Wow, why in the world do you carry a flashlight with you?

[TwitchALot]

im a nurse and was working night shift last night, i always carry a eagletac D25LC2 mini every where i go. as i was locking my front door on the way to work last night i realised it was still in my other coat pocket - i thought oh well i barely use it anyway, so at 3 am we have a total power failure and im left there in the dark on what has to be the first time i didnt carry a light in at least a couple of years, so after struggling to find fuse boxes with a pen torch which probably gives out about 0.5 lumens ive vowed never to leave the house without my eagletac ever again

You KNOW that's how the world works...

After a little while, you just say screw it, and are always prepared for a wide variety situations. Because the one time you aren't, is the one time it happens.

 

[eh4]

The price is low enough (7$), and the weight/volume is low enough(10.5g with supplied metal clip, 8.3g without) that I'm just about resigned to carry 2-5 of the Innova Microlight around with me at all times now just to gift to folks that don't understand the necessity of flashlights before they need them... or as a redundant failsafe back up for myself for that matter.

About 1/4" thick, 1.5" long, 1" wide, clip adds another inch, all dimensions approximate, all weights are measured.

I like the UI as well, it will turn itself off after 4 min if left in high mode, which is reasonable considering that it is powered by two relatively anemic 2016 lithium coin cells.
Also, without any reading or instruction at all; while the light comes out of the package in "signal mode" (momentary on, high only) after 15 sec. of holding the switch down the light switches to it's primary UI: 1 click =high 6 lumen/"10 hours" (auto off in 4 min.), 2 clicks=low 1 lumen/"22 hours", 3 clicks for an approx. 4Hz flash that looks like it's on the 1 lumen low to me, I bet you'd get 72 hours of usable signal flash out of it.

Beautifully simple and minimal, (while still versatile and self explanatory) cheap/quality light to give to a non enthusiast or a kid... And reasonably cheap to feed.

Sorry if that comes of as a pitch, I've got no affiliation, just picked a bunch of them up at Home Depot to give to my countless nieces and nephews this Christmas. Gotta replenish the stash 'cause I've given away as few to unenlightened friends.

Excellent, all around delux Faux-ton IMHO.

 

[AK_Lite]

I always carry a flashlight in the winter because it is dark and cold. I'm always reaching for my EDC Surefire E2E.

 

[Navman]

Years ago my 10 year old Son and I were watching a movie in a very full theater.

Suddenly everything just goes black and the fire alarm comes on.

Fear sets in and no one is moving as the isles pack with everyone naturally trying to backtrack the way they came in along with all the other theaters and maybe right into the source of the fire alarm.

I turned on my Cheapy lite and started telling everyone to go to the front exits (into the parking lot) it worked.

We never did know why everything but the exit lights went out and the alarm was false, thankfully

The best part was the story my Son wrote about the experience "My Dad knew just what to do and he was the only one who had a flastlight"

For Christmas this year I'm getting my Wife and Son's Photon's for their key rings and 200 lumen flashlights for whatever, Dad has a Fenix TK75 on order

 

[cruzer]

i dont carry one everyday yet, but im thinking i should start.

i have a cheap rechargeable 12 volt light i keep in my vehicle
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001BDEJ34/?tag=cpf0b6-20

ive needed it a time or two.

the other night my neighbor (across the street, 2 houses over) car alarm went off. i just happened to be outside and had a cheap cree light that i attempted to see with. it failed miserably so i had to walk over, but still i had it on me for some reason.

another recent night, someone flashed their light in my window, again uncharacteristic of me i had my light on the couch with me and flashed it back at them.

now im looking to buy a performance light to edc that can reach my neighbors from my house

i would like a keychain light for a backup and edc light since my keys are almost always with me, but my phone has a flashlight app. its kinda funny people claim their stranded in pitch black, but they dont have a phone? flashlight app is free. i mean its not as bright as a real light but its plenty capable to not be stranded

 

[AnAppleSnail]

now im looking to buy a performance light to edc that can reach my neighbors from my house

i would like a keychain light for a backup and edc light since my keys are almost always with me, but my phone has a flashlight app. its kinda funny people claim their stranded in pitch black, but they dont have a phone? flashlight app is free. i mean its not as bright as a real light but its plenty capable to not be stranded

Unless your phone got wet. Phones don't like the rain. I prefer to save my phone battery for phone tasks, like calling for help.

How far is it to the neighbor's house? What kind of terrain and background lighting? Even a $20 1xAAA 3-mode twisty LED will be a BIG difference in the dark.

 

[cruzer]

Unless your phone got wet. Phones don't like the rain. I prefer to save my phone battery for phone tasks, like calling for help.

How far is it to the neighbor's house? What kind of terrain and background lighting? Even a $20 1xAAA 3-mode twisty LED will be a BIG difference in the dark.

most phones today can handle rain with no problem(of course not just sitting in it, but say running into a store with it out), other than that if ur phone gets wet, ur screwed regardless of if its dark or if u need a light lol

my friend brought his iphone 4 and it got wet from four wheeling. we stuck it in a bag of rice and u would never know it got wet, battery charges correctly and lasts as it did before, etc.

and i have an iphone 5 so i can go forever with great battery life

i wish i knew how far away his house was, i have no true precise way to measure. you could probably guess the distance. a normal size and spaced subdivision, he is two houses to the right and across the street from my house. its probably 200 meters or yards if i had to guess

my light is good in all situations except distance. its plenty bright for most uses, but im upgrading for sure

 

[Brightwatt]

I know what you mean!! i never used to wear a watch, and now i would be lost without it. I never used to carry a knife and i can't believe how much i use the little folder i keep in my bag,.... and since my hubby got me this adorable tiny flashlight, it never leaves my purse either.

