Your pocket/keychain flashlight?

Peak Eiger (10400) with momentary push button tailcap in LF pocket and TubeVN on keychain.

Maratac AAA Copper

  • Is it a AA or AAA or lion? AAA
  • Why’d you choose that one? Like the size and look.
  • How long have you been carrying it? A little over a year?
  • How often do you use it? Daily
  • How’s it working for you? Love it.
  • How’s the wear-n-tear on the finish? Awesome… like a well used penny.
  • Do you carry more than one? No.

My daily carry is an EagleTac D25A clicky w 14500.
Carried for 6 mos.
Black finish s a bit beat up, but that’s fine.
Its great.

Sometimes carry dual Singfire 348’s AAA lights from the group buy also.

Pocket and keychain aren’t quite the same for me, although I do end up with keys in my pocket.

Every car has a small light on the keychain.

-BLF Mini
-Mag Solitaire
-Tank007 EO9
-Thrunite Saber 1A

But I also EDC a torch which I carry in my jeans pocket. This is usually an 18650 tube light of some description, but I like to switch and change every few days normally, or at least when the battery is low.

Today I’m EDC’ing a Sunwayman V11R, although I find 16340 and 14500 lights just don’t have the runtime. So I only normally EDC them for 1-2 days at a time.

I like to EDC as many of my lights as I can, the Eagle Eye X6 is about the biggest I’ll pocket carry though and only usually for a day or two due to it’s size.

Use - yep the EDC gets used loads. I’m sure I could survive without it, but find loads of uses throughout the day, evening and night to use it.

The keychain lights are more of a backup and to ensure there is always a torch should you need it when out in a car. Although in winter with the dark evenings they get used for simple things like getting stuff in/out of the boot (trunk!!!) or finding the keyhole on the front door of the house.

My modded TrustFire F20:

  1. AA/14500
  2. Pocket Clip! Compact size, no aggressive knurling, edges, or crenelations.
  3. Circa Nov. 2012
  4. Daily use
  5. See for yourself!
  6. Not often

I will admit that over the past couple of months, I've been carrying a EDC-sized 18650 during the evenings. Otherwise, this has been my daily EDC for over two years. My original thread on this light is here:

https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/13006

When not at work I have a Fenix E05 for general pocket use. I have however misplaced it and am now using its lesser powered E01 brother which was its predecessor. For work I carry three torches as I am out and about all night. I have a trio of Thrunite torches I carry the little AAA on a lanyard around my neck with my iD and its big brother the older model of the T12 around my neck on a seperate lanyard. In my pocket I carry a single AA Thrunite.

I also have a soon to be replaced Led Lenser on my key chain. That however usually stays on my desk.

My current favourite EDC light for work is the Superlight U520.
Single AA, cheap as chips so it doesn’t matter if it gets bashed up (I’m a builder, as you can probably tell :slight_smile: )
Stays permanently attached to my trousers and I don’t know it’s there.

I also have my home made 18650 copper pipe light in my toolbox for when I need a bit more oomph.

I normally carry a Tank 007 e09 loaded with a Thunderbolt Alkaline battery.
I like the size and three modes. I carry with the alky battery as I sometimes give it away to someone who might need and use it, such as the elderly who might be out at night at church or such.

I like the size of AAA lights to carry in my pocket. All are too large for me to like on the keyring.
But right now I am carrying in my pocket a AA Cree Super Light that I got for $2.99 on eBay. I bought several and am not sorry. I wonder how I will like the AA size. It is OK in jeans, but I think overall I prefer the AAA format.

Others that I carry are a Fenix LD01, and the Huxby 1 mode AAA cheapie, that works fine and is a good spur of the moment gift.

Sorry you had trouble with the Ti 3, Dave, I have one that I have not yet used, but the Ti’s I have have been fine.
The E05 looks like a good alternative. I like its modes better than the Ti 3. If I had known about it I would have probably bought it instead. I do like the firefly on the Ti.

Jerry

I have a NiteCore Sense AA on my keys, since around a year, with a eneloop AA battery. Before the Sense I had a NiteCore EZ-AA, before that a Fenix E01. They are both still working fine, but shows significant signs of wear. All are similar in size. The Fenix a little smaller, but also less power. The EZ-AA would still have been good enough.

The main reason for my choice is that it is small enough and the price/performance ratio. And I have a bunch of good eneloops/LADDA batteries. The power is more than sufficient and the runtime very good. When I recharge other AA-batteries I sometimes swap the battery in the NiteCore Sense AA. I don't think I have ever experienced the battery being exhausted. I don't carry any spare batteries, unless I am on an extended trip or have a bag with me.

