Best AA or AAA Light For General Use

[Texpatriate]

Thanks for the recommendations guys. I ordered a Foursevens Quark Pro QP2A. I hadn't heard of them before Neville's suggestion, but read some reviews of that one and several others. At $66 shipped it's not going to break the bank compared to a surefire, but sounds like a better option (ever so slightly) than the Fenix. I'm gonna try to rough it up, waterboard it, etc. and see how it holds up under interrogation. If it passes the test I'll pick up a couple more.

[Texpatriate]

BTW, the whole thing that started me on this quest for a good AA/AAA flashlight was the realization that, after one of our local guns stores shut their doors recently (my theory is that a lot of people got mad at them when they priced gouged BIG TIME during the panic a couple of years ago), nobody around me within a 1 hour drive stocks 123A batteries. Yeah, I live in BFE, but if my local walmart, or the one grocery store or the one Rural King in town doesn't carry them, I pretty much can't get it without "making a trip to town". I'm not planning on tossing my Surefires in the trash or anything, but it made me realize that I need a reliable backup just even for practical everyday life, let alone some kind SHTF/TEOTWAKI Waking Dead fantasy.

[Averageman]

Streamlight Stylus Pro
AA batts and it is the size of a large ink pen. I've owned two and lost one, the thing was so good I stopped on the way home to buy another.
High Regards for this as a EDC light.

[RIDE]

I keep a couple dozen CR123A's for this same potential situation.

[nimdabew]

I keep a couple dozen CR123A's for this same potential situation.

Yep. I broke down and bought one of these just for battery storage.

http://www.batteryjunction.com/pelic...123a-foam.html

I have a 1020 version that holds 24 batteries IIRC, but I want to pick up a 1010 for in the car or at the office. I go through a lot of batteries now that I am flying more.

[Korgs130]

I have been using the Fenix E11 for the last couple of years with no problems other then a battery leaking that I did not know about. Its a simple Hi/Low knob on the front, no funky UI, and clicky tailcap on the back. Both ends come off to make it easy to clean out a bad battery. Its not made any more been replaced by the E12, I don't know anything about it, but the E11 can still be bought online. It stay's with me at all times.

I just got a Fenix E12 last week for $23 on Amazon. I'm a huge fan of the Surefire E1B and E1D and usually carry one of the two, but I wanted a slightly smaller light for certain occations. I considered the Surefire Titan, but wanted a click tail cap. The E12 has a high/med/low output of 130/50/8 lumens at 1/3.5/22 hours respectively on an alkaline AA and 1.5/6.5/40 on a Ni MH. I like a lot so far.

[Blades]

I'm looking forward to the Surefire AAA lights. Hopefully they will be released soon.

[ggp2jz]

Big fan of the Streamlight Microstream cheap and has a lifetime warranty

[backspur]

I have been using the Fenix E11 for the last couple of years with no problems other then a battery leaking that I did not know about. Its a simple Hi/Low knob on the front, no funky UI, and clicky tailcap on the back. Both ends come off to make it easy to clean out a bad battery. Its not made any more been replaced by the E12, I don't know anything about it, but the E11 can still be bought online. It stay's with me at all times.

The E11 is a great light. Unfortunately, it has been discontinued. I haven't been able to find them online anywhere. If anyone knows where I might find any please let me know.

[Halln]

Streamlight Microstream . To me its the benchmark for practical use.