Goodbye 2022, Welcome 2023!

Goodbye 2022, Welcome 2023! Here at zeroair.org, 2022 has been great. I hope it has been for you as well! I’m going to take the opportunity to highlight some posts from this year, including some of my favorite posts and favorite gear! Just glancing through all the reviews from 2022, I’m amazed at how far we’ve come, but also how quickly we’ve carried here!

Goodbye 2022

I can safely say that I’m honestly terrible at this type of post… I hope it’s a fun and useful post, but writing it terrifies me. If you have any thoughts about improving it, please let me know! If you’re a great writer or editor or just great at adding alt-txt or working in WordPress let me know!

Most Read Posts

Here’s a list of the most-read posts in 2022.  This is sort of a hard-count list – I haven’t normalized by date, so the info could be skewed toward older posts since they’ve had more time to have more traffic.  But it is what it is.

Most Read Post – Olight Arkfeld

The most-read post on this website for 2022 is my initial review of the Olight Arkfeld. I had a sneaking suspicion that this post would hit hard, but it really hit much harder than I even suspected.

This remains a popular light, and I’m very pleased to have the orange version, too. 🙂

It’s great to see Olight circling back and beginning to offer some neutral white emitters. The laser/flashlight combo of the Arkfeld is super interesting, too!

Second Most Read Post – Sofirn SC31 Pro

You read that right! The most-read post from 2021 is my second most-read post for 2022! That’s the review of the Sofirn SC31 Pro. I wouldn’t call that a surprise – this is a low-cost light that hits hard, and many people are interested in it!  It also features Andúril2 and is one of the least costly ways to get into that user interface. I will add that a post on SlickDeals linked to my review of this light, and that bumped the traffic (though it would still actually be my most-read review of the year anyway!)

Sofirn is a great brand. They generally produce low-cost lights but are also producing tons of iterations and emitter options and even some random stuff like their lanterns (and I reviewed the LT1S! finally!)

That SlickDeals link was huge for me – even if you aren’t inclined to click the ads on zeroair.org, linking relevant posts on places like SlickDeals drives incredible traffic, which really just helps us all!

Third Most Read Post – Manker MK38 Satellite

Big lights were a big hit in 2022, and one of the biggest hits was the Manker MK38 Satellite. With a ton of emitter options, a few body color options (including MAO!), a fandle, and overall just a ton of features, the MK38 really packed a punch.

Manker never ceases to impress, and it’s one brand that I hope to be able to review more of in 2023!

Nearly Least Read Post – Prometheus Delta

There were comparatively fewer Fun Fund Friday reviews in 2022, both due to just being overall busier, and possibly buying fewer lights in 2022. But one that stood out for me was the review of the Prometheus Delta.

Why was that post one of my least read? It’s for Patrons only! I hope you’ll consider supporting me on Patreon. You’ll gain access to that post and all future posts that are made especially for Patrons!

Don’t sleep on these lights by Prometheus (Or “Dark Sucks”). This is an extremely robust little triple-emitter flashlight… but for more info, become a Patron!

Fun Fund Friday

In 2022, I posted just 5 Fun Fund Friday reviews.  That’s way down from 18 in 2021.  I recommend checking those out here! I didn’t really stop buying lights this year, but I had enough lights that I couldn’t spare a Friday too often!

There are some items I hope to snag this year that will be suitable for this category – Laulima Metal Works makes at least 2 lights I hope to be able to snag (not going to tell you which two and ruin my chances at them 😀 )

Favorite Reviewed Items

This year I published around 161 reviews.  I had only a very general goal of posting flashlights on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and that was mostly met.  While Tuesdays and Thursdays were generally for non-flashlight and flashlight-related items, this year I believe there were much fewer of those (than even in 2021). That actually works out much better for me, as I strongly prefer to stick to flashlights!

Unrelated but relevant: I usually like to check how many words I’ve typed in any given year, too. A while back I was nearing 2 or 3 million words here, but I think there’s been a change in statistics, and I can no longer find that information! So I think in 2022 I surpassed 2 million words on this site!

Reaver Arms Citadel

It’s hard to overstate the quality of the Reaver Arms Citadel. While I will say it’s not my most carried flashlight from 2022, it makes me happy to just look at it. It’s such a well-built piece of titanium.

I do look forward to this light running an 18350 cell (instead of 16340) but I’m not even sure that’s in the works. Still, it’s such a fantastic light that everyone should check them out!

Acebeam Rider RX Titanium

Another titanium light in my favorites list…  This is the Acebeam Rider RX in titanium. I also reviewed an aluminum version, but the titanium stands out to me.

This guy’s not perfect (what light is) but it offers so many great features. Namely, it can run on either AA (1.5V) or lithium-ion cells (4.2V). It also is produced with a very great emitter, the Nichia 219F. That’s a high CRI, 5000K emitter, and great for enthusiasts and others, too!

Yeah, another Acebeam! This is the Acebeam E70 Mini in Titanium:

I still carry this light quite often. In fact, when I don’t carry a long BOSS, this E70 Mini is my go-to. Don’t let anyone tell you that the double click to turn on is impossible to get accustomed to…

It’s still a crying shame that Acebeam uses blue as their accent color on these lights, when orange is both faster, has higher output, deals with heat better, and soothes crying babies, and is actually one of their two brand colors!!

