what can one say about Maglite ? they the best ! I have a full size mag and several of the minus 's . I love the Mini-Mag lead !!! first off they as indestructable as a light be gonna come . serious shock resistance ... serious water resistance ... not a hammer and not a diver 's light but as close as the most of we will ever need . secondly they weight be about right . Heavy enough to protect they but not so heavy that it can not be carry in a pack in the outdoors . next up be the grip , it do have a nice checkered pattern etch into the shell that give a good grip even with glove or even when wet . battery life always depend on usage but be about average for most aa light . like most LED 's , bulb life be advertise as 100k hour . while I do not think it will last that long , it will make it long enough to make you feel it be a worthwile investment , and the bulb probably will not be what fail first anyway . next let talk about light...four-funtion of light ! by twist the bezel counter-clockwise it turn on the full power beam . now it be not the brightest compact light in the world -lrb- that distiction go to lithium power tactical light -rrb- but for a AA Alkaline power light , it the brightest I have see . brighter infact than my 3aa power Gerber tx3 .0 ! I have not do a distance comparison between they yet , but I can tell you that sit in my chair in the wood camping , the Mini-Mag illuminate distance up to 30 ' like daylight ! I be not kid ! distance up 50 ' can be see pretty well assume there be not too much clutter to cast shadow . also a big plus ; unlike previous generation of Mini-Mag LED 's , the bezel can adjust to focus the beam . finally turn it clockwise until it tighten and stop will turn off the light . now that be one fuction ... turn the bezel couter-clockwise and then back off , then counter-clockwise -lrb- or on-off-on -rrb- within about 3 seconds will take you to mode # 2 ... low power . accord to the box it be about 25 % power . I find it to be a great reading light , map light for the car , light to look in small space where too much power could `` wash out '' or blind you eye . in fact I use it for navigation in total darkness . that way I be not totally blind when I turn off my light . next mode # 3 ... -lrb- from off ... on-off-on-off-on -rrb- it be a flasher that flash at about 1 flash per second . Great for signaling ! I speak from experence here . I have a family member lose after a hike that get past sundown . I hike to a ridgetop right off the road then use this flasher to help they locate I . it work ! it be not a high speed strobe so it be not a defense tool , but as a locator signal , I give it a useful thumb up ! finally mode # 4 ... -lrb- from off ... on-off-on-off-on-off-on -rrb- S.O.S. mode . I seriously doubt anyone of we will be so lose or stand that we 'll be signal pass plane and ship but hey I guess if you be ... in all seriousness though if it be all you have get , it could help you be find by rescure or a passer-by . consider this , a 100 % truely dead car battery , mean no 4-way flasher . it addition help show that you need help with this almost universally recognize help signal , it also help make you vehicle visible avoid a potentially deadly accident . all in all , perhaps a little gimicky , perhaps not ... it all depend on what you intend to do with you new light . one final word about the bezel switch . after about 3 to 5 seconds of sit in either the off or on position , the next time the light be turn on it will return to full power output -lrb- aka mode # 1 -rrb- . I be not kid when I say this be my favorite product I have ever review ! there be so many use ! and everyone have need of it , they may just not know it yet !