There are a few threads about flashlights already which made me a bit curious.
So I thought I would ask these three questions.

First question, "Are there any other easily purchased lights rated for hazardous environments besides the Pelican series of lights?"

Second question is, "What are your favourite flashlights and why?"

The third question is. "What would you like a flashlight to have, or be, that you don't see on the market yet?"

First question, "Are there any other easily purchased lights rated for hazardous environments besides the Pelican series of lights?"

Yes, there are a number of lights that are UL Rated for hazardous environments. Besides Pelican; Streamlight, Koehler/Brightstar, and Underwater Kinetics all make quality UL listed lights.

Second question is, "What are your favourite flashlights and why?"

I have a couple favorite flashlights, but my NovaTac EDC120P is my all time favorite. This light is small, bright and can be easily programmed with custom settings. I have mine programmed with three light levels from bright enough for “tactical” applications to low enough to assess a patient’s pupils as well as slow strobe setting for signaling.

The third question is. "What would you like a flashlight to have, or be, that you don't see on the market yet?"

I am always looking for a light that runs off of “AA” batteries that is super bright but adjustable and programmable like the NovaTac with simple controls.

I also wouldn’t mind a NovaTac style light and Rescue Laser combined into one unit.

My favorite flashlights, and why:

Doug's new Essential Gear e-PICO LED light: The one light that's with me always -- they're on my keychain, in my purse, on a lanyard for dog walks. It's featherlight, tiny and he's solved the problem of not having light when you need it because unbeknownst to you it had accidentally turned on and discharged the batteries. And they're cheap ($10).

http://www.essentialgear.com/store/p/117-eGear-PICO-LED-Zipper-Lite.html


Surefire 8AX Commander: Rechargeable, incandescent, 110 lumens. This is the flashlight that's always on my nightstand and always on camping trips. The rechargeable aspect saves $$$ on 123 batteries so I can use the light with abandon (I have two extra batteries for it, always charged). This light paid for itself a couple camping seasons ago when it motivated skunks to go elsewhere.

http://www.surefire.com/8AX-Commander


Petzl e+LITE Headlamp: Powered by CR2032 lithium batteries with a 10-year shelf-life and 35-hour runtime on high. Weighs less than one ounce with the batteries in it. Can be clipped onto a hat or jacket. This light is always in whatever backpack I'm carrying and it's my reading light while camping.

http://www.rei.com/product/749039


Surefire E2D Executive Defender: Super-bright incandescent in a diminutive package. This is a purse light and winter jacket dog walking light.

http://www.surefire.com/E2D-Executive-Defender


Surefire G2 Nitrolon: The cheap Surefire (sub-$40) incandescent that I keep in the car. Available in bright yellow.

http://www.surefire.com/G2-Nitrolon


Surefire this year came out with their first headlamps. LED, powered by a single 123 battery. 100 lumens on max. The Saint Minimus. 3.3 ounces with battery. I'm mighty tempted.

http://www.surefire.com/SaintMinimusHS2-A-BK

Re lights for hazardous environments:

Add Princeton Tec to the list. Many are UL rated. Plenty of outdoor retailers carry them.

http://www.princetontec.com/?q=node/66

Alan nailed the first manufacturers that came to my mind. Actually, Fulton makes a ton of flashlights that many people in the military and industry (including mining) are carrying right now, but they just have no idea what brand the light is. Lighting Pro Technology is another company which is most famous for its power management technology in its incandescent lights.

My favorite light changes but at the moment, it's actually the humble Gerber Infinity Ultra with red LED. Lately, I find myself using it a lot of make middle of the night bathroom trips without hurting my eyes. Not a very sexy answer, I know, but it is what it is. I have more expensive lights with a white LED that can go as dim or dimmer, but this Gerber is handy for me.

