I used to carry a costco 200 lumen led light.
It uses 3aa batteries and works well.
...
However I was looking for something more pocket friendly with a pocket clip and found this.
It uses a single AA battery and can zoom from spot to flood. It is quite a bit smaller.
It does have hi, lo, strobe functions. The tight spot has a funky square shape but there's nothing wrong with that.
It was 2 for $10 on Amazon.

As I play with it I discovered that the switch reacts much differently than my old light.
Kind of hard to explain. If you click the switch too fast it toggles to the next mode.
Weird.

you probably have a "tactical" switch, the older standard was the "reverse clicky"

-tactical activates with a half press and will lock on that mode if you fully depress the button til it clicks. to cycle between modes you press the button halfway down within a second or two of each press.

-reverse click switches need to be fully depressed first, then half clicks will cycle through modes. the mode will stay locked on whichever mode you release the half pressed switch on.

you probably have a "tactical" switch, the older standard was the "reverse clicky"

-tactical activates with a half press and will lock on that mode if you fully depress the button til it clicks. to cycle between modes you press the button halfway down within a second or two of each press.

-reverse click switches need to be fully depressed first, then half clicks will cycle through modes. the mode will stay locked on whichever mode you release the half pressed switch on.

...
Yeah that's what it does. Is that supposed to be better?

...
Yeah that's what it does. Is that supposed to be better?

personal preference.
tac switch is designed for a lot of quick on/off cycles. i.e. a security guard or a weaponlight.
reverse click is good for leaving it on for longer periods and changing modes while keeping it on. i.e.  walking the dog or working on something
.
clicky switches are duty rated to something like 500-10k cycles. so half pressing a tac switch can lengthen the service life.

most lights that are designed with a tac switch have no memory function and turn on to the highest mode first. they also usually only have 1 or 2 brightess settings and sometimes a really fast strobe to disorient.
most lights that are designed with a reverse click do have memory function so it turns on to the last mode you used last. if they dont have memory then they ramp up from the low mode, low-mid-hi-strobe these usually have 3-7 modes including moonlight low modes and various strobes(sos, slower flashing strobe)

i prefer the tac switch for everything but a dedicated work light for around the house. reverse click is good for changing modes while the light is on. if youre using a tac switch and want a dimmer mode then you have to depress the button to turn it off then half click it until the mode you want is on then you fully depress the button to select that mode.

I learned something new today!
Thanks!

My EDC for the last several years is a http://powerledlighting.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=115_11&products_id=354 . Kind of pricey is only as a "just in case" light. I use mine daily for my job. I have two and they're really durable and bright. A charge last me over a month of daily use so I rotate every month between the two.

I have a number of different lights I carry. All are way above the $10 range. In my experience, the cheap ones just aren't good quality. LEDs are sensitive to heat and at high output they put out a lot of heat. If the heat isn't managed effectively it will shorten the life of the LED.

You can spend $40-$50 and get a good quality LED light. I can go over some options if interested.

I researched the new generation of LED flashlights for several weeks and was surprised to see people building their own lights with off the shelf components.
 I also saw a discussion forum about building your own light.
They use L ION rechargeable batteries for high VA ratings and low internal resistance so they can really drive the LED hard for those dazzling lumen numbers.
Problem is I've come to distrust rechargeable batteries.
I've also come to distrust alkaline batteries.... what to do???
Another problem is those L ion batteries. A lot of vendors won't ship to HI.
So in the end I decided that a small, lightweight, pocket clip, inexpensive AA flashlight would be the choice.
When the AA battery leaks and destroys it, I'm only down $5.
=========

I've had my eye on LED technology for about 10 years now. I bought discrete LEDS and built a neat LED flashlight using a cheap D cell flashlight.
BY design, it could run for about 4 days continuous on one set of 3 non-alkaline D batteries.
It came in handy when we had that earthquake that knocked out the power grid in Honolulu.
I set it up in a dark hallway at my workplace and just left it on.
I've also built a conversion for a automotive jump starter unit that used a fluorescent  bulb.
I took out the fluorescent bulb and replaced it with a homemade LED  circuit board I designed. I use it for camping as an all-night area light .
By design, it could run for days continuously..
Yeah, I'm a LED freak.

