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.