Yesterday I went on a multi-store shopping trip just to find these cheap little LED AAA battery powered lights. It's a super cheap 9-head LED light. Takes 3 AAA's. Cost $5.00 a pop. You can see a variation of the light





It disappears when I wrap my palm around it. Push button tailcap (no momentary on function). Puts out a LOT of light in a tiny package. I bought a pair of them for my wife about a month ago. The originals I got her were unmarked, sitting in an unmarked black display box (there were about 3 or 4 dozen on display). I have been trying to get my wife in a more preparedness related mindset - and she's coming around. At first I gave her my reworked and newly functioning again Brinkmann surfire knockoff. It's a spendy bugger to run though, using CR123 batteries. So I figured she needed a smaller, handier, cheaper-to-use general work light. She adores these little lights because they're small, tuck away in her purse (thank god I found a woman who only uses small purses, but that's beside the point) and she keeps one by the bed.

Well - I realized I needed them too. I've got bigger, or more expensive lights. I carry them everywhere I go. But my 3 nicest lights all run on 123 batteries. The SureFire G2 lasts maybe an hour. The TwinTask has lasted a lot longer - since I usually am using the LED function of the light. And then there's my 4 123a Cabela's monster. It almost set my side on fire the first (and only) time I carried it on my belt. It now either lives in the cargo compartment above the driver seat in my truck, or in my get-home bag (with the batteries removed).

But this handy little thing puts out a lot of light and they're cheap. If I break one or loose one - $5 gets me another one.

The thing iis though - the store I got the light from no longer has 'em. The other stores in the same chain don't have 'em. Wal-Mart didn't have 'em. Target didn't have 'em. Sportsman's Warehouse - however, did! This time I got the same lights in a double pack for 9.99. One red and one blue (same two colors my wife chose for hers). They also included batteries for both lights. These lights are marked "Great Lite" on the package, and have a little stenciled logo on the grip. Same exact light though.

All total - I drove something like 20 miles one-way just to find these little buggers. Next time I'm at Sportsmans, I'm getting another pack. They're just too damn handy. I wish I could find the originals though - because the first time we found 'em, they had red, blue, silver, and black housings. I want a couple black ones.

i find that inexpensive lights are generally a waste of my money, but you might be onto something with this one.

My roommate bought that same exact light two days ago at walmart, for $5! I have held it myself, and that sucker is bright! good build quality too, but light-over-distance sucks. I mean it will light up a dark room to see what you want, but its nothing compared to the big boys that act like the sun is in the dark room with you. But for $5 it's well worth it.

well, LED's are limited as to where they're really good. Dark interior rooms are super. Anywhere with ambient light and they loose a lot, because they dont' have the full color spectrum like incan lights do. LED's aren't so great for outdoor use either, unless you're using it for close-up work, like around a campsite or working on a car or something similar. If your'e trying to illuminate objects at a distance, or to flood an area with light - incans work way better.

But they are still great lights - and have lots of uses. You just have to use them for what they're really made for. Lights - like anything else - are tools. You *can* use a hammer to pound screws - but a screwdriver would work better and easier - know what I mean?

You're definitely right on the expense of running through CR123 batteries. I love my surefire, but i need a smaller light that is cheaper to use for the standard uses. My room mate has the light you are showing, good light and great price.

My light addiction is one I must fight almost daily - to prevent myself from buying more. I'm an econ-light addict though - I have yet to bring myself to be able to justify $100 for one of the smaller SureFire metal frame lights. So far, my most expensive light is the Cabela's 12-volt tac light - 4 damn 123A batteries. If I'm buying off the shelf at most stores - the light takes $30 worth of batteries. Cheapest 123's I have found were $2.50 a piece in a 2 pack ($5 for the pack). That was great, because I got 8 batteries for effectively the same as I'd pay for 2 of 'em using brand names.

My collection of lights is smaller than I'd like. So far all i have (in working condition, anyway) is:

Maglight 3-D cell standard
Mini Mag 2 AA standard
Sure Fire G2
Cabela's XPG 4 cell
Great Lite 3 AAA LED
Streamlight Twin Task 2 cell 123a

Wife has her own small collection of lights - some I gave her, some she had when we hooked up. She's got
Maglight 2-D cell
Brinkmann 6 volt 123a powered surefire knock off
3 Great Lite 3 AAA LED's

I've got 2 more mini-mags that are right now non-working. Need to get new bulbs for them.
I've got a Dorcy Metal Gear 6 volt tac-style light that is non functional. I believe it is a switch problem.
And I think i've still got a Coast AA powered LED TekTorch. The switch went bad in that light.

I don't know what happened to my River Rock 2-C cell LED light. I loved that little light, but it disappeared around the time i split with my ex-wife. I've still got the busted casing to a 3-D Maglight I inherited from my pop. He carried it for many moons when he was a campus cop at the local teaching hospital. It held up great until one day, while working an especially nasty recovery of a Lexus SUV that a drunk had driven into a 100 foot deep ravine, a coworker of mine dropped the light and it cracked the head off . fuzzed up thing - it'll still work, but the head is gone and the case mouth is busted. I keep it around as a souvenier and a testament to Mag's ruggedness.

Eventually, I'm going to get one of those retina-frying Borealis lights, when I can justify dropping $300 on a flashlight.

This topic lives! now with pictures...



From left to right...

Mini Mag AA, red, silver, and black "Great Lite" AAA powered LED, Streamlight Twin Task LED/Xenon combo, SureFire G2, Cabela's 12-volt XPG.

The last three are powered by the CR123 batteries. I found 3 pairs of SureFire brand batteries the other day for $3.60 a package. Would've bought more, but that was the last the store had. They discontinued the SureFire brand because they said they sell Duracell for the same price, so they marked the SureFires from $15.00 a pack (of 2!) to $3.60 just to get rid of them! I need more, but Im' a cheap bastiage, and don't feel like paying $7.50 per battery for something that lasts on average 1 hr of use. Especially when, after hunting and digging, I can find them much cheaper...

You call that a light collection?

Let me tell you, until you have enough lights that cost as much as about 2 premium Kimbers, you are not ready my young padwan.

You got quite a head start on me. A few more Sure Fires, maybe a couple more of the Cabela's XPG's (since they're metal lights the same price of SureFire's G series), and a Borealis light... I'm gonna hafta buy stock in SureFire so I get an effective discount.

Im' guessing you don't buy your batteries locally do ya Jeff? Cheapest place I can find 'em is still close to $15 for a two pack...

I bought a bunch from Battery Junction when they were a buck each. I still have plenty and that was 2 years ago I ordered.