fyrstormer
Banned
My EDC hasn't changed in a year and a half. (EDIT: make that three years)
For the past 20 months, I've been carrying the same three lights in my pockets: a Jetbeam TC-R2, a Muyshondt Ti Aeon, and a McGizmo Sapphire 25. The TC-R2 is my go-to light, the Muyshondt is my backup in case the TC-R2's battery dies or I loan it to someone, and the Sapphire is a dedicated moonlight (because multi-mode lights just can't match the runtime of a dedicated moonlight). I have carried other lights from time to time, but not often enough to consider them part of my EDC, or even my RDC (Rotating Daily Carry). 90% of the time if not more often, these three lights are what I leave the house with. They don't even "sleep" on the credenza in my study along with my other lights, they just move from one set of pants to another.
In other aspects of my life, this would not be an odd occurrence. Generally speaking, when I realize I need a new widget, I do some research, buy the widget with the best combination of features for my use, and use it for the next ten years or so until it breaks. Obviously that has not been the case with flashlights; anyone who's seen pictures of my McGizmo collection can tell that much. I used to think it was because of CPF, because of the community of enthusiasts, that I got sucked into flashlight-collecting as a hobby. Lately I've realized that while CPF is a great place to compare notes and find out about the latest and greatest, it doesn't make me *want* to buy more flashlights. As I've thought more about my past I've realized that I've *always* had an interest in flashlights, and if CPF is responsible for anything it's only to give me options I wouldn't be able to find on a store shelf. It's really only because of those extra options that my interest expanded into a hobby.
Regardless of the root cause, though, since flashlight-collecting *has* become a hobby for me, it feels rather strange to be in a position where I realize my needs are met for the foreseeable future. I've continued to buy new flashlights that I can use in specific applications -- low-power AA lights for the glovebox in the car, shock-insulated Malkoffs for bicycle headlights -- and the occasional light that piques my interest for some reason or another, but I know from the outset that they're not going to replace anything currently in my EDC. It's strange to have reached the apex of my hobby.
I used to wrench on my old car, replacing and upgrading parts on a regular basis, but that hobby died before the car was made perfect, because it was too old and I couldn't keep it running without investing enough money to buy a new car. I own two mountain bikes, the older of which is essentially perfect at this point, but all that means is I can really enjoy riding it now because it has no deficiencies anymore. This is something different, because while the usage of my flashlights justifies my ownership of them, it was the buying and customizing and Lego-ing that was the vast majority of the hobby. Now that I have what I really need, there's little else to hold my interest. I'm not sure this has ever happened to me before.
For the past 20 months, I've been carrying the same three lights in my pockets: a Jetbeam TC-R2, a Muyshondt Ti Aeon, and a McGizmo Sapphire 25. The TC-R2 is my go-to light, the Muyshondt is my backup in case the TC-R2's battery dies or I loan it to someone, and the Sapphire is a dedicated moonlight (because multi-mode lights just can't match the runtime of a dedicated moonlight). I have carried other lights from time to time, but not often enough to consider them part of my EDC, or even my RDC (Rotating Daily Carry). 90% of the time if not more often, these three lights are what I leave the house with. They don't even "sleep" on the credenza in my study along with my other lights, they just move from one set of pants to another.
In other aspects of my life, this would not be an odd occurrence. Generally speaking, when I realize I need a new widget, I do some research, buy the widget with the best combination of features for my use, and use it for the next ten years or so until it breaks. Obviously that has not been the case with flashlights; anyone who's seen pictures of my McGizmo collection can tell that much. I used to think it was because of CPF, because of the community of enthusiasts, that I got sucked into flashlight-collecting as a hobby. Lately I've realized that while CPF is a great place to compare notes and find out about the latest and greatest, it doesn't make me *want* to buy more flashlights. As I've thought more about my past I've realized that I've *always* had an interest in flashlights, and if CPF is responsible for anything it's only to give me options I wouldn't be able to find on a store shelf. It's really only because of those extra options that my interest expanded into a hobby.
Regardless of the root cause, though, since flashlight-collecting *has* become a hobby for me, it feels rather strange to be in a position where I realize my needs are met for the foreseeable future. I've continued to buy new flashlights that I can use in specific applications -- low-power AA lights for the glovebox in the car, shock-insulated Malkoffs for bicycle headlights -- and the occasional light that piques my interest for some reason or another, but I know from the outset that they're not going to replace anything currently in my EDC. It's strange to have reached the apex of my hobby.
I used to wrench on my old car, replacing and upgrading parts on a regular basis, but that hobby died before the car was made perfect, because it was too old and I couldn't keep it running without investing enough money to buy a new car. I own two mountain bikes, the older of which is essentially perfect at this point, but all that means is I can really enjoy riding it now because it has no deficiencies anymore. This is something different, because while the usage of my flashlights justifies my ownership of them, it was the buying and customizing and Lego-ing that was the vast majority of the hobby. Now that I have what I really need, there's little else to hold my interest. I'm not sure this has ever happened to me before.
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