Ultralight or Lightweight Neutral 1AA

[Bolster]

Looking for a lightweight but durable handheld 1AA flashlight to put in my ultralight pack. A compromise beam would be best (neither flood nor throw). Currently using a high-CRI 4Sevens Qmini AA, it's 1.2 oz with a lithium AA. Can I get lighter? The battery by itself is 0.6 oz.

My current pick has an aluminum body and I'm suspicious I could shave weight with a plastic body. Does it seem strange that I'm sweating over fractions of an ounce? Welcome to the sickness known as "ultralight backpacking."

 

[Chaitanya]

Thrunite's Archer 1A is available in NW tint and weighs about 42gms. Also Eagletac has good lightweight 1xAA lights in D25 series.

 

[archimedes]

Peak El Capitan in aluminum is around that weight ....

 

[Bolster]

So the Thrunite would be about 1.5 oz, a size up from where I am now. Will see if I can find weight of Eagletac--I like the looks of it, minimalist.

The Peak also looks minimalist, may be a contender. Look at how the weight almost doubles when you move from aluminum to stainless steel!

Thanks!

Any plastic recommendations? Although I'm not sure it would actually be lighter weight...

 

[archimedes]

Is is only about the weight ?

In other words, if one flashlight has (say) double the durability of another, but weighs 0.1 ounce more, which would you prefer ?

Does it have to be AA ? There are some powerful smaller lights using 10180, 10250, 10280, 10440 / AAA, etc ....

 

[Bolster]

Is is only about the weight ?

"Weighted" toward weight (ha ha) but also need sufficient durability and decent color.

In other words, if one flashlight has (say) double the durability of another, but weighs 0.1 ounce more, which would you prefer ? Does it have to be AA ? There are some powerful smaller lights using 10180, 10250, 10280, 10440 / AAA, etc ....

If durability is "sufficient" then weight wins. That's how most ultralight gear works -- it is seldom strong or overbuilt, but OTOH it can't fail under normal backpacking rigors. Imagine if you add .1 ounce on everything you carry...my pack has about 200 items in it...that's an extra 1-1/4 lbs, when trying to keep base weight to 12 lbs (actually I'm overweight at 13 lbs as it is).

The desire for AA is (1) because all my other electronic/solar/travel gear is based on AA ... and...(2) it's easy to restock/resupply on the trail, or in a foreign country. I feel the bang for the buck is worth the weight for an AA over an AAA...but that's a judgment call, and as admitted, I'm already overweight by a pound.

So...it's a rather delicate balance. It's not entirely about weight, but largely about weight. My goal is a 1.0 oz or lighter waterproof flashlight (including battery) with neutral/warm/CRI color and a 'narrow flood' beam.

 

[Need a Light?]

You mean... You only take one light camping???

Jokes aside, how long is your average trip, and how much do you use/rely on this light? Is it your only light source?

 

[lampeDépêche]

I'm going to say, "No: you cannot do better than the 4Sevens Mini AA."

Given the combination of features that you want--uses AA, has decent beam & tint, is fairly strong & durable, waterproof, etc.--there is no better light to use.

For many years, the Mini AA was my bare minimum EDC light. I might walk out with other lights as well, but never without that one.

You say you've considered AAA--as you probably know, the Mini AA can run on AAA's easily, without any adaptor. That's a further bonus to the light, esp. for times when the camp-store is all out of AAs but still has a pack of AAAs to sell.

There are AAA lights that are lighter than the Mini, but I think they are pound-foolish, because the AA cell contains as much juice as 3 AAAs, which would be heavier. And a AAA-light cannot use AA's easily (or probably at all, if you want to keep the unit waterproof).

I have switched to treating the ZL H52w as my don't-leave-home-without-it light, because I prefer the headlight option, and it has better moonlight options (the low on the Mini is not a sub-lumen low). It too uses AAAs easily. But it does weigh another half-ounce (31 grams w/o battery, vs. 18 for Mini) , so if weight is a major factor then it is less attractive.

But my question is: if you are shaving all of that weight from your base kit, then doesn't that give you more room for more flashlights?

On this forum, people are going to be like: "great! I got my pack down to 10 pounds! Now I can carry that monster Vinh creation that weighs 4 pounds!"

 

[Led Astray]

Maybe check out the Spark SG5, one I have recommended a few times.

