Despite having 128 posts, I'm not allowed to post in the "Flashlight Reviews" sub-forum. I found a very small LED from a company called High Gear, which makes hiking and climbing gear. They simply call it the Mini LED, but it's the same size as a Streamlight Nano or eGear Pico Lite. However, the price is a great $3 US.
The Mini is available in red, black, green, or silver housing. All version have the same polished aluminum head and the High Gear logo. They also come with a small split ring and lobster-style clip. The LED is a simple 5mm LED (same as the Nano and Pico) and the light is a twist-to-activate. Unlike the Pico and Nano, there is no momentary "press" to turn the light on; it's twist only. The light runs on four LR41 batteries, which come in a handy carrier (like the Pico). The light lists a 15-hour runtime, but I haven't tested mine yet. Output (I'm comparing it to the Nano and Pico with fresh batteries, both listed at 10 lumens) is around 12-15 lumens. That's right, it's brighter than the Streamlight. The "reflector" is smooth and is really just the twisty head, but there are very little artifacts in the beam. The 5mm LED is exposed to nicks, just like the Nano and Pico, but it's recessed a little farther forward, making it more susceptible to damage. Four days of pocket carry hasn't hurt it. The light is white, no blueish tint.
I do have some minor gripes. The lobster-style keychain is sturdy, but the "arm" used to open and close it is too short to be useful for me. The threads are nice and clean, but turning the light on takes some effort; it really has to be tight. This makes one-handed use hard, as neither the body nor head are textured in any way. Last, when taking the head off (as if to change batteries) the thick rubber ring falls off. It's not retained by anything. This piece of rubber isn't an O-ring (there are no O-rings) but it keeps the spring from contacting the battery too early and turning on. Lose it, and the light will come on with any contact between the head and body.
For $3, I really like the light. It's cheap, simple, and gives the Streamlight Nano and eGear Pico Lite a run for their money as a zipper pull LED.
An image of the Mini, in its various colors, can be found here (don't want to hotlink)... http://www.backcountry.com/highgear-mini-led-flashlight
Beam shot at three feet. The "+" marks the center of the beam. The beam looks much whiter in real life...
Same settings, a Streamlight Nano at the same distance for comparison...
The Mini is available in red, black, green, or silver housing. All version have the same polished aluminum head and the High Gear logo. They also come with a small split ring and lobster-style clip. The LED is a simple 5mm LED (same as the Nano and Pico) and the light is a twist-to-activate. Unlike the Pico and Nano, there is no momentary "press" to turn the light on; it's twist only. The light runs on four LR41 batteries, which come in a handy carrier (like the Pico). The light lists a 15-hour runtime, but I haven't tested mine yet. Output (I'm comparing it to the Nano and Pico with fresh batteries, both listed at 10 lumens) is around 12-15 lumens. That's right, it's brighter than the Streamlight. The "reflector" is smooth and is really just the twisty head, but there are very little artifacts in the beam. The 5mm LED is exposed to nicks, just like the Nano and Pico, but it's recessed a little farther forward, making it more susceptible to damage. Four days of pocket carry hasn't hurt it. The light is white, no blueish tint.
I do have some minor gripes. The lobster-style keychain is sturdy, but the "arm" used to open and close it is too short to be useful for me. The threads are nice and clean, but turning the light on takes some effort; it really has to be tight. This makes one-handed use hard, as neither the body nor head are textured in any way. Last, when taking the head off (as if to change batteries) the thick rubber ring falls off. It's not retained by anything. This piece of rubber isn't an O-ring (there are no O-rings) but it keeps the spring from contacting the battery too early and turning on. Lose it, and the light will come on with any contact between the head and body.
For $3, I really like the light. It's cheap, simple, and gives the Streamlight Nano and eGear Pico Lite a run for their money as a zipper pull LED.
An image of the Mini, in its various colors, can be found here (don't want to hotlink)... http://www.backcountry.com/highgear-mini-led-flashlight
Beam shot at three feet. The "+" marks the center of the beam. The beam looks much whiter in real life...
Same settings, a Streamlight Nano at the same distance for comparison...
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