The PICO Lite - click to see full size
Reviewed by Coy Starnes
The eGear PICO™ Lite may not be the worlds smallest flashlight (they don’t make the claim) but it certainly is the smallest I have ever seen. And on top of that, it is very bright. It seems very rugged for such a small light. Perhaps because it is constructed similar to tactical lights I have seen, just in an ulta-compact size. The manufacture (Essential Gear) claims the light is good for 30 ft and has a 10 lumen beam, but I think it is good for a little more than that. For example, I just tried it out for the first time and with some thick cloud cover it was pitch black outside but I could see up into trees in my yard that were at least 50 ft tall.
The light is made of 6061 aluminum and is anodized for added protection. It is rated water resistant to IPX4 standard which means that the light is not waterproof but will withstand splashing. In other words I can use the light while out in the rain but not diving. In fact, the first night I had the light we had some thunder storms and I took the light out for a few minutes to walk around in the yard. I got the light pretty wet but had no trouble from the light and the light output was amazing.
To turn the light on, just twist the bezel clockwise until the light comes on. To turn it off just turn it counter-clockwise until it goes off. I give it another half to full turn to be sure it stays off but this may not be necessary. Speaking of which, the part that twist (the bezel) has aggressive knurling which I find easy to engage despite the lights diminutive size. The same twisting motion that turns the light off will also allow me to take the bulb end off to change batteries when needed. I did notice that when putting the top back on the light flicked a lot until I got it started good so don’t be alarmed, the light will go back off, then stay off until twisted down quite a bit.
The light is small for a reason, namely so it is easy to keep it handy all the time. And to that end, it comes with a miniature carabiner clip and split ring. I have my clipped to my key ring but it would work just as well clipped to a zipper fob or whatever I decide to clip it on. I chose my key ring because my truck has manual locks so I have to put my key in the door to unlock it. I also usually have my keys with me just about all the time, and if not, I know exactly where they are in the house…OK they have come up missing a few
PICO attached to my keys
times but they are supposed to be on the key holder in the kitchen. Anyways, since I also have my house key on the same set of keys, they go with me on day hikes, bike rides and of course backpacking since I don’t leave my keys in the truck. Here is the light on my key ring with a quarter for size reference as well as the packaging the light comes in.
I’ll be reporting on my use in future updates so I’ll conclude this first review with the specs for the light.
Batteries: 4 LR 41 (Included)
Modes: On / Off
Burn Time (Hours): 15
Brightness (Lumens): 10
Weight: < 1 oz (I weighed mine in at 0.3 oz with batteries and mini carabiner)
Size: 1.5″ x 0.5″ (37.3 x 12.7 mm)
That’s all for now. I’ll be updating this report in about a month but for now I am still in shock at how small it really is. If it were not attached to my key ring I’m afraid I would loose it.
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Update – July 1, 2010
Good news, I have not lost the Pico yet, which means I have not lost my keys either… But seriously, the light is so small I do recommend attaching it to something, and that something should be an item that is easy to find. I found this out the hard way when I was a work when the power went off one night. I had my keys across the room on the lab counter and it took my a few seconds to put my hands on them. Lucky for me, we have a battery powered (for a few hours if power is out) security system and the monitor was putting off enough light that I was not in total blackness. Anyways, after getting to the light, I used it to make sure all the valves that were supposed to close during a power outage did.
At home I never experienced a power outage but did use the light several times, mostly to check out strange noises I would hear outside. It usually turned out to be my cats defending the porch from the neighbors cats. The light is not super bright but is OK for a quick check around the yard. However, the Pico is not designed or advertised as a primary light source and if I were planning to spend any significant time out looking around I would get my headlamp which I did on a couple of occasions.
I also used the light while assembling an exercise machine. There were a few screws up under it that were hard to see and I had my keys in my pocket so instead of tracking down my headlamp I just used the Pico. Holding the light for this was easy but I could see where a headlamp would be better if I needed both hands. If I did not have the light on my keys it should be fairly easy to hold it in my mouth but then I might lose the light, or even swallow it…. Oh well, like most things, there are usually trade-offs.
The light is still very bright, but then again, I doubt I have used it for more than an hour if that much. I use it when I need it but have not went for any long walks in the dark or anything like that. These short bouts of using the light are pretty much what the light is designed for so I am happy with its performance thus far.
I’ll end by mentioning that it sure is nice to have the Pico on my key-ring. I also appreciate that is so small and light weight I don’t even worry about the weight. I know it is not good to have a lot of heavy stuff hanging from a key-ring with the ignition key. Stay tuned for my last update too see how the Pico continues to perform.
Update – October 27. 2010
I am a little late updating this neat little light. For one, I was hoping to run the batteries down so I could include an estimated burn time in my final update. However, since I have not really been keeping an accurate log of each use it would be just a guess. Anyways, I have recently notice the light is not putting out as much light as it seemed to when the batteries were fresh. I decided to compare the other light I received at the same time (the one I put on my wife’s key ring) with the one I’ve been using. I walked outside and shinned my light up in a nearby tree, then did the same with her light. I was surprised at the difference. It
was obvious her light was much brighter. But instead of trying to describe the difference, I took a couple of photos that demonstrate it clearly. When I took the first one I failed to make sure the flash did not go off and it actually looks like my light is not on. That picture is the one above. I reset the camera to no flash and both lights show up clearly. It is easy to tell that the light on the left (my wife’s) is much brighter. Here is that picture.
I asked my wife how much she had used her light over the past several months and she said not much. I pressed her for a time estimate and she said “I don’t know, I used it outside a few times and to read in bed.” Too read in bed??? Well how many times did you do that? “Oh, only a couple of times and probably not more than 30 minutes each time.” So, I’m going to estimate that she used her light for maybe an hour and a half total. Of course she probably has a better idea of how long she used hers then I do mine and she is not testing…but I digress.
As for how long I’ve been using mine, like I said earlier, I have not been keeping up very well, but I will say that I have used it quite a bit. I’ve used it to to check out sounds out in the yard and find things in my truck which has no dome light. During a recent three night car camping outing I used it several times at night to get from where the other campers were gathered for fireside chatting to where I had hung my hammock several hundred yards away. Of course I also needed it to answer natures call during the night a few times each night. It is still bright enough for things like this but now that I’ve seen it compared to the light with fresher batteries I think it might be about time for new ones. Of course I would not realize this if I did not have the wife’s light handy to compare them side by side. And since I am known to be cheap (just ask my wife) I’ll probably hold off until the light dims even more. If I had to put a time estimate on how many hours I have used my light I’d guess around 8 hours but it could easily be 10. But regardless of how many or few hours I have used it, I really have to say that having this light handy has been a tremendous benefit. As long as I have my keys with me I have a pretty bright light. And when I head out for an evening walk I always throw my keys into whatever day pack I am using just in case the house is locked when I return. If I get sidetracked and misjudge the time it is comforting to know I have enough light to walk with for a few hours and of course much longer when the batteries were fresh. I guess I should think about carrying the spare batteries I got with the light now that mine has dimmed considerably.
I am from northeast Alabama where I spend a lot of my time divided among several hobbies that include backpacking and day hiking, canoeing and kayaking, and just getting out enjoying nature.
Coy Boy
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