It's Good Enough for the "Money is No Object" Military

First of all, let me be clear that I am not one of those guys that talks about his gadgets at the neighborhood BBQ. I don't generally care about owning the best of anything. For years, my interest in flashlights was no different. I always bought the cheapest plastic flashlight I could find on the island display in front of the cash register at the grocery store. Afterall, flashlights are all the same, right? Wrong.

The Mini Mag from MagLite has helped me see the light (pun intended), and realize the benefits of owning a superior lighting instrument. I never would have known if it wasn't for the fact that I was issued my Mini Mag by my squadron in Okinawa.

I was an Airborne Linguist for the U.S. Air Force until last year, and I spent 3 years in a flight suit, sitting at a computer terminal inside a poorly lit C-135. I used it constantly to check my wire connections underneath my monitor in an extremely cramped metal compartment.

Size
On the left inseam of a flight suit is a small, skinny pocket that was originally intended to carry a knife. We all used that pocket for our Mini Mags. It's no longer than a regular pencil, and it is only marginally wider in diameter than the 2 AA batteries that fit cozily inside the handle end to end. The best part is that it is as light as a standard TV remote even though it is made of metal.

Durable
Whereas most flashlights are made of plastic, the Mini Mag is made of sturdy "aircraft aluminum". You might think that a solid flashlight like the Mini Mag would weigh enough to lose all practical use as anything other than a weapon. Of any other flashlight, that would be true, but the Mini Mag is strong and lightweight. It has lasted me for 4 years now; the time it takes to replace a plastic flashlight at least 4 times over.

Focusing Beam
There are no buttons on the Mini Mag. That's because you turn it on by twisting the head of the small flashlight counter-clockwise. This is exactly the same way that you adjust the light from a broad floodlight to an extremely focused beam that concentrates all its energy on a microscopic task at hand. The flashlight turns back off by simply turning the head back in a clockwise fashion.

Lamp Feature
One of the coolest features of the Mini Mag is that the head screws completely off and, when placed on the opposite end, acts as a base to stand the flashlight up on its end hands-free. Oftentimes holding the flashlight in my mouth is enough to get the job done, but sometimes you need more time to use your hands and see everything around you. When the head is screwed completely off, the small LED light is left unimpeded to light up a small room like a bedside lamp.

Lanyard Anchor
In my job, I was extremely concerned with unaccounted items being left on the plane. I didn't have to worry with the Mini Mag because the end has a small hole that is perfect for threading a small lanyard that I could attach to my person for ready use. You might only use this flashlight as an emergency light source if the power goes out, but if you use flashlights constantly at work, a light that can be lanyarded is a big plus.

The Mini Mag is a complete package. They all come with the AA batteries already included, as well as a replacement LED light bulb affixed in the inside of the base. When you buy a Mini Mag, you don't need to buy anything else.