The "Sense" functionality is nice and fun, but not essential. I always carry my keys when away from home, and so automatically always have a small flashligt with me. I also have a small SAK on my keys. Alox Farmer.

In the winter I use the Sense a few times per week, typically when I want to locate something in a bag or in the cellar, when it is dark and I don't have any other flashlight on me.

The Sense AA is in good shape. I think the EZ-AA got dinged up faster. I bought a spare Sense, but I have not had any reason to use it.

At home I also often carry, or have in easy reach, a bigger flashlight. When away from home I usually have a 18650 flashlight as a bike light on my bicycle and/or in my jacket. But I always have my Sense AA in my trousers with my keys and the SAK.

So what is the flashlight you carry in your pocket and/or on your keychain? Tank007 E09 natural finish

Is it a AA or AAA or lion? AAA

Why’d you choose that one? Small, bright, pretty cheap, 3 non flashy modes

How long have you been carrying it? at least a year, maybe 2

How often do you use it? not as often as I thought, maybe once a week

How’s it working for you? no complaints; I love this light

How’s the wear-n-tear on the finish? anodizing along the edges is gone

Do you carry more than one? no, but I usually keep backups in my jacket pockets

My pocket flashlight varies depending on my mood. Typically the largest I’ll go is a small 18650 flashlight, but sometimes I’ll use a smaller light that uses a 14500, 18500, 18350 or 16340.

Current rotation of pocket EDC lights I use:
1. Aleto N8 zoomie (extensively modded) - changed driver to FET driver with DrJones lumodrv firmware. Removed tailcap switch and added side electronic switch. I keep tinkering with this light. In maximum throw configuration I get 31k lux with a 20mm aspheric lens and dedomed XML2. However, I got fed up with the bad tint on dedomes and currently this light is using a domed XML2 U2 3C with a fresnel lens. I drilled a hole in the fresnel so the LED can partially retract through it. In flood mode this produces a very white 90 degree circle of light, surrounded by spill that tapers off to 160 degrees. The disadvantage is spot mode throw is now very limited… just 11k lux. I could improve this with a higher quality fresnel, but still probably wouldn’t get over 15k lux unless I use a different emitter or optic setup. I use a protected 3100 mAh or 3400 mAh 18650 in this light. It heats up a little too fast with IMR cells.

Regardless of which lens and emitter setup I use this is probably the smallest 18650 zoomie in the world. The original unmodded light started off as the smallest 18650 zoomie on the market at 108mm and my mods further reduced the length to 91mm. It’s smaller than a Sipik 68! The mods include external changes to the body and head … so much so that it looks like a completely different light.

I’m debating whether to mod this light further. If I want to make the light a little longer I could raise the LED onto a pedestal and then have the LED actually rise completely through the hole in the fresnel in flood mode. The only thing in front and around the LED would be the flat glass lens above the fresnel. This would turn the light into a true mule with around a 125 degree beam angle in flood mode, but unlike a typical mule the bezel could still be extended into throw position when some throw is desired.

2. XTAR WK42 (modded) - driver changed to 3 amp Nanjg105c with DrJones lumodrv firmware. Switch changed to a Radio Shack micro tact switch. Emitter changed to XML2 U2 3C on Noctigon. I use an IMR 16340 in this light. Great choice for when size matters. This is a tiny light… smaller and lighter than a Zebralight SC52 and MUCH brighter. Great interface too. runs on 1x Kinoko IMR 16340 cell.

3. Jetbeam TCR01 titanium (modded) - replaced emitter, reflector and lens with triple Nichia 219B on Noctigon with Carclo 10507 optic. Beautiful tint, beautiful light. Great interface. Not as bright as my other EDC lights though. Runs on 1x Kinoko IMR 18350 cell.

4. Convoy S2+ mini (modded) - shorted pill and pill threads. Replaced driver with 4 mode FET driver with off-time memory. Replaced emitter with triple XPL neutral on Noctigon. Uses Carclo 10507 optic widened to fit domed XPL. Runs on 1x Kinoko 18500 IMR cell (part of my mod included increasing the battery compartment to fit the larger 18500 cell). Beautiful tint and extremely floody. A true pocket rocket… 84mm long and outputs around 3000 lumens on a fresh cell.

5. Rustu XL-03 from dealextreme (modded) - The smallest 14500 size zoomie on the market. I actually have 3 different versions of this light all with different mods. I’ve gotten to be more a stickler for tint, so the current one I favor has an XPL neutral with the dome on and a 15mm 3-amp 3-mode driver. Very bright for a zoomie, but not much throw (around 10k lux). The other 2 have dedomed emitters and much more throw (around 17-19k lux). I run them on Kinoko IMR 16340.

