I need two. I have more, but none just sit on the shelf; they've all got specific purposes and most get used once a week or so (I actually get irritated if I own something like a flashlight which doesn't have a specific purpose, and avoid buying new lights when there's not a new need).
1) 4Sevens Q MiNi CR2 in my pocket at all times. This sees frequent use, and could technically meet all my needs. It's plenty bright and it's always at hand.
2) Surefire G2 with LED drop-in in my glovebox, in case of emergencies. I live in the Midwest, so it's nice to have a reliable, lithium-powered (it gets cold in winter) light with better runtime than the MiNi.
3) Fenix E01 by my bed. Gives me something easily accessible if I need to get up and move around during a power outage. I'm generally either wearing pants or in bed, so between this and the Q MiNi I'm covered for emergency lights around the house.
4) Ridgid 12v LED light in my toolbox. If I'm doing work around the house there's no point running batteries through any of my other lights when this one takes cordless drill packs and runs for 12 hours.
5) Mini Mag with red Nite-Ize upgrade in my flight bag (I'm a pilot) in case the cockpit lighting fails. It's appropriately bright, doesn't kill night vision, and runs for ages.
6) Energizer Hard Case 2D on the shelf in the house. I use this for general tasks, and it's nice to have in case of a long power outage since it runs for 18 hours on cheap batteries. I could easily do without this light, but I love the absurdly solid construction and since I can find uses for it I'll bend my rules for this one.
7) $3.50 6v lantern for fishing. It's big and easy to manipulate with messy hands. It's cheap so I don't care what happens to it. It floats (although it's not waterproof...). I suppose I could replace this with the Energizer, giving it purpose while also getting rid of my only incandescent.
I definitely don't understand the oft-mentioned need for multiple EDC or backup lights, though. To me, the light is the backup. Barring Armageddon, the chances I'll need a light, and the one available to me will be nonfunctional, are miniscule.
Seven lights is still a huge number compared to average people, of course - plenty of households have a single $2 Eveready if they have anything at all. However, you could take away all of my lights except for the Q MiNi and the red Mini Mag, and I'd barely notice. All of the other lights are only used occasionally. The Q Mini is used daily, and the Mini Mag has never been used, but is a vitally important piece of safety equipment.
1) 4Sevens Q MiNi CR2 in my pocket at all times. This sees frequent use, and could technically meet all my needs. It's plenty bright and it's always at hand.
2) Surefire G2 with LED drop-in in my glovebox, in case of emergencies. I live in the Midwest, so it's nice to have a reliable, lithium-powered (it gets cold in winter) light with better runtime than the MiNi.
3) Fenix E01 by my bed. Gives me something easily accessible if I need to get up and move around during a power outage. I'm generally either wearing pants or in bed, so between this and the Q MiNi I'm covered for emergency lights around the house.
4) Ridgid 12v LED light in my toolbox. If I'm doing work around the house there's no point running batteries through any of my other lights when this one takes cordless drill packs and runs for 12 hours.
5) Mini Mag with red Nite-Ize upgrade in my flight bag (I'm a pilot) in case the cockpit lighting fails. It's appropriately bright, doesn't kill night vision, and runs for ages.
6) Energizer Hard Case 2D on the shelf in the house. I use this for general tasks, and it's nice to have in case of a long power outage since it runs for 18 hours on cheap batteries. I could easily do without this light, but I love the absurdly solid construction and since I can find uses for it I'll bend my rules for this one.
7) $3.50 6v lantern for fishing. It's big and easy to manipulate with messy hands. It's cheap so I don't care what happens to it. It floats (although it's not waterproof...). I suppose I could replace this with the Energizer, giving it purpose while also getting rid of my only incandescent.
I definitely don't understand the oft-mentioned need for multiple EDC or backup lights, though. To me, the light is the backup. Barring Armageddon, the chances I'll need a light, and the one available to me will be nonfunctional, are miniscule.
Seven lights is still a huge number compared to average people, of course - plenty of households have a single $2 Eveready if they have anything at all. However, you could take away all of my lights except for the Q MiNi and the red Mini Mag, and I'd barely notice. All of the other lights are only used occasionally. The Q Mini is used daily, and the Mini Mag has never been used, but is a vitally important piece of safety equipment.
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