I have had no problem getting lithium ion batteries in small quantities through flashlight selling webpages.

I have a couple AA flashlights that take either regular AA or lithium ion AA. Some now can even recharge inside the light with a USB cable. I like these because I don't have to worry about finding or carrying a harder to find CR123A battery in the event my lithium ion 18650 or 16340 battery dies.

If you use the single use lithium AA batteries then you don't run the risk of them leaking.
Also they do make NiMH batteries with improved chemistry that don't self drain fast like the old ones.

I researched the new generation of LED flashlights for several weeks and was surprised to see people building their own lights with off the shelf components.
 I also saw a discussion forum about building your own light.
They use L ION rechargeable batteries for high VA ratings and low internal resistance so they can really drive the LED hard for those dazzling lumen numbers.
Problem is I've come to distrust rechargeable batteries.
I've also come to distrust alkaline batteries.... what to do???
Another problem is those L ion batteries. A lot of vendors won't ship to HI.
So in the end I decided that a small, lightweight, pocket clip, inexpensive AA flashlight would be the choice.
When the AA battery leaks and destroys it, I'm only down $5.
=========

I've had my eye on LED technology for about 10 years now. I bought discrete LEDS and built a neat LED flashlight using a cheap D cell flashlight.
BY design, it could run for about 4 days continuous on one set of 3 non-alkaline D batteries.
It came in handy when we had that earthquake that knocked out the power grid in Honolulu.
I set it up in a dark hallway at my workplace and just left it on.
I've also built a conversion for a automotive jump starter unit that used a fluorescent  bulb.
I took out the fluorescent bulb and replaced it with a homemade LED  circuit board I designed. I use it for camping as an all-night area light .
By design, it could run for days continuously..
Yeah, I'm a LED freak.

i used to build custom surefire clones. i grew tired of soldering 2mm parts though.
its pretty cool how much power you can get out of an led if you drive it hard. there are single led lights with 2000 lumens nowadays, sold that way from the factory!

i have a single cell 18650 light that has surpassed current battery technology. it gets 3500 lumens from 4x cree xp-l hi leds stuffed into a surefire fury sized light. the batteries ive tried are having trouble keeping up. ive even been using those high drain IMR batteries meant for those guys that like to pretend to smoke ice out of their hotrodded ecigs.

I have had no problem getting lithium ion batteries in small quantities through flashlight selling webpages.

I have a couple AA flashlights that take either regular AA or lithium ion AA. Some now can even recharge inside the light with a USB cable. I like these because I don't have to worry about finding or carrying a harder to find CR123A battery in the event my lithium ion 18650 or 16340 battery dies.

If you use the single use lithium AA batteries then you don't run the risk of them leaking.
Also they do make NiMH batteries with improved chemistry that don't self drain fast like the old ones.

yea its worth getting into li-ion just to get away from battery leakage. the added power and the fact that they are rechargeable just make them a no brainer in this day and age.


any flashlight that uses a multi cell carrier will have a parasitic drain on the batteries.
those damn costco ones are particularly high drain though. youre supposed to twist off the tailcap a couple of turns so the batteries arent in contact.

i used to build custom surefire clones. i grew tired of soldering 2mm parts though.
its pretty cool how much power you can get out of an led if you drive it hard. there are single led lights with 2000 lumens nowadays, sold that way from the factory!

i have a single cell 18650 light that has surpassed current battery technology. it gets 3500 lumens from 4x cree xp-l hi leds stuffed into a surefire fury sized light. the batteries ive tried are having trouble keeping up. ive even been using those high drain IMR batteries meant for those guys that like to pretend to smoke ice out of their hotrodded ecigs.