Two things I would like to see more of. One thing I'd like to see in general is a way to allow most lights to throw a nice, even flood-type beam. You need that narrow beam for things like spotting things at a distance, but I think most normal folks are using their flashlights at very short range most of the time, and a small, intense hotspot just gets in the way in those cases. Maybe a flip-up diffuser that locks flat against the light when not in use would be an economical and convenient way to get a nice even light. Any diffuser that isn't attached to the light is sure to be lost. Sure, you lose some light when you use a diffuser, but at least with LED technology, there's plenty of light being generated even if you lose some with a diffuser.

The other thing I'd like to see in LED lights is more of a shift to "warmer" tints. I know that there ARE lights available already (and I refuse to buy any LED lights that aren't), but they're not the norm. It's just a personal preference, but the typical cool or bluish tint of LED light bugs my eyes. The color might look wonderfully white against a white wall, but I dislike the way it washes out colors. This is purely a personal preference. I realize that we're losing some sheer output when we shift away from the cool white tints because the cool whites are most efficient, but like I said above, LED lights are already pumping out a lot of photons nowadays, so I can live with it.

I have never seen any UL rated Princeton Tec's before, which is why I didn't mention them, but what do you know, they actually do have an "Industrial" line. Good to know.

First question, "Are there any other easily purchased lights rated for hazardous environments besides the Pelican series of lights?"

Covered well above.

Second question is, "What are your favourite flashlights and why?"

My favorite isn't really a flashlight (torch for my friends in the UK). My most used light is a Princeton Tec EOS headlamp - the newer Rebel LED version. It does everything I need it to do: It packs small, is VERY bright, has several easy-to-use one-handed settings (hi, medium, low, flash), and, best of all, when placed on my head it magically points in the direction I'm looking AND leaves me with two hands to do work (put up tent, cook, clean, light fire, ...). These days my only use for regular flashlights are around the house and in the truck.

My favorite regular flashlight that I HAVE and USE is a Fenix TK10, though if I had to do it over again I'd probably buy the more pocket-friendly PD30. I also have a Fenix P1D that provides a stunning amount of light for its very pocketable size. I only wish it had a push-button switch instead needing to turn the head to turn it on. The Fenix PD20 has the push-button switch, but is noticeably larger than the P1D. Both Fenix lights are BRIGHT and TOUGH as nails.

The third question is. "What would you like a flashlight to have, or be, that you don't see on the market yet?"

You know, I'm so happy with the EOS I can't think of much I'd need improved. It might be nice if the elastic of the orange model was bright orange instead of gray - to make it easier to find if dropped. That's about it. ABSOLUTELY GREAT LIGHT!!!

Definitely a battery gauge.

It's worth noting that this is a Henry S. design. For the last 10-15 years his lights have been the best you can buy. He generally does one light for a company then moves on, so where you find his lights varies. Right now he's in business for himself at HDS Systems.

The more important thing is just how tough this light is. Breaking one without tools is nearly impossible. It's expensive, but when the difference between having light or not is home-alive or dead, Henry's lights are the choice. If you have the cash there's nothing better, just almost-as-good.

(Henry is a caver)


Alas, an alkaline 1xAA can never be as bright as a 1xCR123: that AA simply can't produce as much power.


Look for the words "Cree R2" in the specs for a light. "R2" is the magic part. There are also the -WC bins, but I don't know the bin ID's to look for.

Unfortunately I don't know of any top-tier manufacturer using the R2 for mainline lights. It's Chinese makers (who may be using -WC instead of R2 to save money) or specialty lights like the Draco.


Sadly this isn't practical except in very general terms. Different makes of batteries behave quite differently, even within the same type of chemistry. Each basic type of battery (alkaline, NiMH, Lithium of various flavors) work in different voltage ranges with different discharge rates.

The best you can do is detect a nearly-discharged battery, and even then there are gotchas: the Notvatac doesn't do this right unless you install a new or fully-charged battery.

For an emergency light there's a lot to be said for a direct-drive light using an old 1 watt Luxeon emitter on a 3 D-cell with alkaline batteries. These are nearly extinct now but just about ideal for survival uses: turn it on and a _month_ later it's still producing enough light to walk a dark trail at night.

