Are Flashaholics Also Nightowls?

[DaveTheDude]

Last night I found myself wondering if there is a correlation between being a flashaholic and being a nightowl?

Thoughts?

 

[idleprocess]

Used to work 2nd shift (15:00 - 0:00) so by definition I was a night owl. Didn't think much of hitting up megalomart after work dodging the night shift doing major restocking. Walking along neighborhood hike-bike trails between midnight and 04:00 was pretty normal as was experimenting with flashlights.

But my career trajectory has changed and I'm now working a more standard 07:00 - 16:00 schedule. Walking dogs at night is the most common time I need a flashlight nowadays - and with 6'/2m leashes in suburbia my performance demands aren't exactly stringent.

 

[3_gun]

I know I'd put myself in that group but I don't think it had much to do with me owning flashlights. Work at times was 0 dark 30 stuff but most of my light use is now indoors during daylight hours

 

[bykfixer]

When I was buying flashlights to use in the day time, that's when I knew I was a flashaholic.

 

[DRW]

2000 I'm in bed.

0430 I'm pouring my first cup of coffee.

Sometimes I get up early to go fishing or hunting.

 

[knucklegary]

Early morning patrol for waves as a youngster inadvertently prepared me for night patrols in the Army.
I was born a night owl..

Sleep? It's over rated. There's plenty of time to sleep when I'm dead

 

[aznsx]

I was a flashaholic long before I became nocturnal; when 'knee-high' or (as I recall) before, for the record. I later became a hard core 'night owl'. Later, years of working 'second shift', followed by 'dusk to dawn' 18:00 - 06:00 shifts just solidified that, but since I was constantly using my lights all night long, it also fueled my flashaholery. So no, not all flashaholics are 'night owls', but the two are indeed very complementary things. The 'first shift' types are also often hard core flashaholics, but the night shift types just have the advantage of being able to enjoy their addiction more and put it to far better use There's nothing worse (or better, for some of us), than being a nocturnal flashaholic. It's kinda 'next level' flashaholery. We tend to be more 'users' than 'collectors'; but unfortunately I do tend to buy more than I actually need to use.

 

[gurdygurds]

Flashlights are obviously useful tools, but I found that as far as an interest, it made the night something to look forward to. I use em' in the shower, read with a headlamp on, use them instead of table lamps etc. I do lean more towards being a night owl on non-work nights but flashlights made night great again.

 

[letschat7]

I had a curfew of midnight or else, else meant listening to a long lecture for two hours that one time I was less that five minutes late getting home after drinking with my friends and I had to walk maybe 4 or 5 miles, nowadays I get home at maybe 12:15 and in bed alseep by 1. I don't really wish to be a night owl. I like keeping traditional hours as people would have done in the 20th century. There isn't anyone around to have fun with late like neighbours or girls and most of my friends work. Out doors activities are a bit limited too other than playing with bright lights late at night.

Now when it gets dark early in the wintertiem thats when things get fun. Longer hours of playing with lights and still up early to browse the net, get the mail, or play vidya before work.

Now when I was much younger late night use of a flashlight meant more reading books or sneaking around the house getting into things.

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

WHO 🦉

 

[raggie33]

i like lights because at one point i was in the dark with no light

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

Last night I found myself wondering if there is a correlation between being a flashaholic and being a nightowl?

Thoughts?

Well, I would say yes. People who are up working in the dark need quality lighting tools. Simply due to the progression of wanting and finding/acquiring better and better lighting instruments (flashlights, lanterns, etc.) I think those individuals would grow to have an appreciation for the better quality lighting instruments, and look into what the state of the art is, who is making them and take steps to acquire them.

 

[DaveTheDude]

Letschat7's comment above reminded me of many hours as a kid reading under the covers, both to avoid a bedtime that was laughably early for a hardwired night owl like myself, and also to avoid detection by early bird parents. (If I recall, it was mostly to read Boy's Life...🙂.)

 

[letschat7]

Sci fi, Goosebumps, Star Wars novels that weren't canon etc.

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

When I was buying flashlights to use in the day time, that's when I knew I was a flashaholic.

I used to work as an electrical apprentice. Always had to work in the dark, even in daytime. A commercial building with no power where you need light in every junction box, circuit breaker panel, outlet and switch box to identify wires to hook up so you don't get shocked requires a flashlight or headlight. Anyone without one slows down production and is a liability. It was nice to have an excuse to buy more lights back then. Had to give some away to coworkers (beginner apprentices) I worked with so they didn't make our group look bad.

 

[bykfixer]

I was speaking of flashlight vs day light. Open up a 25' deep manhole in mid day sun and light it up with a flashlight instead of using a mirror to aim the sunshine into said dark place, or on a cloudy day when the mirror is not even an option. I was buying throwers for that until I came across an Elzetta Bones that can easily get that done. A Maglite, my Coast HP-1 etc work well too.

These days when we run across a cave in (which is a crevice) under the road or need to look into a long pipe the coworkers look at me "well, where's your flashlight?" lol. I whip out my tiny little PKDL PR-1 and they breath a sigh of relief. The boss says "yup he works for me"....

 

[SCEMan]

I'm a night owl, and really got into flashlights when I began walking nightly in the foothills in the dark after dinner in the early 2000s. But, I was always somewhat of a flashaholic; I bought my first SF 6P in 89' (I was briefly a SF dealer & had an FFL back then). Before I retired I rarely had to get to work early and stayed up late. Now as a pensioner, my wife and I rarely get to bed earlier than 12:30 AM. But that's an improvement, it used to be 1:30 AM not that long ago.