Abstract: An energy efficient flashlight system having multiple lighting display modes and a single operating switch that enables a user to step through the modes. The flashlight illuminates via the use of a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) that preferably contain at least two colors, such as red and white, and are designed to coordinate in order to provide the plurality of modes including an emergency signaling mode, a red map reading mode or directional pointing mode and a bright illumination mode. The flashlight enables a user to hold, operate and toggle between modes using a single hand.