Due to the recent flood of new high-powered, efficient Cree and Seoul LED emitters on the flashlight market, some great deals can be found on the older Luxeon and 5mm LED lights. A fine example is a recent purchase that I would like to share with you.
I've always been a fan of the quality, American-made craftsmanship that can be found in the products manufactured by Peak LED Solutions. They are no-nonsense, finely machined and made with high-grade materials and finishes. Until I bought this set, I didn't realize that they can also be quite versatile.
What you see here is (clockwise from bottom):
CR123a Double-ender body with Peak Caribbean head on one end (lit); McKinley head on the other
CR123a keychainbody
2AA body for CR123a lights, with delrin cap
CR123a pocket body
The double-ender body serves two purposes. First, it can be used with a single head on one end and the delrin cap on the other, to provide storage for an extra battery. Secondly, it can be used double-ended, as you see it here, for a dual-purpose light. The configuration I'm showing here gives you a long-running 5mm LED floodlight on one end (McKinley) and a Luxeon III "throw/spill" light to light up objects at long distances on the other (Caribbean). Another great option would be to use a combination of the throw/spill light and a red LED McKinley head. Light both ends, and you would have a great flashlight and taillight arrangement for evening walks.
The 2AA body allows you to use a 2 AA batteries with any of the Peak heads designed for 3V operation, such as the heads shown here. Minimag switches, such as those made by Kroll or NiteIze, can be fitted to this body to provide a rear clicky-switch.
Below is the same arrangement, with the McKinley head lit:
If you decide that the double-ender or 2AA bodies are a bit to big to tote around, but you still want the option of carrying a spare battery, the delrin cap can be fitted to the end of the keychain or pocket body for storage:
The Caribbean with a single keychain or pocket body alone is $100 from Peak. I bought this entire set with some slightly used, some new parts for the same price.