Why I own this.
This is the perfect flashlight to store in your car or in your backpack. This is the flashlight I take with me when I go backpacking and it is usually the flashlight I use when I am car camping. I like the fact that it is not very bright so I can enjoy the natural darkness better.

Setup
To get it to work all you do is insert two AA batteries in through the bottom, screw the bottom cap back on, then twist the head to activate the light bulb.

How it works
To turn it on you twist the head. The head can focus the light a little if necessary just by twisting it more, or less. You can completely remove the head if you want for a lamp.

How do you change batteries
You change it like any other battery. You unscrew the bottom of the flashlight, take out the AA battery, replace it with one AA battery and screw it back in. Simple and will take about 20 seconds. Long if it is your first time.

How do you change the light bulb
It is similar to the solitaire in that you remove the top to expose the light bulb. You then take the light bulb out and replace it with another light bulb. It just slips in. You do not have a screw cap. Even though it does not screw in, it is still very bright.

Is there a spare light bulb?
There is a spare bulb in the bottom of the flashlight. It is covered in a protective layer of spongy material. I personally do not like this because I have broken a couple of bulbs by throwing it around and accidentally dropping the flashlight.

The lamp feature
What is cool is you can unscrew the top completely exposing the light bulb. This turns itself into a mini-lamp. I leave it in the net in my tent or place it on the ground propped on a book and wallet. The light is barely enough to read by, but it is plenty of light for setting up sleeping bags or rummaging through bags. Sometimes I think this is the perfect amount of light. When comparing it to the Solitaire you will notice an immense difference in brightness.
The problem with this feature is it does not have a stand like a lamp would. This reduces its practicality.

How long will it last?
It lasts me about a week of camping. Longer if my wife does not share it. I estimate that it lasts 5 hours, depending on the battery and type of bulb.

What I use it for.
Car camping
Backpacking
Working behind my computer desk
Spare for my vehicles and bikes

How bright is it?
Sorry I don’t have any scientific equipment so the assessment will be strictly qualitative.
The flashlight is bright enough to read a map, book, or items near your eyes. But I do not recommend that you read with this flashlight unless you have to. It will help you see most objects on the ground. It is a much better light than the single AAA battery version, by quite a bit actually. My wife will not use the AAA version (Solitaire) to travel out of camp but she will use this version. But she still prefers our D cells and will use that if available.

Durability and my tendency to break things
I own about 8 maglites that work and in the past 14 years I have destroyed 4 of them (total of 12.) For me nothing is indestructible and if it can be broken I will find a way. But for the normal individual these are about as indestructible as any flashlight out there.
Out of the flashlights I have destroyed, 2 are the mini-maglite version. For one of the mini-maglites the plastic piece on top of the flashlight (internal) broke. It is located between the light bulb and the battery. This is just a result of me throwing the flashlight around so much and not caring about its safety.
The other mini-maglight flashlight that is broken died because the rechargeable battery that was inside leaked. This left an acid residue inside it. But on the outside it does not show an excessive amount of wear. The black paint has worn down on the edges and the textured surfaces revealing the silver metal underneath. The plastic lense is very scratched up but does not affect the light in any noticeable fashion.

Who is this for?
This is a great small flashlight for emergencies or situations where a big flashlight is unwieldy.

Accessories
-There are several type of belt holsters available.
-You can put on colored lenses.
-Mounting brackets are available.
-Also, you can attach this to a key chain if you wish.

Size and weight
Flashlight length: 5.75 inches
Flashlight width: 1 inch at the head and .65 inch at the end.
Weight of flashlight with batteries. 3.78 ounces

About the Warranty and parts
Maglite have a limited lifetime warranty. If you have a problem they will replace it for you. The warranty does not cover battery exhaustion, battery leakage, lamp burnout, or damage caused by alteration, misuse, battery leakage or lack of maintenance. This is an awesome warranty, maybe I’ll get a clue and take advantage of it.
Maglite has all of the spare parts you need to repair any of their flashlights. I personally have not gone that route, but it is a good option. Most companies do not allow you to do this because they just want you to buy a new product. The website has a detailed pdf with all the information you need.

Summary:
This is the perfect flashlight for any circumstance. It is not too bright for around the house use, but it is bright enough to read by. The only problem with the flashlight is it is not bright enough to see across the yard and it is not large enough to hit your husband over the head if he does not take out the trash. But you can hold this flashlight in your mouth, try that with a D cell some time.

Other review you might be interested in.
Maglite 2 AA cell LED flashlight
Maglite 3D cell LED flashlight
Maglite 3D cell
Maglite solitare
Dyson Vacuum, full version.


Recommended: Yes