First posting... ? about Gerbers...

Alrighty... the guys over at Bladeforums.com told me to come here and give yall a whirl.
So... my question is... what are the best Gerber models for someone who almost carries their flashlight everywhere (so no D or C cell lights), must be LED and BRIGHT AS POSSIBLE, and last a hell of a long time (at least 15 or 20 hours... none of this hour BS).
I was originally looking at Surefires, but said "Dang, that's a little extreme, until I get shipped to Iraq or something... then I'll buy one." But, for now, I have been using the Nite-Ize upgrade in my AA Maglite, and it's been wanderful. Batteries last a long time - especially the Energizer disposable lithiums!!! - and the beam is a good spread. I was just wondering, is there a comparable beam but, a brighter and longer?
This is when I spotted Gerber... are their lights any good, and I would really like to stick with AA's... I don't care how many, but I just want some big range, and with good battery life.
It doesn't have to be fancy aluminum, titanium or anything like that. I could honestly care less about the technology (which Surefire is really into), but as long as it has those two things... I'll give it a try. Until then, my Nite-Ize upgrade still amazes me. And the batteries haven't gone dead since...

Thanks in advance...
-Cleary

Why not look at the other models? Fenix L1P has good output, coupled with the two-switch mod it might be able to run the amount of time you have specified but with the additional option of having high power when you need it. around $45 now. The L1 (non-premium version) is back up for sale at http://www.lighthound.com/sales/fenix_l1.php .

The only Gerber lighting product that I have/had is the CMG Infinity Ultra. Nice circular side spill is all I can say. Other than that I've since gave it to my dad. Same with the NiteIze LED replacement for the Mini Maglites. For me, these two simply do not produce enough light.

Like what NotEnoughLight mentioned in regards to the Fenix L1P! It's great light! I've seen it and like it! Besides it takes a singular AA battery.

There's other "higher-end" models out there and other drop-in replacement LEDs for the Mini Mags but they do cost more than the flashlight itself, sometimes 7x what you paid for the Mini Mag (based on $7.00).

Welcome to CPF and hope you find what your looking for and Enjoy!

I had the LX 3.0 but wanted a regulated light so I looked into other ones, such as:

The L2P run with Lithiums(5 hr): https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/100926

Or the L1P like the other guy said. I got to the forums right when these became available and now I'm pretty into LED flashlights. i.e. the L1P is amazing. 2 hour runtime about.

If you need good output with a super long runtime the UK 4aa eLED: http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/uk_4aaeled.htm

shorter but still relatively long runtime and a darkness-cutting spot beam, Streamlight Propolymer 4AA 1 watt Luxeon: http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/streamlight_propolyluxeon.htm

In my experience if you get rechargable NIMH AAs, it's better to get a bright light and just recharge once in a while. I use my L1P alot and its 2 hour runtime is just fine. Esp. with the easy 1 AA battery change. http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4056467

But if you still want to look at Gerber reviews, there are a few listed here: http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews_index/reviews_index_luxeon.htm

In case you didn't know, "regulated" means there's a little brain in the torch that works to maintain the same amount of light for the batteries' lifespan. For a good illustration look at the LX 3.0 runtime chart versus the Streamlight 4AA Propolymer Luxeon's chart at flashlightreviews.com.

My recommendation since you want runtime/brightness/sized-for-constant-carry: The Fenix L2P with Energizer lithiums. Size-comparison photo to another 2AA flashlight can be seen here: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/100562&highlight=l2p

If you want a brighter drop in for your mini mag try a TLE-5 Terralux ministar2. Here is a place to get one:

http://store.led-replacement.com/yhst-52165116567733/tle5.html

I've just got one for my AA mini mag and the difference between the TLE-5 and the original bulb is considerable.

I'm not sure I grok your question. Gerber lights aren't bad, aren't great. Their Infinity Ultra is the most popular model. It's the successor to the late great CMG Infinity Ultra and Ultra-G. Gerber bought out CMG and redesigned the Ultra to be cheaper to manufacturer and outsourced it to China. The new Ultra is still a good light but not as great as the old one. It will run for around 20 hours on one AA. You can mod it with a brighter led.

They also make the Recon, which is an Ultra-like light with color filters you can rotate in front of the led. They also make a bunch of weird lights intended to hang in your tent and stuff like that. We mostly don't pay much attention to those here.

There is always a tradeoff between brightness, runtime, and size. Making the light brighter burns more power, so you either need more batteries or you get shorter runtime. You might like the UK 4AA eLED. It's much brighter than the Ultra, the beam is whiter (Ultra tends to have a blueish beam), and it runs about 12 hours--but on four AA's instead of on one. You can stick it in your pocket (it's a bit bigger than a Minimag) but maybe a bit large for EDC unless you use it all the time.

You could also check out the Peak Kilimanjaro which is like the Ultra but higher quality (and costs more). There's a bunch of different configurations available (color, type and number of leds, etc).

