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



## PaleBlueDot

Says my friend to me today.

At around 5.45pm today, the building that I work at lost its power. For some reason the generator wasn't kicking in and it was already dark out (New Zealand winter). Everything was pitch black and my buddy and I needed to get down from the 8th floor using the stairs. He goes ahead of me and uses the flashlight app on his phone, but stops after about 30 seconds since at the end of the workday, his phone's battery was at 5% already. Well, we didn't want to feel our way down the pitch black stairwell or wait for the power to come back on. 

Out comes my new Prometheus Alpha from my bag and on medium provides enough light to illuminate the entire stairwell, all 8 floors down and 8 floors up. I'm standing on the landing, headed down when I hear him ask 'Wow, why in the world do you carry a flashlight on you?' I literally stop in my tracks and give him the :thinking: face while bouncing the Alpha's beam around the pitch black of the stairwell when all of a sudden he goes 'Oh, right' . I just  and we get reach the ground floor in one piece just as the lights come back on.

It seems really strange that I can't ever seem to leave the house without a watch, a knife, and a flashlight. When just last year I didn't have any of them. I couldn't imagine going through my day without the convenience of portable illumination now. Anyone else feel the same?


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## tj4xfun

i feel the same way. i always have a leatherman squirt on me but not a flashlight. i'm sure this will change since i joined this site. :laughing:


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## RobertM

Yeah, you kind of feel naked if you leave the house without a flashlight...even if it's noon.


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## climberkid

Someone bitched at me for 5 minutes and called me an idiot because I had a flashlight in my waistband for PT at 0445 this morning. The argument "it's dark outside..." wasn't enough for him. He compared a small flashlight to being like me having NVGs with me. Put me in a sour mood.


-Alex


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## AnAppleSnail

There's a reason I keep a Vesuvius on my keychain. (And no, it's not just "Mine's bigger than yours!"). A light is the tool that lets you use all your other tools. Without light, you can't even walk safely.

The best 'logical' answer for "Why do you have a flashlight?" is "If it MIGHT rain, you carry an umbrella. It will ALWAYS be dark 12 hours from now (Maybe longer in NZ summer), so I carry a light." The best illogical answer is to turn off the circuit breakers and then walk off with your flashlight...


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## biglights

Very good post, the people who hassle me are usually the first ones to come running when they need some light!! :candle:


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## S1LVA

biglights said:


> Very good post, the people who hassle me are usually the first ones to come running when they need some light!! :candle:



+1

It's ALWAYS, "Hey, Silva, let me use your light!"

:wave:
S1LVA


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## [email protected]

*

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


*A:* Why DON'T you? 




PaleBlueDot said:


> It seems really strange that I can't ever seem to leave the house without a watch,* a knife*, and a flashlight. When just last year I didn't have any of them. I couldn't imagine going through my day without the convenience of portable illumination now. Anyone else feel the same?




Ah so NZ's knife laws haven't gotten draconian yet (like ours)?


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## PaleBlueDot

[email protected] said:


> *
> 
> Q: *Wow, why in the world do you carry a flashlight with you?
> 
> 
> *A:* Why DON'T you?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ah so NZ's knife laws haven't gotten draconian yet (like ours)?



Oh they are. I think they are even worse than Aussie knife laws. Still, I carry my sky blue Spyderco Delica with my everyday. It's a quality of life improvement on my end.


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## Stress_Test

Heh heh, I have an imaginary scenario that I think would be fun if someone hit me with that question:


POOF! Lights out. Pitch dark large interior room, or better yet, basement hallway, etc etc. The creepier the better. My flashlight comes on and now we can see again. Immediately someone asks (snarky tone) "Why the heck do you have a _flashlight_ with you!?" In response I say something like "oh you're right, how stupid, guess I'll get rid of it" then turn off the light and toss it along the floor. Everyone hears the light bounce rattle and roll off into some far unknown corner of the dark. I say "okay, carry on now". I wait a few minutes for panic to really start setting in before pulling my second light and turning it on (then going to retrieve the light I tossed, of course) 




That would be fun but unfortunately nowadays everyone has a dang cell phone that can be used for emergency, close range lighting, so that kind of spoils the fun.


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## Onthelightside

> POOF! Lights out. Pitch dark large interior room, or better yet, basement hallway, etc etc. The creepier the better. My flashlight comes on and now we can see again. Immediately someone asks (snarky tone) "Why the heck do you have a _flashlight_ with you!?" In response I say something like "oh you're right, how stupid, guess I'll get rid of it" then turn off the light and toss it along the floor. Everyone hears the light bounce rattle and roll off into some far unknown corner of the dark. I say "okay, carry on now". I wait a few minutes for panic to really start setting in before pulling my second light and turning it on (then going to retrieve the light I tossed, of course)



 Thats pretty good...


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## välineurheilija

I say i carry the light for geocaching and i allways have look into dark places :candle:


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## HotWire

In my family I'm the one that gets to fix things. I'm always looking into an engine compartment, a dark place under the sink, etc. I carry the Vesuvius, but know its limitations (short run time). I usually carry another small flashlight with the same battery as backup. My car has several flashlights.... just in case.


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## Burgess

When people ask me this question, i simply reply " Vision Problems ".

They just respond with: " Oh ".



_


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## tjswarbrick

My dad has 3xaaa 9-LED junkers stashed all around the house. He, at least, only asked my I need one so bright! (M61W in a 6P.) I told him it's 'cause I walk the dog every night, after his grandkids go to bed.

Everyone else, I just tell 'em "it gets dark every night." It usually works.


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## Norm

It's been said here many times before people carry an umbrella if there's a 20% chance of rain, there's a 100% chance of darkness for part of every day  

Norm


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## smokinbasser

While in the military I worked in a building without windows (the previous school was top secret and they took no chances with um nosey folk) and when severe weather struck they noticed two things; 1st being the emergency light batteries were dead, (the press to test button only confirmed the light bulb worked) and it was darker than the inside of a pitch black coal bin and 2nd virtually nobody carried a flashlight. Watches with radium dials provide very little light source after being inside the building for 4 to 5 hours. I now carry two lights when dressed, if one is good two are not too many. One is a Photon Microlight and one of the 47s titanium mini 123 lights, the photon is only marginally larger than the plastic part of a car key and is on my key ring.


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## HighlanderNorth

Yep. Prior to joining here, I didnt even own a flashlight at that time. I didnt know how good the LED lights had become, and had lost my Maglight somewhere years earlier. But I had NEVER carried a flashlight with me, ever.

But then I bought my 1st LED light, but still didnt carry it til about 8 months ago. Then I started carrying it everywhere in my pocket. It _was_ a BC-10, but I lost it _somehow_ just last Wednesday. Now I am scrambling to figure out which light to carry with me. That and I sold my 2 Eagletac D25's last week. But I did get in a new Jetbeam PA-10, but I dont want to scratch it all up! Nor do I want to scratch my T20CS or G25C2 or my SC600, or my new Preon 2, etc. I've been carrying my new Thrunite Ti. But now I am waiting for the BC-10's replacement, a new PC-10. Its about the same size, still a single 123 light, with an XM-L instead of XP-G, but its brighter and has more modes.

When I dont have a flashlight with me, I always end up needing one! I now think its silly _NOT_ to carry a flashlight!


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## headers

There is a specific, if longwinded, reason why I carry a light 24-7 but this only gets trotted out if I am in the mood. 

Generally this question comes up exactly in situations as described by the OP, we have just encountered some greater or lesser need for light and I provide some suitably excessive amount. Quite why people choose to question my ability to provide for their needs exactly when they have them is baffling. 

S


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## Illum

RobertM said:


> Yeah, you kind of feel naked if you leave the house without a flashlight...even if it's noon.


I

would rather accidentally leave my clothes at home than accidentally leaving my EDC hanging in the shower or somewhere besides my neck, but

you

can decide whats comfortable for you


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## Up All Night

Nary a day goes by that I don't use a light for some task. Under the hood, searching a drawer, searching shelves at poorly lit stores etc... Once my friends finally realized how often they were asking if I had a light they started edcing as well.
I'm usually in possession of 3, an E01 on my car keys, Costco special in a thigh pocket and a rotation of neck carries.
I've recently discovered my TK41 fits nicely in the hammer loop on my Wrangler Ranger pants, finally I can get that thing off my neck!.....No, not really


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## chmsam

I actually have just turned off the light I was using during an "emergency." It tends to shut people up pretty quickly when I walk away leaving them in the dark. 

Almost every day I have to use a light to see in dark places even with lights on in the area. For example, there are just too many obstacles in the way to clearly see what's printed on the case of product I'm looking for.

Also, I've never seen a flashlight phone app that was good for more than a few minutes and none of them throw out enough light to be truly worth it. I look at them as battery wasters.

But the hardest thing I had to learn was to not be the nice guy after someone gives me a hard time about my EDC. I found out it is far more educational to let them fail on their own sometimes as long as it's somewhat gently.


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## angelofwar

Burgess said:


> When people ask me this question, i simply reply " Vision Problems ".
> 
> They just respond with: " Oh ".
> 
> 
> 
> _



Ha-Ha! And if they ask "Oh, really?", you say "Yeah, my eye's don't see well in the dark"...


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## jorn

If pepole ask me this time of year, i have no good answer.
Just came home from a fishingtrip. This is as dark as it gets at night around here


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## Richub

"You're crazy carrying flashlights on a summer's day!" This I heard from a man on 11.30 during a nice organized walk through a summer landscape. 
At 12.00 we get to some bunkers which we'll explore as a part of that trip. (I knew this of course, apparently the rest did not...)

Once we got inside I turned off my light after a minute stating that it was indeed crazy to carry a flashlight during a summer's day. 
As we only had the guide's Maglite 2D and our group counted 9 people it didn't take long for the first one to bump his head pretty hard because the guide lit up a corridor ahead of us. "For effs sakes, can you give me an effing flashlight?" asked that same man. My answer: "Nope, I left them at the entrance after you made me realize how stupid it was to carry those flashlights." He started swearing so bad the rest of the group just started laughing at it. :hahaha:

At that time I turned on my TK15 again, knowing I made my point. :devil: 
I ended up loaning that TK15 to the guide as the batteries of his maglite started dying during the bunker tour. I used my trusty PD32 for the remainder of the tour, and impressed the crap out of everyone using my TK35 on turbo to light up a big room in the largest bunker. 

I even think I infected that guide with the flashaholic virus during the time he used my TK15. He kept asking where he could buy one... 

Sometimes a flashaholic's revenge can be sweeter than honey...


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## huntz362

välineurheilija said:


> I say i carry the light for geocaching and i allways have look into dark places :candle:



A fellow geocacher! When I start carrying my new surefire or alpha blue label after I receive them, this will probably be my response too. However, then I would have to explain geocaching to them 

Geocacher since 2001
Flashaholic since 2012


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## KingMonkey

I always carried some sort of crappy pocket or keychain light. no one ever asked me why. My reasons are mostly due to the shadows made by lights when I drop things. The things I drop like to hide in the shadows. Now that I found this site I now have good lights.


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## climberkid

Because its required by my government for my job...i just got lucky I found the job after I was already addicted. I could literally loose my job if I didn't have a flashlight. Right now my light of choice for work is Promethius Alpha Ready Made with the MC-E. Sometimes my V11R SE. Just depends on if it's night or day and if I need extreme variance in output.


-Alex


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## Richub

Last week some coworker gave me some grief about carrying flashlights during the day. 
Just 20 minutes later he came back from the bathroom swearing: The bulb blew, so he had to do his business in the dark, which forced him to sit down like a woman to make sure he didn't mess up that bathroom.

After that story I went to the bathroom, holding my PD32 visibly in my hand. I said nothing, but judging from the evil look that coworker gave me he clearly got the message.


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## Phantom309

I just tell them I'm scared of the dark.


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## idleprocess

I have noticed that there are certain sectors of society that have this curious aversion to anything resembling emergency preparedness. Can't really nail it down (proper armchair-psychiatrist style), but they do seem to see the carrying of tools, stocking emergency provisions, or having some sort of plan on what to do in an emergency as some sign of paranoia or other wackiness they find distasteful at best.

One of my co-workers seems to really think that all he needs is a car charger for his cell phone and a AAA membership to get out of a tough jam. He just seems so accustomed to society functioning as planned that the idea of a disaster interrupting service is both inconceivable and unpleasant. If only he knew that I have a flashlight, batteries, a first aid kit, some canned food, and other stuff that could come in handy if I'm stuck at work unexpectedly - he'd probably be calling me a paranoid schizophrenic.

I do not argue with those people any more. They are too firmly attached to their preconceived notions.


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## Casper507

My buddy leaves home all the time without a knife or a flashlight. He has a light on his phone that is actually pretty good output.I gave him a 3 mode singlecell reverse clickie Romisen C4 type light and a two cell P6 style hoste with G&P Strobe switch and a XRE drop-in. He doesn't carry them. At least not often anyway. I saw he had the minimaglite with 120 lumen drop-in and 5mode switch I found for his copper color minimag in his 4 wheeler the other day. I may just get him a solitaire size twisty to put on his keys.


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## mauiblue

I carry a flashlight because I work at night. There are times where I do need to look around in nooks and crannies for something I may have dropped or it is just plain dark and I need to light up the area to see. I do work in an office that is void of windows so when the power goes out, out come my flashlight.


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## Ualnosaj

Because where we live, the sun does go down...



________________
Sent from my mobile device. Please excuse the brevity of this message.


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## shelm

Burgess said:


> When people ask me this question, i simply reply " Vision Problems ".





tjswarbrick said:


> I just tell 'em "it gets dark every night."


i havent followed this specific entire thread (it's a typical recurring thread topic on cpf ) but i like these 2 responses so far best.

very cool :thumbsup:


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## luceat lux vestra

I carry a flashlight because.  I can't afford night vision yet. That always gets the WOW look


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## bemymonkey

luceat lux vestra said:


> I can't afford night vision yet.



Best reply yet


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## jorn

luceat lux vestra said:


> I carry a flashlight because.  I can't afford night vision yet. That always gets the WOW look


Haha i actually use to say " I see everyhing" (with arnold accent) if pepole ask me to light up a area for them. (Terminator one said that before he turned on his nightvision.)
Many pepole used to ask me why, but now they usually ask if i carry my light and if they can borrow it for a sec or two


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## Brasso

Because it beats the hell out of "Fire on a Stick".


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## fyrstormer

During a power outage at my office, I pulled out a flashlight and one of the managers called me a Boy Scout. Then I loaned that flashlight to someone, and pulled out my backup. At that point the same manager said "wait, you have TWO flashlights? Why do you have TWO flashlights?" Being as tactful as ever, I looked around the dark office and said "that seems like kind of a stupid question right now, doesn't it?" After that, he left me alone.


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## ericjohn

It's psychological I guess. I think my "security blanket complex" that never went away. I always felt as if I needed one of my favorite things with me all the time and almost 99% of the time that was a flashlight. That and I feel as if I need to be able to be somewhat prepared and the one preparedness item that is legal virtually anywhere is a flashlight. I know multi cell Maglites and Surefire Defenders can be used as weapons, but or not considered weapons, therefore you could carry them into weapon free zones legally. Aside from personal protection and preparedness, I have always been fascinated with flashlights and I simply think they are cool. I used to be ashamed of myself for being obscessed with flashlights up until the age of 18, when I realized my soon to be best friend also thought flashlights (among other edc gadgets) were cool.


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## reppans

I don't carry *A* flashlight....I carry two... or three!


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## Martytuazon

I live in an earthquake zone!


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## greatscoot

I carry one in my pocket, one in my backpack and one on my keyring.


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## Landshark99

One on me, two in my bag and three in the car, never know when it might get dark


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## fyrstormer

greatscoot said:


> I carry one in my pocket and one in my backpack. You can never be too prepared.


Sure you can. You can be so "prepared" that you can no longer outrun the zombies.


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## RCS1300

I carry a flashlight because I see things other people can't.


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## mbw_151

When I get the, "Why do you carry a flashlight?" my response is, "Because I can't count on you to have one when I need one". Sometimes they get it and sometimes they don't. I marvel that the ones that don't survive.


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## ResFiatLuxAddict

PaleBlueDot said:


> Says my friend to me today.
> 
> I'm standing on the landing, headed down when I hear him ask 'Wow, why in the world do you carry a flashlight on you?' I literally stop in my tracks



That's when you should have said, "You're right. It is kind of silly," turned off the light, and said "Start walking." :devil:


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## timokimm

I had never heard of EDC until my dad got me into watching nutnfancy on youtube. I have since become obsessed with outfitting myself, wife and 5 children with potential lifesaving gear. 

The teasing i have endured in just the past couple of days ("Prepping for Y2K again?" type jokes) has been really astounding. Even after trying to explain it's just for every day preparedness, i get these scoffs. Oh well, as the above stories seem to attest, when the power goes out, at least they will know who to come to for help.

This is a great forum and awesome help for a noob like me!


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## RCS1300

Because you cannot see without light.


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## fyrstormer

timokimm said:


> I had never heard of EDC until my dad got me into watching nutnfancy on youtube. I have since become obsessed with outfitting myself, wife and 5 children with potential lifesaving gear.
> 
> The teasing i have endured in just the past couple of days ("Prepping for Y2K again?" type jokes) has been really astounding. Even after trying to explain it's just for every day preparedness, i get these scoffs. Oh well, as the above stories seem to attest, when the power goes out, at least they will know who to come to for help.
> 
> This is a great forum and awesome help for a noob like me!


I have to say, I'd be sorely tempted to "rub it in" by refusing their requests for help since they were too shortsighted to see how a few simple tools would be worth carrying around. It wouldn't make them like me any better, but depending on whether I like them, I might not care.

Although, this reminds me of something I read online a couple years ago, along the lines of "What fairy tales would teach children if they hadn't been written by psychopaths". One example was The Ant and the Grasshopper: at the end of the story, when winter came, instead of letting the grasshopper starve to death in the snow, the ant shared his food with the grasshopper while the grasshopper played music for the ant, to keep spirits up until spring.

Of course, in real life it's kind of a toss-up as to whether it's worth helping people who don't appreciate your preparation. I guess it would depend on whether they are merely shortsighted, or insulting as well.


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## DaDoWL

I remember watching a nutnfancy video about the foursevens preon2 pen-light. Needless to say I ordered it halfway through the video. It was my very first torch and I was very excited to receive it in the mail. My wife wouldn't stop making fun of me for spending over 5 dollars on a flashlight. About a week later I couldn't count on all my fingers an toes how many times she's said, "Hey babe, do you have that light on you?". Who's laughing now!!! I can't stand not having a flashlight on me at all possible times. I even sleep with one next to my bed ready to go!


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## DaDoWL

timokimm said:


> I had never heard of EDC until my dad got me into watching nutnfancy on youtube. I have since become obsessed with outfitting myself, wife and 5 children with potential lifesaving gear.
> 
> The teasing i have endured in just the past couple of days ("Prepping for Y2K again?" type jokes) has been really astounding. Even after trying to explain it's just for every day preparedness, i get these scoffs. Oh well, as the above stories seem to attest, when the power goes out, at least they will know who to come to for help.
> 
> This is a great forum and awesome help for a noob like me!



Shoot at work people always ask me this question. I'm pretty good at making them wish they had all the edc items I had on me in about 5 minutes. I came in to work one day and a manager said "hey guess what I needed today an didnt have" and I said what??? A flashlight! And he frowns in embarrassment hahahaha!!!


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## Kraid

In the event that the Nukes drop the power... again.

Where I work, the majority of people EDC a light, knife and multitool, even if they don't know what EDC means.


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## Richub

Today my friends 10 days old adorable granddaughter threw up on my pants & shirt, she is one of those baby's who puke a lot, unfortunately...
When taking my clothes off for a quick wash & dry my friend saw my E05 emerge from my jeans pocket, and asked: "Why on earth do you carry a flashlight in daytime?" I just told him it wasn't the only light I carried. 

10 minutes late his wife lost a contact lens, and I used my TK15 on turbo to sweep the floor, and that lens immediately became visible before anyone could step on it. After she cleaned the lens she put it back in and told her husband: "I think this just answered your question, love."
Cool thing to see she understood, while he still looked kinda puzzled.


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## hoffmyster86

i used to say why bother then bought a small 100 luminum thing, and didnt know where to put it, so into the coat pocket and there it stayed because i forgot it was there, then, oooo i just needed one, then again, and again and so on... very handy actualy.


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## HighlanderNorth

The other day I was asked a similar question right here of all places! On a flashlight forum! A guy here asked "why anyone would ever give a flashlight as a gift" in a somewhat derogatory manner. He said it isnt "personal" enough. To that I told him basically to each his or her own, and if he wants to give personal gifts like underwear to his guy friends, then more power to him! But those guy friends would probably prefer he just give them something like, oh, say, a flashlight?


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## fyrstormer

Not personal enough? I suppose an XBox game or a gift card might be more personal, somehow? Any gift I give to a person because I think they could use it, or might enjoy it, is personal. If that's not personal enough, get their initials engraved in the tailcap.


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## nicho

no need to take flashlight, as everyone has a mobile phone, can use software to do it.


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## Richub

nicho said:


> no need to take flashlight, as everyone has a mobile phone, can use software to do it.



Not possible with my smartphone... My Samsung Galaxy S Plus doesn't have a LED flash.


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## Korgath

Lets say the power goes out in the middle of a party/meeting/lift and you happen to have a great little light with you, imagine the wow factor and the "wtf is that geek" look you will receive from colleagues/friends etc Priceless!!


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## Korgath

fyrstormer said:


> During a power outage at my office, I pulled out a flashlight and one of the managers called me a Boy Scout. Then I loaned that flashlight to someone, and pulled out my backup. At that point the same manager said "wait, you have TWO flashlights? Why do you have TWO flashlights?" Being as tactful as ever, I looked around the dark office and said "that seems like kind of a stupid question right now, doesn't it?" After that, he left me alone.


Seriously, I LOL in real life  Best post award ++


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## eebowler

RobertM said:


> Yeah, you kind of feel naked if you leave the house without a flashlight...even if it's noon.



Oh yeah, I know that feeling. I feel naked without a light, knife, phone and rag (tropics, I sweat a lot  )

I have a light or two or more  always even when I go to work at 6am because sometimes, the other person wouldn't show up and I'll be stuck at work till 10pm.


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## chmsam

nicho said:


> no need to take flashlight, as everyone has a mobile phone, can use software to do it.




Evevn assuming you're not serious...


Not _everyone_ has a mobile phone.
Not everyone has a fully charged battery.
Not every mobile phone has an LED light option.
Not every situation calls for a relatively low level of light that mobile phones offer.

I could go on (and on) but using a mobile phone light in many cases would be like trying to build a house using only a multi-tool. It might be done but it isn't usually the best tool for the job.


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## idleprocess

chmsam said:


> Evevn assuming you're not serious...
> 
> 
> Not _everyone_ has a mobile phone.
> Not everyone has a fully charged battery.
> Not every mobile phone has an LED light option.
> Not every situation calls for a relatively low level of light that mobile phones offer.
> 
> I could go on (and on) but using a mobile phone light in many cases would be like trying to build a house using only a multi-tool. It might be done but it isn't usually the best tool for the job.


If you have a phone with a LED camera flash that can be used as a flashlight, it can be downright handy and may do most jobs that a keychain (or other small) light is called on to do. Got a Fenix L0D on my keychain that's simply not as well suited to numerous close-range tasks as the LED flash on my phone that can be activated via a widget on the main screen. I carry both every day and will favor the phone since it gets charged on a daily basis, but I might also be unusual in the sense that I don't run down the phone's battery regularly.


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## BenChiew

I usually tell them to mind their own business.


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## msim

This seemed like a good thread to post this story.

A non-flashlight enthusiast coworker just left for a 3 week trip through Europe. She was talking with another coworker about all the stuff she needed to get before her trip and I asked if she had a flashlight. She said she didn't and probably wouldn't need one. I convinced her otherwise with the help of another coworker who recently traveled and gave her an extra Sipek SK-68 clone I had in my desk with a fresh L-91 Lithium. 

I was pleasantly surprised to get this email from her yesterday (only 2 days into her trip).






One by one I'll make converts out of everyone I know


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## sidecross

'Wow, why in the world do you' NOT 'carry a flashlight with you?' :thumbsup:


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## T45

This type of thinking gets re-enforced over the course of a life time because their reasoning is "Nothing bad has ever happened to me yet, ie they had money to pay someone to get them out of trouble...why bother with all that preparedness nonsense?" There seems to be an ever increasing number of people who not only won't have a dependable light at home, but don't carry water on hot days, refuse to have a decent jacket or hat in cold weather, wear sandals when it's snowing, and even refuse to check if they even HAVE a spare tire before a trip of 100s of miles, etc. 

Me? I have had cars break down miles from home, had lights go out in public buildings, and needed a light to repair something. Like many of you, I rarely go anywhere without at least one light, knife, pen, and watch. During the winter days, some type of fire starter gets added. 




idleprocess said:


> I have noticed that there are certain sectors of society that have this curious aversion to anything resembling emergency preparedness. Can't really nail it down (proper armchair-psychiatrist style), but they do seem to see the carrying of tools, stocking emergency provisions, or having some sort of plan on what to do in an emergency as some sign of paranoia or other wackiness they find distasteful at best.
> 
> One of my co-workers seems to really think that all he needs is a car charger for his cell phone and a AAA membership to get out of a tough jam. He just seems so accustomed to society functioning as planned that the idea of a disaster interrupting service is both inconceivable and unpleasant. If only he knew that I have a flashlight, batteries, a first aid kit, some canned food, and other stuff that could come in handy if I'm stuck at work unexpectedly - he'd probably be calling me a paranoid schizophrenic.
> 
> I do not argue with those people any more. They are too firmly attached to their preconceived notions.


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## socom1970

My answer is usually either the 100% chance of darkness answer or simply that you never know when you will need one. 

I have an excellent flashlight app on my Motorola Electify, but it is only for convenience. I would never use my phone light for emergencies. I would save it's battery for communication purposes only. 

I always have multiple lights on me. For personal EDC, it's an HDS 200 Lumen Rotary in an AOTH black Sharkskin beltpouch, a Milky-modded SF E2e/MOAL 4000K XM-L Gen.1 KL1 clipped in a pocket, spare 123 cells, a McGizmo Sapphire on my keys, and a couple of lighthound freebie microlights also on my keys and jacket zipper.

For work, I EDC a Malkoff (v.3? 1350 lumens) Wildcat, Malkoff MD2/M61, and assorted AA/AAA pocket lights for bite-light purposes.

For me, it's about being always prepared. I also have a small tool collection from countycomm.com on my keys. 

Two is one and one is none.


----------



## HWman

Question: "Wow, why in the world do you carry a flashlight with you?"
Answer: "I have limited vision. I can't see when there isn't enough light."

Question: "Wow, why in the world do you carry a flashlight with you?"
Answer: "What are you talking about? Did I lose two flashlights?"

Question: "Wow, why in the world do you carry a flashlight with you?"
Answer: "Well, in this world, the flashlight will not carry me!"

Question: "Wow, why in the world do you carry a flashlight with you?"
Answer: "I used to carry a table lamp that was plugged into an extension cord, but I never seemed to leave the house."

Maybe that was one too many...


----------



## Kraid

HWman said:


> Question: "Wow, why in the world do you carry a flashlight with you?"
> Answer: "Well, in this world, the flashlight will not carry me!"



In Soviet Russia, flashlight carries YOU! :devil:


----------



## RCS1300

Benchiew said:


> I usually tell them to mind their own business.



Keep in mind the person asking the question may be looking for a good reason to purchase and carry a flashlight.


----------



## appliancejunk

Landshark99 said:


> One on me, two in my bag and three in the car, never know when it might get dark



I know when. Every night.


----------



## TEEJ

Sigh.

This happens many times for me, as I am in lots and lots of places. Sometimes, its innocent surprise that I have one, but, more typically, its that I have one that seems surreally bright.

I've had the opposite, as I primarily do forensic investigations..and an inspector with a flashlight is not THAT weird at least....but they see I have a little 4-6" light in my hand, and plan on using it to light up an area they assume I'd need a giant search light for, and scoff at my "Lack of preparedness for that area" or similar sentiment...as they never seem to expect a wee LED light to pump out so much light.

I have also had situations where I had a flashlight out, and swapped to another one because it was better suited pattern-wise, etc...and seen the "Wait, you have ANOTHER FLASHLIGHT?!?!" look...which does tend to worsen when the 3rd or 4th light comes out later.


----------



## appliancejunk

Q: Wow, why in the world do you carry a flashlight with you?
A: Just incase it gets dark out tonight, again.


----------



## DaDoWL

I usually always have 2 lights on my person! If I slept with pants on them bad boys would be in there Believe you me! I want to get a nice keychain light maybe the new preon p0. I always have a flashlight in my cars. 
I was able to influence a guy at church, which now carries three lights on him at all times, along with a couple knives and a multitool.


----------



## Albert56

Simple... because it gets dark and humans don't have IR vision.


----------



## kamote-fries

I don't cause I carry 3 or 4. I have that much just in case the sun decides to set today.


