Does Size Really Matter? A review of some serious flashlights for the serious traveler.

Most of us have a flashlight or two in the closet for those ‘just in case’ moments, but I doubt many of you have heard of the Dominator: This bad boy is so bright and powerful that the battery only lasts for 20 minutes. As impressive as this hand-held searchlight is, some of us need more than 20 minutes to get the job done. I’ve put together a list of flashlights ranging from, “awww, how small and cute,” all the way to, “holy crap, that’s huge.” Check out this eye-opening introduction into the wonderful world of flashlights.

Fits in the palm of your hand:

SureFire Executive Flashlight

Surefire E1E-Executive Elite Flashlight

The Executive Elite Flashlight is barely bigger than your finger and is guaranteed to light your way at a moment’s notice. Measuring an astonishing 3.4 inches long, this handy light is plenty small enough to carry in your pocket or purse but rugged enough to clip on to your pack while camping or hiking. Small, lightweight, but extremely powerful and long lasting – sounds like a recipe for success to me. Don’t be fooled by it’s size, sometimes good things come in small packages.

Specs: Price: $79.00 Max Output: 15 Lumens Size: 3.4 inches Lasts: 1.5 hours Weight: 2.2 ounces Battery: One 123A Lithium

Gerber Firecracker

Gerber Firecracker LED Flashlight

Just a half inch bigger than the Executive, the Firecracker packs a punch by delivering one of the best beams of light in the little-guy flashlight class. Crafted out of sturdy anodized aluminum, this small and powerful flashlight is perfect for nighttime walks, romps in the woods or dominating a game of flashlight tag. Stephen Colbert might appreciate the next feature of the Firecracker: To catch a glimpse of an approaching bear, the push-button mode produces momentary cracks of light for spotting movement, but to blind the beast for extended periods of time, users can twist the on/off switch. It’s cheaper, bigger, more powerful, and lasts longer than the Executive – you make the call.

Specs: Price:$17.65 Max Output:18 Lumens Size:4 inches Lasts:5 hours Weight:2.6 ounces Battery:One AA

Don’t miss the mid-size and extra special BIG flashlights…click below now

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For something in the middle:

SureFire E2L Outdoorsman

E2L Outdoorsman LED Flashlight

If 4 inches (of flashlight) is just not enough for you, try moving up an inch and check out the Outdoorsman. With that small increase in size comes a whole lot more power. This flashlight has two settings, low and high, to help optimize battery life. At max brightness, the Outdoorsman is 3 times brighter than a big old fashion two-D cell clunker (picture the MagLites your local police officers still use). For this bigger, more powerful, and longer-lasting flashlight, be prepared to throw down a bit more of your hard earned cash.

Specs: Price: $145.00 Max Output: High 60 Lumens / Low 3 Lumens Size: 5.4 inches Lasts: High 11 hours / Low 100 hours Weight: 3.7 ounces

Maglite Mini LED

MagLite 2-AA Cell Mini LED Flashlight

Not quite small enough to fit in your pocket or purse, the Mini Maglite is perfectly sized for everyday home use. Measuring a solid 6.6 inches, you can hold the barrel in one hand, and adjust the beam of the light from spotlight to flood light with your other one. Stand it up on its end for hands-free candle mode lighting, perfect for those nighttime activities requiring full use of both hands, like making S’mores. The Mini Maglite is cheaper than the Outdoorsman, but not as powerful, big, or long lasting. The Maglite does come in Black, Silver, Blue, and Red, but is still the dorky cousin of the Outdoorsman (in my book).

Specs: Price: $20.20 Max Output: 15 lumens Size: 6.6 inches Lasts: 3 Hours Weight: 4.15 ounces Battery: Two AA

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The Big Boys

Maglite 2D LED

MagLite 2-D Cell LED Flashlight

Think of this flashlight as the bigger, longer lasting, and more powerful brother of the Mini Maglite. You’ll definitely need two hands to focus the beam on this 10 inch monster. Although it’s not part of the company’s product profile, this mammoth flashlight could easily double as a self-defense tool during late night adventures. The cops prefer the black model (I think they feel like it’s intimidating), but for the rest of us can pick from red, blue, and silver to match the evening wear of the season. I hear red is the new black.

Specs: Price: $35.00 Max Output: 35 Lumens Size: 10 inches (biggest in this review) Lasts: 2.5 hours Weight: 23 ounces Battery: Two D Cells

SureFire Dominator

SureFire 10X Dominator

No wonder SUREFIRE calls this bad boy the Dominator. This flashlight has two settings; the first is a lower-power-that-is-still-ridiculously-bright, tactical level beam good for normal nighttime use. The second mode is the high power beam (by high power I mean do not look directly into the light or you will go blind), predominately used for spotlight searching purposes. I mean it; only use the high power mode for searching because you’ll find yourself in the dark after only 20 minutes of this UFO-level brightness (don’t worry, it is rechargeable). If you’re traveling on a shoe-string, the Dominator is not for you, this brighter-than-the-sun flashlight might cost more than your entire trip!

Specs: Price: $429.00 Max Output: High 500 lumens / Low 60 lumens Size: 9.5 inches
Lasts: High 3 hours / Low 20 minutes Weight: 20 ounces Battery: One B20 Ni-Cad