The LED strips are amazing. Bill thanks again for the link.
Some pictures and description starting at post #52:
www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?t=13727&page=2
The strips are built so that at about every 2\" there is a clearly marked cut point. In each of these 2\" sections there are 3 surface mounted LEDs and a resistor.
I used a 3 cell Lipo battery (nominal 11.1V, charges to over 12V). The one I picked was 480mAh and weighed 1.4oz, just slightly larger than a standard 9V.
Instead of a switch, I just connect or disconnect the battery directly to the LED strips.
Full list of components:
battery
battery connector
wire
LED strips
If you do not already have one, will need a Lipo specific battery charger if using a Lipo battery.