I would suggest a 1 mode clicky....just plain and simple. I gave my father, who's 80 yrs. old now, several fancy multi-mode flashlights and he did not like it when the modes would get switched up. He would actually get confused and the flashing would freak him out. He also dropped them quite a bit so something durable and cheap. I went with cheap because I replace them once or twice a month and sometimes more than that. Good luck.
Single mode clicky, tough as nails, takes a single AA battery, lasts close to 1.75 at 60 lumens. It's also a polymer light, very tough, and there's enough texturing/molding on the removable parts that it's easy to change batteries even with old hands. Brinkmann re-brands this light all over the place, so there's a good chance it can be found locally relatively cheap.
right after some thought i think i will go for the ITP as it is good build quality and has dealer back up should there be any faults
they were over here in the UK visiting over Xmas and new-year and were taken with my FENIX L0D but didn't see any need the flashing modes
when i say they are in their late 60s my cousin is 68 and here husband 71 years but would easily pass for ten years younger they are not frail old people so the small size is not going to be a problem to Handel turning on and off or changing batteries
they both still work full time through choice my cousin is the headmistress of a girls school and her husband a IT-consultant
the most important thing is that the lights are reliable and work properly as i am on the other side of the world i will be ordering on line and getting them sent to there address
They went all to senior relatives (65+) and all like them. They prefer to unscrew the head instead of tailcap to change the battery. It is sturdy, likeable and single mode. More floody than thrower which is often preferred by seniors.
No complaints so far and they have like a 15y old boy face when they use them.
Everybody like flashlights!
As for reliability... standard chinese lottery... but those are easy to fix anyway. The led will hardly die soon, switches and drivers are easy to change...
You might want to contact Manafont and ask them to inspect each light individually before shipping. They earned the status as a very helpfull and outstanding dealer. Their packaging is second to none!
Have you looked at 4 sevens. 10 year warranty.Plenty of aaa/aa lights. Fast post. Costs more tham dx/kd etc but the quality is better in my experience.
I was thinking Tank 566 1 mode ..tough as nails simple as can be and they feel like an expensive build .good thing is thay aren't gonna break the bank and instead of worrying if it's gonna fail or warrenty you just by three instead of two and still do it for half price ..The only thing I don;'t like about the tanks is the PWM..so as a single mode it's perfect in my opinion.I'd put it up against the fenix as far as tough ,and at 1/3rd of the price .