Which smaller light running on A or AA has the biggest WOW factor?

[bleagh]

That light is wow but (correct me if I'm wrong) I am pretty sure it only runs for 4 to 5 minutes on high before the battery is dead (and the skin on your hand is most likely burnt off by then too).

The Peak Vesusvius is only recommended for people that know their way around high end flashlights and the heat problems that come with such. And yes it would likely overheat after 4-5 minutes on high. But with the built-in QTC, it has variable output (yet another WOW factor). So when it starts to get warm just turn it down a bit. And the batteries last longer than you would think.