Been out of flashlights for a while - what to replace Arc LS?

[bhds]

I carried a LSHF-P with a TWAK emitter at work up until a few weeks ago. While I'm not too fond of the digital series Fenixes I finally settled on the P2D with the Q5 LED. Bought the 4 in 1 pack at fenix-store. I disabled the turbo mode and now have a 3 level light plus a stupid --- s.o.s mode.:tinfoil: Both the medium and high level put out more light than the old ARC. On high you get a runtime well over the 2 hours that the ARC had. With the included L1D body I have AA back up capabilities.
While its not perfect it the best that I have been able to find so far

 

[jrv]

I had an Arc LS that I loved. And today's lights, yes even the Fenix's, are so superior its not funny.

My old ARC LSs are still better than my Fenix lights except in terms of brightness, ruggedness/durability being the key. The biggest problem with early Luxeon lights wasn't output but color: I had a few green and blue lights I traded away to get white...

It seems like we're about to have a real renaissance in high-quality EDC lights, with NovaTac and HDS, and ARC if the new LS is up to it. Gone are the days of guarding your ARC LS or HDS for fear of losing it because it was irreplaceable.

 

[bigred]

I understand your desire to use AA's.
You may like them because they are free, but I like them because they are available everywhere.

Yes, I like them because they are free, but like yourself, I also like them because I can get them everywhere.

Another plus is that I can steal AA's from most any battery powered product (GPS, radio, depthfinder, etc.) to power the light if and when the AA's in my light run out and I find myself without any spares.

Gotta love that AA power.