It takes all kinds. You're choosing sanity and fiscal responsibility over whatever it is I get out of flashaholism .

For what it's worth, here are some of my favorite flashlights in various form-factors:

• 1xAAA: The Preon ReVO was pretty amazing, but unfortunately it isn't made any more. You can't have mine. I can't recommend any of the current-controlled multi-mode 1xAAAs out there because as far as I know none of them come on in lowest mode first (they're either H>M>L or M>L>H, ruining your night vision before you can get to the lowest mode). If you can live with that, the Fenix LD01 is probably my favorite (note that I do not own one). The Thrunite Ti has only two modes, but performs admirably and is cheap enough to stash one everywhere.
• 2xAAA: Preon P2.
• 3xAAA: Hate 'em. If I want something this big I'll go with a 1xCR123A.
• 1xAA: Nitecore SRT3 (truly a 1xCR123A light but has a AA extension tube) or FourSevens QPA, FourSevens Mini MA for honorable mention.
• 2xAA: FourSevens QP2A. Mini M2A for honorable mention.
• 1xCR123A: Nitecore SRT3. It finished the race, held a press conference, showered, took its girlfriend out dancing and brought her home before the next one finished. For me, anyway. I use this flashlight the most out of the collection and it's rarely not in my pocket or in my hand. Second place goes to FourSevens QPL -- which is an amazing light. FourSevens Mini ML for honorable mention.
• 2xCR123A or 1x18650 (head is same diameter as the body): Nitecore SRT5.
• 2xCR123A or 1x18650 (head is larger diameter than the body): Nitecore SRT7.
• headlamp: Fenix Headband, followed by FourSevens Quark Prism in close second place.

I have no affiliation with any of these manufacturers.

It is worth mentioning again the 1xAA Gerber Infinity, illustrated in an earlier post by Les Snyder. Not dazzling bright, but dependable, with great run time. I've got three of them, including two early models.

In my experience, run time is more critical than lumens. I would cheerfully use a Gerber Infinity as my main light for an all night hike.

ah yes i see your point russ, standardizing on one battery size may be ideal, but it may also just be a pipe dream I'll have to just be happy trying to obtain (and maybe pic up some nifty gadgets and gizmos along the way to boot )

some more great looking options, thanks hikermor and chaos, I'm now reconsidering that black diamond storm, the 100 lumen main light seems a bit much, especially considering I'm used to the measly 2 to 5 lumens of my cyclops atom headlamps, so now I'm also looking at/considering a black diamond cosmo with a 70 lumen main light. As an added bonus this one is a bit less pricey. Any thoughts on whether that would be enough for setting up camp as well as the possibility of lighting up a trail at night? or maybe too much? it does have some lower output options tho.

and just a quick FYI, I have no affiliations with any lights being mentioned or sites being linked to in this thread.

Lumens ain't everything.

Briefly, think of light as being grains of salt. Take a picture of whatever you're illuminating and pour salt on the picture (in your imagination, please). Wherever a grain of salt is, there's a little light. Where there's lots of salt, there's lots of light.

Lumens measure all the salt on the picture, no matter how densely they're packed or widely they're scattered.

Candela is a measure of the maximum intensity of light, or how high the salt gets piled up in the analogy.

Throwy lights have high candela, good for illuminating things far away, but not much spill (this is what flashaholics call it). In other words, most or all the salt is piled up in one spot on the picture. It may be hard to light up an area.

Floody lights are the opposite, great for illuminating large areas close up but very poor for spotting things far away. The salt is spread fairly evenly all over the picture.

At night, with your eyes adjusted, 70 lumens can be a heck of a lot for setting up camp. It can be too much, especially if the light doesn't have much spill. So I guess the answer is, I don't know. My 70 lumen lights would work quite well for setting up camp at night, for me.

Yep, battery standardization is just a goal. Due to form & function limitations, it is probably not attainable unless you really fine tune your needs. If I only had one light the FourSevens QP2A has a wide range of output (0.3-336 lumen). Two AA batteries gives it good runtime on the lower power settings, but it has good throw if you go to the high end -- solid light imo. No affiliation other than as a past customer.

For quite awhile my go to light was the Gerber Infinity hikermor mentioned. I too have a couple, they're good lights.

'Lumens ain't everything." Hear! Hear!

Absolutely true. When hiking at night on a trail, I prefer to let my eyes become fully dark adapted, and use a light sparingly at a very dim setting. Actually your feet will tell you when you are on the trail - the footing is quite different once you wander off the tread. Be cautious about this if you are in unknown country with cliffs around.

There is a surprising amount of ambient light available, even on a moonless night. If there is a full moon one can usually get along just fine with no light at all.

I was once told that the light from the flare of one match would hinder your dark adaptation for about thirty minutes. It does make sense to have a light that turns on to a low light level, or else learn to shut one's eyes while cycling through the levels.

Yep again. When I get up at night and need a light the 0.3 lumen setting is much appreciated. It does a nice job of illuminating softly without totally ruining your night vision.

Looking at my favorite lights, you'll see a number of them that have very low output available.