Not quite true, the NiteCore EZ AA is as bright as the NovaTac EDC 120P (advertised and in practical experience). It is possible to produce a "AA" powered light that produces 120+ lumens, as technology advances I am sure we will see more lights that uses less "power" to produce more light... thus we should also see more 3V lights that produce higher output then the lights we currently see on the market.

My favourite flashlight is the Fenix T1. Its tough, reliable and has a powerful and well formed beam with good run times. I regard it as a reference flashlight by which I judge other flashlights.

I also like the TANK007 TK-506 Cree Q2-WC Stainless Steel 3-Mode 95-Lumen LED Flashlight (1*AA) from Dealextreme. Again it is tough and very well made for the price.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.18625

But I EDC a Fenix P1D CE Premium Q5

I agree that the EOS is a great light, especially the most recent, brighter version. But the hinge for the battery compartment is rather fragile and can break. It would be a much better light if the hinge were more robust.

I repaired my problem with a piece of Gorilla tape. We'll see if it works.

I like both Streamlight and UK plastic AA LED lights. Both make a couple of versions, most are rated to be safe in an explosive atmosphere. These are my picks because they're very rugged and safe, the plastic is comfortable to use in either very cold or hot weather, they use common batteries, and because they're light they don't cause themselves any damage if dropped at normal heights.

Of the two, I like the streamlight beams better, but like the UK build quality *slightly* better. It's neck and neck, though. I carry a 4AA LED UK in the glove box, and a 4AA LED Streamlight in my radio bag. I have a bracket to clip the UK to a hard hat. I believe both companies make brackets for hard hats and fire helmets. Some of the UK lights are dive rated, but the explosive rated lights of both makes are very waterproof.

One good place to shop for lights is:

http://www.brightguy.com/shop.php

No connection to me, just a company I've bought things from. They carry Steamlight, UK, Surefire and lots of others.

Personally, I like a light that goes off and on, no focus, no funny flashing modes or dancing or singing involved. One less thing to deal with or think about, one less thing to break.

Thanks for the info, however I think it should be possible since Surefire UA2 Optimus possesses this feature. Maybe they fine-tuned it for their Surefire batteries. But this light has not been released yet and who knows if it ever will - I remember checking this light maybe year ago and it´s still on preorder here.

If we see this light I think it will be significantly different then what we have already seen...

My favorite light that has a rated for hazardous environment rating is the Underwater Kinetics 4xAA eLED although the current models have a zoom capability which is supposedly a good feature. They have great battery life and can be used with any AA battery although they lose their hazardous environment rating if used with Lithium AA's.

One RA clicky model gets 170 lm with a single CR123 and might get to 200 lm if ordered with a R2 bin LED (I don't know if Henry can use an R2 yet).

I'm not sure what the highest output single-cell CR123 is - probably some Elektrolumens beast.

It makes me wonder where this will all end, how bright can we make lights and how long can we get them to run

The third question is. "What would you like a flashlight to have, or be, that you don't see on the market yet?"


No dault that flashlight in future will saving power,and more luminous, and maybe made of LED .I like it duarable.

I have a couple of the little Fenix P2D Premium Q5 lights and they have been great as a "jack of all trades". They've survived some significant abuse and emerged no worse for wear.

I've been wanting an updated headlamp and that new Surefire model that Dagny posted sure looks promising.

Favorite Flashlight: Currently the Leatherman Serac 2. It has a high beam, a low beam and runs on a single AAA battery which meets my main requirement for flashlights in general. If the flashlight doesn't use "common" batteries AA, AAA, C or D it's not the flashlight for me. I don't like paying big $$ for specialy batteries or have to hunt for them. I prefer batteries I can use in my flashlight, radio, portable cell phone charger or any other battery operated equipment I might be carrying.

While agreeing with the above about how nice a little light the Petzl e+LITE is, I would like to point out that it is also ATEX approved for hazardous environments. From the Petzl e+LITE Technical Notice:

ATEX field of application
e+LITE is category 3 equipment that can be used in Zone 2 and Zone 22 where the explosive atmosphere may be present by accident: installation malfunction, leak.
Use is prohibited in Zone 0 and 20 and in and Zone 1 and 21.
Before using the lamp, take note of all hazardous areas you may enter.

