by John Boch
If you’re like me, you peruse the flashlight aisle now and then to see what the masses are buying for illumination tools.
There’s a lot of stuff out there, and if it’s at your big box store it’s probably a couple of years old in terms of LED technology and over-priced at that.
While I usually write about cutting-edge, high-performance products, this month I bring you a product that brings affordability and performance together.
Meet the Sipik SK68. It’s available for $4.99 from DealExtreme.com. Delivered.
My fellow GSL Defense Training instructor Peter Wheeler found this light and ordered
a bunch for door prizes. I’ve tried one for two months now and am impressed. Unlike President Obama, this light is bright and works reliably.
What do you get for one of your Lincolns? Throw in a single alkaline AA battery and you’ve got 120-lumens for 40 minutes. Throw in a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery and you’re cooking with about 250+ lumens for about 30 minutes.
For those who are lumen illiterate, that’s okay. With an alkaline AA battery, this puts out way more and whiter light than the old, clunky 5 D-cell MagLites from the 1980s.
The beam goes from a square spot to a very smooth flood by adjusting the head. There’s one setting: On. There’s no SOS, high-low-turbo-moonlight-disco settings that are sometimes found on cheap lights that try to do too much. It rides in your pocket with your spare change and pocket knife amicably and serves as a wonderful backup to your “burn their retinas off” tactical flashlight.
Pro-tip: Click the “enable bulk rate” option in your online cart at DealExtreme and order a half-dozen. Why? Your kids are going to steal them. Your spouse and maybe your girlfriend will each want one and you’ll make a life-long friend by giving one to a friend in need. Or you can give them as gifts that will be appreciated for years to come.
These same type of flaslight can be found on amazon under a dozen different brand names for about 3.50 for the single mode, and 9 for the 3 mode. also comes in red, green, ultraviolet, etc. i’ve keep some around for months, the focusing head is loose on some, but otherwise they all work well.
if you read the reviews there are also some other flashlight bodies that will attach into this one, giving you a 2 or 3 battery blashlight (for 3 battery you should stick to 1.2volt rechargeable batteries as the LED driver is apparently good up to 4-4.5 vdc)
If you can afford a better light i’d probably recommend one in a life or death situation, but for a general use light it works great, not to mention AA batteries are cheap, easy to find, and rechargeable ones don’t break the bank for good run time.
I’ve been buying these for years on Amazon – UltraFire is one brand name.
I’ve probably bought a couple of dozen of these over the last few years and have one or two in every vehicle and sprinkled around the house and garages. I’ve given a bunch to the guys in my son’s scout troop.
While this is not a high end light (a few have failed); it’s an outstanding value.
Light, bright, variable focus (one of the most even wide patterns I’ve seen and I’m a flashlight geek), and uses one (and only one) of the most common batteries on earth.
This light is an outstanding value for the money.
Thanks John.
I don’t have a girlfriend. But I did order one for the wife, kids and grandkids. I joked to my wife that my Christmas shopping was done and she just sighed. “Oh Sam,” she said.
She has no sense of humor.
Sam