----------



## neonnoun

I guess I'm the only one that doesn't (carry a flashlight). I don't carry a knife or a pen or a watch. Heck, most hours I don't even carry a phone or my wallet. But I do love flashlights...particularly when biking.

BTW, I'm an Oregonian (where the chance of rain exceeds the chance of darkness most days) and I don't even have an umbrella. All the Oregonians who carry umbrellas are transplants. The rest of us have Gore-Tex or are used to getting wet.


----------



## bazguitarman

I never leave the house without my Olight T10, a good knife and cell phone in my pockets. Never.

When asked why I always carry a light or knife, I reply that I prefer to be one of the few who is prepared. Rather than one of the many who are not, and then are forced to rely on those few who are prepared.

Then I ask the person how they feel about themselves, knowing they will always have to rely on others to take care of them and their loved ones. That usually stops the conversation cold.


----------



## Kodiak31

Simple answer. So it's in hand immediately when it's needed!


----------



## luceat lux vestra

Why do I carry a flashlight? Because a candle and matches:candle: are a pain in the butt!:whoopin:


----------



## tatasal

I don't remember why I stumbled into CPF, but it was the start. At first I was amazed at the model numbers/letters discussed by everyone. That led to me to my first light, the TK41, then a C9000/LSD cells for it. More CPF. Then I bought these 2 lights (SC600/XT11), and, of course, the Pila IBC for the two 18650 lights. Some more CPF. Then someone was selling a brand-new TK70 at a good price, so I got it too, but alas, no charger for the D cells that power the 70, so I got an iCharger/LSD for it. I had an extra AA cell, so a cousin bought me an LD12. All the time these things are kept in a special case for them not to get scratched!

Then one day we went to a mountain lodge and I have to use the restroom because of a bum stomach. Although it was daytime the restroom has no window,and there was no power! I can't even see my own hand in front of my face! All these bright lights/chargers/cell combinations and no light when I need it most? This is crazier than craziest!!!!

That started my EDC story...


----------



## Southpaw1925

As I said in my introduction, I work nights in a facility housing minors. A lot of them are troubled, thus sometimes spend their night running around the facility or even leaving the facility without permission. Having a flashlight is a must bc they have to be monitored at times and their whereabouts is number one due to safety issues.

One of the many occasions, I was taking a break in an area of the facility where there are tables. All of a sudden I hear a noise behind me and just to my peripheral vision, I see a minor running towards a fence I was assuming he was going to climb and escape. By the time I noticed him, he was a good 100 yards. I quickly shined my flashlight directly towards him and boom! He quickly turns around with this deer on headlights look to him and froze. I quickly stood up and ran towards him as he was still frozen he was caught. Long story short, the next day I see him, I asked why he froze (as a lot of them ignore and AWOL anyway). He said he thought it was the cops bc the light was so bright, and he was afraid of cops. Lol!! 

Love my flashlight!


----------



## Delta_One

luceat lux vestra said:


> Why do I carry a flashlight? Because a candle and matches are a pain in the butt!



+1


----------



## TEEJ

Southpaw1925 said:


> As I said in my introduction, I work nights in a facility housing minors. A lot of them are troubled, thus sometimes spend their night running around the facility or even leaving the facility without permission. Having a flashlight is a must bc they have to be monitored at times and their whereabouts is number one due to safety issues.
> 
> One of the many occasions, I was taking a break in an area of the facility where there are tables. All of a sudden I hear a noise behind me and just to my peripheral vision, I see a minor running towards a fence I was assuming he was going to climb and escape. By the time I noticed him, he was a good 100 yards. I quickly shined my flashlight directly towards him and boom! He quickly turns around with this deer on headlights look to him and froze. I quickly stood up and ran towards him as he was still frozen he was caught. Long story short, the next day I see him, I asked why he froze (as a lot of them ignore and AWOL anyway). He said he thought it was the cops bc the light was so bright, and he was afraid of cops. Lol!!
> 
> Love my flashlight!




Yeah, I see that too. A bright light does make perps "feel caught". I think its that sense of vulnerability one gets when you know you can't see them, but they can see you....it makes them pause if not freeze when they can't see, as they don't know what YOUR intentions are/what would happen if they tried to run, etc.


----------



## biglights

Phantom309 said:


> I just tell them I'm scared of the dark.



:candle: BOOOO


----------



## ColdZero

The OP is a very good question, 
i usually carry a little hand held because a lot of the guys I know are to dumb to
bring there own ...
the last BBQ I was at a fella got out his minimag to find hid dropped keys .... I switch on my zebra and he jumps up with a .... WTF ... I had to laugh !


----------



## luceat lux vestra

ColdZero said:


> The OP is a very good question,
> i usually carry a little hand held because a lot of the guys I know are to dumb to
> bring there own ...
> the last BBQ I was at a fella got out his minimag to find hid dropped keys .... I switch on my zebra and he jumps up with a .... WTF ... I had to laugh !



I do that all the time at a knife store, "what model did you want to see arg"......


----------



## Gollum.

I carry a flashlight for the simple reason of illumination of a said object of interest


----------



## ledmitter_nli

For when I NYC EDC my Klarus XT11 I say: "It's a tool for seeing, for deterrenc."


----------



## KiwiMark

Why do I carry a flashlight?
Because it comes in handy!

Seriously, even on a bright day there are dark corners that I sometimes need to see into - most commonly under a desk and inside a computer can be very dark. Are those capacitors bulging up, is that heatsink totally clogged with dust, is that fan spinning? All these questions can be answered by looking while shining a light in the right place.

You know how a cat is able to see in almost total darkness?
Well I don't have that ability!

Why do I carry a light?
For the same reason that I carry this SAK & this Multi-Tool - sometimes I have a need of these useful tools!


----------



## Gollum.

+ working on cars, taking the dog out:tired:, or when i just don't have time to go get a flashlight,its so much easy to have it on my person


----------



## bluemax_1

It always amazes me how unprepared some folks are. It also amazes me that anyone would actually ASK that question IN a situation where the answer is obvious, like asking why you carry a flashlight when you pull one out in the darkness. I can understand a, "You carry a flashlight with you? Well isn't that convenient under the circumstances?", but questioning someone else's preparedness when the proof of its utility is evident just seems stupid.

I've had a watch on my wrist constantly since I was ~5-6 (I'm one of those that wears one almost 24/7 except in the shower. Yes, I'm one of those folks who sleeps with a watch on). Been carrying a SAK (Swiss Army Knife) of one size or another since I was about 10 (been EDC'ing a Swiss Champ XLT since that debuted, Swiss Champ for years before that, and smaller models before the SwissChamp). First started EDC'ing a light when the Solitaire debuted. Moved to a Photon button-cell LED when those came out, then to a Surefire 1xCR123 incan (this was before LEDs with decent output were available).

Just replaced my Fenix L2D R100 head on 1xAA body with a Quark QPA-G2 running a 14500 as my EDC light. I EDC it and use a flashlight every single day, even in the daytime, because sometimes you have to look at something indoors where the regular lighting doesn't reach too well.

I must be around different types of folks though, because I rarely ever (can't recall the last time) have someone ask me WHY I carry something when I pull it out to use it. I do occasionally get the, "Wow, you carry a flashlight on you?", as well as the, "Wow, that little thing is bright!", or "Dang, that's a big Swiss Army knife! Bet it's got just about everything doesn't it?", but not a, "Why do you carry XXXX?" when I'm obviously using it.

The flashlight has been invaluable numerous times with power outages, blown bulbs or just needing to light up something that is poorly lit (yep, like the back of a computer under a desk). The knife always comes in handy, and yes, for me, the XLT has benefits aside from impressing folks with its size. I've used the multiple bit driver on it numerous times, including on equipment needing Torx bits, which NO ONE usually has handy. Don't EDC a pen because I don't need to write much that often, but if I do, the SAK has a pen. Don't tend to EDC a 2nd light these days because I always have my phone on me and the LED lights on those are at least as good as (actually better than) a button-cell keychain light.

The most common comment I get from folks who know me, when I pull out any of my EDC items is, "Of course, you would have that with you".

Semper Peratus is better than numquam peratus.


Max


----------



## idleprocess

bluemax_1 said:


> It always amazes me how unprepared some folks are. It also amazes me that anyone would actually ASK that question IN a situation where the answer is obvious, like asking why you carry a flashlight when you pull one out in the darkness. I can understand a, "You carry a flashlight with you? Well isn't that convenient under the circumstances?", but questioning someone else's preparedness when the proof of its utility is evident just seems stupid.


I suspect this kind of reaction can be many things and is not quite what it seems on the surface. There is the surprise of finding oneself in such a situation unexpectedly. There can be an aspect of alienation that someone else thought to have some planned means of dealing with it or a defensive reaction to their lack of preparedness. It could also be jealousy that the other is prepared and they are not - perhaps a role reversal for them.

If you really want to see how people react to individual preparedness to the unexpected, look at the reaction that concealed handgun license holders can get...


----------



## bluemax_1

idleprocess said:


> I suspect this kind of reaction can be many things and is not quite what it seems on the surface. There is the surprise of finding oneself in such a situation unexpectedly. There can be an aspect of alienation that someone else thought to have some planned means of dealing with it or a defensive reaction to their lack of preparedness. It could also be jealousy that the other is prepared and they are not - perhaps a role reversal for them.
> 
> If you really want to see how people react to individual preparedness to the unexpected, look at the reaction that concealed handgun license holders can get...


Good points.

As for the CCW's, like I said, I must travel in different circles, because a lot of folks I know either have one, or are planning to get one. The only times I see negative reactions, are from anti firearm types, so it's not just that someone has one on/with them, it's the fact that they have a firearm at all AND have one in the anti-firearm advocate's presence. I don't really know anyone who has firearms BUT is against concealed carry. The ones to worry about are the ones who are carrying concealed WITHOUT permits.


Max


----------



## RCS1300

Be careful. NYPD officers tend to shoot innocent people for thinking someone may have a firearm. Based on the most recent killing yesterday, I could see some NYPD officer shoot you for having a flashlight. No kidding.



ledmitter_nli said:


> For when I NYC EDC my Klarus XT11 I say: "It's a tool for seeing, for deterrence."


----------



## sikreto

> Question: "Wow, why in the world do you carry a flashlight with you?"
> Answer: "What are you talking about? Did I lose two flashlights?"



LOL


Question: "Wow, why in the world do you carry a flashlight with you?"
Answer: "So that when I say, "Let there be light!", there will actually be a light."


----------



## Pretbek

Remember that when you get asked "_Why do you carry a flashlight?!_", it might well be followed by the unspoken "_Why didn't I think of that?_" or "_Gosh that is a really good idea_".
Don't think it is always a criticizing question.

I ride my motorcycle almost every day and I sometimes get asked "Why do you wear so much stuff?" (I wear full face helmet, gloves, full suit, boots, no matter what the outside temperature is). 
Sometimes it is a "_yer an idjit_" kind of questioning my sanity, but surprisingly often people react to my response with something akin to "_yeah, probably not a bad idea to protect yourself_". 

A flashlight is like many other items that you can EDC and be prepared with: You don't need it, until you do.


----------



## bluemax_1

Pretbek said:


> A flashlight is like many other items that you can EDC and be prepared with: You don't need it, until you do.


I have a similar view.

Same reasons why I've made sure I know certain things and why when I have kids someday, I'll make sure to teach them as well: 
- how to swim, self defense, CPR, the Heimlich maneuver and basic first aid (among other things),
because there are some things in life you may not always need to know, but when you do, it's too late to learn.


Max


----------



## ledmitter_nli

RCS1300 said:


> Be careful. NYPD officers tend to shoot innocent people for thinking someone may have a firearm. Based on the most recent killing yesterday, I could see some NYPD officer shoot you for having a flashlight. No kidding.



Or, the person in question carrying such tools might more than likely give the 1st impression that they're "one of our own or in our field of work".
or,
2nd impression "a prepper survivalist"
3rd impression "sheep herder civilian"

A lot better than looking like someone carrying a pair of lock clippers.


----------



## mscfl

My wife gave me a little crap about it until she realized I was the one that could see to get into the house every time SHE forgot to leave the porch light on.

I work nights as a police officer (I try not to shoot people with flashlights :shakehead) and carry a light on my pistol, two handhelds on my belt, and at least two more in the car. Both of my long guns also have lights on them. It still amazes me that while we are authorized to carry weapon mounted lights, some people I work with (especially dayshifters) don't carry a light on their gun. 

Some just don't get it, many never will.


----------



## Illum

mscfl said:


> some people I work with (especially dayshifters) don't carry a light on their gun.
> 
> Some just don't get it, many never will.



I've always wondered whether that is because of the inability holster the weapon with the light installed.


----------



## appliancejunk

Illum said:


> I've always wondered whether that is because of the inability holster the weapon with the light installed.



Shouldn't be as they make holster for pistols with lasers and/or lights mounted on them.


----------



## mscfl

Illum said:


> I've always wondered whether that is because of the inability holster the weapon with the light installed.



They make holsters for pistols with lights attached. My department issues them, but we have to purchase our own lights. I suspect that's why most guys don't carry one.


----------



## SimulatedZero

mscfl said:


> My wife gave me a little crap about it until she realized I was the one that could see to get into the house every time SHE forgot to leave the porch light on.



+1

I live out in the pitch black woods and you have no idea how often that happens to me. I used to complain about it, but I kept getting reminded that's why I have a flashlight... 

Honestly I've never really been questioned about having a light on me. I've had a few friends say they need to get one after seeing me with one but that's about it.


----------



## mscfl

SimulatedZero said:


> +1
> 
> I live out in the pitch black woods and you have no idea how often that happens to me. I used to complain about it, but I kept getting reminded that's why I have a flashlight...
> 
> Honestly I've never really been questioned about having a light on me. I've had a few friends say they need to get one after seeing me with one but that's about it.



Same here....Dirt road, no streetlights. I married a city girl though, so she's still adjusting.


----------



## Bigpapi13

I work nights as well. When the lights go out during a thunderstorm or ice storm, I like to be able to navigate my department and others back into the breakroom as it is part of my responsiblity due to my position. I still find it kind of amusing that maintenance will show up with the old D cell mag lites. I usually have a PD20 or Quark 123 in my pocket as part of my EDC. Guess I would rather have it and not need it instead of needing it and not have it.


----------



## Samy

I went to the movies yesterday with my wife in the middle of the day, i forgot to take a pocketable EDC. I only had a fenix E01 and also a photon on my keys. I felt naked with those 2 little lights. Naked i tells ya


----------



## Xacto

Samy said:


> I went to the movies yesterday with my wife in the middle of the day, i forgot to take a pocketable EDC. I only had a fenix E01 and also a photon on my keys. I felt naked with those 2 little lights. Naked i tells ya



Yes and no. Although I do know how you felt (one of the reasons why every one of my EDC bags has its own resident flashlight), you still had an E01 and the photon, which would in all honesty be more then enough for most tasks from finding something lost beneath the seat to waiting out a power outage that could trap you somewhere. ;-)

Cheers
Thorsten


----------



## FrogWild

Before carrying an EDC, I couldn't really imagine carrying a light all the time. For the last year and half, I've been switching off between my Balder SE-1 and my ThruNite 1C. They are so small, I forget they are even there in my front pocket. And it's amazing how often I use my lights on a daily basis and even more amazing how often I've had to :help: somebody by sharing my light when needed. I've never had somebody say... no thanks, I don't need a light. It is always welcome when I pull it out.


----------



## AnAppleSnail

I took the babysitter's daughter into some tunnels locally on a whim. Afterwards when I was emptying my pockets of flashlights (Paring down to only two), she remarked at how many I had. She's smart though, it was in the sense of, "Man, those were useful!"


----------



## TEEJ

AnAppleSnail said:


> I took the babysitter's daughter into some tunnels locally on a whim.



Stories that start like this don't usually end well.


----------



## HaileStorm

Why does your car have headlights? 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


----------



## shao.fu.tzer

This is what I always tell people:

As humans, we have certain weaknesses compared to other animals, many of which can be considered predatory of people. 

One is the possession of a natural weapon - try getting into a fist fight with a bear or gnaw an alligator to death. We overcome this with weapons - be it a knife to simulate the claws of an animal, or a gun, to simulate, well... a human. 

Two is our weak eyesight. Compared to most animals that would consider us prey (even the two-legged ones), we're basically wandering food bags in the dark.

Weapons and lights allow us to compete with and conquer our own innate weaknesses as evolution (if you believe in it) has decided to spend more time on our noggins than our physical capabilities for survival. They equalize and more often than not make us superior to the beasts that once hunted us relentlessly of which countless tales were told... blah... blah... blah...

Shao


----------



## Dr. Strangelove

HaileStorm said:


> Why does your car have headlights?



Best one yet!


----------



## kaichu dento

Stress_Test said:


> Heh heh, I have an imaginary scenario that I think would be fun if someone hit me with that question:
> 
> POOF! Lights out. Pitch dark large interior room, or better yet, basement hallway, etc etc. The creepier the better. My flashlight comes on and now we can see again. Immediately someone asks (snarky tone) "Why the heck do you have a _flashlight_ with you!?" In response I say something like "oh you're right, how stupid, guess I'll get rid of it" then turn off the light and toss it along the floor. Everyone hears the light bounce rattle and roll off into some far unknown corner of the dark. I say "okay, carry on now". I wait a few minutes for panic to really start setting in before pulling my second light and turning it on (then going to retrieve the light I tossed, of course)


I've done it a couple times, just turned the light off and continued walking, since oddly enough as the one carrying a light, I'm also more comfortable in the dark than most!


fyrstormer said:


> During a power outage at my office, I pulled out a flashlight and one of the managers called me a Boy Scout. Then I loaned that flashlight to someone, and pulled out my backup. At that point the same manager said "wait, you have TWO flashlights? Why do you have TWO flashlights?" Being as tactful as ever, I looked around the dark office and said "that seems like kind of a stupid question right now, doesn't it?" After that, he left me alone.


 


Pretbek said:


> Remember that when you get asked "_Why do you carry a flashlight?!_", it might well be followed by the unspoken "_Why didn't I think of that?_" or "_Gosh that is a really good idea_".
> Don't think it is always a criticizing question.


I was planning on adding the same perspective. Not all question askers are the same and there will definitely be the ones who ridicule with incredulity, envy or in order to find out if they get an answer compelling enough to make them re-examine their own priorities.

I've been staying with a friend for the past couple months who loved to have me show everyone my lights. They laughed so hard the night we were all drinking whiskey and as their interest held up, I kept running upstairs and coming down with more lights. 
After offering to let him carry a couple different lights, including a Haiku, which he left sitting on the desk by the computer, I finally handed him an SS LD01, which has been in his pocket ever since. Everytime he uses it I hear him telling people how he never realized he needed an EDC light until he actually had one small and bright enough, that didn't run batteries down on every usage until he actually had one.


----------



## kaichu dento

TEEJ said:


> I've had the opposite, as I primarily do forensic investigations..and an inspector with a flashlight is not THAT weird at least....but they see I have a little 4-6" light in my hand, and plan on using it to light up an area they assume I'd need a giant search light for, and scoff at my "Lack of preparedness for that area" or similar sentiment...as they never seem to expect a wee LED light to pump out so much light.


I love that one - "Let's use my big light, it's a maglite 2xAA (or 3xD) and will be a lot brighter than that little pocket light you've got"! 
It doesn't even take a particularly spectacular light to blow a traditional 3xD away anymore!


----------



## kaichu dento

fyrstormer said:


> The Ant and the Grasshopper: at the end of the story, when winter came, instead of letting the grasshopper starve to death in the snow, the ant shared his food with the grasshopper while the grasshopper played music for the ant, to keep spirits up until spring.


This is one of my favorite ones and I must have told it, with a slight tweek, about 20 times in the last couple of weeks as we were preparing for a play. Too many people didn't want to remember choreography or lines because "You'll be surprised at how it just all comes together in the last week". 
Every time I heard that I said "So the grasshopper asked the ant to take a break and just sit around and visit instead of working so hard, to which the ant said he would as soon as work was done. Winter came and the grasshopper starved to death."
I usually tell the traditional one you did, but wanted to try and get some sense of urgency and acknowledgement of the fact that even if all works out in the end, preparedness prevents lots of spills and falls along the way.


----------



## FleshlightJohnson

I don't carry one on my person, but I do have one or two in my work truck. I usually just use it to look down the hole.


----------



## jaycyu

No one ever asked me why I carry a flashlight.

Forever alone.

Seriously, sometimes I do night-time photography at 2-4am (not before 12am because it was always awkward to be camping in front of someone's house when he/she returns from pubbing). 
Though rarely anyone walks the street at those dreadful hours, I feel less vulnerable especially when my camera is deployed on a stationary tripod. Ironically, I keep flashlight usage to a minimum to suppress my signature.


----------



## Quiksilver

[email protected] said:


> *
> 
> Q: *Wow, why in the world do you carry a flashlight with you?
> 
> 
> *A:* Why DON'T you?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ah so NZ's knife laws haven't gotten draconian yet (like ours)?



Who said anything about obeying silly laws?


----------



## Chrontius

climberkid said:


> Someone bitched at me for 5 minutes and called me an idiot because I had a flashlight in my waistband for PT at 0445 this morning. The argument "it's dark outside..." wasn't enough for him. He compared a small flashlight to being like me having NVGs with me. Put me in a sour mood.
> 
> 
> -Alex



Next time, go to PT with NVGs on.


----------



## Pointoflight

Better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it.... Recently, at night, I got a flat on the 7 mile bridge in the Florida keys. If you have ever been on the bridge you know you can't stop or pull over anywhere. It is super dangerous. I had to continue for 2 miles riding the flat until it tore to shreds. When I got to the end of the bridge, I pulled over and began the process of changing the tire in the dark on a moonless night. Fortunately, I had 2 flashlights with me; 1) A Fenix E05 that I usually carry around my neck when I am out of town. I could hold the E05 in my mouth to have to both hands available to change the tire. The other was an el cheapo chinese flashlight which is actually pretty bright (uses a 18650) that I put on strobe mode and put that on the roof of my car. The strobe mode plus my flashers made me feel a whole lot safer changing a tire on the side of the road in the dark than just having the flashers. I KNOW it gets person's attention! 


Other uses I have had for the DQG-III that I keep on my keychain: 

1. Flash signal to friend in dark movie theatre so he can find me easily. Did the same at a rock concert and buddy found me from across a huge space thanks to my light. Now, he has one too. I imagine if I had to signal rescue personnel in a dark place, it would be great for that too. 
2. Reading my bill or menu in dark restaurants. I have had people come up and ask me, "what is that? It is so bright! Where can I get one?" 
3. Plugging cords in the back of my computer at work under the desk where there is no light. 
4. Wife can't find stuff in her purse in restaurant/theatre or in dark place. (now she has her own Fenix05). 
5. Finding dropped stuff in my car at night especially if it rolls into the 4th dimension (under or between the seats). 
6. Inspecting my food in darker restaurants (found a freaking hair in my pasta once). I always give a quick glance at my food at restaurants before I eat it. 
7. Walking the dog at night....signaling approaching cars so they know you are there. 

I EDC a light on my keychain and a victorinox classic as well (when in a suit). When not in a suit, add a mini griptilian pocket knife. On vacation or out of town, I always take 2 extra lights in addition to my keychain light and the E05 I have around my neck. Usually a nice 2xAAA light which are small but plenty bright. One for me and one for the wife.


----------



## mrpotato

not always use flashlight,just when I ride my bike at night,I'll use it.


----------



## Mk1dev

People at work would ask ,
why a torch on your key ring...
in your door...
under your seat...
if I know it might be dark when I go to work ... Straight in my pocket one goes ... And NOW people at work assume I have one and EXPECT me to have one... [email protected]?ds


----------



## pocketchange

I'd go broke without a flashlight. 
Without my flashlight, I cannot imagine working in a theater. 
Inspection, rigging and prop work, an endless life working in the dark (stage work). 
And the light source in my glove box never works.. :candle:


----------



## Southpaw1925

Its funny cuz prior to edcing, I thought "why would you carry a knife?" Then when I started carrying a knife I said "why would you carry a flashlight?" Now that I carry a light, I ask myself "how the heck did I go without these two things?????"


----------



## LightWalker

When a disaster hits they may say why in the world don't I carry a flashlight with me.


----------



## jamesbeat

HaileStorm said:


> Why does your car have headlights?



Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner! 

That is the PERFECT answer, and I'm going to steal it next time I get asked


----------



## RCS1300

I like that answer too but would rephrase it so it wasn't a question.

Q: Why do you carry a flashlight?
A: For the same reason cars have headlights.

Or:

A: For the same reason I am certified in CPR.




jamesbeat said:


> Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!
> 
> That is the PERFECT answer, and I'm going to steal it next time I get asked


----------



## HaileStorm

jamesbeat said:


> Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!
> 
> That is the PERFECT answer, and I'm going to steal it next time I get asked



Feel free . Leaves them with a big "oh yeah... That DOES make sense!" look 

Sent from my GT-S5830 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## glock35er

I use it everyday at work and besides I subscribe to the old adage "better to have it and not need it,than to need it and not have it "


----------



## wjv

I never use to carry a flashlight. They were too big/bulky and lame.

Now with all of the great 1xAAA, 1xAA and 1xCR123 lights there is no excuse not to.

I always have my Fenix E11 in my pocket, and my PD22 in my computer bag. Additionally I have 2 extra batteries for each in the computer bag. If it's after work or on a weekend, I always have the E11 and 1-2 extra batteries with me.

As someone who is into being prepared, it's amazing that I never use to carry a flash light with me. Now I don't leave home without a light , a pocket knife and some spare cash.

In the trunk of my car I keep a half case of water; some para-cord and tarps to create a shelter; my Razor A5 scooter; a handgun and ammo (yes I have a CCW permit); rain gear; a can of water proofing spray; and a get home bag with food, heat sheets, extra clothes, water filter straw, meds & first aid equip, a compass and map of the county, an esbit stove and other stuff.

I live in an earthquake zone and I can see 2 volcanoes from my house including Mt St Helens. . . And there are more of them to the north and south from where I live. I work 18 miles from home, so my plan is to have most everything I need to get home in an emergency. A flashlight that can run for ~100 hours on one battery is a very useful emergency item.


----------



## VF1Jskull1

I left my Nitecore Extreme at my in-laws out of town this past weekend and i felt naked all week not having it in my right pants pocket. Had to rely on my fenix L0P on my car keys and the bulkier Fenix LD41. Hope I didn't lose the Extreme cause I have the RCR123a battery I use for it. I always seem to be in dark places even in the middle of the day so a flashlight is very helpful. Had to take an all day engineering exam recently pulled the Nitecore Extreme (with a white water bottle cap diffuser) to help the elderly lady confirm my identity with my exam admission form.." Gosh that was bright... thank you for the turning on the light sir.."


----------



## silver_bacon

I have been caring my Aeon with me pretty much everyday since I got it. Although I have never needed it in a life/death situation, I have used it more times than I can count. I carry extra batteries with me and several more lights in my truck, but nothing fancy.


----------



## peterkin101

climberkid said:


> Someone bitched at me for 5 minutes and called me an idiot because I had a flashlight in my waistband for PT at 0445 this morning. The argument "it's dark outside..." wasn't enough for him. He compared a small flashlight to being like me having NVGs with me. Put me in a sour mood.
> 
> 
> -Alex



Reassuring to know you get idiots wherever you are in the world!

And I don't mean your good self climberkid.


----------



## MrModularME

Being in the heart of the East Coast the power grid here is consistently inconsistent at best. The thought of being inside any one of the many gigantic shopping malls and shoddy Farmer's markets around here without a EDC Flashlight is more than i can now stand. I used to roam around with nothing but my cell phone to use as a light, but now with my introduction to P60 type DropIns and the many small "Keychain" type LED's I just cant bare to go without. Usually I will now have two to three LEDs on me at those times. Seems to be the prudent thing to do, and I can't understand how I used to go without!


----------



## TKC

*I am with you!!! I always have a flashlight on me!!

In fact, I used mine to help a neighbor find their dog with my flashlight.*


----------



## enomosiki

A lot of my friends used to ask me the same question.

As the result of extended power outages after Hurricane Sandy and snow storm, they now know better.

I even texted everyone that I gifted the lights to, halfway mocking them, "_Now, aren't you all glad that I gave out flashlights to you fools like candies?_"

Every single one of them realized the difference between having a flashlight as a handy accessory for finding random stuff where light doesn't reach and having a flashlight as a crucial tool for survival where light is nonexistent.


----------



## illuminate

Most of the time I carry my E1e with LX2 Led head with me, just because when I don't have it on me ... I need it. It is typical. How many times, in the past, I needed a flashlight because I lost something at night etc. ... and had NO light with me.
My neighbor used to say, that even in the night the streets lights are useful enough. But when you lost something small, your eyes will never be good enough to find it.
I'm not a big fan of bulky big lights. Even a G2 or 6P are a bit too big for me (because I'm too fimiliar with the SF E-series).