NW, weighs in at 40g and with 4 modes plus turbo.

You can get interchangeable screw-in bezels/lenses, one is pure flood, the other more throwy but by no means a spotlight, in fact I find it a nice general-purpose beam.

The tint is excellent, easily comparable with my Armytek & Zebralight neutral offerings.

 

[LeanBurn]

The ThruNite T10 XPL in neutral white

http://www.thrunite.com/thrunite-t10-xp-l-252-lumen

weighs 38g, has a firefly mode and comes with a diffuser cone. It is a light weight backpackers good find.

 

[Bolster]

I'm going to say, "No: you cannot do better than the 4Sevens Mini AA."...

Thanks for the excellent reply, LD. And a big LOL if I already have the light I'm looking for. (I notice it's no longer available in high CRI or neutral. What's up with that.:thinking. Yes, I weighed a zebralight at 1.6 oz with lithium AA and without a strap. With the strap it climbs to 2.4 oz, and while very useful, and possibly worth the weight, would be considered "heavy" by UL standards. I'm certain a 1.0 oz (with battery) AA must be available. Somewhere.

I did *not* know about the potential for an AA/AAA swap in some of these small AA lights, and that's useful info indeed, thanks much. I've been in exactly that situation, where AAAs were available but no AAs.

Another hearty LOL for the "dieter's fallacy," that since I've eaten all this low-calorie food, I've got room for cake! And yes, I admit, I *do* that, particularly with a knife. Other ULers will carry a razor blade. I insist on a "massive" 2.8 oz Spyderco Manix, which gets me unending scorn. I guess I could go with the razor blade, and compensate with a monster Vinh. You can use the beam to cut, right? :laughing:

Thanks Astray and Burn: Thanks for recommending these, will check. Here's a working link for the Thrunite T10. Listed as 32g w/o battery, which would be 1.1 oz + 0.6 for an AA lithium = 1.7 oz total.

 

[markr6]

L3 Illuminations L10 is about 20grams without battery. Simple twist UI. I'm not sure about durability after seeing a recent post about its clicky counterpart (L11C) failing after a drop. Both of mine are going strong, but I don't use them much.

I would worry about it accidentally activating in a backpack, though. The L11C (rear click switch) would be a better option in that case, for a little more weight (20g spec on website is wrong)

 

[ronniepudding]

I would have to agree with lampeDépêche... TMK, there isn't another 1xAA light in the same weight class as the Mini AA that represents a material improvement in reliability and/or durability. If for some reason you were dissatisfied with the Mini AA, you could check out the EagleTac D25A Mini, which is a very similar light with a (removable) clip and a stainless steel bezel. It's 0.77 ounces empty, and with the clip removed it should come close to matching your Mini AA's 0.7 oz weight. The D25A's stainless bezel might provide a tad bit more protection for the lens than the Mini AA if the light was dropped and landed bezel down on a rock or pavement... but that is probably not statistically relevant in the grand scheme of things. And since your Mini AA is neutral/warm (Foursevens doesn't make lights with NW emitters any longer) and the D25A Mini is only available in CW, that may be a trade you're understandably not willing to make.

Revisiting some of the previously proposed options...

The L3 Illumination L10 twisty that markr6 mentioned is 0.73 ounces empty, it's a very nice light with a high-CRI option, and it has the advantage of adding a moonlight mode* if that's desirable... but as he said, their ability to withstand a drop has a less-than-stellar track record.

I think to add more robustness, you are looking for dual springs in the body tube and/or potted electronics. The Zebralight H52W gets you the latter, but comes in at 1.1 ounces empty. I see that you've considered this option carefully, but I would just throw some more weight (ha ha) in that direction... it's a NW emitter with a great tint, it has very efficient circuitry -- on the order of twice as efficient as the Mini ML (High = 108 lumens, Mini AA runs for 1.3 hours, and ZL H52W runs for 3 hours) -- and moonlight modes to preserve battery life (*maybe you could carry fewer batteries to compensate for the weight gain?), and it represents a significant durability/reliability improvement over the aforementioned lights. You can leave the headband at home if you wish; I've read that some folks use it with the (removable) clip, allowing you to attach it to your shirt or backpack strap instead of strapping it to your head.

