Ozark Trail 2x AAA Dual Mode Light/Lantern

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I’ve been seeing this nifty looking light for the past couple months and I’ve been slightly intrigued by its features because I get distracted easily by gimmicks. It’s only around $8 but I prefer AA so I wasn’t really interested until I saw a red version yesterday. All I had seen previously were silver or grey so I’m not sure if red has the lowest quantity in a case or if it’s just the most popular, regardless it was the final selling point for me. Mostly because I see its most potential for something like a first aid kit or similar. Originally I didn’t mean for this to be a detailed review (although I can’t do anything comparable to something that might be on the CPF) but since I’m here…

The Ozark Trail brand (I think Walmart exclusive?) hasn’t done anything exceptional with their lights, and you should keep in mind the consumer adage that you get what you pay for. I’ve previously picked up a 2x AA light & 1x AAA headlamp holiday dual pack which have been good lights to use around the house or for simple tasks, but certainly nothing I’d EDC. The dual mode isn’t too different from that since it’s definitely going to stay in a first aid kit at home.

Comparison with 2x AA Maglite

The primary light has a decent brightness to it to look around a small yard or in a room, which you’ll obviously cast a decent ambiance by pointing it at the ceiling without exposing the lantern section. Naturally it’s not a very good throw and the beam has numerous rings to it, almost looking like a typical bullseye target. It would be obnoxious to look at for long periods unless you need a makeshift target to play darts while the power’s out. It’s a shame the beam is iffy (due to the way they designed the dual mode head) because light really is comfortable to hold in your hand if you’re using it as a typical flashlight, and I was most surprised that the tail clicky is very easy to operate with the thumb. The tail clicky on my Ozark 2x AA light is a pain to operate at times due to it being recessed without much spacing around the boot.

Another improvement to the tail area is that the tail section flares out at the very end to give it a wider base despite being a very skinny light. A common problem on their other lights is that they’re incapable of reliably tail standing because both the heads and tails taper to smaller ends, and sometimes the boots can slightly overlap the recessed section. The 2x AA light can be knocked down with a disgruntled sigh while the Dual Mode requires a good knock to the table to topple it.

As for the lantern function, you can notice a considerable difference in the brightness it casts for the general area compared to just doing a ceiling cast. It’s not going to make a significant lantern that you could solely carry to replace a bulkier one, but if you can only fit a penlight in a kit then it’s a preferable option to have because you do get more light to work on a small project, apply first aid, or read a book. A little bit of light still comes out of the head when the lantern section is exposed so some of the area is still lit by ceiling casting. Outside of a personal light to aid in a very simple project the only other advantage I can see for the lantern gimmick would be to serve as a signal wand to either flag down help or clip it to the outside of a pocket so that someone can easily identify you.

Unfortunately the pocket clip is pretty weak. It looks as though it’d be rigid and difficult to clip onto a pocket but it actually slips on very easily – a little too easily. I can see this slipping from a pocket after a mild catch, nudge or if you stumbled. So far I’ve accidentally dropped it three times due to a lack of grippable surface. There’s not much knurling and what is there is pretty light, so it doesn’t do much. A lack of gripping aid to the surface is a common problem with Ozark Trail lights and a big reason why I would never EDC one, but unlike the other lights it does make up for it by being able to reliably tail stand. Further on the plus side: I haven’t noticed any damage to the light despite hitting multiple surfaces on the way down during a particular fall.

Overall, it’s decent if you’re intending to invest in a pen light for a simple budget kit. It’s certainly not going to break the bank and while the lantern feature has its purpose, it’s definitely more practical novelty than survival gear.

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