I am looking to see what other stages use for personal stagehand lights. We use to use a hands free necklace light made by energizer that you would just pull on to turn on. However over 4-5 years of use they are starting to break down and unfortunately they are no longer made. We have tried head lamps, but we have not found one that works well so far. So what do you use?
Are you referring to "flashlights" to use backstage during a scene change ? If so I'm no good, we have two black boxes and couldn't get away with using a flashlight. That being said I have long been a fan of the "squeeze light". They're made by a variety of manufacturers, but I like the Energizer ones. Put 'em on a string hang 'em around you neck. When you need light, just put it in your mouth and bite with your front teeth. Both hands are kept free for work. I've even gotten real High class and wrapped a piece of gaff around one to make the light more directional, and of course you can always tape a piece of gel on too.
Beyond that I like my mini-mag with Bite adapter on the end, again, for the hands free-ness.
If you are talking about lights to use during a scene shift, none. Multicolored spike tape and glow tape for the harder to see marks is all that we use. As for lights to use offstage, bitelights are great, mag lights are nice. As long as you can put some color in front of the light (or get a color LED flashlight) you should be in good shape.
As far as good backstage flashlights, Bite Lights are a good way to go. I know there is a theatrical supplier out there that sells them, wardrobe people really like them. I will dig up mine at work tomorrow to see who makes it. Otherwise, go with the mag light.
I've been experimenting with a Panther Vision Hat with two LED's in the brim. Got it at Lowes for $17. I'm not 100% sold but it's a pretty good option. I got all black. The negative is that the LED's are aimed a little bit higher than I would like. I have to mess around with it still and see if I can aim them down a bit. There's a squeeze on/off switch in the bill of the hat. Uses two C-2032 batteries. They say it gets 30 hours off of a charge. You would never know you have a flashlight on your head it feels just like a normal baseball cap.
I also just remembered that you can get UV bitelites. You could use them in conjunction with luminescent tape or paint to glow your spikes only when you look for them, and would be very unobtrusive to the audience.