CE Ex II 3GD Ex ic IIC T6
Ex tD A22 IP6x T85°C X
CE: CE marking.
Ex: use of the equipment in an explosive atmosphere.
II: group of equipment for surface use.
3: device for Zone 2.
G: gas environment.
D: dusty environment.
Ex: device fulfilling the requirements of the CENELEC standardization (European standards).
ic: intrinsic protection.
II: above-ground industry.
C: subdivision of gas including: acetylene, hydrogen, ethylene, carbon monoxide, butane, propane, ethanol.
tD: protection by enclosure.
A: European protection for IP.
22: zone 22.
IP6x: dust protection.
T85°C: maximum surface temperature of 85 °C.
X: WARNING DANGER, do not replace the batteries in an explosive atmosphere.
e+LITE has been certified by an independent laboratory (INERIS) as «equipment usable in a hazardous area» when used with the following batteries: Panasonic CR2032, Duracell DL2032, Akashi CR2032, Energizer CR2032, Renata DL2032.
Use only the batteries listed above in hazardous areas.
Maintenance
Water in the battery case can cause a malfunction. After use in a moist or wet environment, remove the batteries and allow the lamp to dry completely.

What environment does it need to meet? We occasionally go underground in coal mines & our lights have to meet the MSHA rating.

I was just browsing some websites of manufactures of flashlights and came across this one from Ledwave: http://www.ledwave.eu/flashlights/led-technology/mtl-defenser-1/
Earlier in this thread I said that I would like to see a flashlight with battery gauge or some sort of indicator on the market and I have finally found at least one. The MTL Defenser-1 doesn´t look bad at all. In addition to the baterry capacity indicator I like the rotary switch with symbols. I am going to search for some reviews of this light.

I think the Serac's are re-branded Fenix lights. That's the word on the streets, anyway. Not that I don't like their lights!

Camping and hiking I just don't need much light. Perhaps a few seconds here and there to find something in the bottom of a backpack or to unknot a tangles line but I have gone days camping without any artificial light.

Second, when I need a light I usually don't need a whole lot of light. My eyes are getting older and I need more than I used to but still 99% of the stuff I'm concerned with is within arms reach. A single medium output LED is fine for most work.

Generally, the advancements in LEDs has meant that my old incandescent lights are being decommissioned and pensioned off. Or converted. I have a half-dozen of the old incandescent 2-AA Mini-Mags. Some pushing twenty years old. Most of these I have converted using a Nite-Ize LED conversion kit. It is a very cost effective package. The Mini-Mags are still, as of last week, available for about 8$. The LED conversion kit goes for $5 if you just get the LED module but $11 with a fancy switch unit that, quite frankly, adds nothing in function IMHO. The bottom line on this is that you can get a simple, reliable and effective LED flashlight for about $13.

There are times when I need a high output flashlight. Search and rescue and reading addresses in a rainstorm come to mind. For those roles my favorite is a Xenon unit made by Hubbel that uses 3-C cells. I bought three of them and am down to one after someone walked away with one and cheap batteries ate one up. Unfortunately it is no longer made by them. The Pelican Sabre is an near exact copy and Hubbel may have had their made by them under contract. The Hubbel is MSA rated for most explosive atmospheres. It is the flashlight I carry working on the gas plant and battery banks. The Hubbel was selling for $13 on sale but the Pelican equivalent goes for $25 to $45 depending on who sells them and if you can get them on sale.

Yes, I have friends that show up with their flashlights going for $100 and up. Nice enough, but then again high end units tend to walk off, cause crying if they get dropped off a seven story building because you slipped, or dropped into a concrete form as the mud is being poured, and really don't seem to be more reliable in practical terms because the limit on reliability is usually a matter of battery life not flashlight durability.

A cheaper, but solid, unit with good lithium cells is functionally about as reliable as a $120 flashlight as I see it. And after spending $13 to $25 on a solid flashlight I have money left over to buy a buttload of really good batteries. Works for me.