----------



## gohhib

I remember once going to a vacation trip abroad when my wife wondered why I need flashlight with me. They proved usefull and got a lot of use. Recently my family went on a trip without me and I was asked for a couple lights to go with them  I gave them a couple 18650 light and a charger with. That reminds me of anoter trip abroad when the security officer was very closely looking at my P7 led light and probably wondering if it was dangerous or not to get on a plane. He asked about it and I told it was a flashlight. He just had to push the button while closely observing it and he got proof it was a flashlight.  No more questions asked. My ESC is based on two small lights like Sipik SK68 or one replaced with a bigger one. I never get questions about them.


----------



## enomosiki

gohhib said:


> That reminds me of anoter trip abroad when the security officer was very closely looking at my P7 led light and probably wondering if it was dangerous or not to get on a plane. He asked about it and I told it was a flashlight. He just had to push the button while closely observing it and he got proof it was a flashlight.  No more questions asked.



One of the funniest things that some people, even the ones with experience using good flashlights, do when I show them one of my high-powered lights is that they will point the light at their palm and let it loose, and end up completely blinding themselves from the _reflection_.

That never gets old.


----------



## xevious

My EDC is partly responsible for my getting the nickname "MacGyver" among several friends. In any dark or dimly-lit environment, my light is almost always out of my pocket and in my hand for immediate use. And use it I have, in many cases when nobody had a light and I made life "easier" in those moments. But I don't mind the nickname or even being laughed at, when the power goes out and I become the "go to" guy for spare flashlights and batteries.


----------



## Quiksilver

Eh, I am a little more "Scrooge-like" with my lumens. Probably wouldn't make someones life easier/light their way, if they had belittled my flashlight hobby. 

I've helped strangers look for dropped valuables in the dark, especially around fishing areas. Never did I hear "why in the world do you carry a flashlight" in those situations and they are numerous.

I'd prefer the types that do ask that question, to remain in the dark.


----------



## Quiksilver

enomosiki said:


> A lot of my friends used to ask me the same question.
> 
> As the result of extended power outages after Hurricane Sandy and snow storm, they now know better.
> 
> I even texted everyone that I gifted the lights to, halfway mocking them,* "Now, aren't you all glad that I gave out flashlights to you fools like candies?"
> *
> Every single one of them realized the difference between having a flashlight as a handy accessory for finding random stuff where light doesn't reach and having a flashlight as a crucial tool for survival where light is nonexistent.




Eh, if you sent me a condescending message like that I'd probably 'unfriend' you immediately.


----------



## Zigo45

When I first started EDCing a flashlight I got a lot of comments from my friends asking/joking around with me about why I always carry one. After a few years of always having a flashlight on me none of them ever say a word about it besides "Hey can I borrow your flashlight for a minute".


----------



## Samy

I like to be discreet with my EDC lights, most people don't know that i'm carrying 2-5 lights (i work nights so it's second nature to me). If i'm going out and i know i will be using a flashlight i usually edc 2-3... just in case. But i usually only have one 'decent' light (SC52, V10A, SC600 etc) and one or two keyring lights. When out with friends, i occasionally get the question "so how many lights have you got?" I usually respond with "on me right now? Or in total?"  If they _really_ want to know only then do i start pulling lights out of pockets to place on the table 

cheers


----------



## AnAppleSnail

Everyone at work had to answer this question. We had a power outage, and the number of flashlights people had was surprising. I was sitting upstairs and the power went off. Out came my light, with dim glow from a window around the hall helping a bit. The weave room is completely dark except for the flashlights, and...wow, there's a lot of them. Not long ago some of my flashaholic actions caused the maintenance shop to upgrade their lights, and the technicians to start carrying lights. There were plenty of questions about the 50W halogen lamp I made a while back, and action was taken: We've descended to this point: Mag lites in the vending machine.











Not enough emergency lights cut on, so it was just about pitch black inside (And quiet. It's hard to realize how noisy manufacturing is, until it suddenly isn't). The floor supervisors and shift leaders did their thing and no one was hurt. We variously waited for about ten minutes at emergency locations until power came back on. I'm very glad that a lot of people had lights, and that nobody panicked.


----------



## SimulatedZero

Ha, that is seriously awesome. All they need now is a few slots to buy batteries from when yours run out. Lol, maybe they could have a giant charging station that costs 10 cents a battery to charge or something. They could have a little counter like "1347 Batteries Saved" like the water fountains designed to fill bottles we have around here.


----------



## AnAppleSnail

SimulatedZero said:


> Ha, that is seriously awesome. All they need now is a few slots to buy batteries from when yours run out. Lol, maybe they could have a giant charging station that costs 10 cents a battery to charge or something. They could have a little counter like "1347 Batteries Saved" like the water fountains designed to fill bottles we have around here.



Batteries are down to the left with the small stuff. We stock Duracell Ds and Energizer L91 AAs and AAAs. It turns out to be easier to track 'purchase' of cheap things than maintenance and charging of nicer things. And it's not like Mag 2Ds or 3Ds are hard on batteries (Non-pro versions).


----------



## CaptainBrock

PaleBlueDot said:


> ...I can't ever seem to leave the house without a watch, a knife, and a flashlight.



Yes: *WATCH,* *KNIFE*, keys, comb, wallet, magnifying glass, *FLASHLIGHT*, glasses, cell phone, USB flash drive, pen, paper, cash... 
... from there I can improvise or do without!


----------



## Dr. Strangelove

CaptainBrock said:


> ...USB flash drive...



Question: So many people carry USB flash drives in their EDC. Can I ask why? Is it empty or do you have files on it?


----------



## passive101

I went with my dad tonight and he was going to drive his car. He had the new sticker to go on his license plate and went to put it on. he saw it was dark and decided not to do it. I told him not to worry, I have a light on my keychain. He easily replaced the sticker. I gave him one of my extra key coin cell lights that battery junction gives out with orders.


----------



## AVService

Aside from seemingly going blind as I get older and the flashlight being an indispensable tool for that.I use flashlights all day all the time and carry several with me all the time. 

Don't we all?

I just see a lot better with light,especially in the dark.

Ed


----------



## Southpaw1925

I never carried any light on me up until about six months ago. Now that I carry one I wonder how I went without one bc I use my light a couple of times a day. Maybe it's bc I got a job working nights?


----------



## Johnbaz

I just bought this li'l thing quite cheaply with a couple of 14500 batteries and a charger, the lamp hasn't been off my person since I received it!!






It's only 4" long and around 3/4" dia and much more light comes out than i'll probably ever need!!
It's already come in handy for putting a new TV in for my mum in law (couldn't see the connections at the back of it!!) and loads of times at work whilst cleaning castings ready for burning!!


Cheers, John


----------



## AFearlessBirdOfParadise

So I can find Carmen Sandiego!!!


----------



## Osogrande

I used to get asked that question all the time by various friends. Now almost all of them are carrying one model of Fenix or another around.


----------



## Megatrowned

AFearlessBirdOfParadise said:


> So I can find Carmen Sandiego!!!



:twothumbs

It's true! Helped me find Waldo! :laughing:


----------



## Cerealand

Me and the dark do not like each other.


----------



## longrange80

I never carried a light with me until I got a new job that required it.now I never leave home with out one definitely a eye opener to its uses.


----------



## Verndog

Pretty simple for me.
Seeing is believing!!


----------



## Verndog

wjv said:


> ,,,I live in an earthquake zone and I can see 2 volcanoes from my house including Mt St Helens. . .



Hello neighbor!
Ya, if Mt. Rainier goes off I won't be needing my flashlight...I'll be pixie dust.


----------



## TMedina

Dr. Strangelove said:


> Question: So many people carry USB flash drives in their EDC. Can I ask why? Is it empty or do you have files on it?



I suspect it has to do with their jobs - I used to carry a thumb drive when I worked in an office doing everything from clerical work to tech support. Now that I'm contracting, I don't carry one because of security restrictions and I will not have any occasion to use it on my employer's system.


----------



## TMedina

I hate posting stories like this, but the tragedy would be compounded if nobody learned from his mistake. 

Body of missing teen found in rock quarry


----------



## Southpaw1925

TMedina said:


> I hate posting stories like this, but the tragedy would be compounded if nobody learned from his mistake.
> 
> Body of missing teen found in rock quarry



A quarter mile from his home ? Man this is a sad story. Had he fell and was disable and had a light w/ strobe/SOS would of helped to be located


----------



## Quiksilver

Southpaw1925 said:


> A quarter mile from his home ? Man this is a sad story. Had he fell and was disable and had a light w/ strobe/SOS would of helped to be located



probably wouldnt have fallen off the edge had his path been properly illuminated. 

ive been on some cliff edges in the dark, and when you cant see your nose infront of your face (in the wilderness, under trees, at night) its easy to put a foot over the edge or just on some loose rocks or precarious footing.


----------



## Schmidtty

when it comes down to it it always seems that someone wants to borrow my fenix e15 key chain light


----------



## naiter

headers said:


> There is a specific, if longwinded, reason why I carry a light 24-7 but this only gets trotted out if I am in the mood.
> 
> Generally this question comes up exactly in situations as described by the OP, we have just encountered some greater or lesser need for light and I provide some suitably excessive amount. Quite why people choose to question my ability to provide for their needs exactly when they have them is baffling.
> 
> S



because normally, carrying a light during day could be unnecessary for them, but they are more likely to ask at that moment because they don't have one. seem s like a scoff "you shouldn't have a light on you and i'm jealous cuz i need one but I am unprepared" or at least thats what i hear them saying in those situations


----------



## tom-dave

*why you never leave your edc light at home*

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


----------



## reppans

*why you never leave your edc light at home*

How about carrying a backup light? 2=1 and 1=0 and all....


----------



## jslacker

*Re: why you never leave your edc light at home*

The old saying rings true here, "I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it." Or "One is none, two is one."


----------



## Echo63

*Re: why you never leave your edc light at home*

You need a little backup light.

I have a Muyshondt TI Aeon on a paracord lanyard almost 24/7 - it's bright enough and has enough runtime to be my only light, but is small enough and light enough that I don't notice it

in the past the lanyard has been home to a SF T1A Titan and a very early 1w Fenix single AAA light.

This is addition to my normal EDC light.

My work ID lanyard also has a tiny little "speck" light on it, it's maybe 1/4" diameter and 3/4" long and throws enough light to be useful, similar to a photon.

Having a backup light has saved my butt on more than one occasion - I remember chasing an offender, back when I was a security guard.
The bulb in my primary light died' so I dropped it in its holster and grabbed my Backup 6P, had it lit up just in time to see and avoid a chain gate that I would have hurt myself on, If I didn't have a backup light


----------



## sidecross

*Re: why you never leave your edc light at home*

My EDC are an Eagletac D25LC2 and an Eagletac G25C2. :thumbsup:


----------



## Altec

*Re: why you never leave your edc light at home*

I'm very particular about where I set my pocket-junk when I call it a night. A bookcase I have to walk by every day is home to my EDC knife collection, my pocket flash lights, wallet, and keys. The only thing that isn't there is my phone, which gets charged on my bed under my pillow. If I dpn't stick to this, odds are I will forget something. Or worse, lose something.


----------



## Flashlight Dave

*Re: why you never leave your edc light at home*

I have a similar story I have mentioned here on the forum before. I was in a grocery store after work when the lights went out. It was completely dark even when I looked out the windows of the store. It was like being in a cave. Not sure what happened to the emergency lights. Anyway, I was frozen unable to move because I could not see. The cashier came to the rescue with a cheap $2 plastic piece of junk flashlight. From then on I vowed to carry a light on me at all times. That day I chose not to take my light to work and it was the one day I needed it the most.


----------



## jellydonut

*Re: why you never leave your edc light at home*

I won't ever do it because like you experienced, the one time I actually need it will be that one time I left it behind.

I compensate for such occasions by always keeping a Zebralight in my jacket and a spare light in the car, but still..


----------



## TwitchALot

tom-dave said:


> 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

cruzer said:


> 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

AnAppleSnail said:


> 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

Timothybil said:


> 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

bemymonkey said:


> 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


----------



## langham

My uncle didn't come to Christmas one year, so we set out to see where he was. My uncle was a repair man at the local school and we found his car parked outside, the lights were all out (luckily I had a flashlight with me), but there was one door that was unlocked and we looked all around trying to find where he might be and we found him. He was doing maintenance by himself and fell, I have carried one every day since. I also carried one on a submarine due to the fact that when it gets dark on one of those, there isn't any light at all and a whole lot of danger.


----------



## Nick762

[email protected] said:


> *
> 
> Q: *Wow, why in the world do you carry a flashlight with you?
> 
> 
> *A:* Why DON'T you?



What he said.

I guess I'm part of the boy scout generation. At the very least I have a Victorinox Swisscard which lives in my wallet, as well as some handy screwdrivers, a small blade, pen and scissors, it has a tiny red LED which is far better than nothing at all. Generally my preferred option is the Gerber/Bear Grylls compact multi-tool and a small AAA torch along the lines of the Led Lenser P3 carried in a small pouch or pocket linked together with a tritium glowring. There's no point in having your torch if you drop it in the dark and can't find it again.

Interesting points about knife laws. After torches, my other fetish (if you could call it that) has to be multi-tools and pen knives. People think I went to a really tough school when I say we all carried knives back then. OK, you could do a lot of damage with a Swiss Army knife but that wasn't why we had them, even after carving your name on your desk (what? me sir? never sir!) there's a million things a boy can do with a Swiss Army knife that don't necessarily involve breaking the law.


----------



## Wol9296

Having lost power for 2 weeks during Sandy, this is a no-brainer. All my flashlights were utilized.


----------



## Pretbek

bemymonkey said:


> 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*



I would truthfully answer "No, I am just inconvenienced by it. With a flashlight, I am not.".


----------



## TMedina

Wol9296 said:


> Having lost power for 2 weeks during Sandy, this is a no-brainer. All my flashlights were utilized.



Sadly, that's what it takes for most people to think about it. And that is a helluva learning curve.


----------



## SimulatedZero

TMedina said:


> Sadly, that's what it takes for most people to think about it. And that is a helluva learning curve.



Yeah... What really kills me about things like that is when they go back to life as normal and forget the whole thing happened. Then, when the next storm comes along they play innocent, like they had never been through the first. I never understood how someone could live through a major hurricane and not learn anything to be better prepared for the next one.


----------



## TwitchALot

bemymonkey said:


> *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



"Am I afraid of the dark? Please ______. The dark is afraid of me."


----------



## Megatrowned

Heck, even Dr. Who has his sonic screwdriver with him. That's got a light on it. Us poor schmoes need to be as prepared as possible!


----------



## BillSWPA

Last week, a college student was badly injured while crossing a street. From what I understand, this occurred at night. Now, suppose that student had carried a light, realized that conditions were such that she would not be seen, and activated the light before crossing the street?


----------



## El Camino

(Que dramatic music in your head)

Once, when I was working in a grocery store, the power went out. I was in the stock room, and it was pitch black. I could not see my hand in front of my face. Emergency lighting? Please. Birthday candles are brighter. I was stuck in a sea of pallets with dog food, canned goods and various partially hydrogenated high fructose food products. Eventually I found may way out; I had to kill 14 lions, a rabid elephant, and battle my way through a swarm of vampire bats - not really, but seriously I could have tripped over a can of peas. I vowed never again to be caught in such a situation. Instead of pallets, those could have been bear traps in the woods, or an ankle-breaking hole in the ground. Am I afraid of the dark? 

No. I conquer it. First with a cheap crummy plastic incandescent light that ate batteries faster than a (insert your own hilarious metaphor here - I can't think of one clean enough), and then a maglite, and now I'm here having opened the door to an ever brighter world. No, darkness shall conquer me only when death takes me, and even then I hope to see a bright light at the end of a tunnel.




As for that crummy plastic light? It was consumed by the slow wrath of an alkaline. I still kinda miss it.


----------



## langham

Strangely enough I have never been asked; which kind of bothers me, because I carry mine in a Nite-Ize belt holster. I guess if you go big enough people will just assume that you are crazy and let you do whatever you want. Either that or they assume that anyone that carries a flashlight on their belt probably carries something else a little more discretely.


----------



## SimulatedZero

El Camino said:


> (Que dramatic music in your head)
> 
> Once, when I was working in a grocery store, the power went out. I was in the stock room, and it was pitch black. I could not see my hand in front of my face. Emergency lighting? Please. Birthday candles are brighter. I was stuck in a sea of pallets with dog food, canned goods and various partially hydrogenated high fructose food products. Eventually I found may way out; I had to kill 14 lions, a rabid elephant, and battle my way through a swarm of vampire bats - not really, but seriously I could have tripped over a can of peas. I vowed never again to be caught in such a situation. Instead of pallets, those could have been bear traps in the woods, or an ankle-breaking hole in the ground. Am I afraid of the dark?
> 
> No. I conquer it. First with a cheap crummy plastic incandescent light that ate batteries faster than a (insert your own hilarious metaphor here - I can't think of one clean enough), and then a maglite, and now I'm here having opened the door to an ever brighter world. No, darkness shall conquer me only when death takes me, and even then I hope to see a bright light at the end of a tunnel.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> As for that crummy plastic light? It was consumed by the slow wrath of an alkaline. I still kinda miss it.




:laughing: This just made my day. Two thumbs up good sir :twothumbs


----------



## jslacker

langham said:


> Strangely enough I have never been asked; which kind of bothers me, because I carry mine in a Nite-Ize belt holster. I guess if you go big enough people will just assume that you are crazy and let you do whatever you want. Either that or they assume that anyone that carries a flashlight on their belt probably carries something else a little more discretely.



Well.... Do you?


----------



## langham

No, I am afraid if I have one I will use it, and I was always a very good shot in the military. Besides if I told you that would eliminate the element of surprise.


----------



## bemymonkey

Pretbek said:


> I would truthfully answer "No, I am just inconvenienced by it. With a flashlight, I am not.".



Too rational 




TwitchALot said:


> "Am I afraid of the dark? Please ______. The dark is afraid of me."



Awesome, I'm keeping that one


----------



## Gunner12

I just tell people that Flashlights are a hobby, and they are fine with that.


----------



## Pretbek

bemymonkey said:


> Too rational



Oh, alright, how about "I have vision problems in the dark"?
I get to use my habitual smart-assery enough already when answering questions about my motorcycle riding (I ride year round, and always wear all my protective gear).


----------



## langham

You should always answer with a question, like Have you seen any horror movies (other than Aliens) because they would have been a lot better off with a nice dependable flashlight. They always have some crappy $2 light that goes out at the worst time and doesn't illuminate enough so they never see it coming.


----------



## El Camino

Slightly off topic, but not enough to warrant a new thread. 

Last night, just as I was about to settle in for a short winters night, I realized I had left my anti-psychotics and mood stabilizers (what everyone else calls allergy medicine) in the truck. "No problem, I'll put on my sandals and grab it" I thought. I turned the carport light on, as I was already in my "evening attire" and didn't have my flashlight. Sure enough, as soon as I stepped outside, the entire subdivision went black. Nobody had lights, and the one time I get to feel awesome was lost. Fortunately I remote-unlocked the truck with my keys (I was amazingly smart enough to get those!) and grabbed my little Energizer "tactical" which led me safely back to the door, 10 feet away. (It was dark, okay?) So at least I did have a contingency plan. 

While I was up, I grabbed my Maglite 2D XP-E, because I wanted to see how far it would throw. Naturally, I shined it on a house that's across a field, 1200 feet away. It lit up quite well - I was rather impressed. It's hard to tell how far a light will throw unless it's really dark. So that was cool. Hopefully they were asleep. I assume so because I didn't see a patrol car afterwards this time.


----------



## langham

El Camino said:


> Slightly off topic, but not enough to warrant a new thread.
> 
> While I was up, I grabbed my Maglite 2D XP-E, because I wanted to see how far it would throw. Naturally, I shined it on a house that's across a field, 1200 feet away. It lit up quite well - I was rather impressed. It's hard to tell how far a light will throw unless it's really dark. So that was cool. Hopefully they were asleep. I assume so because I didn't see a patrol car afterwards this time.



You should take it to a cave tour, then you will get some looks, and have a lot of fun in the process.


----------



## Timothybil

El Camino said:


> I assume so because I didn't see a patrol car afterwards this time.



I assume there is a really interesting story behind that last line!


----------



## TMedina

I didn't have the heart to ask.


----------



## El Camino

Timothybil said:


> I assume there is a really interesting story behind that last line!



Not really. There's just some old people who think that light beams are dangerous.


----------



## langham

HWman said:


> Question:
> Question: "Wow, why in the world do you carry a flashlight with you?"
> Answer: "What are you talking about? Did I lose two flashlights?"



I think this is my favorite so far.





And for the neighbor that thinks that a beam of light is dangerous, well.... there might be some truth to that. This is the Nightsword made by Get Lit BTW.


----------



## El Camino

That...moves me.


----------



## cigarbufff

Flashlight, Knife and Cell Phone always on me!


----------



## passive101

langham said:


> I think this is my favorite so far.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And for the neighbor that thinks that a beam of light is dangerous, well.... there might be some truth to that. This is the Nightsword made by Get Lit BTW.




Someone needs to photoshop the CPF logo like the batman logo here!


----------



## 2w2x1

I have yet to decide on an everyday carry and would be the guy feeling his way down the stairwell at the moment. Too many options out there and too green to quality lights. Thanks for sharing though.


The quote below really gave me a chuckle!


Stress_Test said:


> POOF! Lights out. Pitch dark large interior room, or better yet, basement hallway, etc etc. The creepier the better. My flashlight comes on and now we can see again. Immediately someone asks (snarky tone) "Why the heck do you have a _flashlight_ with you!?" In response I say something like "oh you're right, how stupid, guess I'll get rid of it" then turn off the light and toss it along the floor. Everyone hears the light bounce rattle and roll off into some far unknown corner of the dark. I say "okay, carry on now". I wait a few minutes for panic to really start setting in before pulling my second light and turning it on (then going to retrieve the light I tossed, of course)
> 
> That would be fun but unfortunately nowadays everyone has a dang cell phone that can be used for emergency, close range lighting, so that kind of spoils the fun.


----------



## Richub

Last week I got some grief (again) from a not-so-smart colleague for carrying a couple of flashlights in my backpack (Fenix TK15 and E11) and one in my jeans pocket (E05): "You're no effing boyscout, are you?" I just ignored the guy, not worth wasting my time on him... 

As we all headed home at 5 pm (at which time it's already dark here this time of the year), I heard some swearing: That same guy lost his keys in a very dark part of the parking lot. As soon as he heard me talking he yelled at me: "You! Get the eff over there, I need some light!" My reply: "I'm sorry, but you made me realize how foolish it is to carry flashlights, so I threw them all away today." 

After that, I pretended to go home, but waited around the corner until the swearing and cursing reached a new high point: Crawling around on all fours, he was feeling around on the ground to find his keys, and grabbed a big dog turd with both hands! Yech... 

At this point, I fired up my TK15 on turbo, and saw him sitting there, brown-handed, only about a meter (3 feet) from his keys. I cried from laughter the whole way home. 
I'm sure the people who saw me riding home on my bicycle must have seriously thought I was high on something. 

I seriously doubt I'll get any apology or thanks from him today, but that picture of him sitting there was definitively worth it. LOL


----------



## Xacto

Richub said:


> Last week I got some grief (again) from a not-so-smart colleague for carrying a couple of flashlights in my backpack (Fenix TK15 and E11) and one in my jeans pocket (E05): "You're no effing boyscout, are you?" I just ignored the guy, not worth wasting my time on him...
> 
> [...]



Usually I am quite a collegial guy, but in this case I would have used the chance and would have taken a picture......

Cheers
Thorsten


----------



## bluemax_1

langham said:


> I think this is my favorite so far.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And for the neighbor that thinks that a beam of light is dangerous, well.... there might be some truth to that. This is the Nightsword made by Get Lit BTW.


Dang... Thanks for posting that. Never seen it before and had to Google it. That's quite the project by a very dedicated individual.


Max


----------



## Devildude

It is always unprepared that complain of no light, better that they suffer in darkness than enjoy the light.


----------



## cruzer

langham said:


> I think this is my favorite so far.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And for the neighbor that thinks that a beam of light is dangerous, well.... there might be some truth to that. This is the Nightsword made by Get Lit BTW.



reminds me of this


----------



## Richub

A little update on my 'brown-handed' colleague: 
The very next day he again stated to a maintenance guy that "Some people who work here are carrying useless crap like flashlights around with them."
That maintenance guy already knew about the previous days' story, and simply asked him: "Was it hard to get that dog crap off your hands?" My colleague then called him something I'm not allowed to quote here, and stomped off to his desk. 

Some people are beyond stupid... Sheesh.


----------



## bluemax_1

Richub said:


> Last week I got some grief (again) from a not-so-smart colleague for carrying a couple of flashlights in my backpack (Fenix TK15 and E11) and one in my jeans pocket (E05): "You're no effing boyscout, are you?" I just ignored the guy, not worth wasting my time on him...
> 
> As we all headed home at 5 pm (at which time it's already dark here this time of the year), I heard some swearing: That same guy lost his keys in a very dark part of the parking lot. As soon as he heard me talking he yelled at me: "You! Get the eff over there, I need some light!" My reply: "I'm sorry, but you made me realize how foolish it is to carry flashlights, so I threw them all away today."
> 
> After that, I pretended to go home, but waited around the corner until the swearing and cursing reached a new high point: Crawling around on all fours, he was feeling around on the ground to find his keys, and grabbed a big dog turd with both hands! Yech...
> 
> At this point, I fired up my TK15 on turbo, and saw him sitting there, brown-handed, only about a meter (3 feet) from his keys. I cried from laughter the whole way home.
> I'm sure the people who saw me riding home on my bicycle must have seriously thought I was high on something.
> 
> I seriously doubt I'll get any apology or thanks from him today, but that picture of him sitting there was definitively worth it. LOL





Richub said:


> A little update on my 'brown-handed' colleague:
> The very next day he again stated to a maintenance guy that "Some people who work here are carrying useless crap like flashlights around with them."
> That maintenance guy already knew about the previous days' story, and simply asked him: "Was it hard to get that dog crap off your hands?" My colleague then called him something I'm not allowed to quote here, and stomped off to his desk.
> 
> Some people are beyond stupid... Sheesh.



LOL!

I'm going to use this story if anyone ever asks me this question (so far, no one has, the only thing they've ever said to me was, "Of course, YOU would have a flashlight with you", and "Wow, that little thing is BRIGHT!").

Q: Why in the world do you carry a flashlight with you?
A: Because it can help you avoid a sh*tty situation (followed by this story).


Max


----------



## AnAppleSnail

Richub said:


> A little update on my 'brown-handed' colleague:
> The very next day he again stated to a maintenance guy that "Some people who work here are carrying useless crap like flashlights around with them."
> That maintenance guy already knew about the previous days' story, and simply asked him: "Was
> 
> it hard to get that dog crap off your hands?" My colleague then called him something I'm not allowed to quote here, and stomped off to his desk.
> 
> Some people are beyond stupid... Sheesh.




To finish this, mail a cheap light (fauxton, etc) to work with his name as the recipient. ”LightHound” mail only means one thing...


----------



## Stress_Test

Richub said:


> A little update on my 'brown-handed' colleague:
> The very next day he again stated to a maintenance guy that "Some people who work here are carrying useless crap like flashlights around with them."
> That maintenance guy already knew about the previous days' story, and simply asked him: "Was it hard to get that dog crap off your hands?" My colleague then called him something I'm not allowed to quote here, and stomped off to his desk.
> 
> Some people are beyond stupid... Sheesh.




There was a movie years back about a teacher (and I can't for the life of me think of the movie name) who had a line that I thought was right on. It went something like this:

"Ignorance can be educated, but STUPID is forever!"

Sounds like your colleague is stupid... stupid by choice. Most reasonable people learn from their mistakes!


----------



## Richub

AnAppleSnail said:


> To finish this, mail a cheap light (fauxton, etc) to work with his name as the recipient. ”LightHound” mail only means one thing...



Wouldn't work here in Europe... I don't think anybody here has even heard about LightHound.

And indeed, this man is stupid by choice, he doesn't care about socializing, and thinks he is the only one who knows what this world is all about. We all ignore him on those points.

------
And yesterday in a dark restaurant I got the famous question again: Why the eff are you carrying a flashlight?

I was flashing my TK35 on turbo against the ceiling in a dull moment, and heard this question next to me. 
Some time later one of my friends lost a contact lens, and I used my TK35 on high to quickly sweep the floor to find that lens. Luckily it was still intact.
A few minutes later I used my E05 to read the card. I noticed the guy who asked the question looking kinda interested at my E05.

As we left that restaurant, I used that E05 again to find our coats between the others coats on the hatstand. 
That man came to me and simply said: I owe you an apology, you just answered my question pretty well. And while pointing at my E05: Where can I get one of those?


----------



## TMedina

Ha! People can learn new tricks - good on you, sir!


----------



## shelm

Stress_Test said:


> about a teacher (and I can't for the life of me think of the movie name)



Maybe Mr. Holland's Opus?


----------



## Redhat703

I rode the bus to school everyday while back ago. Part of the route was in tunnel under city, and I hated dark. That why I always carried the Gerber Infinity Ultra with me.
Now I have 2 in my backpack and 1 in my pocket all the time.


