Flashlight gift for 3 year old.

My sons 3rd birthday is next mont, and I want to get him a new light.
He currently has a 4AA dorcy lantern that he carries everywhere, it eats up the cheap rechargable batteries I bought for him. The switch is almost wore out.
He is very respectfull of lights, but durability would be an asset, his little sister doesn't share the same carfulness.
I would prefer an LED, one that can take a R123. He has been carrying his Moms QIII for a couple weeks and that is the direction I am leaning in, another one of those. I had my first taste of a pelican yesterday and I like them, alot.
So bottom line, a LED that will accept a R123 and preferably a bit easier to keep track of than a QIII. He camps almost every weekend and fishes almost daily and often into the evening, ease of use would be a bonus (one hand operation).
The Splashlight is looking tempting too..
I am open to some input here. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Oh, price, upwards to about $75..

Orb light.
I think he would like it, and I am pretty sure you can use R123's in it. Depending on which LED you get, you have runtimes up to 20 hours. Just an idea. Let us know what ya decide.
www.theorb.co.uk



Blades

There will be an order for an orb soon from this house but not for him. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
The switching mech on those are very cool, but perhaps a bit elaborate for him, it probally would be a bit of a deterrent for him to want to use.

Dorcy AAA LED?

My "almost" two year old loves hers /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Will

My two-year old daughter loves working my L4. She also likes those $1 keychain lights. Pretty much anything with a gentle clickie or momentary is fine with her.

Wilkey

Depends on the power level you want. I've answered "CMG Inf Ultra" to this question before because that light is built to take whatever the kids can dish out, but it's AA and powered by a single 5mm LED. $15 means that Dad isn't going to be jumping up and down yelling bloody murder when he loses it.

Of course if you get him the L4 he's gonna look back 20 years from now and think "Dad got me the *BEST* darn light that was in production back then"..

Then again, you might want to go easy on the L4. Even those old enough to know better (and too old to care /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif) like yours truly manage to put a stress fracture in the Pyrex in a really nasty accident involving a hard floor and a lanyard clip that was not as secure as imagined. To be honest it's the first time I saw Pyrex fail, and believe me, I'd like it to be the last.

Actually.. I still do care. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mecry.gif but the L4 seems to be doing fine..

A 3 year old, already interested in Flashlights!

That's awesome!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/happy14.gif

Wish him happy birthday for me. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/party.gif

How about a Thor? You'd have the strongest flashaholic 3 year old out there. .

I'd give a nod to the Splashlight, if I knew that it would run on R123s. .

I'd get him one of the Dorcy Cool Blues, if they're still on sale at Sears for $8.88. They're big, yellow, waterproof, almost indestructable, they float,use AA's, and are hard to swallow.

Geoff

UK 4AA eLED. What can you do to this light that it can't handle?

... maybe an e1e?

-tom

I would cast a vote for a SureFire E1L. It has a lot of potential and you can use rechargeable cells. It's a perfect size for his small hands and carries a lifetime warranty! He'll have a lighting tool for the rest of his life.

Second vote for Dorcy Cool Blue...although it's not hugely different than what he's got with the lantern.
Barring that, UK eLED or Streamlight 4AA ProPolymer 1-watt LED. I think I'd avoid too powerful a light - how many adults here 'fess up to temporarily blinding themselves...now what 3-year-old would you expect not to do the same? Also, I'd avoid metal bodies (throw them at others, swing them on lanyards), and CR123s (problems when they get wet, and what kid's not gonna monkey around with the light when you're not around?).
My 2 cents' worth.
Dave

An USL?

and perhaps a fire retardant suit, welding helmet, and gloves?

j/k /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

From what I vaguely recall about 3 year olds, I'd probably get several of the $4.5 1xAAA LED lights sold on BST, put in a Nicad (not NIMH) AAA into it, and attach it to something big and shiny to make it easier to find after he loses it. The extra lights are for when he will lose it despite the big, shiny thingy.

I'd use nicads because they like being drained to zero (which he will) before recharging. Keep some charged nicads around and keep swapping/charging.

Wow, pydpiper, my three and a half year old Grandson would need a light made of foam rubber (or he, the house, and all visitors would take a beating) that would be likely end up in the storm drain or down the toilet within the week.

I envy your situation /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif

You may want to think about a G2 with a 3watt Led drop-in from Bugout Gear...........tough light....bright....a little bigger than the QIII. Make sure it has the new LOTC.
Run that with a Pila 168S.

Tell him its COOL cause its bigger than "Moms" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Aloha

Thanks for the suggestions guys!
To clairify, he knows good from bad in the world of lights, big and yellow wouldn't pass. He is not the kind of kid who will use it for destruction or lose it, he knows what they are for and uses them accordingly. He can tell you the name of any light I own. Every night when I tuck him in I pry whatever light he happened to have in his hand out, set in on his nightstand and wish him good dreams. 3 am it is a common occurence to see him wandering down the hall to the bathroom flashlight in hand.
The light I choose will be appreciated, and cared for.
My little girl on the other hand could/would destroy any light made by any company.
Keep the ideas coming! A break-away neck lanyard is also on my list..

How about a nice NexGen driving the LED around 500 or 750 MA from the sandwiche shop with a MiniMag and kroll? Slightly above 80 in my in-head calculations.

I gave my four year old niece a Gerber Trio for the holidays. I wrote about it in "Reviews" HERE.

73
dim