is a really cool little 3 output light. The Streamlight is also a 3 output light, one of which is a strobe.

For just a knock-around pocket light like ironbender mentions, I've had great luck with Gerbers. Drop them on concrete? So?

However sometimes I want BRIGHT. Like tactical bright. Middle of the night animal crises comes to mind. My first swing at that was the long, thin LED Maglite that uses 3 AA's. Nice light, but it has that stacked-battery Maglite issue that if a battery ever leaks, it's ruined, or nearly so.

The XL200 doesn't have that issue and it's BRIGHT.

I really like my old Fenix P3D.

Great choice. I have several.

I bought a Fenix TK 12 from 4sevens last year at this time to take on a pig hunt for my 30-06. Took the advice given on the candlepower forum mentioned already.
Run it on 123's and am very happy with it. Worked awesome on the hunt with a green lens and a tailcap whip to a switch strip on the rifle forend. Fit in a weaver 1" mount perfect.
So after a 7 day hunt the thing had served its job well.
What next? I use this every day now. It is in my pocket next to my knife and I run it on low till I need more light. Once you see 280 lumen in a dark spot you have a hard time going back.
I get about 2 to 3 weeks out of a set of batteries if I am using it daily for short times. Sometimes more. But when I need it its there.

Buying the 123's online makes it a no brainer. Might consider a smaller package for daily carry but I would sure miss the light at the top end.

Never would have believed I would carry a flash light a year and a day ago.

Just got my XT10 klarus and loooove it.

I'm a bit of a flashlight geek. Fenix is nice. I have several. LD40 4 AA is simple used interface and uses AA. I also have a tk41 8 aa. It is a great truck light. The eBay Chinese lights are usually cheap but good. I have some trust fire and ultra fire with AA and with 18650. If you can keep up with the batts the 18650 lights are awesome. The best built light I have is a jetbeam III M. Simple UI for that one too. The light that gets the most use is a pelican rechargeable. It sets in the cradle and you grab it when you need it. It has a top switch and a end switch. All my buddies got these for Xmas a few years ago and they all say the best light ever.

I recently started using eneloops just buy a bunch. They work in remotes and all your other AA devices.

Fletch

I just ordered a Fenix LD20.

Steve.

I didn't read all the posts but my favorite is a 4sevens Preon Revo.It's a single AAA key chain light with three settings and SOS mode.Low is perfect for map reading or getting around in the bedroom when the wife is sleeping.Medium is good enough to walk to and from my tree stand and lasts 5 hours.High is powerful enough to coon hunt and will last 1 hour.The most useful light I own because I always have it with me on my keys.