...
Ooh yeah that's badass.
My thoughts were more geared for long run times for emergency lighting and survival off grid.
I have an unfinished led project for lighting up my house during power outages. Gotta finish that some day...

I researched the new generation of LED flashlights for several weeks and was surprised to see people building their own lights with off the shelf components.
 I also saw a discussion forum about building your own light.
They use L ION rechargeable batteries for high VA ratings and low internal resistance so they can really drive the LED hard for those dazzling lumen numbers.
Problem is I've come to distrust rechargeable batteries.
I've also come to distrust alkaline batteries.... what to do???
Another problem is those L ion batteries. A lot of vendors won't ship to HI.
So in the end I decided that a small, lightweight, pocket clip, inexpensive AA flashlight would be the choice.
When the AA battery leaks and destroys it, I'm only down $5.

if you want a quality starter kit i can help you pick one out.
-solarforce body is around $12-20 bucks depending on model.
-drop in led module is about $10-20 bucks depending on options. they can go wayy higher up to over $200 but i suggest a basic one to start with.
-3400mah li-ion panasonic battery with over/undercharge protection circuit $15
-nitecore charger $10

upgrades available too(anti reflective ucl glass, glow in the dark o-rings, stainless spikey bezel and tail cap, pocket clip, lantern conversion, red green blue filters etc etc. its standard surefire p6/fury size and it takes whatever accessories fit the surefire)

like a surefire, the body and led itself are completely modular. you can switch from reverse to tactical clicky switch or replace a worn switch, go from 1 cell to 2 cell for length and runtime, change to new glass if you break it, easily find right sized orings to replace any worn ones, upgrade the entire led drop in unit to a new one a few years down the road or to a different color temperature like neutral or warm white, get a new rubber boot for the switch, get a new body if it gets all gouged up from being run over etc.
parts are cheap too. glass lens is like 2 bucks, replacement switches are like 2 bucks

...
Ooh yeah that's badass.
My thoughts were more geared for long run times for emergency lighting and survival off grid.
I have an unfinished led project for lighting up my house during power outages. Gotta finish that some day...

macsak has one of my lights, im not sure exactly which drop in he bought but i know it has one of the moonlight modes with either 2 or 4 weeks worth of runtime off of a single 18650. led drop in's with moonlight mode cost a little more than a basic hi/mid/lo
the lowest moonlight option seems ridiculously low output in the day. you can look directly at the led while on and identity the square diode and the actual tiny wires running through it, like when you focus down your zoomie light. its perfect for night use if you dont want to ruin your night vision.

macsak has one of my lights, im not sure exactly which drop in he bought but i know it has one of the moonlight modes with either 2 or 4 weeks worth of runtime off of a single 18650. led drop in's with moonlight mode cost a little more than a basic hi/mid/lo
the lowest moonlight option seems ridiculously low output in the day. you can look directly at the led while on and identity the square diode and the actual tiny wires running through it, like when you focus down your zoomie light. its perfect for night use if you dont want to ruin your night vision.

yes, i bought one of jaynick's lights
it's really awesome
the moonlight mode is for getting into your safe without ruining your night vision, you can read the dial and see into your safe pretty easily
when things go bump in the night
 

Never did carry a EDC flashlight.  If I do it would be something small like the Inova microlight.  I have some Costco kine in the vehicles and a Led Lenser T7 in the get home bag.

Trust me though, the extra money on a good quality AA led light is worth it.

I am going to sell me Lumapower D-Mini VX if anyone wants to buy it. It is CR123 based but will take rechargeable. A little large for a pocket light though. Good price!

http://www.batteryjunction.com/lumapower-d-mini-vx2-xml2.html

I have a few high $$ flashlights, in the $100 price range.  They all use 18650 batteries which I like very much.  I have found all the cheap flashlights focus into a square shape when put into a spot beam.  Can't stand that, but one of my lights which does that has a really nice even wide angle beam and is my favorite when I need a light for working on equipment,  cars, etc.