My oldest 4F was "purchased" in the early 70's. It is still working if it has a battery. It has been in the sleeve pocket of my floatation coat for years (lots of years on deck in pretty bad weather). When doing SAR I took it with me also. I could not think of a more reliable unit.

hikermor,
where did you get the adapter for the 4F? I would love to continue using it. Do you know of a source for the colored filters? I have lost or broken all of mine.

Phaedrus,

The LED would be nowhere near as bright, hard to be more reliable (see above) but would certainly run longer on a battery.

I have several of the eGear Guardian's, one on my dog's harness, one in my pack, one in my car, etc. They are almost always used in the steady mode for protection while walking, changing a tire, etc. or for keeping a group together at night. Great product, not for the same purposes as a true, high power strobe. Could someone find you with one, of course, but not as easily as an ACR 4F, particularly if you were not in a perfectly dark wilderness.

Respectfully,

Jerry