----------



## Lightman2

In brief I carry a light because nearly a half of my 24 hours is in darkness of various levels. Not everywhere I go or look into has a light source even in daytime so a portable gizmo provides the solution.


----------



## Ymerejbl

I carry for work early am as we'll as occasional night time work having a flashlight on me has saved my butt many a times.


----------



## thelonewolf1124

I started carrying during a 11 day power outage and it just became part of my bat belt (I carry everything in holsters on my belt) then I got a job with a contractor and I always needed it so it just made sense to carry.


----------



## dc38

thelonewolf1124 said:


> I started carrying during a 11 day power outage and it just became part of my bat belt (I carry everything in holsters on my belt) then I got a job with a contractor and I always needed it so it just made sense to carry.



For me, it just didn't feel right if I left the house without at least 600 total lumens on my person...with the new ea4 strapped to my belt and the tk41 in my coat pocket, it doesn't feel right to venture out with less than 1500 lumens anymore..


----------



## ledmitter_nli

To light my way during a visit from the US to one of the many dark neighborhoods in Beijing, China?

http://oi47.tinypic.com/2n7falt.jpg

Kenji's Quad Nichia 219 in a C2 host :naughty:


----------



## Zdenek

Wearing a light is something basic like to wear a knife, watch, handkerchief, sunglasses, etc. In most cases small Inova on keychain is enough but I like more substantial light (Fenix TK 11 R2). 
Having a light I always can read traffic schedule on a station, time on my watch, I can see way in dark areas or to be seen if appropriate.


----------



## SHADE02

go out without my buck xtract 731, my nitecore ec2, my watch and my cellphone, its impossible to my since like mmmh, like 3 years back,

the sensation is terrible without any of those...


----------



## Altec

I had a warm fuzzy feeling this evening! I was hanging out with my SO at her friends house. Her friend had to take the dog out for a walk and she says "I need a flashlight" while holding out her hand looking me dead in the eyes. It wasn't even worth asking how'd you know I have one... Just pulled out the L2P...:laughing:


----------



## Illum

dc38 said:


> For me, it just didn't feel right if I left the house without at least 600 total lumens on my person...with the new ea4 strapped to my belt and the tk41 in my coat pocket, it doesn't feel right to venture out with less than 1500 lumens anymore..



Thats called "losing perspective" I am the same.


----------



## Coleslaw38

My light is the most important tool for me to correctly do my job. Inspections are the biggest part of an exterminator's service. Even if the room is very well lit, if my light isn't on I could miss the most subtle sign of an infestation.


----------



## Timothybil

Coleslaw38 said:


> My light is the most important tool for me to correctly do my job. Inspections are the biggest part of an exterminator's service. Even if the room is very well lit, if my light isn't on I could miss the most subtle sign of an infestation.



Wow! You have it made! You get to be a flashaholic, and expense your lights as well. Must be nice.


----------



## Coleslaw38

Timothybil said:


> Wow! You have it made! You get to be a flashaholic, and expense your lights as well. Must be nice.


Haha it kind of is. Always showing off my lights to the other techs!


----------



## DellSuperman

1st question: Wow, why do you have a flashlight with you?
2nd question (Almost immediately): Wow, that is a very powerful flashlight you got there!
and 3rd question: Must be very expensive right?

Though is it just a SF G2 with a R2 LED (less than 200lumen), it is more than enough to impress people with it.
And now my father, brother-in-law & father-in-law carries a flashlight that I assemble for them.

Another story with my father:
During dinner time he whisper to me: "Boy, I've got a very powerful flashlight. 9 LED bulbs inside!"
He whip it out & light it up under the table & I was like ...
I took my G2 out & the rest was history..

His 9 LED flashlight is sitting somewhere in some corner & he is carrying a flashlight that I assembled for him now.


----------



## IsaacL

People take light for granted, especially during the day. However, if you are in a building and the power goes out like the OP mentioned, it's generally going to be pretty dark. Carrying that idea further, if power loss is compounded by something like say a fire or earthquake, a flashlight becomes even more important. 

I guess it comes down to realizing just how easy it is to be left in the dark. 

I've been called a "boy scout" once or twice for whipping out my light...


----------



## Hotherps

I use mine on a daily basis to check cobras, mambas and other venomous snakes as they are hiding in their trap boxes at work... I also use a torch to look down burrows, cork bark tubes etc. at my various tarantulas


----------



## novice

Hotherps said:


> I use mine on a daily basis to check cobras, mambas and other venomous snakes as they are hiding in their trap boxes at work... I also use a torch to look down burrows, cork bark tubes etc. at my various tarantulas



I'm intrigued, but I'm almost afraid to ask. Herpetologists rock!


----------



## Hotherps

novice said:


> I'm intrigued, but I'm almost afraid to ask. Herpetologists rock!



I manage the largest venomous collection in the UK, carry out venom extractions for medical research / antivenom production.
Been keeping snakes since I was 6 years old, ex-zoo keeper and have been working exclusively with venomous snakes for the last 20 years....
I'm just a regular guy.... with a very unique job


----------



## Timothybil

Hotherps said:


> I'm just a regular guy.... with a very unique job


You may just be a regular guy, but I would bet you are a very careful one too!


----------



## wjv

langham said:


> I also carried one on a submarine due to the fact that when it gets dark on one of those, there isn't any light at all and a whole lot of danger.



Just open a window and let some light in. . . Didn't they teach you nutthing in sub school?


----------



## lightcycle1

Its amazing how many times Ive used a flashlight even during the daytime hours indoors. If somebodys with me and a light is needed, I get respect for having it on me instead of ridicule. 

Honestly I dont care what anybody thinks of my EDC habits anyway. Makes my life easier when I need to see in poorly lit areas/darkness, cut something, or tell the time.

Im also a watchlightknifemultitool guy. Never leave home without them. And my Ray-Bans. 

Sent from my SCH-S720C using Tapatalk 2


----------



## N8N

dc38 said:


> For me, it just didn't feel right if I left the house without at least 600 total lumens on my person...with the new ea4 strapped to my belt and the tk41 in my coat pocket, it doesn't feel right to venture out with less than 1500 lumens anymore..



TK41 in a coat pocket...?

I mean, it's an awesome light, but it's like 2-D Mag size... great for work in dark rooms/corners but I wouldn't carry it unless I knew I was going to need it. But maybe that's just me *shrug*

I started EDCing a Fenix E11 though and I have used the snot out of the little thing.


----------



## aginthelaw

i had the occasion of transporting a client to a dr's office in a high rise. though it was 3:30 in the afternoon, we were in an interior suite, away from windows. as luck would have it, the power grid in the area was not very stable (hurricane sandy has passed just 5 days before), and of course, the power went out. There were emergency lights in the hallways, there were emergency lights on the stairs. there were no emergency lights in the bathroom where she had just shut the outer door. i ran to the door with my 6p in hand as she let out a slight peep being caught by the darkness. i just had a 3 mode drop in installed, which i forgot about, and it came on with a 500 lumen room filling brightness. she invited me into the bathroom with her which i declined, setting the light on the small wastebasket on the floor, and stepped into the dr's office with the rexlight 2.0 as my back up. 

i checked on the rest of the staff who set about pulling out their plastic eveready halogen lights. my client stepped out of the bathroom handing me her specimen, which i also declined. she set about turning the tailcap of the surefire sending it thru all the modes, before i had to snatch it from her (the strobe was sending the staff into seizures). i went to my car while she completed her appt. found a mag-lite 2-d upgrade bulb and a halogen scorpion. i upgraded the bulb in one of the energizer $1.99 specials, and it was as if they saw the sun for the first time. my client pulled out an olight t25 which she claimed didn't work. she never knew you were supposed to turn the head to go thru the modes. she traded it for my scorpion because it was so much easier to use. the staff treated us to a banquet like you wouldn't believe, because the restaurant on the first floor wanted to get rid of their food since they were a sushi restaurant. the sushi bar owners were Korean, my client is Korean, and the dr's & staff are Korean, so we all sat at the same table and got stuffed on sushi that cost no more than you would usually leave for a tip. couldn't get them to sign up for candlepowerforums though.

as a parting thought, it doesn't pay to over-indulge in anything. i had heartburn for 3 days from the kimshee, and i totally forgot how to work my own flashlight. i rotate flashlights once a week, and buying dozens of the latest greatest flashlights doesn't make you a flashaholic if you don't remember how to use them.


----------



## ledmitter_nli

dc38 said:


> For me, it just didn't feel right if I left the house without at least 600 total lumens on my person...with the new ea4 strapped to my belt and the tk41 in my coat pocket, it doesn't feel right to venture out with less than 1500 lumens anymore..



Yeah seriously, as others have said, a TK-41 in the pocket?  You really *really* need that much throw?


----------



## JohnSmith

aginthelaw said:


> i had the occasion of transporting a client to a dr's office in a high rise...



Great story!


----------



## blah9

I've been stuck once or twice inside a large warehouse-type store when the lights went out, and it has been very handy to have a light with me. That was before my CPF days though, and I'm sure it would be more fun now! Lights always seem to come in handy for one thing or another, but those occasions were probably when I was the most glad to have a light.


----------



## KiwiMark

In the news last night there was a story about some areas of our capital city with street lights not working - there has been power outages due to a recent storm and the power company has been (rightly) prioritising restoring power to households. Someone interviewed was talking about having to negotiate some stairs normally lit by street lights but now in complete darkness - probably the sort of person that would ask a sensible and sane person "Why in the world do you carry a flashlight with you?".

I feel like saying to the non-flashlight carrying people - "Seriously guys, don't you realise that poop happens?"
Even around home during the day I've gone into the basement garage to sort through some stuff stored in there and it is as dark as anything - I have the handy option of being able to reach into my pocket and pull out a flashlight so that I can see the stuff I want to look through.


----------



## Xacto

And in most cases a feeble Fenix E01 would be enough.


Cheers
Thorsten


----------



## Devildude

ledmitter_nli said:


> Yeah seriously, as others have said, a TK-41 in the pocket?  You really *really* need that much throw?



Well to be completely honest not only do I carry my TK41in my lunch bucket I also carry an EA4, EA8 and a TN31mb. We had a power outage at the factory I work at and it was nice being one of the few people that was prepared for the situation. Saw a lot of cellphones being used as flashlights though.


----------



## [email protected]

Xacto said:


> And in most cases a feeble Fenix E01 would be enough.




Yes true but the extra spill is more than useful... I EDC an A2L :thumbsup:


----------



## alaskabushman

Living in Alaska as I do, carrying a light makes a lot of sense in the winter. Even in southeastern Alaska we only have about 6-7 hours of daylight in the winter months. Not the solid 24 hour darkness like farther up north but still. Getting firewood, thawing frozen pipes, putting on tire chains or shoveling snow are all things that are hard to do in the dark. In the summer I still carry my light however, since it seems like I always have to find something in a dark closet, look for something I dropped under my truck seat, look into some dark corner of an engine...bottom line, my light gets used almost as much as my Leatherman, so I feel naked without it!


----------



## Richub

Lately a new colleague started a discussion about 'doing the most useless thing ever' like carrying a flashlight in summertime with 17+ hours of daylight. She didn't know I'm a flashaholic, and as a response to that remark I lit her up with my trusty TK15. She honestly thought I'd gone mad on the spot. 

A few hours later the maintenance guy told us there would be no lights in the bathrooms for the next few hours as he would be replacing some bad power cables there. That colleague cried out "But I have to go right now! Please turn the light back on a few minutes... I have to go really bad!" Maintenance guy: "Sorry, you'll have to wait now." 

She almost panicked until I gave her my E05, and she darted off to the bathroom.
When she came back and handed me my E05 with a grateful smile I asked her: "Well, what did you say about the most useless thing ever?" She blushed and apologized.


----------



## KiwiMark

Richub said:


> Lately a new colleague started a discussion about 'doing the most useless thing ever' like carrying a flashlight in summertime with 17+ hours of daylight.



Ever try to check something on a computer under a desk? The fact that it is daylight just makes in darker in comparison under there.
I don't get why people think that being daylight makes a flashlight pointless - there are dark corners all over the place.


----------



## Richub

If I could get 50 cents for every man/woman that thinks flashlights are useless in daylight, I'd be a millionaire.


----------



## Shagrath

I've had more use out of my edc light in the day time than at night. I'm always working on computers. Then there's times when you drop that little screw or nut and it bounces under a desk. Good luck finding that without a light...


----------



## paddyred

Its sad to see people with the opinion "Why do you need that!?" Well guess what, a few of my friends where taking the mick out of me for carrying a Juice s2 and a Preon 2 (And many other things) on me and guess who came to the rescue! We all finished at work and decided to all go for lunch, well half way there one of my freinds cars broke down at the side of the road. I opened the bonnet and inspected the engine (Using the medium mode on the preon 2) to find the HP boost pipe had popped off. I took out my S2 and loosened the clip, re-attached the pipe and tightened it back up. Well they won't be having a laugh at my expense again!


----------



## KiltedMP

Having enlisted in the Army in '83 and trained to be a Military Policeman, I found the flashlight to come in handy more often than not. Then, it was the maglight as the duty light. Thankfully they have evolved over the years to a more handy format. The first duty station was a correction facility where prisoners would escape at least once a month and we'd have to search at any given time in all of the nooks and crannies of the area. As time went on, the smaller, more powerful lights became easier to carry and I ended up spending a lot of time carrying either a Surefire 6P or G2, then on to the Blackhawk Gladius with it's awesome strobe for many, many years. On to the Fenix TK15 recently and then the Klarus XT-11. Currently, the Nitecore SRT7 is serving as my carry light, even though I've retired from the Army after 28 years of service. Having a light on me at all times, has become second nature. I certainly try not to leave home without one. Of course, there are all of the old ones about: in the house and the car, so I am not far from at least three other lights.


----------



## JohnSmith

I'm here on business in southeastern Puerto Rico, where we just happen to have a tropical storm bearing down on us. I have three lights with me, because I'm a flashaholic. HDS 200 clicky, Surefire E1B and a Nitecore SRT6. Our colleagues here warned us of power outages, flooding, etc, and sent us back to our residence with a strange flashlight they had on hand. I whipped out my 3 lights to demonstrate my general preparedness, and my fellow travelers asked, "why do you have 3 flashlights?" I thought the situation justified it all, but I explained that I just like flashlights.


----------



## niter1dah

We have really short days in Seattle, WA during the winter. Nothing more frustrating trying to find something in the dark before or after work. I always have a couple in my car. I think I have enough combined lumens to use them as headlights in a pinch. :devil:


----------



## JohnSmith

JohnSmith said:


> I'm here on business in southeastern Puerto Rico...



Just following up on my post above... We did in fact lose power overnight due to the tropical storm. I don't feel the least bit bad about packing 3 flashlights on this trip!


----------



## bluemax_1

JohnSmith said:


> Just following up on my post above... We did in fact lose power overnight due to the tropical storm. I don't feel the least bit bad about packing 3 flashlights on this trip!



LOL, I pack at least 3 lights (usually more) on a trip in developed countries with a normally stable power grid. To somewhere where there may be a chance of power outages and flooding, I might pack MORE than 3. I'd probably have at least 3-4 on me at any time (from smallest to biggest, eGear Pico, Klarus Mi10, 4/7's Quark QPA, plus maybe the EagleTac G25C2-mkII) and toss the TM26 in the check-in luggage. Probably have the Pak-Lite Ultra somewhere too.


Max


----------



## Likebright

Why would you carry a flashlight? I get that sometimes. It is usually in a what I call a "DAAA moment" when I am using the flashlight for something useful.
A lot of times it is being used to aid in seeing in the middle of the day. Kick that little bit of extra into the corner or on that close piece of work someone else is squinting at. And then night comes and it goes into its own. And then there are the emergencies where seeing is imperative. 
Ya know I do remember a time in the dark past when I didn't carry a light. Now times are good.
Mike


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## S_Alomar

Interesting story. I carry a keychain light with me daily and sometimes I feel like I'm waiting/wanting for blackouts to happen in order to use my light... lol.


----------



## Fractals

I can't count the amount of times I have needed to use the flashlight function on my phone - drop something in the dark, have to work under the bonnet etc. Not only is the light quality poor, but it chews through the battery. I just bought a decent light so, if it's an emergency, 1. I can see better 2. I save my phone battery for phonecalls for assistance.

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Tapatalk 2


----------



## 713832281

I get asked why do I carry a light, pocket knife, pistol.
I also frequently get asked why do I exercise and eat healthy. It gets really aggravating after a while.


----------



## Harleyuki

nicho said:


> no need to take flashlight, as everyone has a mobile phone, can use software to do it.


I carry 2 on my bag, I also have one on my smartphone but I prefer to use that for comms. I also have an external battery charger (13000mAh capacity) and a couple of USB retractable cords. If my area is expecting a storm, everything is fully charged and ready. I have a USB-powered fan that can be powered by the charger; uses minimal power. Flashlights are stood up in a glass & used on their lowest power to do the job. In winter, the kerosene heater will provide emergency heat if it's needed. I was a bus driver during 9/11 and that experience opened my eyes. Also the following January I began working the overnight shift. There was definitely a need to carry 2!


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## david57strat

As many people have mentioned, even during daylight hours, there are areas that are not very well lit, and would benefit by external portable lighting. Having a portable light source on-person can be absolutely invaluable. Also, just because buildings are built with emergency back-up lighting, that's no guarantee that the lighting will work, in an emergency; and to be in a building with no windows, hoping that those back-up lights will work, is unnecessary.

A smartphone is a phone, primarily. If you want to use that as a back-up light, great; but as a primary light, for extended periods - not so great. Of course, opinions vary.

A light is a basic tool. You wouldn't drive anywhere with absolutely no tools in your car, would you?

Don't answer that....lol


----------



## Megatrowned

david57strat said:


> A light is a basic tool. You wouldn't drive anywhere with absolutely no tools in your car, would you?
> 
> Don't answer that....lol



That IS funny. However, I think if we were to take a poll of all the people we met in one day, (asking that question of them) most of us here would pull our hair out in frustration... :sigh:


----------



## Devildude

david57strat said:


> As many people have mentioned, even during daylight hours, there are areas that are not very well lit, and would benefit by external portable lighting. Having a portable light source on-person can be absolutely invaluable. Also, just because buildings are built with emergency back-up lighting, that's no guarantee that the lighting will work, in an emergency; and to be in a building with no windows, hoping that those back-up lights will work, is unnecessary.
> 
> A smartphone is a phone, primarily. If you want to use that as a back-up light, great; but as a primary light, for extended periods - not so great. Of course, opinions vary.
> 
> A light is a basic tool. You wouldn't drive anywhere with absolutely no tools in your car, would you?
> 
> Don't answer that....lol



I usually have 4 to 5 lights on me when I drive not to mention a full toolkit to handle any emergencies. Many years working on a dairy farm taught me to be prepared, funny how my coworkers criticize my having at least 2 lights on me at any given time but when the power goes out I am the first one they look for.


----------



## Etsu

david57strat said:


> A light is a basic tool. You wouldn't drive anywhere with absolutely no tools in your car, would you?
> 
> Don't answer that....lol



Heh, well, now that you mention it, maybe there's not much point in me having a flashlight in the glove box at all. I would have no idea how to fix any mechanical problem if the car broke down, so a cell-phone makes the only tool I really need. A flashlight would really just be for comfort lighting. I suppose I could use it while walking for help, though, so maybe it does have some use.

Mainly, I just need a place to send old flashlights to die, and a hot car in the summer seems like a good way to free up space for some new lights.


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## besafe2

9/11 taught me to always carry a light.


----------



## david57strat

Devildude said:


> I usually have 4 to 5 lights on me when I drive not to mention a full toolkit to handle any emergencies. Many years working on a dairy farm taught me to be prepared, funny how my coworkers criticize my having at least 2 lights on me at any given time but when the power goes out I am the first one they look for.



That's usually how it works. You get ridiculed for having a light (or more than one) at all times - until the day that it's needed (in an emergency scenario, or whenever) - then you're everyone's hero


----------



## david57strat

Megatrowned said:


> That IS funny. However, I think if we were to take a poll of all the people we met in one day, (asking that question of them) most of us here would pull our hair out in frustration... :sigh:



What's worse, are:

people who drive a vehicle, but have no Earthly clue what direction they're driving - or how to give proper directions (They don't know North, from South, East, or West). Giving true directions can provide a much more exact idea of a location, since North is always North, etc. - no matter what direction you're coming from. It leaves no room for misunderstanding. Knowing your directions should be a basic requirement for anyone driving. I don't get that.
people who absolutely refuse to wear a watch, or carry a cell phone, but are constatly asking others what time it is.


----------



## wjv

neonnoun said:


> BTW, I'm an Oregonian (where the chance of rain exceeds the chance of darkness most days) and I don't even have an umbrella. All the Oregonians who carry umbrellas are transplants. The rest of us have Gore-Tex or are used to getting wet.



I live right across the river from you (to the north). Been in the Pacific NW for 16 years and yes you are correct. No one carries an umbrella except for the new transplants. After a year or two you buy good waterproof jackets and you learn that it's "just water" and that if you do get wet, you will dry off. . . . Eventually. . .





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



So I can see this. . . . .






Instead of this. . . .


----------



## wjv

gohhib said:


> I remember once going to a vacation trip abroad when my wife wondered why I need flashlight with me.



I prefer the lower lumen lights. my current EDC is a LD10 (100 L max)
I travel for work at time, and a flashlight is nice in the hotel room at 3am when you need to get up and pee, and need to find the bathroom without tripping over things.

On family vacations the 3 lumen mode makes a great night light. I typically tail stand it by the sink, or in the bathroom so when anybody gets up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, they can see where they're going. Since the LD10 is rated for 70 hours on 3 lumens, I can let it run all night without much of a hit on the batteries. . And of course I bring spare batteries. .


----------



## Foxfyre

They're very useful at work (I'm a building repair mechanic).

Also, my sideline interest is investigating the paranormal. They're great for lighting up things that growl, groan or go bump in the dark.


----------



## markr6

wjv said:


> I prefer the lower lumen lights. my current EDC is a LD10 (100 L max)
> I travel for work at time, and a flashlight is nice in the hotel room at 3am when you need to get up and pee, and need to find the bathroom without tripping over things.
> 
> On family vacations the 3 lumen mode makes a great night light. I typically tail stand it by the sink, or in the bathroom so when anybody gets up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, they can see where they're going. Since the LD10 is rated for 70 hours on 3 lumens, I can let it run all night without much of a hit on the batteries. . And of course I bring spare batteries. .



I miss my LD10. *SHAME ON FENIX *for getting rid of the tail stand ability on the LD12...FOR NO DARN REASON!!! And don't get me started on the "for when you're wearing gloves" argument.


----------



## LightCrazy

How about because when the TT thunderstorm knockedout the lights in tthe gym at the "Y" this evening, I was the only one in the gym with a flashlight.


----------



## Devildude

For this reason alone, been without power for three hours and I have three flashlights on me and a few on tailstand duty lighting up some of my dark house.


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## adnj

I aways have a flashlight handy. Oddly enough, I always keep the high powered lights arpund for daytime: engine compartment, breaker panel, ductwork, back of a pc, etc. 

Sent using Tapatalk


----------



## wjv

markr6 said:


> I miss my LD10. *SHAME ON FENIX *for getting rid of the tail stand ability on the LD12...FOR NO DARN REASON!!! And don't get me started on the "for when you're wearing gloves" argument.



And they also messed up the modes

The LD10 had the really useful 

3, 13, 45, 100

And with the LD12 they went to

3, 30, 65, 125

Don't mind the 65. . . But jumping from 3 directly to 30 is a poor choice. . .


----------



## dealgrabber2002

*Why do you EDC a light?*

I am curious to know why you EDC a light.

I wake up at 5 am to go to work, so it's pretty dark. That's why I edc a light. You?


----------



## mcnair55

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Suited/booted mobile phone-money-cards-pen knife-pen-leather memo pad and my Itp (work reasons).Could not function without any for the day.


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## ACruceSalus

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I'm usually up until about 3-5 AM and don't want to be without some light while still not waking the rest of the family.


----------



## mcnair55

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



ACruceSalus said:


> I'm usually up until about 3-5 AM and don't want to be without some light while still not waking the rest of the family.



So what about the rest of the day?


----------



## smokinbasser

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Even though I know my homes layout I much prefer to see exactly where I am going once the big reddish orange ball in the sky has gone down. Example two nights ago my better half swore she saw a possum transverse our fenced in backyard. Being the curious sort I took a light out in search of the possible intruder------ I had to come back in and report no possum found( I do not go into heavy bush cover looking for a possibly irritated possum not playing dead) 
I will add that many moons ago I worked in a USAF technical school without windows for security reasons and when we had a base wide power outage and discovered the emergency lighting units were deadern than a doornail, any light source (think luminous faces on watches) was better than what most folks had (no jewelry of any sort allowed around jet engines) Lesson learned! I carry a minimum of two adequate light sources 99% of the time now!


----------



## TEEJ

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I EDC a light because use them for work, all day and all night, 24/7 potentially. I EDC more than 1 light, because I use different wavelengths and beam profiles for different aspects of what I do.


----------



## ACruceSalus

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



mcnair55 said:


> So what about the rest of the day?



Usually sleeping until around noon and then it starts over again. Today was an outlier in that I was asleep by 2 and up by 7. So most of my waking hours are during the night. This schedule has its advantages and disadvantages.


----------



## yearnslow

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Mainly because the power supply here is atrocious and you never know when it will cut out.


----------



## gsr

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

One never knows when one will have to peer into dark places.


----------



## Tmack

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I'm always fixing, looking, digging, in places where a good light can make or break the task.


----------



## dealgrabber2002

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



gsr said:


> One never knows when one will have to peer into dark places.



Lol I like that


----------



## TMedina

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Because without power, a building is just a man-made cave.


----------



## besafe2

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Lives were saved on 9/11 in WTC because some one had a light. You never know. That's why I edc.


----------



## dealgrabber2002

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



besafe2 said:


> Lives were saved on 9/11 in WTC because some one had a light. You never know. That's why I edc.



The one I read about carried a 2aa maglite


----------



## TMedina

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



> On 9/11 Dianne DeFontes used her flashlight, which she always carried in her purse after the bombing at the WTC on February 26, 1993, to help illuminate the 89th floor of the North Tower as she and other occupants began their descent to safety. That day, flashlights were also used by volunteer fire safety wardens such as George Mironis, who became involved in fire safety initiatives adopted at the WTC after 1993. Mironis emerged safely on Vesey Street after a descent from the 48th floor of the North Tower. Both DeFontes and Mironis donated their flashlights to the Memorial Museum.



From: http://www.911memorial.org/recovery-stories

Also: Slide 10. Donated flashlights. From left to right: a red 2-cell, no name brand. A Garrity two AA light. Maybe a 3 C cell Maglite.

https://www.911memorial.org/photo-albums/items-donated-museum’s-collection

That red light is a World Trade Center issue light. You can see a close-up here: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/18453353/the-rise-of-freedom-flashlight


----------



## tjswarbrick

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Because it gets dark every night.

And when I drop something, or the lights go out, or someone needs a hand finding something, or there's some other event where it'll be useful the last thing I want to do is search for a flashlight first.


----------



## ven

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Several reasons as when its dark its the most useful tool you can have........

I edc a light more in winter in my coat(gets dark from 3.45pm in winter),always edc a small AA light in work,as i never know if/when i may use it.
1st day in a different engineering department today,i had my klarus p1a with me and used it many times(tomorrow my thrunite t10s for a change) and came in useful in the compressor house.Having a small light that you dont know is there,and a 50/50 chance of needing it(even though not many engineers edc a light in my place.......)its always better to have and not need than to need and not have.......with you


----------



## Capolini

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

-Use them to take the Dog out for last bathroom break!

-use them to navigate around the house instead of turning lights on because it is FUN and NOT to save money! lol!

-Have one in glove box for super emergency!


----------



## bnemmie

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Because you never know. 

Also I never want to be "that guy". The guy asking to borrow things all the time.


----------



## LGT

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



besafe2 said:


> Lives were saved on 9/11 in WTC because some one had a light. You never know. That's why I edc.


Very good reason. I also remember passengers on the Costa Concordia bemoaning the fact that they were crawling through pitch black hallways on the listing ship. Not every need for an EDC will be as dire as these scenarios. But better to have and not need then to need and not have.


----------



## BarryG

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I carry one because I used one daily as an electrician. Even though I no longer do electrical work, I still use my lght numerous times every day.

Here is a thread that may interest some of you...
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?347873-My-wife-needs-your-help!!!&highlight=





Barry


----------



## besafe2

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



dealgrabber2002 said:


> The one I read about carried a 2aa maglite



Yep, that's the one I remember.


----------



## ChrisGarrett

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I EDC because smaller pocket lights are so tiny and powerful, that it just makes sense.

I EDC a SAK SwissChamp, a small Seecamp .32acp pistol, a pack of gum, a wallet, my keychain with a small light on it and a small SAK, so carrying a smaller light just works for me.

Like the Boy Scouts' motto states: always be prepared!

Chris


----------



## threepercent

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I EDC my Nitecore pd12 as I am commuting through mountain-ish areas and never want to be caught without light (just in case), but also for use in my position as an LEO.


