Favorite small plastic flashlights

What are your favorite small plastic flashlights, in different battery configurations? They should be lightweight, durable, and preferably not too expensive. Waterproofness is a plus. Lithium batteries a plus (cold weather, long shelf life). Electronics (microprocessors and maybe LED voltage boost circuits) are a minus (general paranoia about long term reliability). The idea is a light that you can stick in some corner of your backpack and leave there til you find yourself without a light. Not necessarily a hardcore survival light, but more of a rainy day type of thing. Here are some I can think of:

1AAA: Shorelight V-1/VX-1 ( www.glow-bug.com )
2AAA: PT Blast, UKE mini light and eLED, UKE penlight, etc.
3AAA(?): Eternalight Derringer
4AAA: PT Rage, PT Attitude
1AA: Suggestions? Tek-Tite makes a rather bulky one. I'd like something like the Dorcy freebie found in Duracell 8-packs, but less junky. Bulb should withstand 1.7 volt lithium AA cell.
1x3.6V AA lithium: Tektite Microlith (direct drive LED). I've always been intrigued by this light but it's bulky like their regular 1AA.
1x123: Tekna Splash-Lite. Any others?
1xCR2: Don't know of any, wish there were some. A 1xCR2 light with the UKE 2AAA penlight bezel would be great.
Coin cell: CMG O-4, Photons, $1 Countycomms, etc.
Button cell: Pelican L-1
2x123: UKE 2L
2xCR2: again can't think of any. Would go great with PT Attitude bezel or slightly smaller counterpart.
9V: PALight
2AA: Any suggestions? The UKE 2AA and PT20 are too big. There were some small ones years ago but I haven't seen any lately. Pelican penlight, Streamlight ProPolymer?

Let's stop at 2AA. Anything bigger is too big. The most surprising thing is that every 2AA plastic light I can think of is pretty big and clunky.

Hello Paulr,

You have narrowed the field down quite a bit.

My favorite coin cell light is the Pelican L1, although the $1 key chain lights are also a good deal.

From there I jump to the Petzl Tikka (3 AAA). It is a head lamp, but it is quite small.

Some of the pen lights are descent, but I have not tried any of them.

Tom

The Shorelite Vx-1 is an interesting single AAA plastic light. While its beam is very blue and strange shaped, the four power levels give it a degree of desireability. All it really needs is a whiter LED.

I have a Pelican 2xAAA light, and I'm pretty happy with it...it has an iregular shaped beam, but is fairly bright, as for waterproof, I don't know.

Silverfox, the L1 uses button (non-lithium) rather than coin cells, I knew about it but hadn't really considered it. I'll try to check one out sometime. Yes the $1 lights are an excellent deal and are probably what I'll stick with for coin cell lights (except I got some Photons for free). The CMG O-4 is more waterproof but quite large for a keychain light. Botach has a good deal on them if you don't mind buying from Botach though.

I also thought about listing the Princeton Tek Scout (4x2032, computerized). The headband makes all those lights bulkier though. I like the Petzl Zipka better than the Tikka, because of its coiled string gizmo. Is the Tikka computerized? I've forgotten.

Flying Turtle, good point about the Shorelight, I forgot about that.

I know it's slightly outside your criteria, but would a Petzl Zipka (+) (3xAAA) or PT scout headlamp (4x2032) fit the bill? In a backpacking pinch I'd rather have a spare headlamp than a spare handheld light that can be dropped and lost. The Scout is very small.

D'oh!!! It appears that Paulr and I think along the same lines! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Quickbeam, do you have a Scout? Can you weigh it on a postage scale? Thanks.

Paulr,

(my fav /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif)
I Use the Pelican L1 with a white LED and a yellow body. The yellow body is a plus to easily find it in very low light. Has a clicky bum too. It uses four of the A76 coin cells (or LR44) and according to the Energizer website, they are in fact lithium. It is better-than water-resistant but not water proof; it would survive a dunk no problem but definitely not for diving. It is an EDC in my parka during the winter. The white LED is direct drive with no resistor.

For this light I order the Energizer part #A76BP2 (needs two packs to fill'er up) from an electronics wholesaler (Electrosonic)($2.11CDN for a two pack). Never buy them retail. Replace them once a year BTW, and does me the whole winter. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Techmedic

Yes, I have a Scout, but no postal scale handy. PT lists it as 1.85 oz on their site.

Pelican 2AAA SuperMityLite is small, bright, and waterproof, beam's ok too. Their 2AA Versabright is good for the pocket or on the bill of a cap.

Paulr, you know my vote already... UKE 2L. Best lightweight plastic light I have for its size and price range.

Another entry (possibly?) could also be the Inova 24/7... dunno if that qualifies as a 1x123 light or not...

Yeah, the UKE 2L is just a bit on the large/expensive side for a tuckaway light like this. And there really doesn't be much yet to improve on the venerable Tekna Splashlite in small simple 1x123 lights. The Inova 24x7 is a little too computerized for my tastes though I'll check one out if I get a chance.

I'm surprised nobody makes a coin cell "anglehead" light, i.e. the LED is pointing out the face of the light perpendicular to the battery. That would make it real simple to velcro to a very thin headband, or to a pocket clip so you can use the light handsfree while it's clipped to your shirt pocket or collar.

Sorry double post

Cool, that looks very similar to a light my mom got at a dollar store. I'd also been thinking of getting one and filing it out for 3x123. However I'm particularly looking for a real small 2AA light. There used to be lots of those and now there seems to be none. KPR112 doesn't pop pretty fast? Does the reflector melt or anything? I figured to use a KPR118 or a 6 cell Mag bulb.

How about a Tektite Trek 4. 4 LED that runs on 3 AAs.

Yeah, I decided that 2aa was the max size I wanted to include in this list.

[Note: list updated to include Shorelight V1/VX1 and Pelican L-1]

Paul,

I use this light in the battery bulb food chain when my 3x123 set up in a Mag 2C looses it's whiz bang I switch them out to the Drocy Frostbright because a fresh set of 123's will blow a bulb with some time on it. After that I feed the 123's to my Arc LS to get the last power out of the batteries /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


Later
Sway

I like the SL Syclone 4-AA. It is very versatile light with many mounting options. Even comes with a bracket for headlamp. It has an angle head that rotatates over 90%, and of course has a LED also for low light. Great throw for a 4-AA, and it fits well in the hand.

I am considering a rechargeable in this for the guilt free lumens.

I love my little PT Blasts. Have three. Ten dolars, batteries included, waterproof and the clip for a hat gets used more than I expected.

The Ray-O-Vac Industrial 2AA (WalMart) is a nice cheapie, and small for a 2AA light. Good beam shape, too. They have a "folding" model for about twice the price, but I already have a VersaBrite II that fills that bill.

I don't have a Blast, but do love the 4xAAA Rage with NiMHs. It's my non-emergency (i.e., not lithium) keep-in-car light.

http://www.duracell.com/products/flashlights_pocket.asp
Duracell has a new 2xAA light in pretty colors with a nifty design, $4 at Eckerd Drug, but I have yet to buy one as spare bulbs don't seem to be available. For that matter I have an "army style" right angle 2xAA that uses midget-flange bulbs that I also can't find replacements for.