Mini Lights
Mini Lights
Ultra-bright mini-torch
As a flashlight enthusiast, I'm often asked which flashlight I reach for the most. My answer: the Fenix L1D-CE, a pocket-sizeLED light that uses only a single AA battery. That's brighter than the typical 3D cell flashlight -- amazing for a single AA battery!
I always return to the L1D-CE configuration because it's just the right handy size, has brightness levels appropriate for most of my indoor uses, and I can use one rechargeable AA battery for almost no cost and environmentally-friendly illumination. -- Vincent Tseng
Bright pocketable light
Streamlight Stylus, $14
My super-favorite pen light is the Streamlight Stylus. Don’t bother with the Pro with fancy housing — go for the simple penlight version. Since the stylus lights are only slightly larger than a ballpoint pen, they go everywhere; in my backpack, my pencil cup on my desk, next to the bed, in my car. Amazingly useful at moments when one needs to look under your seat on an airplane, etc. It’s a great EMT light for looking in eyes and ears, etc. And believe it or not, I find them very useful on official search-and-rescue missions. I always have one within arm’s reach and keep giving them away to friends (they cost less then $12), so I probably buy 10+ year. They run on hard-to-find AAAA batteries, but I generally lose my stylus lights before I need to change the batteries. However, inside a 9-volt battery are 6 4A batteries if you really need some. -- Paul Saffo
For light in tight places
StylusReach Flexible Flashlight, $17
My brother-in-law, who's a tool salesman, gave me one of these lights for Christmas. It's a natural white super bright LED light on a flexible, shielded cable. The LED has a rated life of 100,000 hours. The light is extremely tough. My bro-in-law likes to whack the crap out of 'em to demonstrate how durable they are. Waterproof too. Two settings on the light: blinking and steady. There's also a blue LED version, which is easier on the eyes. The StylusReach is pen-sized (when the shaft is folded over and clipped to the battery tube) and 14 inches long when extended. It has a pocket clip (and you thought that Fisher Space Pen made you look like a geek!). I use mine for all sorts of hardware hacking and around the house stuff (like looking under the burner on our stove to try and find out why the stovetop heated up to the point where it shattered the tempered glass stovetop inset!) Inside computers, you can actually clip it to the side of the case to direct the light where you want it. It's also really useful for seeing behind furniture, etc. The light lets me clearly see what I'm going for before I reach and grab. -- Gareth Branwyn