----------



## dealgrabber2002

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



threepercent said:


> I EDC my Nitecore pd12 as I am commuting through mountain-ish areas and never want to be caught without light (just in case), but also for use in my position as an LEO.



That's a good reason to carry an EDC


----------



## RWT1405

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I work nightshift, as a Paramedic/Firefighter.


----------



## GregY

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Because I can't see in the dark. And I often find myself needing to see things that are.... wait for it.... in the dark.

Dark is sneaky and hides in all kinds of places. Certain times of day they even let the dark out and it gets *everywhere*.


----------



## dealgrabber2002

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I think night securities have the most fun with lights


----------



## ACruceSalus

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



mcnair55 said:


> So what about the rest of the day?





ACruceSalus said:


> Usually sleeping until around noon and then it starts over again. Today was an outlier in that I was asleep by 2 and up by 7. So most of my waking hours are during the night. This schedule has its advantages and disadvantages.



I just realized I misunderstood your question. I have a form of agnosia where I sometimes don't recognize a specific object in a group of objects. I know what I'm look for and what the object looks like but I can't distinguish it from the other objects. It is a lot like walking into a room full of people having conversations but being unable to filter out all conversations except the one that you want to hear. One way to hear that conversation is to increase its volume to the point where you can understand it. The flashlight acts similarly in that it visually increases the "volume" of each object as I scan them and helps me find the one I'm looking for.


----------



## RCS1300

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I EDC a light - fenix PD22 or Fenix E05 - because I cannot see in the dark.


----------



## mcnair55

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Lol apart from work pretty lame excuses really.


----------



## dss_777

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



mcnair55 said:


> Lol apart from work pretty lame excuses really.



Why are you here?


----------



## mcnair55

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



dss_777 said:


> Why are you here?



Why have you a problem fella?,last time i looked i happened to be a member very much like your self.


----------



## TEEJ

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I think its OK for a poster to have an opinion that seems in conflict with the other opinions. My feeling is that if I'm asked for my opinion, and I give it....I don't need people to agree for me to be OK with what I think. 

Others are allowed to be wrong. I don't see a reason to make them leave the room for having their own opinion.



Besides, McNair is just curmudgeonly and says grumpy stuff because its his niche....a guy with ~ twenty two hundred posts on a flashlight forum who grumbles that people who are into flashlights are crazy....think about it.


----------



## mcnair55

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



TEEJ said:


> I think its OK for a poster to have an opinion that seems in conflict with the other opinions. My feeling is that if I'm asked for my opinion, and I give it....I don't need people to agree for me to be OK with what I think.
> 
> Others are allowed to be wrong.




Totally agree Mr TEEJ

I tell it as i see it and on this so far i see usage for work and the rest just because.Remember i am as addicted to lights as much as the rest.


----------



## dss_777

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



mcnair55 said:


> Why have you a problem fella?,last time i looked i happened to be a member very much like your self.



I'm just concerned for you. Thought you might have gotten lost in your search for that anorak-wearing hobbyist that stole your lunch money. Although that does explain your interest in flashlights...


----------



## mcnair55

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



dss_777 said:


> I'm just concerned for you. Thought you might have gotten lost in your search for that anorak-wearing hobbyist that stole your lunch money. Although that does explain your interest in flashlights...




No need to be concerned about me fella and i have the number of the Anorak wearers plus i use a card for lunch.I really enjoy the addiction of flashalolism .:nana:


----------



## liveris flashlights

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Because I live in village, because of my work (electronics) and because of my hobby (hunting). For me a flashlight is like a screwdriver.


----------



## mcnair55

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



liveris flashlights said:


> Because I live in village, because of my work (electronics) and because of my hobby (hunting). For me a flashlight is like a screwdriver.




Top man best answer yet.


----------



## dealgrabber2002

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



mcnair55 said:


> Top man best answer yet.



Agreed


----------



## Wooperson

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I carry one because I'm a student who's often in labs where it helps to have a tiny, directed light. It feels good having something that could be useful with you even if you don't continuously use it. There's also something fascinating about keeping a familiar object with you and seeing it wear and age with you. 

Does anybody ever study using a flashlight to concentrate? I do that sometimes


----------



## dss_777

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



TEEJ said:


> I think its OK for a poster to have an opinion that seems in conflict with the other opinions. My feeling is that if I'm asked for my opinion, and I give it....I don't need people to agree for me to be OK with what I think.
> 
> 
> Others are allowed to be wrong. I don't see a reason to make them leave the room for having their own opinion.
> 
> 
> 
> Besides, McNair is just curmudgeonly and says grumpy stuff because its his niche....a guy with ~ twenty two hundred posts on a flashlight forum who grumbles that people who are into flashlights are crazy....think about it.



Lots of different horses in every race, that's for sure! And of course, no horse is complete without both ends. :thumbsup:

And for what it's worth, I totally agree that lights for work are where it's at. It's just that sometimes that work is making others go "wow," or just to put a smile on my face. 

If anyone insists that its not really work unless you're getting paid to do it, just know that I'm self-employed.


----------



## Tmack

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Love every word in that post


----------



## 300WSM

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

My work requires using a flashlight to inspect pumps, equipment, shipments and the like. I work for a shop that rebuilds industrial pumps including the big Bingham pipeline pumps that are driven by 1000 hp motors. We are always peeking into a dark place on these big units and a flashlight is a must. I also live in a house overlooking the Yellowstone River. I hear cougar screaming in the distance sometimes. I always hear coyotes. At night, a good light is a must especially when my labrador retrievers start a fuss. You never know what you will light up on the other side of our yard fence. We also have a West Highland terrier and she thinks she can whup anything single handed. A 6 foot long bull snake made it through our fence. She killed it so fast I couldn't believe it. Yea, we use lights here all of the time.


----------



## ACruceSalus

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



Wooperson said:


> I carry one because I'm a student who's often in labs where it helps to have a tiny, directed light. It feels good having something that could be useful with you even if you don't continuously use it. There's also something fascinating about keeping a familiar object with you and seeing it wear and age with you.
> 
> Does anybody ever study using a flashlight to concentrate? I do that sometimes



Nothing to be embarrassed about. I use it to help overcome my disability with finding object even in broad daylight.


----------



## TEEJ

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



dss_777 said:


> Lots of different horses in every race, that's for sure! And of course, no horse is complete without both ends. :thumbsup:
> 
> And for what it's worth, I totally agree that lights for work are where it's at. It's just that sometimes that work is making others go "wow," or just to put a smile on my face.
> 
> If anyone insists that its not really work unless you're getting paid to do it, just know that I'm self-employed.



Love it.




BTW - Your support group includes all the stay-at-home-moms who attack people who comment. "Oh, so you don't work?"


----------



## mcnair55

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



300WSM said:


> My work requires using a flashlight to inspect pumps, equipment, shipments and the like. I work for a shop that rebuilds industrial pumps including the big Bingham pipeline pumps that are driven by 1000 hp motors. We are always peeking into a dark place on these big units and a flashlight is a must. I also live in a house overlooking the Yellowstone River. I hear cougar screaming in the distance sometimes. I always hear coyotes. At night, a good light is a must especially when my labrador retrievers start a fuss. You never know what you will light up on the other side of our yard fence. We also have a West Highland terrier and she thinks she can whup anything single handed. A 6 foot long bull snake made it through our fence. She killed it so fast I couldn't believe it. Yea, we use lights here all of the time.



Crikey you certainally do need them,my collection of 50 would go no where in your house,all you need to scare the living day lights out of me would be a croc trying to get through the fence.


----------



## 300WSM

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Yes, it's a pretty wild place here. Bald and golden eagles flying over head, geese everywhere. I was following a wild turkey down the road about a half mile from my house on the way home from work today. He just didn't want to relinquish the road to me. I was nice and went really slow till he zipped off into the brush. Where ever you go along the Yellowstone river there is a good chance you can run into something interesting. I woke up one morning while camping in the Beartooth Mountains and walked out of my tent in time to see a grizzly bear run past me down through the middle of our camp. That was really special!


----------



## LanthanumK

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*


Work often starts before dawn, making a flashlight helpful.
Unlit but frequently used closets require immediate handheld illumination.
Auto has poor interior lighting, making flashlight necessary for finding tools in the dark.
Low light illumination without waking roommate.
Flashlight often used when night walking/biking for recreation and transportation.
Better to have and not need than need and not have.
Unarmed self defense using photons is acceptable in gun-shy NJ.
Help out people trying to light their way with cell phones.
Light outage in dark building has occurred several times.
Spur of the moment urban/rural exploration.

i.e. I was in community college a few years back and the power went out. I turned on my little mini crank 5 lumen flashlight but it was insufficient to light the windowless room. I upgraded to a 3 AAA 9 LED flashlight.

a few days ago I was bicycling down an unlit paved path at night, coming back from my job. I normally would ride in the dark but decided to wear a Petzl Tikkina 2 that night. I saw the large tree at waist height blocking the path just in time and skidded to a stop. If I was not EDCing I would have been airborne. I since mounted a light on my bicycle for night riding.

moonlight mode on Photon Freedom is very helpful for moving around the house at night. Hat clip was also useful until it was lost.


----------



## jamesmtl514

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

...because i can't see in the dark.
...because i rather have a tool and not need it than need it and not have it.


----------



## dealgrabber2002

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



jamesmtl514 said:


> ...because i can't see in the dark.



I think all of us can't as well. Seems like many of us edc for "just in case" more than work.


----------



## vicv

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

To see stuff when it's dark:twothumbs


----------



## kj2

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Because you always need a light, when you don't carry it


----------



## Tmack

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Yes! So true. 

The few occasions I don't have one on me, I'm using my phone, with a couple grand of lights in a bag at home :/


----------



## dealgrabber2002

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



Tmack said:


> Yes! So true.
> 
> The few occasions I don't have one on me, I'm using my phone, with a couple grand of lights in a bag at home :/



Lol. I think that happens to many of us.


----------



## Seattle Sparky

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



mcnair55 said:


> Lol apart from work pretty lame excuses really.



Because I often go to dark places and and frankly I don't have a night vision or super senses that can help me navigate without light. There is few things that are more annoying than working in a semi lit conditions too. Have you tried stabbing your finger with a screw gun trying to put a screw, just because you can't see what exactly you are doing.


----------



## D6859

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Because in Finland it's illegal to ride a bike without a light when it's dark. I use my EDC mostly mounted on my bike, but I've found it very useful to carry around since it's dark most of the year. Also, I work at night, so it's usually dark when I'm awake.


----------



## Kai Winters

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I use mine at work every day to view samples of paper pulp in a "blue box". A 10x12" wooden box with a sheet of blue glass for the bottom. I look at the pulp to make sure it is broken down correctly and there are no or few "nits"...tiny, shiny specks...in the pulp.


----------



## Nightflash

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Because daily in buildings, on stairways and nightly everywhere there is no day-night I don´t need it or use it at least 5 times - that´s why I always have 2 on me. And btw they feel good In the house got used to avoid the on/off switching of ceiling lights I don´t need for more than 5 secs and use them instead.


----------



## mcnair55

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



D6859 said:


> Because in Finland it's illegal to ride a bike without a light when it's dark. I use my EDC mostly mounted on my bike, but I've found it very useful to carry around since it's dark most of the year. Also, I work at night, so it's usually dark when I'm awake.



You really do need a light a good charger and batts as well by the sound of it.


----------



## ArmoredFiend

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

i EDC coz i like lights..like how someone here once put it, its kinda like wearing an underwear. 9/10 times u dont really need an underwear if you're wearing long pants and work in an environment that doesnt require you to get down and dirty. but u jst feel uncomfortable by not wearing one...so i kinda get that feeling when i didnt EDC a light...


----------



## mcnair55

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



ArmoredFiend said:


> i EDC coz i like lights..like how someone here once put it, its kinda like wearing an underwear. 9/10 times u dont really need an underwear if you're wearing long pants and work in an environment that doesnt require you to get down and dirty. but u jst feel uncomfortable by not wearing one...so i kinda get that feeling when i didnt EDC a light...



I would never dream of leaving my house without underwear how odd.


----------



## D6859

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



mcnair55 said:


> You really do need a light a good charger and batts as well by the sound of it.



Thrunite tn12 + Xtar sp1 + Keeppower 3400 mAh. I ride my bike about half an hour almost every day and I've found this combination suitable to my needs


----------



## bltkmt

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Because I lived through the 2003 power outage in NYC and had to use pitch-dark men's rooms and sleep in the dark on a conference room floor. Never again.


----------



## jellydonut

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

It's useful in general, but mostly because if I don't carry it you can bet your behind that's the time I will need it.

Also because I can't carry a knife or a handgun, so it's the least I can do to be prepared.


----------



## TMedina

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



bltkmt said:


> Because I lived through the 2003 power outage in NYC and had to use pitch-dark men's rooms and sleep in the dark on a conference room floor. Never again.



Not to veer too far off topic, what else did that experience change for you? Do you EDC anything else specifically because of that experience?


----------



## bltkmt

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



TMedina said:


> Not to veer too far off topic, what else did that experience change for you? Do you EDC anything else specifically because of that experience?



Cash. All the bars in NYC were cash-only that night and I had none. I now keep $100 bill tucked somewhere in my wallet at all times.


----------



## LGT

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I EDC because being a lineman for the electric company, a regular 7 to 3 work day can turn into an all night experience. And I never know when it'll be necessary to venture down into a dark basement to check on an electric meter.


----------



## royaw

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I carry for several reasons:
At work (police), I never know what I'm going to get into, even when working daylight, so a good light (actually at least two good lights) is a necessity.

I'm building a house, and it does not have electricity at the current stage of construction, so a light is necessary to check on the work as it progresses.

My near vision has faded over the years, but a bright light helps a great deal with close up vision, whether it is reading a menu at a restaurant, instructions or information on a package, or anything else. Sometimes even if I don't have my glasses, a bright enough light allows me to see small print just fine.

Finding things under the car seat, or anywhere else I happen to drop something.

Plus, I just like flashlights - I'm fascinated by the technology, and it amazes people when they see the large amount of light coming out of tiny devices!


----------



## Cerberus.

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

For work (Paramedic/Rescue in South Africa) it makes life easier, in fact I keep 3. During my off days/rest days I still EDC simply because I never know when I will need to venture into a dark building, stop to help someone at night or perhaps get stuck while out hiking. You will never wish you had something until you get into trouble and you don't have it.


----------



## yearnslow

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



> I would never dream of leaving my house without underwear how odd.



Does the wife know mate?


----------



## Tech-Com

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Too many times have I needed a light and not had one, thats the main reason I carry a quark123 tactical in my pocket.
I also carry a 380 bodyguard in my pocket as I have my concealed handgun license, and the quark123 is easily used in conjunction with it if the need arises.


----------



## mikedsokc

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I use mine for work a few times a day. I check on my chickens to make sure they all made it back in the coop and look for predators when the dogs go crazy. 

My wife called me a nerd for carrying to the movies in the mall until the entire block lost power and we were the only ones leaving that had a flashlight. She doesn't call me a nerd anymore.


----------



## TMedina

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



mikedsokc said:


> I use mine for work a few times a day. I check on my chickens to make sure they all made it back in the coop and look for predators when the dogs go crazy.
> 
> My wife called me a nerd for carrying to the movies in the mall until the entire block lost power and we were the only ones leaving that had a flashlight. She doesn't call me a nerd anymore.



Feels good, doesn't it?


----------



## D6859

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



TMedina said:


> Feels good, doesn't it?



My friends are starting to rely on me EDCing a light if were doing somethin in the dark. It does feel good


----------



## tphill

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I also work with chickens, in a poultry processing plant, at night. I work in the live receiving area, so I need a nice bright light to work outside. Then, once the birds enter the building, in the first area we use dim red lights to keep the birds calm. There I need a somewhat dimmer white light to inspect, repair, etc. So while I really only need a light for work, I EDC mainly so I don't forget to take it to work. I also keep a spare in my office at work. I have a third at work, company issued, for the team members in my area.


----------



## lefteye219

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I am usually up till 3AM in night and I use not to disturb family. Also i get home pretty late at night so I would not want to live without a flashlight anymore. Also as some have experienced, it helps reading stuff and very very useful EDC tool.


----------



## LRJ88

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

You can't always rely on other light sources to work.


----------



## Davis

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I carry 2, one on a shirt pocket clip and the other in a pocket, for those annoying low light situations where you can’t see what you want without a flashlight. The second light is carried as a backup just in case batteries in the primary are low or fail.


----------



## drfiehlgood

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

The day I forget to carry my light or my knife is the day I need it. So now I carry them everywhere all the time.


----------



## jere

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I bought a cheap but tiny 10 lumen energizer button key chain light just on a whim. Its been a few years and I have upgraded to a 18650 generic Cree XML that was like $6. The amount of things to use the light for keeps growing ever day. The light is bright enough to use as a laser pointer, and works as a back up for spotting addresses in the taxi if the big light needs a recharge. The big light 3 Cree xml 6 d mag is also good for controlling the wackos that pop up on a nightly basis. Its great for handyman tikerer shady tree mechanic stuff that I am always into also. 

And then a trick when you are trying to find something small or something in a cluttered room, kill the room lights and search with just the square of the pocket light to concentrate your focus.


----------



## darktort

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it,so get ready


----------



## SwissJim

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Don't truly feel addicted, but my reasons feel more philosophical. I have always been fascinated by light and darkness. Light equates to reason and intelligence. I fight the Dark Ages with my light, and that includes a few big ones. They make me smile in the backyard and give me peace knowing they are there. I guess I just like them. (Lasers too, I must admit!) Jim in Vermont


----------



## LGT

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



SwissJim said:


> Don't truly feel addicted, but my reasons feel more philosophical. I have always been fascinated by light and darkness. Light equates to reason and intelligence. I fight the Dark Ages with my light, and that includes a few big ones. They make me smile in the backyard and give me peace knowing they are there. I guess I just like them. (Lasers too, I must admit!) Jim in Vermont


This could very well be the most obscure post I've ever read.


----------



## SwissJim

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Why obscure. I'm not a cop, and I don't drive a taxi. I use my lights once or twice a year. Not very exciting I guess. But I still own them, even though opposed to materialism and shopaholics. I think many suffer from "affluenza." Yet I love my lights and they bring me joy. Thus, my reason for EDC. Clearer???


----------



## f22shift

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



bltkmt said:


> Cash. All the bars in NYC were cash-only that night and I had none. I now keep $100 bill tucked somewhere in my wallet at all times.



I really liked that blackout. i wasn't in the city but in the suburbs. it was nice, people were just out bbqin' whatever in their fridge. felt cozy, like a neighborhood camping party. no distractions of technology. 
I can imagine the city being one huge party during the time.

EDIT:
to stay on topic,
because it's attached to my keychain. actually i quite like the look of my edc light. the same reason i wear a mechanical watch, it's sort of emotional.


----------



## BloodLust

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I've always liked playing with lights since I was a kid.
To read in the dark, play in the garden. Look for things that roll under tables and beds.

What really pushed me to EDC a good light was when I was caught in a blackout in a level 3 basement parking. Cell phones back then had only the green lit lcds and no flashlight function and I only had a Maglite Solitaire which really didn't do much then.

After that, I invested in my first "high power" light, a Surefire G2, then move to LED with a Fenix P1D-CE.


----------



## reppans

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



f22shift said:


> I really liked that blackout. i wasn't in the city but in the suburbs. it was nice, people were just out bbqin' whatever in their fridge. felt cozy, like a neighborhood camping party. no distractions of technology.
> I can imagine the city being one huge party during the time.



Wikipedia's account:



> .....While some commuters were able to find alternate sleeping arrangements, many were left stranded in New York and slept in parks and on the steps of public buildings. While practically all businesses and retail establishments closed down, many bars and pubs reported a brisk business as many New Yorkers took the opportunity to spend the evening "enjoying" the blackout. Since most perishable items were going to spoil anyway, many restaurants and citizens simply prepared what they could and served it to anyone who wanted it, leading to vast block parties in many New York City neighborhoods. Any ice cream in frozen storage also had to be quickly served to any and all passers by....



It was kind of fun in the city at the time, course it would have been a whole different story had the Blackout continued for a few more days. I started packing rollerblades in my office after that one. 30 miles home, no biggy if you can get out early enough.


----------



## funkychateau

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

My near vision has gotten bad enough (I'll be 60 in 2 months) that I need a little bit of light to read some menus in dark restaurants. Likewise score sheets for my billiard leagues when we play in dark bars. Plus, I'm always losing something underneath the seat of my car, etc. And sometimes I park in back and don't want to step on an ant hill (or dog turd) walking around the house. Once you carry the light for necessity, you find lots of reasons why it's handy. I'm never without my Fenix LD01 stainless.


----------



## fridgemagnet

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I live in the countryside, where there are no streetlights. My nearest neighbour is half a mile away, and I walk everywhere.
Also my flashlight helps me find things I have dropped, peer into the workings of my laptop, lights up the barn...it's generally useful, and if I don't carry it, I end up wishing that I had carried it.


----------



## dealgrabber2002

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



fridgemagnet said:


> I live in the countryside, where there are no streetlights. My nearest neighbour is half a mile away, and I walk everywhere.
> Also my flashlight helps me find things I have dropped, peer into the workings of my laptop, lights up the barn...it's generally useful, and if I don't carry it, I end up wishing that I had carried it.



Do you also carry a gun with you?


----------



## Bullzeyebill

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Why do I carry an EDC flashlight? Cause it is fun, and I like to give my lights a workout, and switch around different lights, sometimes carrying three lights. It is one of my hobbies. :naughty:

Bill


----------



## callmaster

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



Bullzeyebill said:


> Why do I carry an EDC flashlight? Cause it is fun, and I like to give my lights a workout, and switch around different lights, sometimes carrying three lights. It is one of my hobbies. :naughty:
> 
> Bill



Only sometimes Bill?


----------



## fishsticks

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I'm a maintenance man at a hospital, most of the patient rooms that I have to work in are dark.


----------



## Bullzeyebill

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



callmaster said:


> Only sometimes Bill?



You got me. Often times. LOL.

Bill


----------



## CPF21

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Because nutnfancy said so...:duh2:

I use it mostly for checking tire pressure at night, that's why my edc preference is light and small.


----------



## billgood

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I work the night shift so on my days off it tends to be dark most of the time when I'm up so a flashlight is a must. I have a maratac on my Keychain and I can't live withough one now.


----------



## PTN

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

i work third shift inspecting highway work. need my xt11 all the time.


----------



## LanWolf

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

As sysadmin sometimes you have to enter the dark dungeons when the power goes out... to shut down systems before ups does it all at once.... 
(No light there connected to the ups  )
And when craving under desks to get by the power outlet or find the end of the cable, have a look for something fallen on the dark floor, stir my martini, find the screw in the case, etc.


----------



## chrisbfu

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I Tour with bands, doing guitar tech and Merch slinging. I'm always in a dark club or venue, so it's always much easier to have a light on me so i can see what it is i'm working on. It's carried into my everyday life, I just feel naked if i don't have a light on me.


----------



## yogiboobooranger

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

My daily carry of a flashlight comes from years of doing so while in law enforcement/first responder positions. Although I am retired now, I still do carry a gun, knife, and flashlight on me at all times. Habit, daily routine when dressing. Also, one never knows if you will happen upon an accident on the road, day or night, where a flashlight may come in handy.


----------



## BriteLite2

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

get caught in a public bathroom when the timer goes off and you are left holding your Pee-pee in the pitch black. Never again.


----------



## besafe2

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

ROFLMAO. A very good reason.


----------



## dealgrabber2002

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



BriteLite2 said:


> get caught in a public bathroom when the timer goes off and you are left holding your Pee-pee in the pitch black. Never again.



Thx goodness that didn't happen to me. Lol


----------



## CrazyCanuck

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

In short, because I find there is a need for a light more often than not. It's a lot like a tie, easier to take one off that to try to manufacture one.


----------



## Acid303

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I live in a country prone to earthquakes, it's just dumb NOT to EDC a flashlight, add to that a Swiss army knife and at least you got some tools if things go bad..


----------



## teckul

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I often go poking my nose in dark places so *always* carry something


----------



## ericjohn

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

To me, it is like a security blanket issue I never outgrew. It definitely has its perks, though. I feel naked if I am without a flashlight and I ALWAYS have one either on me, near me or in my edc backpack. I also like to be prepared in living in hurricane prone Louisiana and this post 9-11 world.


----------



## hyperloop

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I live in Singapore, there is hardly any reason to carry a light here, at night we have street lamps every 25 meters and well lit everywhere, why i carry an EDC, I like it


----------



## Sacrifus

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

It gives me something to fiddle with when I'm bored. I also like to work on computers and soldering electronics so it is useful to have on me at all times.


----------



## dealgrabber2002

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



Sacrifus said:


> It gives me something to fiddle with when I'm bored.



Lol. Me too


----------



## johnnytoxin

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Because out of everything I carry on a daily basis, my light probably gets used the most.


----------



## jamesmtl514

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



Sacrifus said:


> It gives me something to fiddle with when I'm bored. I also like to work on computers and soldering electronics so it is useful to have on me at all times.


This.


----------



## jinx626

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

earthquakes!


----------



## anon-e-moose

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I EDC a torch due because they're just so handy.
Looking under stuff/ behind stuff/ into stuff where the sun just won't shine.
I'm about to get onto the roof and clean the flue and the Nitecore SRT3 in my pocket will again get used to check just how blocked it has become.

Also, as a carpenter I'm always looking into dark places in roofs, under houses etc etc etc.

I don't know why people DON'T carry a torch with them. The amount of times I've had to use it at work/home when no-one else around has one....:shrug:


----------



## Alex W

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

sense of security. I know it will always be around.


----------



## industriemechaniker

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I need it at work and when I'm repairing things. Forgetting my EDC is like forgetting my keys.


----------



## Kalpn

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I hardly use it but you never know when you need it. 

The last thing you want is to use your phone as a light source when you need it.


----------



## dealgrabber2002

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



Kalpn said:


> I hardly use it but you never know when you need it.
> 
> The last thing you want is to use your phone as a light source when you need it.


But my phone flashlight is pretty dang bright.


----------



## thedoc007

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



dealgrabber2002 said:


> But my phone flashlight is pretty dang bright.



Compared to what? And I think you might be missing Kalpn's whole point...I think, like many of us, he would rather save his phone battery for, y'know, PHONE CALLS! In an emergency, you don't want to have to depend on your phone as a light source also...


----------



## dealgrabber2002

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



thedoc007 said:


> Compared to what? And I think you might be missing Kalpn's whole point...I think, like many of us, he would rather save his phone battery for, y'know, PHONE CALLS! In an emergency, you don't want to have to depend on your phone as a light source also...


Tru Tru. I used to carry an e01, now I carry thrunite TiS.


----------



## AMD64Blondie

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

There's that security blanket factor.

(Namely,I just feel better having my light on me,even though the power is fairly reliable here in Portland,OR.)

(Most of the time,I'm sporting my HDS Rotary 250.If I need my hands free,I've got my Black Diamond Storm.)


----------



## djtzar

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

One word ... Africa


----------



## sarge1967

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I need a light for my job. I am an inspector/technician in the pest control industry. I am in a lot of crawl spaces and attics.


----------



## Jack Daniels

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I started carrying a AA MiniMaglite around 1986 or '87, for everyday practical preparedness reasons. I switched to a pocket LED lite when they came out, and haven't carried a MiniMag since. These days, I carry a lite because I need it to repair minivans at the factory. Sometimes I work inside the van, and I need to see in dark corners where our very bright fluorescents don't shine very well. Also to look in the engine compartment, even under bright lights, or in holes, where debris might be hiding (That's why the locator pin won't go in!), and to read repair sheets in the yard - I work midnights.

Plus, I need the light around the house all the time. When I'm home on a day off, wearing my lounge clothes - running shorts and a T-shirt - I frequently need a light, and don't have it because I'm not 'dressed.' I'm always running to my bedside to grab my Stylus.


----------



## chrisxiaoliu

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

To be honest, mine is more a flashaholic than a pragmatic reason.


----------



## xdayv

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



BriteLite2 said:


> get caught in a public bathroom when the timer goes off and you are left holding your Pee-pee in the pitch black. Never again.



LOL!

I EDC a light especially after Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda struck our place last November 2013. Back then I had only a Maglite 5D which was cumbersome to bring.


----------



## jinx626

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



chrisxiaoliu said:


> To be honest, mine is more a flashaholic than a pragmatic reason.



I agree, I think many people are on the same boat.


----------



## cland72

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

This is why:

http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/local/dallas-county/2014/10/13/dart-wind-service-downtown/17220015/

My wife and I took the DART rail downtown to attend the Texas State Fair, and were on our way back Monday afternoon. Just by sheer luck we were about 15 minutes behind the train that got stuck in the middle of a long, dark tunnel (think subway). It very well could have been us on that train if we'd been a few minutes earlier. We were able to get on the buses before the massive crowds started backing up due to the stoppage so that was a plus.

I had my E1B on me, so if we had been on that train in the tunnel, at least I would've had sufficient lighting to make it to safety.


