I got this little gem from CountyComm (I believe this is the only online source, but I could be wrong) for the not-quite-affordable price of about $30.00. The flashlight is solid, well-built, and works great, so perhaps the $30.00 price tag is justified. By the way, I got the basic black Rev 3 version of the flashlight, which is the latest and greatest model as of this writing.
The flashlight arrived in a plastic box, which seems to be mislabeled "Maratac Extreme" (the CountyComm website says that the Extreme is discontinued). Whatever. The description on the label is really impressive. Aircraft grade! Type III Military anodizing! Anti-Reflective lens coating! Proprietary circuit design! Reverse polarity protection! All that for the low low price of only $30.00; what a bargain!
Marketing language aside, there is a lot to like about the Maratac AAA. According to the website, the flashlight is only 2.75 inches long, with a diameter of 0.5 inches. It has a twisty UI (which is common in the flashlight world) that steps through three levels as follows: Medium-Low-High. Damn, I would gladly trade the Military grade anti-reflective reverse lens coating for a Low-Medium-High pattern. Note that the Low mode generates a fair amount of light (1.5 lumens) . . . I wouldn't call it a moonlight mode. Medium = 40 lumens, and High = 138 blinding lumens.
Although this flashlight looks all "tactical" in flat black with gnarly knurling, it does not include any of those crazy modes that you often find in tactical lights. No disco strobe light, no emergency beacon pattern, and no S-O-S mode. So, if you plan on getting lost or stranded somewhere, don't take this flashlight.
The Maratac comes with a cool glow in the dark diffuser cap, which works as advertised. I was unable to capture a good shot in the dark, so just imagine that the diffuser in the following picture is illuminated like a deployed lightsaber.
I really like, but don't love, this flashlight. It would be perfect (for my use) if the activation pattern progressed from low to high, and if the low mode was actually a moonlight level. AAA perfection is out there, I just need to find it.
