If I fell out of my canoe and swam to shore, I would have at least the followng items, as they are always clipped to my beltloop when I am off the pavement: Vic classic, fire striker, compass, Fox 40 whistle, and the little light pictured without the big keyring, all looped onto one foot of paracord and a springclip.

I agree wth Hikermore that a light is not the top priority in the scenario you present, but I still carry this small one. The uses I envision require that it have a momentary push button 'on' switch with the ability to lock into the 'on' positon. Uses include emergency first aid and firelighting.

The light pictured weighs one quarter ounce and costs about .75 cents each shipped from Dealextreme in a multipack. It will not accidentally turn on in the pocket, as the momentary switch is prettry sturdy, and the little slide switch has to be moved to lock it on, and it has a little guard molded into the case. The feature I like is that it can be locked on and hung from a low branch or held in your teeth (it's plastic, no worry about freezing to a lip) for first aid or to light up the striker and tinder. There are no complicated electronics in this one. The light is so simply constructed that it will work even if it has been wet, once you blow out the water. The battery is replaceable (with a mini phillips), but it's cheaper to buy a new one. It's output is small, maybe 10 lumens, but it's servicable for the uses I listed.

In my environment, I would not travel at night with any EDC flashlight, as I have tried it with a much larger light and found that it is much better to wait until dawn.