AAA lights:
I’m not currently carrying any AAA size lights in my EDC rotation as I find them quite dim. The ones I have aren’t recent and aren’t bright compared to my larger lights (Fenix LD01 with XPE, Liteflux LF2XT, Tank 007). If I was getting a new one I’d probably try the LED Lenser P3 AFS P. Intriguing features for such a small zoomie (I like zoomies). Downside is it doesn’t tailstand and might not be modable. Also it’s not that much smaller than the Rustu but would have a fraction of the output.

Some general answers to OP questions:

  • Is it a AA or AAA or lion? <— all my EDC lights run on li-ion of various sizes.
  • Why’d you choose that one? <— varies depending on my mood, what’s new and what I’ve just modded.
  • How long have you been carrying it? <— varies. Aleto N8 and XTAR WK42 are the ones I EDC’d most over the last year.
  • How often do you use it? <— at least once a day. Usually more.
  • How’s it working for you? <— works great.
  • How’s the wear-n-tear on the finish? <— Aleto N8: I removed the stock anodizing and replaced it with grey duracoat on the body. Head and switch currently have a finish composed of acrylic hobby paint and superglue gel. Some light wear around the edges of the Duracoat. Rustu XL-03 and Convoy S2+ mini: anodizing is in perfect condition. XTAR WK42 show’s wear around the edges of the anodizing. TCR-01 shows a few scractches in the titanium, mostly from when I modded it.
  • Do you carry more than one? <— I do not carry a keychain flashlight. My backups in case my main EDC light fails are a tiny light built in to my small victorinox pocketknife and my cell phone.

My pocket light is my custom RGB olight S10 about 95% of the time (dong what I do you have to really have an impressive light in your pocket to show off), the other times I either carry a SWM V11R or a AAA S1 SS. My wife currently caries another V11R in her pocket during the day, before that she used a PC’d pink olight S15 (stock driver with WW XM-L2 S6 7D3)

Olight I3s, Olight i2s

Really appreciate everyone participating in the thread. Very interesting to see what folks choose and why. Several of the lights I’d not heard of so I had the chance to look them up. Very cool.

The AA Super Light has been mentioned a couple of times. Glad to see people like them as I’ve ordered some from that same Ebay link. How long did it take you guys to get them?

Also I’ve seen the Tank007 E09 mentioned a few times and glad to see folks like them as well. I’ve got one coming from FT and I’m looking forward to getting it. Shipped out 10 days ago but not sure how long it will actually take to arrive. It will surely find a spot on my keychain with my SAK and peanut lighter.

Jerry, in regards to the Fenix E05, I think I’ll be happier with it as well. The Ti3 was nice, but after seeing the E05 I got for my son I’m thinking this will be a better, more sturdy light overall for me. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone that has one not like it. I’m getting it from the same vendor and it was quick shipping on the first one so I suspect the second will arrive soon as well. They are the 2014 version but as these are the first Fenix E05’s I’ve purchased I have no comparison to what they were originally like prior to this version.

BTW, some of you folks have done some really interesting/cool mods. Nice pics :slight_smile:

DQG Tiny AAA IV. It’s nearly the smallest AAA light around, it’s made of stainless steel, it has a nice wide neutral-white beam with no PWM, it tail-stands, and it has good modes and runtime. I’ve been carrying it on my keychain for about a year and a half and it gets used almost every time I go to the car or the mailbox. It’s working very well, and the stainless steel is great at withstanding abuse so it still looks new unless you examine it closely with good lighting to see the microscopic scratches it got from the other stuff on my keyring (including a diamond-coated file). In contrast, anodized aluminum lights age quickly in this type of environment because the finish wears off.

Yes. They’re my toys and I have trouble choosing just one, so I tend to carry several. A Zebralight H52Fw stays with me because it’s incredibly useful, a custom Olight S10 Ti w/ RGBWUV emitters goes everywhere too because it’s so versatile, and otherwise I pick a rotating selection according to my mood.

My other favorites are mostly listed in my signature, but I primarily use the modded ones. The L3 L10-219 gets a special mention because it’s the smallest 1xAA light I have and it’s very nice in stock form. The CNQG brass 18650 light gets a special mention too, because it’s the smallest 18650 light and it’s pretty and it’s easy to reflash the driver or otherwise mod.

Arc AAAs — regular, premium, and “snow white”

because they’re mostly bombproof

I did have a few of the older color-LED Arc AAAs repaired (under warranty) years ago that are still going fine as well

ThruNite Ti3, with AAA Energizer ultimate lithium L92

I ordered a pair on Jan. 28, still waiting on mine. They show up on the USPS tracking site as "Processed Through Sort Facility" in Shenzhen China on Feb. 03.