I tried the mini-maglite conversion and when compared to a good AA LED flashlight with voltage regulation circuitry, it is lacking. Compared to the newer ones with multiple levels of light (my latest is a Quark AA2 which starts at 0.2 lumens good for 30 days continuous, and runs up to a max output of 206 lumens which is good for 1.3 hours), the mini-maglite doesn't hold a candle.

My maglites have been retired.

I have found the output of the Mini-Mag LED conversion to be entirely adequate and have yet to see a use for multiple levels of output. Sounds like a valuable feature until you get out into the field.

Off/on is simple and effective. A guy I work with has a fancy one, not a Quark, with three levels of output, blinking and blinking SOS functions. The Chinese have made these switch modules so lots of units get the same feature set. He is always having to fiddle with it to get it to do what he wants. And he sometimes brushes the switch and it starts blinking when he is doing detailed work. A PITA. More trouble than it is worth and a set of features that lowers the practical value of the product. Easier to just turn it on, use it, and turn it off.

Those run times are also slanted toward the lowest possible output. Twenty-four hours of light too low to be useful is nothing to brag about. That Quark list 1.3 hours at maximum and 5 hours at 'high'. 'Moonlight' is just a waste of power if you not into mood lighting. Mini-Mag with conversion gets about six hours of usable light off a single set of nothing special alkaline cells and something more than twice that with lithium cells.

That Quark also goes for $59 plus S&H. I owned the Mini-Mags so upgrading was cheap. I don't see any major advantage to spending money to replace something that still works. The only change I have made, after converting them to LEDs is buying lithium cells for the units I keep stored. My every-day tool belt light still gets fed alkaline cells. Use varies widely by what I'm doing but a set every two weeks is about average.

If the Mini-Maglite works for you that's great. I just wasn't content with the Nite-Ize conversion I had. Once I discovered regulated lights Inever looked back.
Actually, I thought that "Moonlight" was a little dim, until I used it at night after my eyes had adjusted. It's dim enough that your natural night vision isn't destroyed -- it seems to augment natural night vision. As for the really bright modes, I can see using them but only very rarely and for short duration. "Max" is brighter than my 3D Maglite.

It turns on in the "Moonlight" mode and if that isn't bright enough you nudge the button once or twice to Low or Medium (from 0.2 to 4/22 lumens) and that should be more than enough. In very dark trees at night you may need to bump it up to High. Max is really bright and I don't see a need for that, but it's always there for the unforeseen.

Another of those Chinese lights that I like is the Fenix L1T. It's simpler with just two levels (16 and 98 Lumens) -- still regulated.

+1 on the Serac-2.
It's my keychain EDC for exactly those reasons.
I like the low beam as it allows me to search through the sock drawer without waking my wife.

Have not yet seen any Fenix for sale in this neck of the woods.

I have the new LED Maglight 2AA MiniMag in my outdoor kits.
I like that they are cheap & effective. The hi/low/SOS sequence is easy to use.

I've never seen a Fenix light other than on the internet.
www.lighthound.com.
www.4sevens.com. 4sevens markets a number of lights including the Quark.
Not affiliated, just a customer.

My most used light is an internet acquired Fenix LD01, single AAA battery, three levels of light. Worn on the keychain, it is right there when I need it, the most important consideration. The next most important feature is that it turns on when I need it. A nice simple twisty with enough friction so as to not screw on or off inadvertently, the LD01 measures up here. Everything else is just details.

I load mine with a primary lithium battery which lasts at least a year in my normal usage pattern. I routinely carry a spare battery, meaning I could hike all night long for at least a couple of nights, using nothing but this light.

More and more, I prefer electronic items which can interchange batteries and which can chow down on alkalines, rechargables, or lithiums, whichever is at hand.

REI is starting to carry some Fenix's.

At least, online they are!

Impact Guns carries them, for those of you in Ogden UT.