Favorites Other Posts!

Without much extra text. 🙂

JETBeam Jet-ST Personal 12th Anniversary Flashlight

Skilhunt EC300 Flashlight with RGB:

Wurkkos TS10 in brass:

Olight Olantern Classic 2 Pro Lantern (we still use this thing daily!):

Acebeam X50 CRI:

Fenix C7 Flashlight: (how flashlighty is this light?)

And finally, the Convoy L8. Both great as a 26800 charger, and great for charging glow-in-the-dark pacifiers!

One thing I note very painfully in this type of list is how inconsistent my white balance is. It’s something I’m working through.

That brings me to my favorite gear of the year.

My Top Personal Lights of 2022

The year 2022 sees some reshuffling with regard to my top personal lights. This list really hasn’t changed much in the last few years. That’s good really and speaks both to their quality and longevity. Here are four lights I reach for most often.  

Emisar D4V2 Nichia 219b Cerakote Orange

Without a doubt, this custom Emisar D4V2 is the light I reach for the most. This Emisar D4V2 uses Nichia 219b emitters and has been cerakoted in orange! This one is especially special since it was a gift from a reader well-versed in my favorite things.

Why is it the most reached for? Well around the house when I need a light, it’s usually very dark. The lighted switch on the D4V2 makes the light very easy to find, and believe it or not, mode memory makes me know it will start where I left it. Couple all that with the warm white emitters (and narrowest optic!), and it just makes for a great light to use without disturbing others.

I think this light will never not be my favorite. Aside from actually just being a fantastic flashlight in general, it’s just very meaningful!

TorchLAB Future BOSS with MOFF

Also top from 2022 is the TorchLAB Future BOSS with MOFF, which I talked about above.

TorchLAB BOSS flashlights make up the headlining image from this site, so it should come as no surprise that it’s a favorite.  However, I’ve added more over the year(s) since taking that headline image.

Along the way, I’ve picked up at least one more MOFF light. That one has the crenelated bezel. This is a testament to how much I like BOSS lights, and also that the MOFF is great.

Hank Machine Works Trident

Next up is the brass Hanko Machine Works, which has tritium that makes it super easy to find at night, so it’s easy to grab.  I also “finished” this light in 2021, outfitting it with a SteelFlame Hardness Triple in bronze. This finished version of the Hanko Full Twist is brass with tritium, a Lux-RC 371d driver, and this Steelflame pocket clip – I call it my “heavy Hanko.”

If I had a light that I considered more of an “art piece” than a flashlight, it’d be this one. That said, it’s still a user (as are all my lights.)

Hanko Machine Works Trident

Another of my “most reached for” lights is also a Hanko – The Hanko Machine Works Trident Reactor in titanium.  This is my “light Hanko.”

It’s not just an HMW Trident.  I converted this one from a stock triple to a single with a reflector.  The emitter is now a single Cree XP-L HI in 4000K with an H17f driver, and it is literally the perfect flashlight.  The conversion engine is by Devin of Sigma Custom Works.  The conversion is more throwy and also quite significantly lighter than the stock triple.

I never reviewed either of these two Hanko Machine Works Tridents, but I did review one that is functionally similar to a stock Trident.  That’s the Hanko Machine Works Trident Total Tesseract in brass.

Among these fancy flashlights, I still really carry the Acebeam E70 Mini in aluminum or titanium very frequently, too.

Over 900 Posts!!

One final note about 2022 – as of December 22, 2022, I have posted 925 posts on zeroair.org. While I don’t aim for quantity, I aim is quality.  But if I can keep up the quality and have the quantity, I’m ok with that too. Not all 925 posts are flashlight reviews. I’ve reviewed a bunch of knives lately, for example. And there’s an occasional news post and the like… But that’s still probably a solid 900 flashlight reviews. I’m pleased that my reviewing technique has improved (and if you need a good cringe today, go back and read some of the old posts!)

As ever, I welcome constructive feedback! If you have ideas for a good 1000th post, please let me know!

Patreon

At the suggestion (I say suggestion, but I mean “insistence”) of my family, I added a Patreon in 2021.  Specifically, in regard to how much time reviewing takes away from my family (since I do in fact have a full-time “regular job” that isn’t reviewing flashlights), and given that my family doesn’t really want flashlights as gifts, Patreon is a great way for me to make my the time taken reviewing valuable to them.  While I love each and every one of my Patreon subscribers, Patreon hasn’t been a good way for me to convince my family that my reviewing flashlights is worth their time.

So please support me on Patreon!  My family will both love you for it, and probably allow me to continue reviewing flashlights with your support!

Welcome, 2023!

What’s in store for 2023?

I’m already working on a few reviews for 2023. There are some site changes that I’d like to incorporate too, and I think your experience as a reader can improve, too!

I enjoy making Fun Fund Friday posts, particularly of unusual and/or custom items, and I will continue that.  This gets costly of course, so any help you can offer is greatly appreciated!  Help comes in the form of just clicking links!  The traffic matters!  If you’re feeling wild, shoot your favorite manufacturer an email and recommend that they send review items to me for review.

My list of responsibilities has grown this year, but in 2023 I hope to keep posts going here.  I enjoy it, and I hope you do too!

What would you like to see here for 2023?

Let me know in the comments, or shoot me a private message through the contact page!

Thank you for reading!

You guys are the best.