How cool did I feel having the most coveted piece of travel gear at our annual extended-family houseboat vacation at Utah’s Lake Powell last week? Yep, I had grown men drooling over my Stanley Ultra Bright 5 Watt LED Spotlight. I’m surprised it wasn’t filched right out of my duffel bag.

For camping and otherwise hanging out in the woods (or on the beach) in the evening, I don’t need anything special in a flashlight — just one that will get me to my tent at night. But for outdoorsy gadget geeks like my husband’s brother and male cousins, the Stanley spotlight  is apparently tops.

They marveled at the teeny, tiny LED bulb that produced an incredibly strong beam. (Seriously, you do not want to be pointing this thing at anybody’s eyeballs.) They appreciated that a single full charge of the spotlight lasts up to 10 hours. The product itself is much smaller than your average spotlight, too. I like the rubber handle that’s comfortable to hold.

We had fun using it like a laser pointer, aiming it at constellations in the sky one night. And we goofed around, shining it (obnoxiously) at tents while occupants were trying to sleep. We pointed it against cliff walls and made silly shadows with our hands.

Thinking ahead to the holiday season, I think this spotlight would make an excellent gift for any man who spends a lot of time hunting, fishing or camping. While I appreciate its features, and the kids love to play with it, it’s not one of my personal must-haves for our family’s camping gear box. But I bet my husband won’t let me leave it behind on our next backcountry trip.

The Stanley 5 Watt LED Spotlight is available on Amazon.com for $40.