I received my new INOVA MICRO LIGHT STS a few days ago and I’m thoroughly impressed!  I have to say that I think it’s going to be my new backup flashlight for backpacking.  It’s compact, solid and has a rubberized finish on it that makes it feel like more than just a keychain light.  I was not expecting this much substance from such an inexpensive little light.  I was simply replacing my old PHOTON LIGHT that I had lost sometime in the past week or two when I came across this light.  Now that I’ve confiscated this new Micro Light for my backpacking trips I’ll need to get a new one for the actual keychain.

Being made by Nite Ize, I know it’s a decent & trustworthy product so I didn’t doubt the quality at all when I purchased it but it still has to show me if it’s tough enough to go in the pack.  I currently own a bunch of NITE IZE S-BINERS that I use to attach various items to my backpack as well as some other Nite Ize products.  But this really is a step above the average keychain light.  It’s a real flashlight!

As a backpacker I try to keep my weight low and size small and this light fits those parameters to a “T”.  So, needless to say this light will replace my current backup which is a Coast G10 Max Beam Optic Flashlight on all future backpacking trips until it shows me it’s incapable of handling the task.   My Coast G10 is small and light but the Nite Ize Micro Light STS is even smaller and lighter.  Plus, it has this fancy on/off swipe-to-shine feature that is unbelievably cool and I’m very interested to see how well it stays off in my pack when I’m not using it.

 

This Micro Light has a few different modes too…High Power, Variable Dim, Low Power, and Strobe.  The body of the light comes in four colors….Smoke, Olive, Orange, and Blue!  All of that and it comes with a handy little S-Biner too!

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Generally, I don’t use my backup light a whole lot because my Princeton Tec Remix Headlamp takes care of most tasks at hand.  But, it’s there for in case I lose my headlamp or the batteries die or etc.  I mostly use it as a reading or miscellaneous light when I’m in my tent getting situated or need to find something in the middle of the night.

 

 

Here is the scoop straight from the Nite Ize website…

Product Information

Featuring innovative “Swipe To Shine” touch technology, the INOVA Microlight STS is compact, convenient, and impressively powerful. Its durable, water-and-shock-resistant casing is designed to fit comfortably in your hand. It’s our brightest INOVA Microlight, with an impressive 16 lumens. The white LED is activated nearly instantly with a quick right-to-left swipe of the thumb, eliminating the need to fumble with a switch. High, variable dimming, low, and flash modes allow you to use the light for everything from reading maps to finding keyholes to sending alert signals. The included versatile S-Biner Stainless Steel Double Gated Carabiner can be clipped to key chains, belt loops, zipper pulls, purse or backpack straps to keep your Microlight STS conveniently where you need it, when you need it. Powered by 2 replaceable 2032 lithium batteries (included).