----------



## mudcamper

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



LanthanumK said:


> Better to have and not need than need and not have.
> Unarmed self defense using photons is acceptable in gun-shy NJ.



This. While I have many uses for a good light, and I find them an almost indispensable tool, this was the reason I originally started the quest for a good EDC light, for the self-defense aspect.

While not as bad as NJ (at least in CA we can carry a good knife and some pepper spray), CA law for the most part only lets cops and criminals carry guns, so a BRIGHT light is a good aid for self-defense minded folks.


----------



## Grijon

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I like flashlights, and it's more fun to use a light than flip a switch, and it does seem that there is always someplace I need or want to see that the ambient light just won't reach.

I started wearing one for work about 3 years ago and found that on my days off I was always -seemed like ALWAYS!- reaching for the light that I wore for work. So I started wearing one every day.

And now it's really turning into a hobby!


----------



## ThrottleMonkey

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

You mean that the flashlights purchased are actually bought to be used? That strange.

Just kidding. Unlike my collection of knives, I actually buy all of my lights to be used and abused. This could be due to that fact I have yet to drop a couple of bills on a "holy grail" light yet. Time will tell.

I EDC a light because of my job. At least that is why I started carrying one. Now I can not go with out one. I think that this is because I work all of the time. I spend so much time working that the things that I EDC for work become a part of my "non-work" ensemble. 

I also have a tendency to lose things in strange dark places. Having a light helps with this. I just used my light a few hours ago to find the key to the house I was working on. It fell out of my pocket while I was removing my truck keys. Spent about 15 minutes looking for it. It was lying in the grass by my truck and I would have never found it, had I not had a light with me.


----------



## Timothybil

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Because I can. Actually, I don't remember when I started EDCing a light. I do know that when I started working in the kitchen at our local nursing home it became obvious that a light was needed, and I know I carried one there. An 8x10 walk-in cooler with a light at head height at the door as the only light develops a lot of dark corners. I was really nice to be able to pull my EDC and look at the dark corners of the shelves and under the racks to find things. The same with in the pantry, and under the dish machine, etc. And when one of your fellow workers decides to prank you and turn off the cooler light while you are in there, it was worth way more than what I paid for my EDC to see his expression when I calmly came out of the cooler with my light on in my hand. Reverse pranks are even more fun.


----------



## collectaphoneservice

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Hi guys,I have found for useful for doing most EDC tasks, and still use common cells.Thanks for your valuable post.:wave:

Link removed


----------



## aturovidal

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Because I live in village, because of my work (electronics) and because of my hobby (hunting). For me a flashlight is like a screwdriver.


----------



## Fragarach

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Safety....protection.. work..
Plus living on property, got home after dark tonight hammering down rain with a fridge on the trailer, had to reverse past the house to the shed.. insufficient light from trailer tail lights, can't turn the ute lights on because the trailer blocks it.
Solution.. clip tn12 to the trailers cage.. crap loads of light out the back and off we go.


----------



## tradestar

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

The pizza man definitely needs a flashlight. I figured this out the hard way, by wiping out on some acorns on a very dark driveway... Oh and please turn on your porch light, BEFORE we get there. Thanks.


----------



## MidnightDistortions

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

Why else but in case of an emergency. I carry one in case i ever need a light. It actually started when i was helping a friend with a job and the light was too low to really see what i was doing so having a light on hand helped me out. Since then i started carrying one around wherever i go. If i'm at home i just grab whatever light and keep it with me. I actually hardly ever use the lights in my home anymore either i have the shades open or i'm usually tired at night so keeping a light with me is easier i don't have to get up or turn on a light for whatever needs. It's also nice to have a light on my La Crosse charger to check the status of my rechargeable batteries. As the boyscouts always say, be prepared. So i usually either have a charged set of batteries in my EDC light or bring extra batteries in case. I also rarely need a light in my car so i just bring one with me. I got a couple of older D sized flashlights i can convert into LED so i can leave one in the car that way if i ever decide i need one in there.


----------



## bright star

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

For me the light is a valuable tool at work. However that being said we still like to walk the trails in the winter time for exercise and use several of the lights I have. Something about lighting up a trail its pitch black with 900 lumens of light lol lol


----------



## KenAnderson

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I'm a treasure hunter of sorts. One of my hobbies is to search out and identify lost valuables. Whether a painting, violin, firearm, antique or gemstone, my EDC light allows me to determine authenticity, condition, flaws and to locate treasures that are hidden in the shadows of attics, closets and basements. A light shined at an object in varying ways (direct, reflective, angled, flat to surface, backlit, etc...) reveals information that otherwise would not be available. My light pays for itself daily.


----------



## Daekar

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*

I usually use a light several times a week for walking during my lunch break (shift is 3:30-midnight), and it comes in handy during final assembly inspections or on the very rare occasion the one of my buddies pulls a fast one and turns the bathroom lights off when they recognize my Vibram Five-Fingers in the stall.  Then there's dog-walking and yard-checking when said dog goes bonkers. I've actually been feeling the need to get something a bit more capable for my keychain than my Foursevens Mini AA, but when I actually go to look at lights there are none that fit my needs better. Go figure. 


Sent from my iPad using Candlepowerforums


----------



## dealgrabber2002

*Re: Why do you EDC a light?*



Daekar said:


> I usually use a light several times a week for walking during my lunch break (shift is 3:30-midnight), and it comes in handy during final assembly inspections or on the very rare occasion the one of my buddies pulls a fast one and turns the bathroom lights off when they recognize my Vibram Five-Fingers in the stall.  Then there's dog-walking and yard-checking when said dog goes bonkers. I've actually been feeling the need to get something a bit more capable for my keychain than my Foursevens Mini AA, but when I actually go to look at lights there are none that fit my needs better. Go figure.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Candlepowerforums


So dirty, turning the light off on you
. Lol


----------



## LedTed

To answer the question which is the title of this thread; the true reason I EDC a flashlight is because I needed one for my first grade school play. And, the flashlight my father lent to me failed. I vowed to never be without access to my own flashlight again.

To explain; at my first opportunity, I immediately bought a toy flashlight. I knew it was just a toy. I asked Santa for a better flashlight every year.

Many years later, in the middle of the night, I was awoken by the sound of one of my cats in distress. I didn't grab the flashlight on the nightstand, but instead immediately rushed to aid my cat. I hurt myself in the dark by slipping in the cat's vomit. (Kitty was OK. She just horked up a hairball.) But, that event led me to make a new vow. I would never again be beyond arm's reach of a flashlight.

I have done my best to stick to that vow. And, my steadfastness has served me well. At work, power outages and test inspections have required me to use my personal flashlight. And, like some of us, when an asshole has turned off the bathroom lights, I just smirked and grabbed my flashlight from my pocket.

So, the shortest and truest answer is ... for myself.


----------



## MidnightDistortions

Haha i finally read some of the comments and some of them are hilarious. Too much to reply to them all but my favorite is the manager calling 'boyscout' to the user that had a couple of lights on him. It's quite funny people react this way, it's quite funny people will ask why do you carry a flashlight on you?' or 'You carry a flashlight with you?' It's even funnier that these people don't EDC their lights after experiencing a blackout. There's been times where i have been counted on to jump a coworker's car and some of the time it's at night so now since i EDC a light i don't have to rely on a flashlight, though the last time i helped jump a coworker's car another co worker brings out his phone light which was really bright for one and he also had a modded phone with a bulging space for his battery. 



xevious said:


> My EDC is partly responsible for my getting the nickname "MacGyver" among several friends. In any dark or dimly-lit environment, my light is almost always out of my pocket and in my hand for immediate use. And use it I have, in many cases when nobody had a light and I made life "easier" in those moments. But I don't mind the nickname or even being laughed at, when the power goes out and I become the "go to" guy for spare flashlights and batteries.



LOL with all the random repairs i do at work, i'm surprised people don't call me MacGyver after fixing something using tape or just fixing something that was broken or falling apart.


----------



## Alex W

Thanks to the technology, Small body can get high brightness today. i didn’t carry a flashlight one year ago. And now, i carry one every day and even my sister take one in her bag. Maybe you may really use it once a week but it’s really helpful.


----------



## jkingrph

I actually started carrying using throw away medical flashlights. I carried a better model when I deployed overseas during Desert Storm back in 91, and actually used it on one of the contract flights when a friend dropped something on the floor in the dark. I got a small mini mag light and used for several years when in BOQ and hotels while on reserve weekends, liking to keep a light by my bedside in case of power outages or possible fires. Now semi retired I keep a led light in my briefcase that I always carry when I work. It has been handy a few times looking for items one of my techs dropped and bounced into computer wiring. I keep several at home, at bedside and one in living room in case of power outages, and they have been handy at times, giving enough light so I could get a lantern or oil lamp going.


----------



## Telly

I would rather leave my phone than my light


----------



## eastenn

Working night shift in an industrial setting a flashlight is a necessity. Also several of my hobbies are flashlight friendly - hunting, night fishing, mountain biking at night.


----------



## Nomad

Wow, because a flashlight app is nowhere near as bright and it drains your phone batteries...but I still have the app on my phone.  All my good keychain lights have died (I miss having a tiny EDC!) but I still prefer to have a flashlight on me!


----------



## Timothybil

Check out the Nitecore Tube. It makes a great keychain light. Otherwise, Battery Junction sell the Titanium Innovations button cell lights for about a dollar each. I have ordered several bunches and they have been great.


----------



## BillSWPA

The best coin cell keychain lights I have seen ate the $7 Energizer lights at Target. However, for just a bit more size, you can have something really nice. My wife and I both use FourSevens MLR2 lights on our keychains. The output/size ratios of the MLR2 is very impressive, and the lights have survived several 3 foot drops onto concrete.


----------



## BillSWPA

Timothybil said:


> Check out the Nitecore Tube. It makes a great keychain light. Otherwise, Battery Junction sell the Titanium Innovations button cell lights for about a dollar each. I have ordered several bunches and they have been great.



I just took a look at the Titanium Innovations button cell light you mentioned. It appears to be the same light Battery Junction sends for free with orders over a certain minimum dollar amount. I have a few of these around, and they are impressive for their size and price. These lights totally remove any excuse anyone might have for not having a light with them. They also offer one with a custom logo, which I may look into.


----------



## Poppy

Timothybil said:


> *Check out the Nitecore Tube*. It makes a great keychain light. Otherwise, Battery Junction sell the Titanium Innovations button cell lights for about a dollar each. I have ordered several bunches and they have been great.



That nitecore, keychain, USB rechargeable looks like a winner! If your USB cable is long enough to reach to your keys, while you are driving, that would be a plus++


----------



## Bullzeyebill

Posts removed that were not on topic.

Bill


----------



## stanleywen

One years ago, my friends asked me "Why do you carry a flashlight everyday?"
Now they ask "Why do you carry flashlights everyday?

Now I know why my backpack become heavier :sick2:


----------



## LAtraffic

Some may laugh at thought of this. I carry my light in hand as a form of self defense. I realize that its not much but I feel a lot safer with it than nothing at all. I fly back and forth every week between Los Angels and San Francisco. I work at night in clubs. I get out at night in downtown SF and there are A LOT of mentally ill homeless, and drug addicts. Since SF is incredibly restrictive as well as an airport, a flashlight is the only thing I can carry 24/7. Now I just love having it with me. Its amazing how often you use one when its EDC. I would probably carry it with me if I was going to be visiting the sun. " Yeah sun, you're pretty bright, impressive throw, but can you run on 18650s? How about instant strobe, with memory mode? Thats what I thought...."


----------



## newbie66

I carry one (or two) because I feel naked without it!


----------



## Anybodysguess

I started carrying a light because my cellphone light drains my phone battery to much, I have a phone with an exceptionally bright led, but it runs the battery down FAST, and I was using it a lot. I am the goto guy to fix things, pretty much anything, and I need light a lot if times to do that.


----------



## jumpstat

I work in the engineering field and most times I do need a light source when inspecting stuff. Even in broad daylight, certain application do need a light to ease locating stuff in a drawer for example. One of my colleague got a wood splinter in her finger and I used a light to locate it. It made the extraction easy in no time.


----------



## dc38

Five things idont leave home without: Flashlight, Flashlight, knife, comms, watch. Yes, i also carry 2 lights just in case...sf e2laa and any high lux thrower


----------



## newbie66

jumpstat said:


> I work in the engineering field and most times I do need a light source when inspecting stuff. Even in broad daylight, certain application do need a light to ease locating stuff in a drawer for example. One of my colleague got a wood splinter in her finger and I used a light to locate it. It made the extraction easy in no time.



What light are you using and where did you buy it from?


----------



## ven

jumpstat said:


> I work in the engineering field and most times I do need a light source when inspecting stuff. Even in broad daylight, certain application do need a light to ease locating stuff in a drawer for example. One of my colleague got a wood splinter in her finger and I used a light to locate it. It made the extraction easy in no time.



I am the same,most of my work is reasonably lighted,however for example when doing maintenance on robots,certainly shaded areas on the pack clamps. When using a light certainly gives extra detail during inspections. I know for sure without a flashlight i would miss potential issues!!


----------



## Drogon

I've gotten into the habit of carrying my flashlight at all times, and it's come in really handy during the last couple of power outages. I also use it to light the sidewalk in areas of my own neighborhood where the street lights don't reach. This is important in order to avoid stepping in dog poop. I live near a dog park, and, unfortunately, some of my neighbors aren't very good about cleaning up after their pets.


----------



## stanleywen

Drogon said:


> I've gotten into the habit of carrying my flashlight at all times, and it's come in really handy during the last couple of power outages. I also use it to light the sidewalk in areas of my own neighborhood where the street lights don't reach. This is important in order to avoid stepping in dog poop. I live near a dog park, and, unfortunately, some of my neighbors aren't very good about cleaning up after their pets.



That's what I do with my flashlight when walking in the night - to spot excrements of dogs. (we also call them "landmines" in Taiwan.)


----------



## parnass

Hello Drogon. Welcome to CPF. :welcome:


----------



## gooberbk

I carry one because after 10 eye surgeries I have lost a lot of my night vision. it really doesn't even need to be dark any low light situation.


----------



## Dorcas Yarger

So I could find the things I lost in the dark.


----------



## Poppy

I've been EDCing now for two years with a light on my key-chain. I also have about 5 of those plastic bar code tags on the key chain. I literally give my keys, and my EDC to someone 2-4 times a day, so that one of those tags can get scanned.

NEVER did ANYONE EVER ask me about the light, or why I carry one. Never. 

I also carry a small lock back pocket knife as a money clip. That gets taken out, and laid on the counter once or twice a day... again.. never a comment.

IDK, maybe more people carry flashlights here in NJ, maybe they just mind their own business?

The last time I had my car valet parked, I asked the attendant what percentage of people had flashlights on their key ring? He said that he didn't really pay attention, but thought it was about 20-30%. That number surprised me.


----------



## blah9

That is pretty surprising. Maybe so many people carry them because they went through Hurricane Sandy?


----------



## Berneck1

September 11th is what did it for me. I worked across the street from the World Trade Center, and after that day my awareness of what could go wrong at any time was greatly increased. I think I started with a 2xAA energizer rubberized incandescent light, or something like that. I quickly moved to the Photon II Micro Light. I bought a bunch of them and gave them to friends, family and co-workers. Some people still have them! I think back then they were $25 each! In 2001 money, they were very expensive. I remember all of us being amazed at how bright they were!!!! Lol. Through the years I upgraded as the LED lights became more affordable. These days, I never leave the house without a Thrunite Ti3 or Eagletac D25a at a minimum. I give the Olight i3s as gifts. 


Sent from my iPad using Candlepowerforums


----------



## blah9

Yeah, that's a good point too. I guess that's the obvious reason now that I think about it.

My dad has two stories he always told me that also convinced me to EDC a light. One was that he left an event after dark and ended up in a parking lot where he couldn't see his hands in front of his face. And the other time we were on vacation and a stray dog ran toward him in the dark (again he couldn't see).

So from then on he convinced all of my family to have a keychain light at all times if nothing else. It has come in handy so many times.


----------



## nemsone

In today's world technology has advanced so much a single cell light weight small bright light can be carried on my person without really even noticing it for example maratac aaa rev 3 or fenix e12 


Sent from my iPhone using Candlepowerforums


----------



## Poppy

I hadn't given it any thought, but I agree, the high incidence of key-chain flashlights may be related to 9/11, because I was in Bergen County, and there is a high percentage of people who commute from there to NYC. It seems that everyone in that area was impacted by 9/11 or knows someone who was.


----------



## xzel87

I don't have a reason (yet) on why I carry a light. For me it's a chicken or egg first question. I guess I first started carrying to see whether I liked it, so far it's been almost a month and to conclude I can't say it's something I like to do, because for me it's like carrying your wallet around, just like cash and credit cards, sometimes you need a light...heck I've used it to shine in my mouth to see and get rid of a fish bone stuck to my gums.

Edit: So yesterday I wore pocket-less shorts to bed. Remembered reading about someone clipping light to rubber waistband of PJs, so what the heck I clipped my Lumintop Tool to the rubber waistband of my shorts and went to sleep. Lo and behold, woke up and needed to go to the toilet, instead of turning on the house lights (like I usually do) I just took light, turn it on (medium), stuck it in mouth and did my business, then went back to sleep. Only realised what I did differently the next morning when I saw the light still clipped to my waistband and I recalled what I did the might before.


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## Anybodysguess

I work as a cashier at Winn-Dixie and I must say, you would be surprised how many people EDC a light, whether a tiny keychain light, a light on a karabiner on a belt buckle, or a light in a holster, and I'm sure there are more with lights in pockets and purses, I think a lot of people see why always having light is handy. 

I have always EDC a knife and usually end up using it every day, I always liked lights, just always had cheap 9 led ones or slightly better. I usually had access to a (cheap) light when at home or camping but I then decided to EDC one, and now find myself using it every day too, actually more than my knife.

Until recently my very brightest light was a 130 lumen 3C maglight. Which compared to my newer lights, O'pen and Fenix E41 doesn't seem to actually live up to 130 lumens.


----------



## bluemax_1

Berneck1 said:


> September 11th is what did it for me. I worked across the street from the World Trade Center, and after that day my awareness of what could go wrong at any time was greatly increased. I think I started with a 2xAA energizer rubberized incandescent light, or something like that. I quickly moved to the Photon II Micro Light. I bought a bunch of them and gave them to friends, family and co-workers. Some people still have them! I think back then they were $25 each! In 2001 money, they were very expensive. I remember all of us being amazed at how bright they were!!!! Lol. Through the years I upgraded as the LED lights became more affordable. These days, I never leave the house without a Thrunite Ti3 or Eagletac D25a at a minimum. I give the Olight i3s as gifts.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Candlepowerforums



I've bought and given away numerous Streamlight Nano and eGear/UST Pico lights to friends and some coworkers. I prefer the Pico light to the Nano or Photon style squeeze lights because unlike the squeeze lights (carried a few Photons in my day), I've never had the Pico turn on in my pocket unintentionally. I HAVE had the Photon lights be dead when I needed them because something in my pocket squeezed them and drained the battery (and I've had the Nano's head fall off).

The Pico light is small enough that anyone with 3 or more keys (or 1 key with a remote) won't notice its addition and YET, I've noticed people I've given these lights to don't have them on their keyrings (despite having keys and other junk they rarely/never use).

Even folks who've been in power outages with me where they learned that it's a very good idea to have a backup light source and not have to drain your sole emergency communications device (cellphone) to provide light.

There are none so blind as those who WILL NOT see. OTOH, there are also co-workers who I've turned into flashaholics, buying lights for themselves AND friends/family.

Some folks like to be prepared (the minority %). Some folks realize they need to be more prepared when something happens to show them how unprepared they are (most of us), but there's a pretty large demographic who willfully chooses to focus on frivolities while remaining unprepared and simply expect other people to take care of things.

For example, the vast majority of people I know DON'T have jumper cables in their vehicle. Despite someone or other needing jumper cables at least once a month, many of them just say, "well I know YOU'VE got them". And when I'm not around? 

These are the same kinds of mentalities who tell me, "if anything happens, I'm sticking with/calling you cuz I know you're prepared". There's only one other colleague at work (one of the ones I turned into a flashaholic) who also likes being prepared and unlike many/most, when he encounters a situation that shows he could be better prepared for it the next time, actually does something about it.


Max


----------



## MidnightDistortions

xzel87 said:


> I don't have a reason (yet) on why I carry a light. For me it's a chicken or egg first question. I guess I first started carrying to see whether I liked it, so far it's been almost a month and to conclude I can't say it's something I like to do, because for me it's like carrying your wallet around, just like cash and credit cards, sometimes you need a light...heck I've used it to shine in my mouth to see and get rid of a fish bone stuck to my gums.
> 
> Edit: So yesterday I wore pocket-less shorts to bed. Remembered reading about someone clipping light to rubber waistband of PJs, so what the heck I clipped my Lumintop Tool to the rubber waistband of my shorts and went to sleep. Lo and behold, woke up and needed to go to the toilet, instead of turning on the house lights (like I usually do) I just took light, turn it on (medium), stuck it in mouth and did my business, then went back to sleep. Only realised what I did differently the next morning when I saw the light still clipped to my waistband and I recalled what I did the might before.



A few months ago when we had our first snowfall, i had to go look in the outside utility closet at work, it was dark out and the light in the utility closet wasn't working so i pulled my flashlight out. Then i had a check engine light so i was checking oil, my gas cap and see if anything was leaking. If i didn't have my light i probably wouldn't have checked all that stuff out and i didn't need to other then i noticed my oil needed to be changed so when i had the shop check out my car, i told them to change the oil while my car was being checked out. Rarely i need to EDC a light, if the power went out at my work and the lights in the store doesn't work they got lights pretty much everywhere, plus you can grab one off the shelf and requisition one if you need it, but i always figure.. it's dark out some of the time and the electric power does go out from time to time. For me, i just prefer having a light on hand long enough to figure out the situation .

I used to turn lights on when i needed to use the bathroom at night, after toying around with my flashlights and using them for small activities, i realized it's just easier to grab a flashlight then it is turning on a light or several lights. It got to the point where i just use a flashlight instead of turning on a light switch lol. I always have to remind myself when i have someone over at my place to turn on the lights LOL.


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## TEEJ

I saw a huge increase in at least key chain lights after the long term power outages in NJ too.

The availability of LED lights has made this a lot easier, as a small light can now be many times brighter and run longer, etc.

Of course, I also saw a huge number of people who knew the storms were coming, and wiped out the shelves of every battery and light they could find....and, after the storms were over, showed up in long lines to return them.


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## MidnightDistortions

TEEJ said:


> I saw a huge increase in at least key chain lights after the long term power outages in NJ too.
> 
> The availability of LED lights has made this a lot easier, as a small light can now be many times brighter and run longer, etc.
> 
> Of course, I also saw a huge number of people who knew the storms were coming, and wiped out the shelves of every battery and light they could find....and, after the storms were over, showed up in long lines to return them.



When it comes to holidays such as Christmas or Halloween people often times will return Christmas lights, ornaments or halloween candy. Thankfully i got a few lights that won't eat up juice and i got a 16 pack of Eneloops, a 4 pack of Duraloops and some Energizers NiMH cells, don't have to worry about not having a light .

I wonder how many of those people return those batteries only to find they need to replace their batteries in their remotes.


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## The Bossman

I've gotten so OCD that I only buy pants that have a side leg pocket for my light and knife. I am constantly on the hunt for carpenter jeans/work pants that have these pockets.
the unprepared masses will never understand.

The Bossman


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## jfwalker

I spend a lot of time in Central America, and power is iffy at times. The first time the power went out, I pulled out my light and lit up the living room while others were stumbling around searching for candles and flashlights without dead batteries. When they saw that I had a light, they said, "Why do you have a flashlight?" I was speechless.


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## C.M.S

Always carried a knife , just recently I now carry a flashlight :thumbsup:
Soon I will have battery powered lanterns for the home . To many times I've needed light when light was needed ..


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## wjv

Live in an eartquake zone.

Can see an active volcano from my bedroom window (Mt St Helen)

During the winter in the Pacific NW, it's dark from 5pm-8am. Plus it's usually very cloudy.

I prefer the dark, and hate running a 1,000 watts of interior lighting when a 10 lumen light works just as well.

I live in a semi-rural area so flashlights are a must when walking the dog or checking the property.

My barn does not have any electricity so at night it's BYOL (Bring Your Own Lighting)

I use my lights 10-20 times per day.


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## herman30

jfwalker said:


> ... others were stumbling around searching for candles and flashlights without dead batteries. When they saw that I had a light, they said, "Why do you have a flashlight?"


You should´ve just turned off your light, let them keep on stumbling in the dark and said: "that´s why."


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## Wildernesstech

While living in the US Virgin Islands, where the electricity goes out on a regular basis, we were at a dinner with live entertainment when the lights went out! No one missed a beat... The band kept playing, and the many of us that lived there all reached into pockets, purses, and backpacks for our everyday carry lights and proceeded to illuminate the woman singing. It was one of those moments that the locals all came together, and one that is a special memory of our years in the Islands. Another great reason to always carry a light... or two... or three!


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## arcticscythe

I work in IT, but working for a small company means doing way more than riding a desk. I spend alot of my time in server rooms, under computer desks, and with my head buried in workstations. Since I was about 10 I always carried a leather man multi-tool with a mini-mag attached to the side of the case. Living in SoCal we get the occasional earthquake and I have always been more comfortable knowing that I was prepared. As I grew up I started carrying my tools and bigger lights in backpacks and carrying a surefire in my front left pocket. When I walk out the door in the morning I check my left pocket for my light and my right pocket for my knife. 

I do not leave home without a light in my front left pocket.

J


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## CaptainPicard

Use it everyday when someone drops something under a bus seat or somewhere they can't see it. People have learned to respect it after I let them fumble around for a while.

I also got my dad into edcing a light earlier this year. He doesn't see how he managed without it. 


Sent from my iPad using Candlepowerforums


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## roberts0909

I'm almost never without a flashlight. I carry an OLight i3 on my keychain and have other lights stashed around the house. It's surprising how much you use a light when you have it.


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## parnass

roberts0909 said:


> I'm almost never without a flashlight. I carry an OLight i3 on my keychain and have other lights stashed around the house. It's surprising how much you use a light when you have it.



:welcome: Welcome aboard!


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## Brunberg

wjv said:


> During the winter in the Pacific NW, it's dark from 5pm-8am. Plus it's usually very cloudy.



Plenty of light then!

Sunrise *9:29*. sunset *15:27*. length of daytime* 5 h 58 min, *southern Finland. At north, the sun does not even come above horizon. I have to use my lamp at morning and afternoon when going to work and back home.


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## NotSoBrightBob

I don't need a light alot in my line of work but I always have one so at the office or at home when somebody needs some illumination I almost break an arm quickly reaching for my light then hoping I remember the UI of my current EDC so nobody is temporarily blinded with 1000 lumens to look under desk or something


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## Timothybil

NotSoBrightBob said:


> I don't need a light alot in my line of work but I always have one so at the office or at home when somebody needs some illumination I almost break an arm quickly reaching for my light then hoping I remember the UI of my current EDC so nobody is temporarily blinded with 1000 lumens to look under desk or something


I was doing my monthly check of all my lights to make sure everything was ok and charged up. I spent ten minutes trying to remember how to turn on beacon mode in my TM11 before giving up. I remembered latter that the TM11 doesn't have a beacon mode! LOL


----------



## Jaegerbomb

Had a friend up at the house at the weekend for a few drinks...
Was showing him my new EDC, the Spark SF3-NW, and of course he has the usual laugh and 'Why would you need a light on you all the time?'.... 
I tried to explain that I use it to look in the boot of the car, to look in drawers, when I walk the dog in the evening and have to clean up after him, there are a million uses to why I have my light, and 1 reason... to light up things that I need light on...

He works in IT (maintenance and repair work), so I said surely he would have plenty of uses for a light... to which he responded... "but sure I would always have my phone on me and that has a light on it"... /facepalm...

Some people don't seem to get it... but now that I carry a light with me all the time, I wonder why I never did before...


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## Anybodysguess

I used to be in the "flashlight on my phone" boat. But sometimes I needed it for longer periods of time and you can literally watch the battery percentage tick down, a phone battery was not made to sustain a light. And now that I have a even more accessible convenient edc light, I use it all the time.


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## warmurf

Don't really need it for work but there would be something that happens at least once every second day where you need some extra light. During winter on getting home- my three kids love flashlights- I have one acre so going around the block at night- spotting animals at night- using it instead of house lights is always fun. The list can go on and on. But yes, you do get funny looks from people, even when your flashlight got them out of trouble! These days I feel naked without carrying at least 1 light. 3 is my preferred load out. To me it's practical and makes great sense. If one of us could successfully market the ideas to the masses, you'd make a fortune.


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## Anybodysguess

I don't understand the amount of members that say they get funny looks/remarks because they carry a light. Where I live (Florida, but not the beach) I'd say 1 in 10, maybe more, carry a flashlight. Its not uncommon. I've never had anyone even think twice about my carrying a flashlight. Maybe its because of hurricanes/bad thunderstorms that knock power out for extended periods.