The Peak El Capitan aluminum pocket version is ~1.63 oz with a 14500 battery, and represents an even more robust package than the Zebralight H52W for equivalent weight... but I've read that it's not all that bright on non-lithium-Ion AA cells, and the QTC UI is not for everyone.

Obviously my vote is for the Zebralight but if you're happy with the Mini AA, you're doing fine with your current light.

 

[markr6]

The nice thing about the SC52 is that it fits your backpacking application very well. In a pinch, you can get light out of that thing for a LONG time. Almost endless on low or moonlight mode with a nearly dead battery.

 

[lampeDépêche]

Oh no--the ZL fanbois have taken over the thread!

Yeah, I'm one of them, too. Like I said, if weight is paramount, then the Mini is your best bet. But the ZL H52w or SC52 is a pretty amazing piece of kit.

When you are backpacking, what you'll find out is that sub-lumen levels are actually very adequate for a lot of camp tasks. After dark, a fraction of a lumen is all you need for setting up the tent, looking at the map for tomorrow, stepping out when nature calls, etc. If you do trail-walking at night, then you'll want medium. But you get 27 hours of usable medium with the H52, instead of 8 hours of (brighter) medium with the Mini.

As Ronnie said--for a multi-day trip, you could go with the ZL and only one cell, where you'd need to bring a second cell for the Mini.

 

[Random Dan]

Replace your Manix with one of these: http://www.fairlyknives.com/product/copy-of-ti-backpacker-2016-model

Now you have plenty of weight left for a headlamp!

 

[ronniepudding]

Replace your Manix with one of these: http://www.fairlyknives.com/product/copy-of-ti-backpacker-2016-model

Now you have plenty of weight left for a headlamp!

That's nifty! The things they can do with Titanium these days

There are a number of small fixed-blade neck knives that weigh in at ~1 oz, including the sheath. AG Russell makes a Hunter's Scalpel that is around the same weight for ~$20.

I'm fond of the Opinel folders for light weight... the No.8 "garden knife" weighs 1.3 ozs, and has a 3.25" blade:
http://www.opinel-usa.com/collections/opinel-garden-knives/products/opinel-garden-knife-no8
... which is half the weight of the Manix.

Any of the above beats a razor blade for food prep

Nevertheless, I can respect wanting to have your favorite Spyderco by your side when you're in the woods, even at the cost of an ounce or two.

 

[eh4]

The L3 Illuminations L10 model is a twisty that's available as 4 mode with Nichia 219B led. I like to hang it on the ridge line that holds up my tarp when I'm camping.
On low mode you should get something like 5+ days of runtime out of it. I like it on low to give enough light to see my immediate camp area, good for cooking, etc without misplacing things. Second level up is fine for a bit of writing once my eyes are adjusted past sundown.
I've thought about replacing the aluminum battery tube with plastic and some woven copper. Of course a lithium battery would also give good weight savings.
The nice thing about the twisty design of the L3 Illumination L10, unlike say the Thrunite Li3, is that the threads of the L10 head/driver are male, so with the light hanging down the battery tube/body female threads overhang, giving it a water shedding design. With the Li3 you have to count on the o-ring to keep the female thread of the head/driver from funneling any water into the light...
The L3 Illumination L10 is a pretty good design imo.

-another thing that's nice about hanging the light down from a horizontal line is that all of the light goes to the ground, it's not in your eyes, or shining onto your tarp or tent. When you walk a few paces away there's a nice pool of light showing your immediate camp space but from much further away there's hardly any light, no light at all escaping horizontally from the emitter. Nice and low key.

 

[eh4]

If we're considering lights from a purely ultra light perspective, we might just weigh the heads minus tube and battery, -just weigh the business ends which can't easily be modded out with lighter materials and lighter batteries.

 

[lampeDépêche]

Yeah, it is certainly possible to reduce grams by eliminating the battery-tube and just hot-wiring the head to the back of the battery. Or go farther and remove the light-engine from the head.

But then you lose waterproofness, durability, and ease of use. For camping purposes, those are pretty important.

The Quark Atoms are fun that way, because you can easily screw the light-engine out of the head and have a tiny disc that can turn any battery into a light with only a wire or paper-clip. Probably weighs no more than 5 grams, less for the AAA version. But again, it's fussy and delicate and totally not waterproof.