I agree with Art that if you've got a bunch of mini-mags the Niteize 1W upgrade is an inexpensive and sensible upgrade, and I recommend them to anyone who wants to get better performance and run-time from the flashlights they already own.

Nevertheless, I think you're selling yourself short if you don't investigate the better purpose-built LED lights currently on the market. In addition to about 1/2-dozen mini-mags I've upgraded with Niteize, I've got a Fenix L2D on my BOB, a Fenix L0D in the sheath of my Leatherman Charge AL in my EDC bag, and a Maratac AAA on my mini 'biner with a Leatherman Micra and my keys, all loaded with Eveready Lithium batteries. I also gave away Fenix E01's as gifts this Christmas.

Finally I've got two Petzl Zipka Plus 2 LED headlamps, (one in my BOB and one in my EDC bag), and two Coast dual-color LED headlamps with my camping gear.

Fenix L2D: Exceptionally bright (180 lumens) for a 2xAA light. Wish low was much lower, like 5 instead of 12 lumens, which would give a run-time of over 100 hours instead of 55. Complicated user interface: would prefer low-med-high-turbo without the blinking modes. Expensive at $60 at Amazon.

Fenix LD01: Amazing brightness from a single AAA (80 lumens) or over 8 hours at a very usable low (10 lumen) range. Simple twisty switch with med-low-high modes (no flashing modes). Frequently available for $36 from Amazon.com.

Fenix E01: 21 hour run time at 10 lumen (same brightness but 4x runtime as Niteize) from a single AAA. Simple on-off switching. $12 with free shipping from Amazon.com makes it only a few dollars more than the Niteize upgrade. But I don't like the stiff twisty switch or purple light output.

Maratac AAA: My absolute favorite. 1.5 lumens on low for 50 hours, 18 on medium for 4 hours or 50 minutes at 80 lumens on high. Easy to use twisty switch. Smallest light of the bunch. Low mode is great for seeing where you're walking, search through drawers/packs, reading menus. Best of all, at $22 it's very affordable. Only available on-line from countycomm.com.

Petzl Zipka Plus 2: I like these because they have good brightness on high and usable brightness but long run time on low, and they pack very small and light because they use a retractable cord instead of elastic band. They are reasonably comfortable and secure using the cord instead of the band, and I've used them during strenuous outdoors activities for hours without problem.

Coast Dual Color Headlamp: My first good LED headlamps bought at Costco (no longer sold there, I believe). I've had one for four years and it's still running great on the original set of batteries. I went diving with one once in an emergency, not deep -- 5-10 feet and only for 15 minutes -- and even though it's not advertised as being waterproof it worked fine and suffered no noticeable ill effects.

The L2D is a very nice light. In the 2xAA form factor I would recommend the Quark AA^2 from 4sevens.com -- it uses a more efficient emitter, it's a little less expensive, has a lower low and a higher maximum. While I don't own an L2D or a Quark AA^2, I do have a bunch of Fenix and Quark lights and the quality is much more than you might expect from a budget-priced LED made in China.

For a AAA light I'd suggest the iTP A3 EOS Upgrade from batteryjunction.com. iTP makes the Maratac AAA -- the two lights have the same emitter and slightly different bodies. The iTP version has a more robust lanyard/keyring attachment point. Most of the feedback on the Maratac AAA has been that the attachment point is fine, but my personal experience was not so positive.

My 1xAAA light of choice is the IlluminaTi, a titanium version with a different body and the latest emitter. It's also more than twice the cost of the Maratac or iTP.

Also, be advised that the Maratac AAA and iTP A3 EOS Upgrade both start at Medium output, then Low then High. My preference is L -> M -> H. While I use Medium the most, I don't want the light to come on in Medium and potentially compromise my night vision. The IlluminaTi has a L -> M -> H user interface.

Both batteryjunction.com and 4sevens.com are great vendors that I've ordered from a bunch and I like a lot. I have no affiliation with them other than as a customer.