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## Berneck1

Anybodysguess said:


> I don't understand the amount of members that say they get funny looks/remarks because they carry a light. Where I live (Florida, but not the beach) I'd say 1 in 10, maybe more, carry a flashlight. Its not uncommon. I've never had anyone even think twice about my carrying a flashlight. Maybe its because of hurricanes/bad thunderstorms that knock power out for extended periods.



I live in Manhattan. It's VERY rare to have a power outage of any kind. And even when a situation like Hurricane Sandy occurs people largely have their power back within a day or two, if not hours. Their iPhone lights were "enough." You would be surprised how many people don't even have a working flashlight in their house! It's a false sense of security if I've ever seen one. At a bare minimum I have a 1xAAA light with me, and almost always have my Eagletac D25a with me. 

In the 15 years I have been in Manhattan, I only had to use my flashlights once for a power outage, which lasted about a day and a half. And back then they were crappy incandescent lights! That being said, I still usually carry two lights on me, and one is always a common battery type....just in case....


Sent from my iPad using Candlepowerforums


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## RCS1300

Berneck1 said:


> I live in Manhattan. It's VERY rare to have a power outage of any kind. And even when a situation like Hurricane Sandy occurs people largely have their power back within a day or two, if not hours. Their iPhone lights were "enough." You would be surprised how many people don't even have a working flashlight in their house! It's a false sense of security if I've ever seen one. At a bare minimum I have a 1xAAA light with me, and almost always have my Eagletac D25a with me.
> 
> In the 15 years I have been in Manhattan, I only had to use my flashlights once for a power outage, which lasted about a day and a half. And back then they were crappy incandescent lights! That being said, I still usually carry two lights on me, and one is always a common battery type....just in case....
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Candlepowerforums



I lived in Manhattan for 14 years. The philosophy there is it will never happen to me. Yet, a large part of the population travels daily underground in the subways. Not the brightest bulbs.


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## recDNA

I use a flashlight for a dozen different reasons every day. In a blackout I rarely use a flashlight at all! I use lanterns.


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## Berneck1

RCS1300 said:


> I lived in Manhattan for 14 years. The philosophy there is it will never happen to me. Yet, a large part of the population travels daily underground in the subways. Not the brightest bulbs.



I totally agree. NYC people are largely unprepared for any real emergency...


Sent from my iPad using Candlepowerforums


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## chazz

Berneck1 said:


> NYC people are largely unprepared for any real emergency...



Sadly I think *most* people are unprepared for any real emergency, especially people that have lived in a city all there lives, they are so used to everything being provided... water, electric, gas, etc. and usually no food storage because they are "super close to a grocery store". Well, what happens when there is no food in that grocery store? Sad. 

The, "I have a light on my cell phone" argument, true that is better than nothing, but if you need that phone for communication (if that is still working) you probably should not waste the battery getting socks out of your drawer...  

I usually have at least one light on me and use it often even during the daylight for many reasons, looking in a dark corner of a closet, working on a car and need to see something better underneath or in a spot the other lights are not getting to very good, seeing the connections on a computer under a desk or inside its case, and piles of other reasons. It usually gets used a few times a day often much more. I know a few people that have gotten EDC lights after seeing how handy it is having one.


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## MidnightDistortions

It is sad that many people are unprepared for any emergency. I might not have enough of everything to last several months but at least a few days worth of stuff. People here freaked out over a day of snow (which is now a blizzard) like they are going to be barricaded in their homes for a week or lack emergency supplies and end up rushing when they hear about the weather reports. I'm just sitting here at home with whatever i need. I got water, canned food, some snacks, batteries, flashlights and a couple of weather radios in case the power goes out. I see people trying to leave their homes in their cars and i'm just looking out my window like, what possible reason do you need to be out in a blizzard? I wouldn't even go out for work.

With that being said, i hardly may need to EDC a light but there are times where using a flashlight in my car at night is easier and better than using a cellphone or the dim lights in the car.


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## Palantas

Got used to always having a light from the Army. They're even more useful when not red-lensed.



CaptainPicard said:


> Use it everyday when someone drops something under a bus seat or somewhere they can't see it. People have learned to respect it after I let them fumble around for a while.



Make it so!


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## cland72

RCS1300 said:


> I lived in Manhattan for 14 years. The philosophy there is it will never happen to me. *Yet, a large part of the population travels daily underground in the subways. * Not the brightest bulbs.



This is what blows my mind. It is completely possible that (for any number of reasons) a subway car could lose power, and if there aren't lights on in the tunnel, you are SCREWED. Yeah, you could just use the light on your iPhone, but you're also draining the battery on your primary communications device.

Of course, in this day most people can barely maintain more than a 50% full battery because they are constantly on their phones watching videos, playing on Facebook/Twitter, playing games, or whatever. 

You can bet your @$$ that if I were traveling underground day in, day out, I'd have a flashlight on me 100% of the time.


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## Tachead

cland72 said:


> This is what blows my mind. It is completely possible that (for any number of reasons) a subway car could lose power, and if there aren't lights on in the tunnel, you are SCREWED. Yeah, you could just use the light on your iPhone, but you're also draining the battery on your primary communications device.
> 
> Of course, in this day most people can barely maintain more than a 50% full battery because they are constantly on their phones watching videos, playing on Facebook/Twitter, playing games, or whatever.
> 
> You can bet your @$$ that if I were traveling underground day in, day out, I'd have a flashlight on me 100% of the time.



+1


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## blah9

Heck, I was startled yesterday when the power went out while I was washing the dishes and had a bunch of things out on the floor near the kitchen I was going through. If I had to go find a light right then I could have easily tripped over something. But I had two lights on my belt like usual, so it really wasn't a big deal. So I completely agree about the subway and any other place like that.


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## mike_parra

Thats easy i used it for work, im an engineer and i have to make some inspection routes in existing electric manholes for projects of construction and those are dark places... also is assuring to have a candlepower for the night.


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## LetThereBeLight!

CaptainPicard said:


> Use it everyday when someone drops something under a bus seat or somewhere they can't see it. People have learned to respect it after I let them fumble around for a while.
> 
> I also got my dad into edcing a light earlier this year. He doesn't see how he managed without it.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Candlepowerforums





Captain Picard, I see you have been (happily) assimilated by the Flashaholic Borg.

Trust me, resistance IS futile!



Welcome, Jean Luc.

LetThereBeLight!


----------



## dc38

LetThereBeLight! said:


> Captain Picard, I see you have been (happily) assimilated by the Flashaholic Borg.
> 
> Trust me, resistance IS futile!
> 
> 
> 
> Welcome, Jean Luc.
> 
> LetThereBeLight!



And no matter how many times you remodulate, the urge for more will always return.


----------



## CaptainPicard

dc38 said:


> And no matter how many times you remodulate, the urge for more will always return.



Oh believe me, the urge strikes every day and the girlfriend and mom hate it. There are so many great lights out there and they just don't understand the utility. 

Although I did get the girlfriend her first edc light (thrunite ti3) and she always has it with her now


----------



## LetThereBeLight!

CaptainPicard said:


> Oh believe me, the urge strikes every day and the girlfriend and mom hate it. There are so many great lights out there and they just don't understand the utility.
> 
> Although I did get the girlfriend her first edc light (thrunite ti3) and she always has it with her now




Excellent-- another one "assimilated"!


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## wjv

cland72 said:


> Yeah, you could just use the light on your iPhone, but you're also draining the battery on your primary communications device.



A year and a half (or so) ago I went to the Ape Caves in WA State. Ape Caves are actually old Lava Tunnels from Mt St. Helen and are very long. One is 4,000 feet long and the other is 13,000 feet long. It takes a couple hours to do just the shorter route (4,000 feet x 2) as you walk all the way in to the dead end, and then turn around and come back out. the ground is very rough and uneven, with rocks everywhere.

I was amazed that I saw some groups of people where only one person in the group had a flashlight. 
I actually saw 4-5 groups of people using the LED on their Phones as their flashlight! 

If you wonder what some lights can do in a cave, I posted a couple pictures at that time.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?368896

And Subwoofer added a bunch more from his caving experiences


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## KiwiMark

wjv said:


> A year and a half (or so) ago I went to the Ape Caves in WA State. Ape Caves are actually old Lava Tunnels from Mt St. Helen and are very long. One is 4,000 feet long and the other is 13,000 feet long. It takes a couple hours to do just the shorter route (4,000 feet x 2) as you walk all the way in to the dead end, and then turn around and come back out. the ground is very rough and uneven, with rocks everywhere.



I would be reluctant to even hint at how many lights I'd be taking with me into caves like that, except in this forum!
For this forum, hint: more than 4.


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## sarge1967

The Bossman said:


> I've gotten so OCD that I only buy pants that have a side leg pocket for my light and knife. I am constantly on the hunt for carpenter jeans/work pants that have these pockets.
> the unprepared masses will never understand.
> 
> The Bossman


5.11 Tactical pants and LA Police Gear's version of the same are great! If you have never looked into them you really should.


----------



## Jleeg

I get it. The boy scout motto has it right...be prepared. But I think its a matter of relatives and not absolutes.

I wear a suit to earn a living that provides for my family and the indulgences that make life fun and the education that enables them to pass it on and maybe bring some good to the planet. To make this work, I can't don tactical pants or carry a bug-out bag. I do carry a very capable keychain light and have a better light in the car, close to a first aid kit. People appreciate that I am equipped and resourceful.

When I went to Philmont as a scout almost 50 years ago, I wore cotton, lugged a canvas pup-tent, and the rain gear was heavy, rubberized and non breathable. Imagine the lights we carried! The only high tech gear I remember having was the newly released emergency space blanket! We survived. When I went with my sons when I was in my fifties, it was with goretex, wicking fabrics and light headlamps so weight-saving you could carry a spare. We survived.

I'm an ex extreme climber (something about old climbers and bold climbers but no old bold climbers) and remember wiring a head lamp to a battery case made from a travel soap case to accomodate a new fangled lithium cell that cost 30 bucks but would work better and longer in the subfreezing temps.

Our edc stuff helps. Brains are important to edc as well. And as I suggested at the outset, its relative. Manhattanites are awesome survivors. Just requires a different set of skills, tools and quihonnes my friends.

Viva la difference. Best all. Kumbaya, etc. J


----------



## Tixx

Funny, regardless of what I do or wear, it is just to see in dark places. Viva La Similarity!


----------



## Charlie_K

There are literally people in the world who think that's a valid question to be asking? They can't wrap their head around why someone would want a flashlight with them? Now that's downright scary to think about.


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## desmobob

I live in a rural area and spend a lot of time outdoors. I would feel naked and afraid if I went outside without my knife, flashlight, and lighter.

Be prepared,
Bob


----------



## roddyjb

This thread made me laugh! I carry a small Swiss Army knife with me all the time which has a tiny flashlight in it. It doesn't exactly light up the night but it has bailed me out many times! I once gave one to a friend for Christmas & years later he told me... _"When I opened the gift, my first thoughts were... Why did Roddy give me this little knife, it is so small I'll likely never use it? Anyway, I put it on the counter. The next day I noticed it as I was leaving for work and just popped it in my pocket. Since that day, I can't leave the house without it!"_


----------



## Tixx

roddyjb said:


> This thread made me laugh! I carry a small Swiss Army knife with me all the time which has a tiny flashlight in it. It doesn't exactly light up the night but it has bailed me out many times! I once gave one to a friend for Christmas & years later he told me... _"When I opened the gift, my first thoughts were... Why did Roddy give me this little knife, it is so small I'll likely never use it? Anyway, I put it on the counter. The next day I noticed it as I was leaving for work and just popped it in my pocket. Since that day, I can't leave the house without it!"_


Sounds like a midnight manager! I have one on me every day.


----------



## recDNA

I carry a knife built in to carabiner keychain clip. It is pretty cheesy but it'll cut open a box or a small rope and that is all I need to do. If I needed to skin a possum I would carry a real knife...but I don't have to kill what I eat. LOL


----------



## desmobob

recDNA said:


> If I needed to skin a possum I would carry a real knife...but I don't have to kill what I eat. LOL



You eat possums? But someone else kills them and skins them for you?

:huh:





I like to carry decent-sized knife. Not for skinning possums, but because it works better than a tiny knife for cutting bagels and so on.


Take it easy,
Bob


----------



## recDNA

desmobob said:


> You eat possums? But someone else kills them and skins them for you?
> 
> :huh:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I like to carry decent-sized knife. Not for skinning possums, but because it works better than a tiny knife for cutting bagels and so on.
> 
> 
> Take it easy,
> Bob


Just my attempt at humor. I'm not knocking big knives. I just don't have the lifestyle that would provide uses for them. Like I said...open a box...cut a piece of string, that's about it. I really like to look at quality knives I just don't use them.


----------



## recDNA

I like bigger knives but don't have a reason to carry one. I do enjoy going to knife shows though. And ah no...I don't actually eat possum. I eat chicken parm but possum parm does have a ring to it.


----------



## desmobob

recDNA said:


> Just my attempt at humor. I'm not knocking big knives. I just don't have the lifestyle that would provide uses for them. Like I said...open a box...cut a piece of string, that's about it. I really like to look at quality knives I just don't use them.



Just my attempt at humor, too. For me, knives are kind of like flashlights... once you start carrying one, you find more and more uses for it and soon, you can't leave home without it.



recDNA said:


> I like bigger knives but don't have a reason to carry one. I do enjoy going to knife shows though. And ah no...I don't actually eat possum. I eat chicken parm but possum parm does have a ring to it.



Take it from a country boy... stick with the chicken parm. ;-)

I better clarify that by saying I have never actually tried eating opossum, but after a couple of close encounters (including carrying one who was "playing 'possum" off my porch) I am sure it is nothing I care to try unless it is a last-ditch effort to ward off impending, imminent starvation.

Take it easy,
Bob


----------



## bigalf16

Totally agree. Same boat as you a year ago I didn't carry a flashlight. always wore a watch and had a knife but the light is new and I'll tell you it does come in handy. The phone app is nice but doesn't cut it. Hopefully your coworker learned a thing or two and joined this forum, bought and carries a light now.


----------



## more_vampires

Tixx said:


> Sounds like a midnight manager! I have one on me every day.



The Midnight Manager is definitely a top-tier EDC option. The only problem would be the hordes that argue that the SAK 3 blade is lighter and as useful. There's also the "Tool Chest" variant. I sometimes wonder if the Midnight Manager and Swiss Tool Chest variants were combined that this would be the perfect thing to combine with a LRI coin cell light on the split ring. I'm a big fan of the SAK executive and Photon 2 or Freedom Micro as a pair. It's also hard not to recommend a Kershaw Chive paired with that LRI coin cell light.



desmobob said:


> You eat possums? But someone else kills them and skins them for you?


Some of the "field market" folks I know will not accept skinned small game if it's got the feet cut off. You don't know if it's opossum, raccoon, or cat. Just saying.



desmobob said:


> I like to carry decent-sized knife. Not for skinning possums, but because it works better than a tiny knife for cutting bagels and so on.


My decent sized knife is only 2 3/4" sharpened edge. The spine of the blade is very thick, however. It's a pretty durable option, the knife itself is more durable than any edge that can be put upon it. With leather stropping, I've shaved with this knife on two occasions on road trips because of logistics.



recDNA said:


> Just my attempt at humor. I'm not knocking big knives. I just don't have the lifestyle that would provide uses for them. Like I said...open a box...cut a piece of string, that's about it. I really like to look at quality knives I just don't use them.



You might look into the "Rough Rider" brand and the model "The Smallest of the Small." I find it's quite useful as far as what you've said when you also have an AAAx1 light to hold on to with the knife attached. I use mine two digits a week, and the thing closed is smaller than a dime. It's one of my most used knives.



recDNA said:


> I like bigger knives but don't have a reason to carry one. I do enjoy going to knife shows though. And ah no...I don't actually eat possum. I eat chicken parm but possum parm does have a ring to it.


I'm lactose intolerant. Possum parm would twist me up inside. My best advice for eating them is to trap and cage them. Give them worming medictation and feed them clean food for about a month. The problem then comes up that you're spending more on possum food than if you went to the grocery store. Don't get me started on armadillos.



desmobob said:


> Just my attempt at humor, too. For me, knives are kind of like flashlights... once you start carrying one, you find more and more uses for it and soon, you can't leave home without it.


Two blades, bare minimum. Even if one is tinier than a blade of grass, those seem to the both the most useful and the ones least likely to scare the random passerby. "ZOMG! ITS A KNIFE!"



desmobob said:


> Take it from a country boy... stick with the chicken parm. ;-)


Ahh, but have you tried baked chicken and couscous with rosemary and olive oil? 



desmobob said:


> I better clarify that by saying I have never actually tried eating opossum, but after a couple of close encounters (including carrying one who was "playing 'possum" off my porch) I am sure it is nothing I care to try unless it is a last-ditch effort to ward off impending, imminent starvation.


You haven't had "plate fright" until you've finished shelling out an armadillo and the lady of the house arrives just in the nick of time to inform everyone that there's no way in perdition's flames that this item will enter her kitchen stove. My advice? Lots of garlic and red/black pepper infused butter. Even though I'm averse to dairy products, that combo is dynamite for wild game in my humble opinion.


----------



## mudcamper

recDNA said:


> I'm not knocking big knives. I just don't have the lifestyle that would provide uses for them. ... I just don't use them.





recDNA said:


> I like bigger knives but don't have a reason to carry one.



Self defense? I suppose you could live in a state that restricts their carry, or in a state that doesn't restrict the carry of better weapons (guns). I live in California, in a county where sheriff's don't issue carry permits. So knives and pepper spray are it.



more_vampires said:


> Two blades, bare minimum. Even if one is tinier than a blade of grass, those seem to the both the most useful and the ones least likely to scare the random passerby. "ZOMG! ITS A KNIFE!"



This. I carry more than 1 knife, just like I carry more than 1 light. Different tools for different jobs. And yeah, depending on who is nearby, prudence dictates the use of a smaller one. Although when people freak out when they see my self defense knife, I ask them about their kitchen knives to get their perspectives back into reality.


----------



## bluemax_1

mudcamper said:


> Self defense? I suppose you could live in a state that restricts their carry, or in a state that doesn't restrict the carry of better weapons (guns). I live in California, in a county where sheriff's don't issue carry permits. So knives and pepper spray are it.
> 
> 
> 
> This. I carry more than 1 knife, just like I carry more than 1 light. Different tools for different jobs. And yeah, depending on who is nearby, prudence dictates the use of a smaller one. Although when people freak out when they see my self defense knife, I ask them about their kitchen knives to get their perspectives back into reality.



I know some states (and it could potentially vary by county) restrict blade lengths (could've sworn Cali was one seeing as they restrict just about everything).

In many states where there are blade length restrictions, it's most common that under 3" is allowed, but carrying a knife with a 3" or longer blade could get you in trouble should an LEO opt to hold to the local laws.


Max


----------



## dc38

bluemax_1 said:


> I know some states (and it could potentially vary by county) restrict blade lengths (could've sworn Cali was one seeing as they restrict just about everything).
> 
> In many states where there are blade length restrictions, it's most common that under 3" is allowed, but carrying a knife with a 3" or longer blade could get you in trouble should an LEO opt to hold to the local laws.
> 
> 
> Max



Fast feet and a discerning mind will see one to survival much more often than a quick blade wielded by delusion.

That's why I carry a spyderco salt. Quick sharpening for everyday tasks, non threatening, and wont rust. 

Lets get back to lights!


----------



## Bullzeyebill

dc38 said:


> Fast feet and a discerning mind will see one to survival much more often than a quick blade wielded by delusion.
> 
> That's why I carry a spyderco salt. Quick sharpening for everyday tasks, non threatening, and wont rust.
> 
> Lets get back to lights!



That would be good.

Bill


----------



## D2000

I carry around my Tri EDC everywhere I go. It's never more than a metre away from me. I've attached it via keychain.. 
Also I combo it with a Skeletool - I feel like I'm ready for almost any task. Especially at night. The Tri also has a magnet in the tailstand - which does wonders for functionality.


----------



## RUSH FAN

D2000 said:


> I carry around my Tri EDC everywhere I go. It's never more than a metre away from me. I've attached it via keychain..
> Also I combo it with a Skeletool - I feel like I'm ready for almost any task. Especially at night. The Tri also has a magnet in the tailstand - which does wonders for functionality.


I like your Tri EDC set up.
Did the light start out as a black coated finish? 
Also, where did you get the magnet? How is it affixed to the light? Glue or some type of welding? Thanks--


----------



## D2000

Cheers man. 

The light did start put with a black cerakote but I put it through so much use I ended up stripping it back. The rings stayed coated as they were unchipped/untarnished and pretty cool looking. 

The magnet is from a set a bought a while back specifically for this. They are ring magnets. I'm lucky as it was a perfect press fit and stays in purely which friction. Unfortunately getting it out requires breaking the magnet. 

More info in this post.. 
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...s-EDC-Lights&p=4629789&viewfull=1#post4629789


----------



## RUSH FAN

D2000 said:


> Cheers man.
> 
> The light did start put with a black cerakote but I put it through so much use I ended up stripping it back. The rings stayed coated as they were unchipped/untarnished and pretty cool looking.
> 
> The magnet is from a set a bought a while back specifically for this. They are ring magnets. I'm lucky as it was a perfect press fit and stays in purely which friction. Unfortunately getting it out requires breaking the magnet.
> 
> More info in this post..
> http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...s-EDC-Lights&p=4629789&viewfull=1#post4629789


Thanks brother! 
Indeed, a very cool mod[emoji41] [emoji363] [emoji106]


----------



## Darkus Mingler

I have carried a light on and off for many years. Earlier this year I began carrying a light full time and also began updating my EDC so that I am better prepared for most situations. I now am looking for a light that starts in low mode as many of the things I currently us my light for if the light comes on in high makes it hard to see what you are looking for.

Tom


----------



## Tixx

Darkus Mingler said:


> I have carried a light on and off for many years. Earlier this year I began carrying a light full time and also began updating my EDC so that I am better prepared for most situations. I now am looking for a light that starts in low mode as many of the things I currently us my light for if the light comes on in high makes it hard to see what you are looking for.
> 
> Tom


Budget? 
Battery type? 
Battery configuration? Single cell or multiple cell? 
Preferred material (aluminum, plastic, copper, titanium, brass...) 
Do you know how low you would like in lumens? 
Max lumens needed? 
Preferred length? 
Carry style? Keychain, headlamp, pocket, belt... 

I've got suggestions, I just need more info.


----------



## wjv

Leroy Jethro Gibbs Rule #9: "Never go anywhere without a knife."


----------



## IamMatt

*Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

Sigh. We all get asked. Same question if we EDC a knife.

Well last night in Southern California we had hellacious winds. Not sure how bad it got but the weather service said to expect gusts up to 85mph in the mountains.

So around 6:30, the family is eating dinner and suddenly the power goes off and it is pitch black. With households all around panicking and wondering if there are any candles in the junk drawer, I just pulled my light out of my pocket, set it on the table in candle mode, and we continued eating without interruption. It was no more an inconvenience than if I had dropped my napkin on the floor.

After dinner I went to to my desk and grabbed a couple of other lights I had been playing with recently and handed them out to my wife and son. We carried on, watched a movie on the laptop, went to bed, and when we woke up this morning, power had been restored.

And THAT's why I carry a flashlight. BTW, the lights were my trusty LumaPower IncenDio (bought on CPF 5 years ago!), a Fenix P2D, and an ITP A1 EOS.


----------



## Tac Gunner

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

Always good to be prepared.

What I like is when something like that happens around people not familiar with you and they ask why you carry a flashlight right after the power has just gone out. I just can't help but look at them with a stupid look on my face and refrain from asking if it really matters at that particular moment or if they would just as soon me not have it.

May want to take a look at one of Fenix's lanterns to keep handy for power outages.


----------



## IamMatt

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*



Tac Gunner said:


> May want to take a look at one of Fenix's lanterns to keep handy for power outages.



Oh, yes, I definitely "need" some more lights!


----------



## Archangel72

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

Hence why I own

Goal Zero Yeti 150 ( Solar generator )

3 of their Light a life 350 LED hanging lights (chainable)
1 of their light house 250 lanterns ( wished I had waited their lighthouse mini kicks this ones butt for the price )

I do own 3 of their portable solar panels too 
one 7 watt one 30 watt and their new 100 watt which is overpriced but hey you get what you pay for as in how many of you own an Iphone.... LOL

I do also have 4 fenix lights and 2 coast lights too
and one Toolvn is on the way ... (does happy dance)


----------



## bykfixer

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

When did Noah build the Arc?

Before the rain.


----------



## MX421

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*



bykfixer said:


> When did Noah build the Arc?
> 
> Before the rain.




+1! LOL

I'm going to use that one.

I didn't have a "i used it, so why ask" moment, but i had this discussion with a neighbor. He said he didn't need a flashlight because he had....wait for it:

"A cell phone". 


He went on to say that he not only had the light but could take a picture of it. When i countered that what happened if his battery ran out, he just shrugged and said he had plenty of battery power.


----------



## d123

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

It can even be dark during daylight, just depends where you are. I just remind people of that fact .


----------



## dmattaponi

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

Good thread. I just got a couple of new lights for around the house for power outages, etc. Even without a power outage, one thing we can count on is that it's going to get dark every night. My light just got used to walk the dog before bed and give him a few ball tosses.


----------



## bykfixer

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*



MX421 said:


> +1! LOL
> 
> I'm going to use that one.
> 
> I didn't have a "i used it, so why ask" moment, but i had this discussion with a neighbor. He said he didn't need a flashlight because he had....wait for it:
> 
> "A cell phone".
> 
> 
> He went on to say that he not only had the light but could take a picture of it. When i countered that what happened if his battery ran out, he just shrugged and said he had plenty of battery power.



And I thought you were going to say "a bic lighter" lol


----------



## tech25

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*



d123 said:


> It can even be dark during daylight, just depends where you are. I just remind people of that fact .



This is something, that seems very hard for people to comprehend. My go to example is what will you do in the bathroom when someone leaves and turns out the lights? Beyond that are stairwells, industrial buildings, malls all of these places don't have windows and people still have a hard time understanding. 

IamMatt- we all wait for such times, Lol!


----------



## TKC

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

*Good one!!

I have been in the mall, when the power went out, I was THE only one with a flashlight. I have been in the back of the supermarket when the power went out, once again, I was only with a flash light when the power went out. *


----------



## Tac Gunner

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

I have learned some people will never undated something until they experience it. For the majority of people they don't experience the lack of light often enough to appreciate a dedicated light source. There is a boy in my college class who for the first semester and a half gave me a hard time about always carrying a light. After needing one while working in projects he got a Thrunite Ti4 for his birthday. That was last semester and he finally told me a couple of days ago how handy it is. He now reaches for it anytime he thinks he may need extra light and really appreciates having it.


----------



## Poppy

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

Great story Matt! :thumbsup:
I have become somewhat enamored with 3 D cell lanterns for power outages, and currently Home Depot is carrying a Defiant 3d extended run-time lantern for a mere $10. One is currently sitting on top of my refrigerator.

LOL bykfixer, I never thought of it like that... but so true! AND appropriate! 
Be Prepared, has been my motto for life.

Tech25,
It seems to me, that if I talk about flashlights I feel as though I need to explain myself. BUT, only, If I bring the subject up. I have edc'd a knife for years, and a light for a couple maybe a few years. I don't recall ever being asked... why? Therefore, I don't know what my response would be. I imagine that it would be along the lines of:
shaking my head
shrugging my shoulders, 
and asking.... why? (while looking them straight in the eye, and cocking my head, with the implication "you are foolish if you don't")


I had to laugh.
If the light went out in the bath room. I'd still know where the toilet paper was, and I certainly know where my butt is.  It's been with me all my life! 

Like most people in first world countries, I carry a smart phone with a flashlight app, so I could find the exit door if needed. But I would have to be pretty mentally impaired to not be able to find my way out of a bath-room if the lights went out and I didn't have a light.

Do we really need elaborate excuses/reasons to carry? beyond it is a helpful tool and "I like to be prepared" for whatever.


----------



## ven

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*



d123 said:


> It can even be dark during daylight, just depends where you are. I just remind people of that fact .




I use a flashlight for more hours in the day than i do at night! 

The thoughts of dropping/catching a 5.5" £600 phone screen...........no thanks and its hardly hand friendly either...........or mouth :laughing:.


----------



## tech25

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

I have been asked why by a bunch of people in EMS ect. I usually don't explain past "I like them" at least until they need to borrow one of mine- yes while the sun is out- nothing like looking for a body in a dark building, that you can smell with your Iphone...

- yes I know where the toilet paper and my butt is.. however in public bathrooms I don't like playing around with my phone and definitely don't like bumping into the dirty surfaces around me. My point of the example is not, that its life saving, just that its convenient. 

I don't feel defensive about it and if someone is trying to make fun of it- go ahead its not the weirdest thing that I (or anyone else for that matter) does. 

In school, we had a janitor that pretty often would shut the light on his way out- without checking if anyone else was there- at the time my edc was a zebralight H51fw- it never bothered me... as I said convenient.


----------



## Poppy

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

Tech25,
I'm sorry, my comments didn't come out quite the way that I wanted them to.