It's come in handy quite a few times as well.

 

[Timothybil]

Try Google Earth. Zoom in on your neighborhood. Google Earth has a nice measurment tool you can use to determine the distance between any two points. I've used it several times to calibrate my flashlight tests. Works great.

 

[cruzer]

Try Google Earth. Zoom in on your neighborhood. Google Earth has a nice measurment tool you can use to determine the distance between any two points. I've used it several times to calibrate my flashlight tests. Works great.

genius! i used our addresses and got 150ft, gonna try google earth next

thanks!!!

 

[RCS1300]

"Because I own the night."


**************************************
From my firearms training last night:


The Angel of The Night

Fear not the night, fear those who walk the night.
And I am he that walks the night,
But only evil need to fear me
And gentle souls sleep safe in their beds
Because I own the night.


By Lt.Col. Dave Grossman

 

[Foot Hill]

Hello. Pretty much my first post on this site.
I am a mobile mechanic and have used flashlights as part of my job carried in shirt pocket for over 12 years.
Even before that... Way before that! I carried around aaa & aa mag lights as a pre teen. Got that from my dad who is also mobile mechanic.
It's amazing how many problems I've solved/discovered. (Few per week) that are found by just looking with a flashlight. People say "I could of found that" and I say well... What didn't you?
It's because most people do not have a flashlight handy.
NOT ME!
Must have before leaving the house
Cell phone
Wallet
Flashlight
Sharp knife.
Otherwise something's missing.

 

[travelinman]

Yup, another geocacher here, I've found a dull black, 1/4" x 1/4" cache in a black burned out stump at night. Without a flashlight it would have been impossible. But, I also have had to search underneath the table at a booth in a pub for a black hat on occasion, handy to have a 4-7s AA Preon and an ITP C7 in single A mode with spare batterys for both on my person at all times.
Stan

 

[bighawk]

I get asked this question frequently along with why I carry a knife. Usually someone who asks me why I carry a flashlight only knows I have it because I was helping them by lighting something up for them at which time I say... "This is why I carry a flashlight." They always seem to understand after that.

 

[af0h]

Years ago, I used to EDC because of my job - deckhand on a towboat. There was always reason, day and night, to carry a flashlight on a towboat.

I did get out of it for many years after leaving the towboat industry (doesn't work well with a wife and kids), but started EDC'ing here about a month ago. I now carry an ITP A3 EOS on my keychain and take a Mini Maglite Pro + (or something larger if needed) when I take the dog for a walk at night.

 

[pwhite87]

I EDC now because like so many others here, you know, SMART, PRACTICAL people that seem to prefer having control over a situation as opposed to crooning like dependent twits that feel soo oh just so INCONVIENIENCED, I needed a light one evening and I didn't have one. NEVER AGAIN I said after that. After reviewing my post Ive detected that it looks a bit ranty........ Well when someone makes a comment as rhetorical and prepostorous as the thread has shown, I guess even I just need to get it off my chest. FIN.:thanks:

 

[bemymonkey]

What do you guys say to the people who laugh and ask, "What, are you afraid of the dark?" because they've never in their lives worked in a room with a broken ceiling light or been in an area with no lighting infrastructure after dark...? These are people who forget flashlights when they go camping, so an answer with any sort of logic in it is pretty much out of the question

So far my response has simply been, "Of course, aren't you?", but I'm wondering if there's an easier/more truthful way to explain

 

[croarcher]

If there is a 50% possibility that will be raining,would you take an umbrella?
What about chance that 100% will be night/dark??

 

[bemymonkey]

Can't ask that, I always forget an umbrella

You bring up a good point though - are there EDC sized umbrellas?

 

[bluemax_1]

What do you guys say to the people who laugh and ask, "What, are you afraid of the dark?" because they've never in their lives worked in a room with a broken ceiling light or been in an area with no lighting infrastructure after dark...? These are people who forget flashlights when they go camping, so an answer with any sort of logic in it is pretty much out of the question

So far my response has simply been, "Of course, aren't you?", but I'm wondering if there's an easier/more truthful way to explain

This post actually made me recall a buddy of mine who had the 'bright' idea of NOT bringing any kind of light source the first time we went SPELUNKING, because he wanted to "allow his eyes to adapt to the darkness". Wow... the guide put it to him quite bluntly, "We're not going on a moonlight stroll where your eyes can adapt to the minimal ambient light. Where we're going, there is NO light that we didn't bring with us".

He drove the point home when we were far underground by having us all turn off all our lights and close our eyes to allow our eyes to adapt, then after several minutes of standing still in the dark, he told us to open our eyes to see what we could see. It was the blackest black I've ever been in. I couldn't even detect movement from waving my hand in front of my face. I had to touch my face to confirm to myself that I WAS, in fact, waving my hand in front of my face. There was a collective sigh of relief when he said we could turn our lights back on.


Max