Hi! I am new to the forum and I wonder if anyone can point me to a source for an inexpensive LED light small enough for an Altoids tin but that uses a standard alkaline AA battery. Thanks!

Here is one of many sites, look around - lots of neat stuff: http://countycomm.com/lightindex.htm

For an emergency kit, you probably want long-lasting light rather than bright-light. So don't get one of the new multi-watt wonders ... they will drain your battery too fast.

AA lights mihgt be a little large to fit in an Altoids tin. Even if they fit, they will take up quite a bit of precious space. You might want to think about AAA instead. Or even a flat battery type light like the Photon.

Gerber makes some nice, inexpensive, older technology lights (read: low light output but long lasting). Look at the Infinity (AA) or the Tempo (AAA). The Infinities, when they were made by CMG, were built like tanks. I own several. Now that Gerber bought CMG out I don't know about the build quality, but I assume it's at least still reasonable.

http://www.rockynational.com/1379_22-800..._White_LED.html

http://www.rockynational.com/2440_22-80107_Gerber_Tempo_Compact_LED_Flashlight_Metallic_Green.html

I have no idea if the specific merchant in the links above is any good. I just did a Google search on the lights and that one popped up. It shows pictures of the lights and a reasonable baseline on the price you might expect to pay. I am not recommending/dis-recommending this merchant - they are just an illustration.

Oh boy... Candlepowerforums.com will give you more info than you need.

So, what do you need? Single mode or several modes? Hi output/short runtime, or low output/high runtime? One AA battery, not two, I assume?

Hmmm...
Fenix EO1
Mag Solitare, with LED drop-in
Nitecore EZ AA

Would be good choices for starters. The Maratac AAA from CountyComm is a wonderful light, IMO, and cheap to boot. It's a AAA, so smaller than a AA, but decent runtime and high mode is pretty bright. I plan on ordering a few more at some point.

I was just looking around the other day for a keychain light for my wife and happened across the Nitecore EZ AA (w/XP-E R2) and while I don't have one, I'd suggest it is a good candidate because it has two brightness modes and a simple interface.

Turn and it comes onto low (10 lumens), some more and it goes into high (145 lumens). Run time in low is about 20 hours (independent run time tests seem to suggest this is close) and is about an hour in high.

10 lumens is a good amount for task lighting, and 145 is quite bright. Seems like quite a flexible little light.

FWIW, I suspect Haertig may be right in that an AA light might have trouble fitting in an Altoids tin. The Fenix E01 might be a good AAA choice and comes in colors (10 lumens for ~10hrs).

-john

I've been using a Maratac AAA for a while and its a surprisingly good light.

+1 on the photon - get one with a sliding on/off switch and tape it in the off position.

Photons are nice and light, but IIRC, some versions have no waterproofing.

-john

Specs look impressive for an AAA powered light.

-john

What is the switch like on the Maratac?

Is it waterproof?