I am a huge proponent of auto on power failure lights, and have one in two out of three of our bathrooms at home. Yeah, getting caught with my pants down, is NOT the position I want to be in when the lights go out.


----------



## Crazyeddiethefirst

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

In addition to "Why do you carry a flashlight?", I also get asked " Why do you need more than one flashlight?"
Sometimes I just ask " have you ever tried to rebuild a car engine with just a single socket?"...Right Tool for the job ...


----------



## recDNA

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

I always pocket carry a flashlight clipped in my front pocket. Clip is always visible. In some lights tail is visible. I have never once had anybody say a word about my flashlight nor even ask what is clipped in my pocket. When I do discuss my hobby with friends they are horrified by prices but so am I so I don't blame them! 

I like to use a flashlight in dimly lit restaurants to read the menu. I'm not a bat. My wife gets really pissed if I do. I have never understood the "romance" of reading and eating things I can't see.


----------



## Chauncey Gardiner

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*



tech25 said:


> I have been asked why by a bunch of people in EMS ect. I usually don't explain past "I like them" at least until they need to borrow one of mine- yes while the sun is out- *nothing like looking for a body in a dark building, that you can smell with your Iphone...*
> 
> - yes I know where the toilet paper and my butt is.. however in public bathrooms I don't like playing around with my phone and definitely don't like bumping into the dirty surfaces around me. My point of the example is not, that its life saving, just that its convenient.
> 
> I don't feel defensive about it and if someone is trying to make fun of it- go ahead its not the weirdest thing that I (or anyone else for that matter) does.
> 
> In school, we had a janitor that pretty often would shut the light on his way out- without checking if anyone else was there- at the time my edc was a zebralight H51fw- it never bothered me... as I said convenient.



:huh: Wow! There's an app for that too?!

~ Chance


----------



## MX421

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*



bykfixer said:


> And I thought you were going to say "a bic lighter" lol



Nah, he only uses those when he works on his gas tank ;-)


----------



## MX421

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*



d123 said:


> It can even be dark during daylight, just depends where you are. I just remind people of that fact .



Yeah, same conversation as above i mentioned back when i carried a flashlight on and off, the power (and lights) went out on the days (two of them) that i wasn't carrying. After that i started carrying all the time. Of course now I'm neurotic about it....LOL


----------



## tech25

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*



Chauncey Gardiner said:


> :huh: Wow! There's an app for that too?!
> 
> ~ Chance




Lol! That's what I get for typing on an iPad at work. My grammar and punctuation is messed up. 

What I meant was we can smell the body and my partner is using the light on his iPhone to look for it.


----------



## Sambob

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

My response to people Is "So i don't have to stop what I'm doing and go look for one" and frankly It's just Incredibly handy.
Seriously, the question you should ask them Is, Flashlight's are so small and bright now why don't you?


----------



## LedTed

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*



tech25 said:


> Lol! That's what I get for typing on an iPad at work. My grammar and punctuation is messed up.
> 
> What I meant was we can smell the body and my partner is using the light on his iPhone to look for it.



Your grammar and punctuation are messed up. Just being silly and taking the edge off that dead body part.


----------



## DellSuperman

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

I was asked the same question recently & was posed with the "handphones have flashlight too" scenario. I challenge them to a "see who can switch on their light faster" game... 

No prize for guessing who won. Hahahaha...


----------



## Tac Gunner

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*



DellSuperman said:


> I was asked the same question recently & was posed with the "handphones have flashlight too" scenario. I challenge them to a "see who can switch on their light faster" game...
> 
> No prize for guessing who won. Hahahaha...


I have to say that can depend on where your light is vs where their phone is. I said that one time while my light was in my pocket and the other person was texting, all I have to say is the flashlight on an iPhone is pretty quick to turn on. All they had to do was slide up the menu and turn it on.


----------



## Thetasigma

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

My lights see use in dark places during daytime, looking under things, adding light to a poorly light area, engine/auto work, computer work, etc. All that in addition to nighttime use.

Infinitely more useful to carry one than have to go look for one, or rely on the phone flash LED's, as if the phone's battery doesn't drain fast enough as it is. My carry lights are also brighter and dimmer, floodier and throwier than my phone's so there is that. If I drop one of my lights it won't break, something that can not be said for the phone. The flashlights can also stand moisture/water exposure.
Nothing worse than being caught in public when the power is out either, amazing how dark most stores actually are. Power goes out regularly at home as well so it is good to have illumination till the generator comes on, or if it doesn't light to go investigate. I swear every time we have a good hard rain or wind we loose power.

Flashlights are generally safe to carry about anywhere so that is another bonus unlike other carry gear like knives.


----------



## Timothybil

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

Neither my phone or my tablet have lights on the camera, so that pretty much rules out that option, although the glow from the screen of the tablet can get kind of bright if I turn it up.


----------



## bykfixer

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

^^ sounds like you need a Bic lighter.


----------



## dmattaponi

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

For many years I kept some kind of keychain light. The thing came in handy many times. So much so, that I eventually started carrying more powerful pocket lights. They get used regularly, day and night. Don't know what I'd do without them. I remember one instance in particular when I was out of town at a conference. A storm hit and blew a transformer knocking the power out to the hotel. The hotel generators then malfunctioned, and there we were sitting in an interior conference room in pitch black (this was in the days before cell phones were a regular thing). Everyone was more or less stuck in their seat until I clicked on the little light on my keychain and people were able to exit the room. On a more regular basis I find myself using my lights for many of the mundane reasons mentioned in this thread, like looking under furniture, etc. Even now I'll take a good old flashlight over a cellphone any day.


----------



## MikeSalt

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

It's as daft a question as 'Why do you always carry a wallet, you're not in a shop?'.


----------



## IamMatt

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*



MikeSalt said:


> It's as daft a question as 'Why do you always carry a wallet, you're not in a shop?'.



Brilliant. I actually know someone who, when asked why she left her cell pone at home, replied, "I wasn't expecting any calls."


----------



## bykfixer

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

^^ I leave mine at home a lot...now that I have a bic lighter and a flashlight...


----------



## DellSuperman

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*



Tac Gunner said:


> I have to say that can depend on where your light is vs where their phone is. I said that one time while my light was in my pocket and the other person was texting, all I have to say is the flashlight on an iPhone is pretty quick to turn on. All they had to do was slide up the menu and turn it on.


Well, to make it a fair challenge, both parties need to have their light/phone in the same place.. 
If i have my light in my hand, i am sure mine will come out faster too..


----------



## MikeSalt

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

Another one that gets me is "Why do you carry a knife?", often whilst I am using said Leatherman PS4 to fix something for them. No gratitude and the rhetorical question.


----------



## dmattaponi

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

Why? We live on planet Earth, and are subject to nature. As such its very likely that everyone will at some point need a flashlight. I don't leave home without my wallet, or cellphone. I don't use them all the time, but I sure need them at other times. Same for the flashlight.


----------



## Shreklight

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

Yup, everyone thinks you're weird for carrying a flashlight, until they're standing next to you when the power goes out. Same thing with a pocketknife. Although my brother said " If I'm ever stranded on a deserted island I hope I'm with you."


----------



## 0dBm

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

I don't even dignify this type of question any longer. I was at the deepest part of a building a month ago in NYC. A couple of snotty cubicle dwellers snickered as I press-checked my Surefire P2ZX as I noticed the lights flickering. As I had predicted, the lights did go off and the room went completely dark. COMPLETELY. I hit the momentary switch on the P2ZX and lit-up a path to the emergency exit while stating that I would only do this for 5-6 seconds. I never saw a group of people move so quickly.

When the lights came back on about 20 minutes later, I was still sitting at the chair on which I sat after I awakened from a nice nap with the P2ZX still in my hand . A few of them gave me a dirty look as if I actually did something wrong.


----------



## shooterSVT

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

Years ago I was hanging with some buddies smoking cigars in a garage. Something tripped the breaker and the lights went out. Without hesitating, I pulled a light out and lite up the room. The guys still talk about that. I'm just disappointed I was the only one with a flashlight in their pocket in winter at night!!!


----------



## SPTiger

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

The moment when I realized I needed to carry a light with me at all times was in a movie theater a couple of years ago, and a storm knocked out all the power. Is was pitch black dark. It was a helpless feeling, but I felt stupid because I have plenty of lights and had no reason to not have one on me.


----------



## bykfixer

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*



shooterSVT said:


> Years ago I was hanging with some buddies smoking cigars in a garage. Something tripped the breaker and the lights went out. Without hesitating, I pulled a light out and lite up the room. The guys still talk about that. I'm just disappointed I was the only one with a flashlight in their pocket in winter at night!!!



It's great you had a flashlight....but

If it was safe enough to smoke it was likely safe enough for somebody to whip out the device you guys lit your cigars with...

Here it comes....drum roll.....
BIC lighter. lol

I chuckle at how some folks can be seemingly bothered that others may think less of them for carrying a flashlight...yet it used to be several genarations ago folks carried matches until the Zippo, then Bic lighter became edc items. Bare in mind the cel phone hadn't been invented yet. 

These days the flashlight has replaced matches and lighters carried by those who tend to be prepared...and really don't consider what anyone may think of them for that. 

Now my coworkers think I'm kinda weird when I go to sit at my desk...because I set out a Strion, a TL2 (and now) a 3P clone before sitting. (They don't know I have 2 pocket sized as well)

But after 17 years working with these folks, they already know I'm weird... 
They say "that guy's kinda weird...but he's prepared for dang near anything." 
A while ago during a lengthy emergency situation 2 hungry fire men were bidding on my pop tarts. lol.
The winning bid was $30 for a package of pop tarts, which I gladly gave to the 2 hungry fellows at no charge...then I quipped "how much you willing to pay for this can of Raviolli?"...then I gave that away...but did take $1 for the use of the can opener.


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## guthrie

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

I used to get comments about wearing my head torch at re-enactment events. They became fewer over the years as people found out how useful they were. One friend borrowed mine to put his tent up in the dark, and found me later in the beer tent exclaiming how it was amazing that you could see what you were doing and have both hands free. Oddly enough after that he got a head torch. It's not just having a torch, but the most appropriate one for the circumstances.


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## Kestrel

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

Two similar threads merged.

Also, I note that flashlight carry is the most recent topic over at Selco's site (highly recommended IMO):
http://shtfschool.com/general/the-importance-of-illumination/


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## Pilotodude

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*



IamMatt said:


> Brilliant. I actually know someone who, when asked why she left her cell pone at home, replied, "I wasn't expecting any calls."



Hmmmm... :duh2:

Well, up until a few years ago, I used to leave the house without my phone all of the time. I don't anymore, why?

At least in the areas that I frequent, there are no more pay phones. That was my out back in "the day". Since there are no more pay phones, my cell is now considered EDC. What if I need to make an emergency call... What if I break down, get hurt, or end up running late to the point my family might worry? Pay phones used to be on every block. Now there's about one per grid square. Ya know... I can still put the cell phone in airplane mode if I don't want to be bothered, but I've got it if I need it. It's amazing how much I use it for the map-gps functions alone, especially when traveling abroad.

Yes, I'm one of those guys, but without pay phones, I'm OK with it. Oh, and my phone has this cool flashlight function... :sick2: No, I don't use it for a primary light... But it's still ONE MORE light if you need it.


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## Sidecarist

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

My answer is simple. It's dark 50% of the time...

I carry a light for a variety of reasons/uses. 

1, It serves as my first defensive tool. If I'm approached by a stranger in low light it gives me an edge to deal with them with the end goal of remaining safe/avoiding trouble. This is called negotiating the pre-fight interview.

2, I use a light almost daily to look at something at work, my eyes aren't what they used to be.

3, You simply don't know when the lights will go out, or you will be out after dark.

I never leave the house without at least 1 light, and a good knife/multi tool. Countless times having a light has just been handy.


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## Tachead

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*



Sidecarist said:


> My answer is simple. It's dark 50% of the time...
> 
> I carry a light for a variety of reasons/uses.
> 
> *1, It serves as my first defensive tool. If I'm approached by a stranger in low light it gives me an edge to deal with them with the end goal of remaining safe/avoiding trouble. This is called negotiating the pre-fight interview.
> *
> 2, I use a light almost daily to look at something at work, my eyes aren't what they used to be.
> 
> 3, You simply don't know when the lights will go out, or you will be out after dark.
> 
> I never leave the house without at least 1 light, and a good knife/multi tool. Countless times having a light has just been handy.



Keep in mind that shinning your light in a stranger eyes could escalate a situation or even start one that never would have happened. Its akin to pulling a knife or gun before even knowing what the strangers intentions are but, could be even more dangerous because a flashlight is of little offensive value in comparison.


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## Sidecarist

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

I'll disagree with you on comparing shining a light in someone's eyes as being equal to pulling a knife or a gun... the light isn't going to take a life unless used as a contact weapon. Flash & dash techniques are far down the threat scale from knives and guns.

You start with the light shown at their feet, then bring it just high enough to see their hands. It creates a psychological fence and allows you to evaluate the situation and take appropriate action. This doesn't presume that violence is always required in fact it almost never is. Shining a light usually makes you a less desirable target simply because it shows that you are prepared for the dark...

A light can offer considerable defensive value, I would never look at a light as an offensive weapon, or expect it to be one.

In this context my use of a light is primarily to avoid a confrontation not escalate in to one. I am lucky that I have had the opportunity to receive training in techniques like this. I would encourage others to do so as well. I travel a great deal for work to places I've never been to before. A light is a primary defensive tool that doesn't raise fear in others. I can walk down the street with a small powerful light in my hand and not scare anyone, particularly if it's already dark, or nearly so.


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## Hudson456

PaleBlueDot said:


> Says my friend to me today.
> 
> At around 5.45pm today, the building that I work at lost its power. For some reason the generator wasn't kicking in and it was already dark out (New Zealand winter). Everything was pitch black and my buddy and I needed to get down from the 8th floor using the stairs. He goes ahead of me and uses the flashlight app on his phone, but stops after about 30 seconds since at the end of the workday, his phone's battery was at 5% already. Well, we didn't want to feel our way down the pitch black stairwell or wait for the power to come back on.
> 
> Out comes my new Prometheus Alpha from my bag and on medium provides enough light to illuminate the entire stairwell, all 8 floors down and 8 floors up. I'm standing on the landing, headed down when I hear him ask 'Wow, why in the world do you carry a flashlight on you?' I literally stop in my tracks and give him the :thinking: face while bouncing the Alpha's beam around the pitch black of the stairwell when all of a sudden he goes 'Oh, right' . I just  and we get reach the ground floor in one piece just as the lights come back on.
> 
> It seems really strange that I can't ever seem to leave the house without a watch, a knife, and a flashlight. When just last year I didn't have any of them. I couldn't imagine going through my day without the convenience of portable illumination now. Anyone else feel the same?





I think every single person who's on this forum feels the same way...:laughing:


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## Tachead

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*



Sidecarist said:


> I'll disagree with you on comparing shining a light in someone's eyes as being equal to pulling a knife or a gun... the light isn't going to take a life unless used as a contact weapon. Flash & dash techniques are far down the threat scale from knives and guns.
> 
> You start with the light shown at their feet, then bring it just high enough to see their hands. It creates a psychological fence and allows you to evaluate the situation and take appropriate action. This doesn't presume that violence is always required in fact it almost never is. Shining a light usually makes you a less desirable target simply because it shows that you are prepared for the dark...
> 
> A light can offer considerable defensive value, I would never look at a light as an offensive weapon, or expect it to be one.
> 
> In this context my use of a light is primarily to avoid a confrontation not escalate in to one. I am lucky that I have had the opportunity to receive training in techniques like this. I would encourage others to do so as well. I travel a great deal for work to places I've never been to before. A light is a primary defensive tool that doesn't raise fear in others. I can walk down the street with a small powerful light in my hand and not scare anyone, particularly if it's already dark, or nearly so.



If you re-read my post you will see the comparison was made in the context of escalating a situation, not the lethality of said objects. 

I can tell you with certainty that shining a light at someone as they might just be walking past you can/could vary well start a situation when one never would have happened. It could also escalate a situation that might have been diffused with words. I am not saying that using a flashlight as a defensive tool is not a good idea in certain situations but, it could also enrage certain people and create a situation that never would have happened if you just kept walking and went about your business. 

I highly suggest you use avoidance and words long before you resort to shinning your light at someone that you dont even know for sure is a threat. Also, not putting yourself in problem areas or especially in problem areas at late hours can go a long way to avoiding a situation.


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## Sidecarist

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

We have a difference of opinion on some points, and I can live with that. Others will take what they want from this.

I think there is an assumption here that Is different between us. I haven't and wouldn't shine a light directly at someone just passing by. There is no need. Someone directly approaching me in a way that appears threatening is a different situation. Everyone should use good judgment to avoid problem areas whenever possible. However when despite all of our best efforts to be as safe as possible we are confronted being prepared and trained will certainly be useful...


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## Tachead

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*



Sidecarist said:


> We have a difference of opinion on some points, and I can live with that. Others will take what they want from this.
> 
> I think there is an assumption here that Is different between us. I haven't and wouldn't shine a light directly at someone just passing by. There is no need. Someone directly approaching me in a way that appears threatening is a different situation. Everyone should use good judgment to avoid problem areas whenever possible. However when despite all of our best efforts to be as safe as possible we are confronted being prepared and trained will certainly be useful...



Me too, we all have different opinions.

What if the person approaching you was having a really bad day, just got a flat tire, looked really pissed off, and had many tattoos but was just looking to ask you to use your phone to call a friend. So, you blast him in the eyes with your light thinking he's a threat before using your words to feel/figure out his intentions or diffuse the situation. Now you could potentially have a really bad situation on your hands. What if the guy has a really bad temper and is carrying a firearm. You could have created a situation when one didnt even exist. Or, created a situation that your words could have gotten you out of. And, you chose just about the most useless tool(defensive or offensive) that you could have.

I am not trying to undermine your training or suggest that it is not a good idea to be prepared. I am just reminding you to be cautious in how use your flashlight in a defensive role. Depending on the situation, you could get your self into trouble. A flashlight is one of the least effective defensive tools imo.

Stay safe:thumbsup:


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## Kestrel

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

I think that this particular aspect has been fully explored at this point in time; 
I didn't bump / merge these two monster threads just to have it blow up from a new post this afternoon. :ironic:


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## Sidecarist

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

Im good with that, sorry for the thread drift. 

I also use my light a lot simply looking for things inside all my tool boxes and bins! I don't know what I'd do without it.


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## Kestrel

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

No worries :wave: have a good weekend.


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## eh4

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*

I'm to the point that I'm dubious of anyone who doesn't know where their light, and their towel are.


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## TKC

*​I too feel naked, if I leave the house with out a knife & flash light.*


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## guthrie

*Re: Another "Why do you carry a flashlight?" Moment*



> I'm to the point that I'm dubious of anyone who doesn't know where their light, and their towel are.



That depends if they read the Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy.


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## RapidRescueMedical

Why would anyone ask why you carry a flashlight with you??!? 
It's nuts, many people just aren't prepared for when things go sideways, even a little bit. 
Power goes out at night; or it's dark and you are in the bush away from 'civilization' and you want to put up a tent, rummage in your backpack for something to eat etc etc

I always have at least a mini flashlight or a small headlamp in a jeans or jacket pocket. they are just too damn useful to leave at home. even AT home, I have one in a pocket.


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## eh4

Why on earth do you carry a phone and a debit/credit card around with you? 
Where's your obsidian axe? ...moron.


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## Defiars2

We don't know when dark is coming. 
Because like Stark said, "Dark is coming" . Lol


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## tech25

It was refreshing to see on the overnight, so many police officers carrying decent flashlights- mostly streamlights with a few mag leds in the mix. One officer had 2 lights holstered on his belt- I didn't get a chance to talk to him- nothing like a spare battery holder that lights up!


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## Hooked on Fenix

I live in California, land of the unprepared, in fire and earthquake country, made worse by anal laws on energy efficiency. If someone asks me why I carry a flashlight, here's my response: "Have you ever used the bathroom and had the motion sensor in the room shut the lights off before you were done? That's why I carry a flashlight. I don't like to get caught with my pants down."


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## lunas

I carry 4-6 between me and my car and laptop bag. 
1 fenix e05 2015 model on my keys
1 thorfire tg06 in my pants
a minimag 1 aaa led in my other pocket as a loaner...
and a long baton light in the door pocket in my car with lithium primaries in it 
in my laptop bag i have a 2x AA maglight again loner
and a solarforce l2p with a xml2 led 1 mode

And i carry because i dont like to use my phone as one i find that it does a sub standard job and i would rather have enough light when i need it than too little.


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## david57strat

Cant remember whether I actually posted what I carry, but I generally carry these five, on-person.




Left to Right:


Fenix E15 2016 Edition 
Zebralight SC600w Mk III (4500K) 
Zebralight SC600w Mk II L2 (4500K) 
Eagletac DX30LC2 (XP-L Hi) 
Solarforce L2P with Sportac Triple Nichia 219B (2-mode) 

When I can only carry one light, on-person, it's the SC600w Mk III, hands-down (and the others go in my pack, with additional lights). It's such a flexible light. The one and only thing that would make that one a perfect EDC light would be a momentary switch/tailcap.

I'm very picky about light (beam patterns, tint options, user interface), so carrying multiple lights usually covers most of my bases, on any given day. When I'm going to do a job, or whatever, where I need more light options, I'll pick out the additional ones that I feel will best suit the job, and put them in a separate bag, along with chargers, and spare batteries. 

I like having options


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## BloodLust

I've posted in this thread before. It's still pretty much the same but now, work requires me to travel constantly even through different countries often. Plus I now have my own family and light for everyone is comforting.

Besides my usual Fenix LD10, I replaces my backup photon with a Jetbeam/Nite-Eye Mini-1.
I got my wife a smaller light. A Fenix LD02.
There's a Nite Ize Mini 3-in-1 in my daughter's diaper bag.

There are numerous occassions I've used my EDC lights.
I was in a 3rd level basement carpark when a citywide blackout occured. I only had a Maglight Solitaire that time since LEDs weren't mainstream yet and cellphones didn't have cameras nor flashlights at that time yet. The little green or amber cellphone backlights thene were comparable only to wristwatch lights. They were bright enough just to light the numbers on the screen.
This was the event that made me look into more powerful lights than the Maglites which were the standard then.
I soon after got my 1st tactical light which was a Surefire. Everything was incandescent back then.

One event I recall, I was staying in a small hotel during my first time in Bangkok with some colleagues in an inner conference room and a transformer blew and shut down power for several blocks. I whipped out my LD10 and we were actually able to finish the meeting with the light on ceiling bounce.

I had to be in Japan for work just a couple of weeks after the earthquake and tsunami. Aftershocks were still felt and we were hit with one that registered a 7.4. I was on the top floor of the hotel and lights were flickering. I needed a steady light if I were to eveacuate especially via the stairs.


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## david57strat

lunas said:


> I carry 4-6 between me and my car and laptop bag.
> 1 fenix e05 2015 model on my keys
> 1 thorfire tg06 in my pants
> a minimag 1 aaa led in my other pocket as a loaner...
> and a long baton light in the door pocket in my car with lithium primaries in it
> in my laptop bag i have a 2x AA maglight again loner
> and a solarforce l2p with a xml2 led 1 mode
> 
> And i carry because i dont like to use my phone as one i find that it does a sub standard job and i would rather have enough light when i need it than too little.



I'm with you, in that a cell phone light is a low quality, short distance, short-lasting light, with poor quality tint - at best. Why settle? We're flashaholics. We can have whatever we want, at our disposal, and just need to choose the right tool for the job. What works fine for lighting up a key hole, may be no good for lighting up a stadium. Why use a screwdriver as a pry bar - or a socket wrench, as a hammer, when the right tool is at our disposal? 

The right tool for the job - always!


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## harro

Good call david57strat


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## scottb7862

I've always carried a pocketknife...usually a Case XX... Just recently I discovered these EDC lights(I have a Olight S1 Ti baton)..I've found hundred's of uses for my light, we live in an older high ceiling house, really not enough lighting, so it really comes in handy through out the day, checking PSI's on tires recently, working on the computer..for just an example..and it's bad a$$!!


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## vadimax

I don't see in the dark. Does that count as an excuse?


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## tops2

Carrying one (or two) keychain light for real emergency. Honestly, I carry an additional larger, more powerful light just for fun. Realistically, I've hardly really needed to have a light on my for emergency. But it just so handy to have a more powerful light and I keep finding excuses to use them. 

I forget which site, but I think one site mentioned for the iOS10 beta, we may be able to pick between 3 flashlight intensities! lol! I'm actually impatiently waiting for it to drop to play with it.


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## panosx

i always have a keychain flash light with me and a olight to my work bag

in my country (Greece) pocketknife is iligal (not exacly but in general )


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## Blackbeard

I used to do hvac repair, but my shoulders are messed up so I cant quite do the job, but always used good lights. whenever a dopey technician shows up at my apartment for a repair, they always use phone flashlight, I just shake my head at their stupidity. I wonder how many of these guys ruined their phone while working under a sink and a suprise dose of water from a pipe blasted it


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## frosencarrotz

Honestly, I carry a flashlight just because I kind of find it fun just to carry. I don't even bother explaining why I do what I do anymore since I know people won't listen or care lol.


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## Bullzeyebill

frosencarrotz said:


> Honestly, I carry a flashlight just because I kind of find it fun just to carry. I don't even bother explaining why I do what I do anymore since I know people won't listen or care lol.



You are speaking as a true flashaholic.

Bill


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## scout24

Congrats on the 11,000 posts, Bill!


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## xdayv

vadimax said:


> I don't see in the dark. Does that count as an excuse?



good point haha! but flashaholics like to flash their light any hour of the day/night... :candle:


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## Tac Gunner

Blackbeard said:


> I used to do hvac repair, but my shoulders are messed up so I cant quite do the job, but always used good lights. whenever a dopey technician shows up at my apartment for a repair, they always use phone flashlight, I just shake my head at their stupidity. I wonder how many of these guys ruined their phone while working under a sink and a suprise dose of water from a pipe blasted it


My thoughts too when I see a tech using their phone. A friend of mine is a maintenance tech at a local factory. He uses his cell phone for all his lighting needs. I've tried and tried to get him to at least get a 10 buck nitecore tube but he won't spend the money. I just can't understand why you would want to take the chance of breaking a 600 dollar smart phone just because you won't spend 10 bucks.


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## Taz80

It's amazing/shocking to me that people think nothing of going out on the town and spending a couple of hundred bucks or going on a weeks vacation and spending thousands. But won't even consider spending fifty or less for a decent light that would make their life/work a lot easier. Since I'm all about the right tool for the job it boggles my mind.


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## BrotherHorse

I feel like I am "Licenced to Carry" when I take a walk in the late evenings at 1350 real tested Lumens in my pocket.
A beefed up Solarforce L2P Special Edition with a 1300+ lumen drop-in, copper wrap, extra heavy copper wires and high current springs. . . .
That and a walking stick. 
I do not have any fear walking now or going from the car to a building or back. . . at night.


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## BrotherHorse

The 1350 tested lumen tac light I carry in my pocket, as well as no more fear walking at night or early morning. . . . 
(or going Downtown at night) . . . . I'm guessing that "Anything with eyes". . .attacking Dogs. . . wolves, bears?. . . would be blinded by 1350 lunens and it would GET WORSE the closer they got.

So, I haven't had to test that on animals . . ..YET !

Has anyone HAD to experience that yet?


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## Richub

I got the topic name asked today by a new colleague when I emptied my backpack to get the dust and sand out. He was completely baffled why anyone would carry a flashlight near summer solstice, let alone carry three: Fenix E05, E35 UE and TK35 UE.

Later that day he lost an earring while taking off his sweatshirt, and my E35 on medium helped him to find it quickly under his desk. After that, the lights in the bathroom were off once again, my E05 came in handy when he had to go. 
After that, he just apologized, and asked me for advice to get a decent EDC flashlight for himself. He ended up ordering a Fenix LD12.


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## ArmoredFiend

frosencarrotz said:


> Honestly, I carry a flashlight just because I kind of find it fun just to carry. I don't even bother explaining why I do what I do anymore since I know people won't listen or care lol.


Tis ^

after some time, couldnt be bothered to explain anymore coz people always tend to nitpick on the reason i gave regardless how logical/illogical it was...

so nowadays i jst go with it's my hobby/interest...that basically shuts them up.


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## vadimax

xdayv said:


> good point haha! but flashaholics like to flash their light any hour of the day/night... :candle:



You won't believe. Nearly every time I come to a sofa where my newly bought Lumintop TD16 stands on a shelf I half press it to enjoy a beam profile on a wall  Stupid, I know. But that's how it happens 

Of course, I could do that with TN32, but it is damn hefty


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## YourTime

Bling Bling who doesnt like this thing 

I modded it today


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## MastyrOfPuppitz

Why carry a flashlight? I was not born with, nor have since developed, any type of sonar functionality.


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## ScottGabrielli

To be a good neighbor, the dogs go number 2 at night and I have to be able to find it to clean it up.


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## vettex2

I carry a led./laser combo just to mess with cats:devil:


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