Editorial : OK, OK. I admit it, I'm getting a little lazy. This review is mostly a copy of the Princeton Tec Rage review, but let's face it: The Blast and the Rage are essentially the same light except that the Rage runs on 4 AAA and the Blast runs on 2 AAA. Also, the Blast has a ballcap/pocket clip for handsfree use. Other than that, and the output differences, they have the same body / bezel construction and same overall characteristics. The Rage and Blast even have the same runtimes, but the Rage is significantly brighter since it uses 4 AAA batteries.

Short Description:

The Blast is a 2 AAA light produced by Princeton Tec. They can be found in a variety of body colors and are available from Brightguy.com.

The body of the Blast is made of a tough polymer with a lanyard attachment tab molded into the end of the light. The body is an oval shape to accommodate the 2 AAA batteries, while the bezel is round. The front of the bezel contains a tough plastic lens in a black polymer ring. Twist the bezel to turn the light on and off. The lamp assembly inside the bezel contains the xenon bulb, textured reflector, and battery contacts. The entire lamp assembly is replaced when the bulb fails. Output is impressive for such a small light and the beam is quite nice.

Batteries are included in the package and a split ring is also included for attachment to the tail of the light.

Reviewer's Impressions:

The Princeton Tec Blast is a bright little light. The output is very white and the beam more smooth than most inexpensive lights. Since it uses AAA batteries, its runtime is a little shorter than lights that use larger cells.

The body of the Blast is just plain tough. Watertightness is provided by an O-ring at the bezel-body interface and it is rated for a depth of 1000 feet.

On the side of the light is a clip and a lanyard slot. This allows the Blast to be clipped in the pocket, or clipped onto a ballcap for hands-free use.

Since the lamp assembly contains all of the main working parts of the light itself, when you replace the assembly you get new battery contacts, new switch, a shiny new reflector, and a new bulb. It's almost like getting a whole new light. Make sure you purchase a spare when you get the light as the entire assembly is proprietary and may be hard to find when you're out-and-about.

Light output is very good and the beam is rather smooth. In the sample tested there was a slight oval shape to the beam, but no artifacts or dark areas. Twist the bezel for on/off operation. Runtime is about 2-3 hours on a set of alkaline AAA batteries.

When it's time for a battery change, simply remove the bezel and lamp assembly, drop out the old batteries, and put in 2 new ones. 1 on one side (+) up, 1 on the other side (-) up. Replace the lamp assembly and bezel. Orientation of the lamp assembly is dictated by grooves and ridges in the light. Inside the base of the battery tube are spings for contact.

In use, keep the O-ring lubricated with a silicone-based grease.

What I Liked: Very waterproof, bright and smooth beam, and very tough case. Shape of the body makes it easy to handle. Small and lightweight.

What I Didn't Like: Not much at all.

Other Things I Noticed: You do get a little light filtering back through the rear of the bezel. Some folks may find this to be a distraction, but it didn't bother me at all.

Conclusions: Great little light for around the house, camping, backpacks, duffle bags, pockets, etc. Very small and quite bright for its size.