The other lights people have mentioned are good too, but the brighter ones don't run very long.

Yeah, the Nite Ize is a good upgrade, esp for indoor use. A lot of times, when a new CPFer comes along, he/she wants the brightest LED light available and wants it to run for 20 hours on a single cheap alkaline cell but that just isn't really possible. We are still limited to the laws of physics. Pretty much if the light is quite a bit brighter than your Nite Ize, then it will give quite a bit less runtime than your Nite Ize assuming they both are using the same chemistry of cells.

Gerber makes the Infinity Ultra which is a nice light and a lot of us might consider to be a 'must have' but it isn't as bright as the Nite Ize but uses a single AA cell so it is easier to carry in your pocket. The Recon is a neat little light though I haven't owned one... it is VERY VERY dim. The Trio is about as long as the Minimag and is about 30% brighter than the Nite Ize mod and is in a much nicer body than the Minimag. I don't care for the longer 3xAA lights such as the LX3.0 and the TX3.0 lights myself but some folks like them.

Having said that, there are MANY options other than Gerber. The Fenix L1P and L2P are two of the current 'it' lights. The L1P runs on a single AA cell and the L2P runs on 2 AA cells. Rechargeable NiMH cells provide the most cost-effective source of power for these lights. These are both in the $45-$50 shipped range. The Streamlight ProPolymer Luxeon is another one of the lights currently in favor. It runs on 4xAA cells and is plastic and had GREAT throw for it's size and only costs about $30 shipped. The last light that springs to mind is the UK 4AA ELED which isn't the brightest light in the world, but it is very usable and gets VERY impressive runtimes. Two more lights worth looking into are the Costco 2AA Lux light and the Elektrolumens XM-3 both of which run on 2 AA cells and are a bit longer than the Minimag.

You can also start spending more to get an even smaller light, many of which run on lithium 123 cells and many of the single cell 123 lights can run on rechargeable 123 cells for even more brightness. 'Throw' or how far away a light will shine is basically a product of the size of the reflector and how bright the light is. Generally speaking, the wider the reflector is, the further it will throw but there are exceptions.

I'd suggest you head over to www.flashlightreviews.com and www.ledmuseum.org and spend some time looking over the reviews on those two sites. At minimum, then you'll know what a lot of these lights look like.

Most people will tell you to get the Fenix faster than they would say "pay pal sent", but I would really recommend you to have a good look at Streamlight Propolymer luxeon line, before making any decisions. Those are as bright as possible using regular alkalines, and unlike the Fenix, propolymers are fully regulated, not to mention the long runtime and even more appealing retail price.

I like, enjoy and USE my Gerber flashlights.

Although I lost my Trio, I left it behind in a hotel room, I still occasionally get to use my niece's Trio, one I gave to her as a gift. Its approximately 10 lumens, small size (for a 2AA), good build and regulation floods an area nicely for about eight hours before dropping out of regulation. I think the Trio is an excellent low level flashlight without leaving the user wanting a little more light

I bought (BST) the Trio's "bigger brother", the Gerber LX 3.0 to replace my defective (dead) Streamlight Junior Lux. It is a MUCH better flashlight than the Junior - more throw, more lumens, better built, better switch and with no regulation, the LX3 is a simpler device. Although the LX3 is not regulated, the flat discharge of NiMH batteries behaves as regulation providing several hours of fairly steady output of guilt free lumens. I've yet to run my LX3 dry and simply install freshly charged NiMH batts when I think that it is about time to do so. While the LX3 may not be the throw monster that, say, the SL PP 4AA Lux may be, in addition to the approximately 1000 lux spot, the LX3 has very bright spill that is actually useful and not an "oh, by the way". Its bright spill and 1000 lux make the LX3 an excellent outdoor flashlight cutting a swath in the darkness creating almost a "dome of light" in front of the user that flashlights with dimmer spill do not.

I think that the Hi-Low combination of the Gerber LX 3.0 and the Trio make an excellent tandem.

73
dim

I also like my Gerber LX3 and infinity ultra (I have the CMG style but labeled Gerber). The LX3 is great when you need lots of light but the runtime is a bit weaker. However, that's a normal tradeoff. I do wish it were regulated; however, that's the only downside I've noticed. It's screaming bright on a new set of batteries. The IU is a great light--use it every night to check on the kids. (sometimes bright is not best). I have not used the trio however.

Personally I would not get too caught up in brand loyalty. There are lots of good lights out there--just have to pick what meets your own needs (that can be tough, but fun!). Personally I start by thinking about battery choice. Unless there's an overriding reason, I want AA (most of my stuff uses them). However there are advantages to 123's also...

Check out quickbeams's site, www.flashlightreviews.com, for good info. He presents lots of details and facts as well as his own opinion.

Have fun!

Might I direct you to the "Flashlight Recommendation Checklist"...
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/96884