I'm thrilled with my LED Lenser H7R headlamp, a Christmas present to myself. It is rechargeable (NiMH) but you can also use regular AAA batteries. It has *continuously variable* brightness and flood-to-spot controls! Claimed 139 lumen brightness. I like being able to use it as much as I want without having to conserve battery life. I also like its simple separate controls rather than reusing the same button for a multitude of functions. It is electronically regulated for relatively constant light output as the battery discharges, and the regulation circuit does not switch the LED off-and-on rapidly (I hate that strobe effect); it at least appears to stay on continuously. You can recharge from either the wall charger or a computer USB port. It tells you when it is charged (a blinking green LED becomes continuously lit). As for gripes, the main things I wish it had are: a red auxiliary LED for preserving night vision, an emergency flash mode, and more detent positions in swiveling up-and-down. And while it has a good-quality white light, I'm still waiting for true continuous spectrum white LEDs to become the new industry standard. It is also relatively expensive, about $65 - $70+ USD. Now that I use a headlamp almost exclusively it feels limiting to have to hold a flashlight in my hand. Sorry this sounds like a commercial... no commercial ties, usual disclaimers, etc. If you order one online you may want to be careful to get the latest revision of this model that is available. Older ones apparently don't have the USB-bus-compatible charger cable, and I've seen references to what may be an even newer revision than mine, which has a 160 lumen max brightness, but I can't confirm that.

Steve

I own Fenix L2D CE, Fenix L1T and Quark AA2 lights. They're very similar in fit and feel. Although their internal design looks like they came from the same production line, parts like tailcaps are on a different diameter -- the Quark is bigger. Both are waterproof to IPX-8 standards, both came with spare O-rings. The Quark light has a newer Cree LED, but that's to be expected since it's a later model.

As a flashaholic, I can never resist responding to these threads.

My all-around favorite light is still the Streamlight ProPolymer 4AA, Luxeon version. Even though the technology is several years old, the brightness, throw, and beam quality far surpass other lights I have which are technically much brighter, such as the Fenix P3D. It's also extremely durable, has great runtime, uses cheap AA cells, and is dirt cheap at around $25-$30 online.

For hiking/backpacking use, I've switched to carrying the Fenix P3D and a zebralight headlamp, because they're both much smaller and lighter, and use the same lithium CR123 cells which have a much higher power:weight ratio, and better cold weather performance.

The 4AA ProPoly is still a favorite of mine, too, both the Luxeon and the multi-LED versions. The Lux version's overall light output is meager compared to the latest and greatest LED lights available today, but that deep reflector really does make the most of the light it produces and shoots that tiny hot spot out there. I really wish Streamlight would upgrade the LED to something more modern, as it has in its other lights. Doesn't have to be the latest and greatest, but I'd appreciate it if they took advantage of the better technology available. They may have to redesign the reflector, get it re-certified for hazardous environments, etc. but I think it would be well worth it.

Is it January 32nd already?
1) I am not qualified to respond to this one. See previous posts from other members.
2) My favorite flashlights used to be 3D-cell maglites. Tough enough for improvised impact weapon and good light to boot. As the years progress, however, I have switched preference to smaller lights. 2-AA mini mags (both incandescent and LED), Doug Ritter eQ headlamps, and other LED lights. They can't be improvised for impact weapons but they sure are bright and a lot easier to carry and use than those old mag-lites.
3) How about one small and light enough to be convenient to carry and not be a burden, yet make a decent improvised impact weapon; rugged and reliable; made in the USA (apologies to anyone outside the US, no offense intended); various modes (high to low output, strobe, sos, etc); LED of course; runs on everyday batteries I can find locally (AA, AAA, etc); and the reason I haven't bought anything close to this that may already be available, something truly affordable (under $25 would be really nice). Hey if I can dream I'll dream BIIIIIIIG.

Mark, how about the 3 AA Maglights?

I've seen them but haven't looked closely at them yet. I don't really see an advantage over the 2 AA mini-mag. The 2 AA is just too convenient size-wise to go to a bigger flashlight. If I was going to go to a bigger light, well, I still have the 3 D-cell mags handy, i just don't use them nearly as often.

The 3AA is supposed to be brighter than the 2AA.