fact:
You'll never achieve the same levels of lumens using AA in the same size package as you will 18650. Just won't happen, not enough voltage, capacity, all that.
3.6v for 18650 and 1.2v for the AA. You'd need three of them to have the same voltage, but you'd still only have half the capacity.
Flashlight Canoe
My brother keeps one of these in his truck at all times. Half flashlight, half weapon should the need ever arise.
I drive a Miata, so I have one of the small ones referenced on the first page.
I use one of these for work. A Pelican Sabrelight. I have beat the hell out of this thing day in and day out. It has been one of the most reliable flashlights I've ever owned.
I'm glad its "Safety Yellow" too, because if I set it down, it sticks out like a sore thumb. Its also waterproof.
I wish the clip hadn't worn out and broke, it was nice to hang it off my pockets. I need to look into the lifetime warranty.
I threw down for an Inova T3 a couple years ago. I buy 12 packs of 123 batteries from Amazon for about $15 and just finished my first package off, though I killed a nearly new set once. It's beautifully made and pretty indestructible. The day I got it I had to install an O2 sensor on my V6 Tacoma - I slid under and was shining the flashlight up, and I realized that the wrench and fastener cast such a crisp, sharp shadow on the underside of the trans tunnel I worked from that rather than contorting to see my hands.
Inova T3 - Also, these guys will sell you an automatic knife if you promise to be nice.
Since it's back from the dead, I'll update it. I've since replaced my Coleman with a Nebo Redline. The adjustable flood/spot is nice to have. So far durability is as good or better than the Coleman.
I keep Armytek Predator Pro, 670 lumens
Just picked up some Convoy S6 from China. Just about the smallest 18650 light you can get and at 860 lumens OTF, pretty darn bright.
PHeller wrote: I've got a 400 lumen ShiningBeam S-Mini thats pretty darn bright and fits comfortably in any pocket. There are brighter lights out there, but this one is sold by Shining Beam in NYC. They'll get to you in two days and be fixed in a week if anything happens to them. He makes a 700 lumen "Blaze" that's pricey but again, designed and warrantied in the US.
The ShiningBeam "Blaze" is currently on sale for $40 + $2.90 for S&H. I ordered one to try it out. Not a canoe, just passing on the $30 price reduction in case anyone is interested.
Anybody got a recommendation for 18650 batteries? Took a quick peek at Amazon and the first thought I had was that it was becoming more & more like Ebay. Everyone giving great reviews on after they open the package and play with the item for 5 minutes. All the products seem to be generic or brands I've never heard of and made overseas so it's difficult to tell if they are decent quality or not.
For really inexpensive and uses standard batteries (3-AAA) I found this at WallyWorld for $11.
Ozark Mtn 3-AAA battery flashlight
Aluminum body, fixed lens, simple push on/off switch at the base, claimed 100 lumens led, and a nice weight. Haven't abused it, it sits on the counter and I use it every morning for the fuzzmonster's safety tour. It does the job and slips into a pocket fairly comfortably.
I'm a big fan of a quality headlight, I have 2 petzls, 1 for working on cars, and 1 that I dont have to wash my head after wearing. They provide plentiful light for years and years while keeping your hands free. They have a defuser deal that folds in front of the lens and changes the beam from spread to pencil, and have multiple modes for brightness as well as strobe and a red mode for stealth. Theyre really tough, I even dropped the work one in a 5 gal pail of coolant, no problem.
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