Riverwalker’s Gear - iTP A3 EOS (Upgraded) Keychain LED Flashlight - Gear Mod and Update

While some pieces of gear can be really great items straight out of the package, there are real life situations that sometimes dictate a modification of that gear to enhance their use. The iTP A3 EOS (Upgraded) Keychain LED Flashlight is one great piece of gear but can be improved with a simple gear mod that can make a great light even better.

Realizing that in the real world of survival your gear is going to be put to the test in ways you or the manufacturer could never imagine, you should never be afraid to make simple changes to your gear to make it more efficient for your own personal use. It’s now time for a quick update on my iTP-A3-Eos flashlight and a simple gear mod for it.

One of the best things about this flashlight is the reversible clip. It makes it really easy to change from the “pocket clip” mode to a “visor clip” mode. This makes it easy to work in the dark using both hands. This is great for a “no hands” mode of operation. No modification needed here!

The “water-proof” factor is another great thing about this little light. In Texas the heat can get really bad and the “sweat” factor gets really high. There will be times when you get wet plum down to your knees just from sweat. Pulling a compact flashlight out of a wet pocket that still works is a big plus for this flashlight. Accidentally dropping this in a puddle of water won’t hurt this little baby!

With temperatures running in excess of 100 degrees on an average day in Texas during the summer, it’s difficult to do an “arctic simulation” but with a little help from the freezer it was possible to come close. After an hour of being buried beneath ice cubes in the freezer at -5 degrees, which is a lot longer than I ever plan to be outside in those kinds of temperatures, the light still functioned properly in all modes. The hard part was peeling the ice cubes off the light. There was a little fogging on the outside of the lens when taken out of the freezer due to our high humidity but a quick wipe with the finger took care of this little problem. Cold weather durability gets this flashlight an A+ from Riverwalker!

Although the keychain itself has been quite durable, it’s hard to trust them when you’ve lost things because of a broken keychain. This is probably the weakest part of this light but can be fixed with a simple gear mod. The post on the flashlight where the keychain is attached has a very small hole and finding something that will fit through it that is reliable was a challenge easily solved. Using a simple safety pin was the answer.

The safety pin attaches quickly and allows you tie cordage to the light that improves the functionality of this light. With a cord attached, it can be hooked to a belt loop, the inside of your pack or just make a simple wrist strap to make it easier to carry without losing it. Attaching some bright cord to it will make it easier to find in the dark if you drop it (don’t ask me how I know this!). Finding a little black flashlight in the dark ain’t easy!

Just a quick note about my own experience with the battery life of this flashlight. With a new alkaline AAA battery you get about 35 to 40 minutes in the high mode and a little over 3 hours in the medium mode. This is still pretty decent for light on a single AAA battery. Manufacturers do have a tendency to overestimate run times that are hard to duplicate outside a testing laboratory.

Gear mod cost...less than a buck!

You can read my original review here:

http://stealthsurvival.blogspot.com/2010/04/riverwalkers-gear-itp-a3-eos-upgraded.html

You can get this great compact LED flashlight here:

GearUpEurope

Got safety pin and cord for a gear mod!

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker