I've been getting into higher-end LED lites, via a friend in the LAPD. LED flashlights are a powerful improvement on existing technology. My favorite for pocket carry is the amazing SureFire Executive, but fitted with the more expensive high-power head. Needs pricey lithium batteries but the amount of light thrown by these things is astonishing. I didn't really understand what it could do until I used it alone in pitch-dark Canadian woods. I was amazed. You can navigate very difficult terrain with it; gives you the big picture in a way the others don't.

The SureFire with the power head has a unique ability to semi-illuminate a huge volume of space. I have a skinny black 5-LED Inova that's as powerful, but the shape and quality of the light thrown are different. For the desert island, I'll take the SureFire (with a crate of lithiums!).

BTW, its "milspec hard anodyzed" finish is great. Probably an offshoot from small-arms manufacture. I love the look, like dull machined bronze. If I were a car designer I'd use it in place of chrome.

There's a whole universe of this stuff on the web, it turns out:
Candle Power Forums

-- William Gibson

SureFire Executive KL1 LED Head
$100 (street price) from, among others
The LED Light.com