Do you give away flashlights? How often, how many? Price range?

[FRITZHID]

I give away a lot of outdoors equipment, as I find things that work better for me. Lights, knives, clothing, etc.
The problem is that most of the idiots I give this stuff to don't appreciate it... and often don't carry or use it... or worse. I have a friend who I camp with sometimes and she always asks to borrow a flashlight when we're out, even though I've given her 3 that I can remember!
I have a guy climber friend who was really admiring one of my knives, a little 4" outdoor/paring knife like a Mora but about 10x as expensive... I had a different knife I like a lot more so I gave the one he liked to him. 2 weeks later I asked him how he liked his new knife, he told me he left it on the tailgate of his truck and drove away - losing it! I was furious... $160 knife and he got about a day of use out of it.
Sometimes I wonder if my friends deserve as good as me...

Yep! Exactly why I buy cheap lights to give away! Hell, I've loaned lights and not gotten them back, so how would these ppl appreciate a good light/tool/etc?

 

[KeepingItLight]

I recently reserved 6 custom BLF-348 flashlights in the group buy at BLF, and ordered a bunch of Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries. At $7 each, the BLF-348 is a great gift item. It runs on 1xAAA or 10440 Li-ion, and features a 90-CRI, 5000K, Nichia 219B emitter. I will keep 2 of them for myself, and give away the others along with two batteries each.

 

[more_vampires]

This past weekend, I gave away 2 Soshine USB modules. Maker suggests they can be keychain fobs. After a bit of testing, I verified it.

There's two more flashaholics in training right now with these USB plugin light modules on their keychains. They offered no resistance and put them on their keychains after a brief demonstration.

 

[Grijon]

Last Christmas I gave away nearly 30 Fenix E01's with a little writeup explaining the benefits of having a light on you at all times and expressing the hope that the recipient would put their new E01 on their keychain. Included was information about the E01 and the Energizer Ultimate Lithium AAA I had put in for them, along with the offer to replace the battery and clean the light - whether that happened soon due to use or next decade due to the lithium battery expiring. I did the same thing for a few others with E05's instead of E01's; one long-distance friend got a 4-pack of lithium AAA's included since we'd have to mail back and forth.

I've given away one other light, a MiniMag AA LED Pro, to my dad and he uses and appreciates it.

I haven't given any others away and my light budget has been...cut, LOL. I have to say that I don't see myself giving out any lights any time again soon.

 

[Gunner12]

I usually give away those cheap coin cell lights. Small enough for people to add to their keychain, bright enough for the very occasional use, durable enough to survive everyday beating, and cheap enough to give a replacement when the first one dies.

That or simple 1 AAA lights for similar reasons. Small enough that they might actually get to use it.

Had many friends thank me afterwards when they get to use their lights.

Budget: 50 cents to $20

 

[RedLED]

Lots and lots of them so people I know have some protection, and since it is for that reason they get nice ones, lots of lumens to scare off the freaks who pop up wanting you're money and maybe your car keys.

At least take care of your close people. And any women in your lives. Like wives, girlfriends, mom, sisters, daughters, aunts well you get the idea. I even gave them to the girls in the next building to out studio complex, and now I have a group who looks after it while we are gone and my non travel assistant has gone home.

Lights I dont want anymore, I give the non-collectible ones away to people I know and respect. If you can do it; do it. However, don't go broke either.

If you don't think they will appreciate it, then don't do it with the non safety lights.

Great question, by the way!

 

[RedLED]

Last Christmas I gave away nearly 30 Fenix E01's with a little writeup explaining the benefits of having a light on you at all times and expressing the hope that the recipient would put their new E01 on their keychain. Included was information about the E01 and the Energizer Ultimate Lithium AAA I had put in for them, along with the offer to replace the battery and clean the light - whether that happened soon due to use or next decade due to the lithium battery expiring. I did the same thing for a few others with E05's instead of E01's; one long-distance friend got a 4-pack of lithium AAA's included since we'd have to mail back and forth.

I've given away one other light, a MiniMag AA LED Pro, to my dad and he uses and appreciates it.

I haven't given any others away and my light budget has been...cut, LOL. I have to say that I don't see myself giving out any lights any time again soon.

Ya, at Christmas my company gives out a ton of affordable, yet good quality lights. Used to do some knives, as well, but the company made a huge mistake with how they treated me and they are done for good. And, you know who they are. Now I just do lights.

Actually, it was a ton of knives thru their dealers. But you work for a major knife Company, as some mid-level manager you better know who is who. Their dealers lost a huge amount of profit. Too bad!

But, yes give lights out if you can, people love them.

I might add, some people get some very expensive lights, my top clients will get these. Great PR and a write off.

Great post, OP!

 

[Chauncey Gardiner]

I've given a few FourSevens lights to people I work with. The last time I did, the recipient responded, "It's really nice, but I'm not going to carry it with me all the time." The next person I gifted a Preon to said, "Why do I need a light for my purse when my cellphone has a flashlight?"

You can lead a horse to water ...........

~ Chance

 

[Monocrom]

I've given a few FourSevens lights to people I work with. The last time I did, the recipient responded, "It's really nice, but I'm not going to carry it with me all the time." The next person I gifted a Preon to said, "Why do I need a light for my purse when my cellphone has a flashlight?"

You can lead a horse to water ...........

~ Chance

Exactly why I no longer give away lights to anyone I meet outside of CPF.

 

[peter yetman]

I gave a SF 6PX to the son of one of my best female friends - he's about 8. He's careful not to shine it people's eyes and he's still using it a year on. I keep him in CR123's.
Just reminds me that a torch was my best friend at his age.
P

 

[cland72]

Lending to someone in need:
1. How often? In the last 5+ years, I have never lent out a light. I've had too many tools and possessions "walk away" over the years, and I learned my lesson.
2. What Brands? Maglite, if needed
3. What price range? The only lights I could see myself lending out are all maglites: 3DLED ($15 black friday purchase), 2xAALED ($15), 2xAA incan w/ three LED cluster conversion (free) and 2D incan with luxeon LED conversion (the conversion cost me about $8, the light was free)
4. What situations? I would only lend out a light if it put my family and me in a better position.

Notes: I don't believe in rewarding lack of forethought. If someone can't be bothered to buy a $10 LED light at walmart and have it tucked away in a junk drawer, then I'm not going to be the one who prevents them from feeling the consequences of their actions. I will make an exception for someone who might need extra batteries, whose light died, or perhaps a friend who was caught with their pants down and normally otherwise prepared. You're not going to catch me loaning things to neighbors during an emergency, because then they will wonder what else I have stocked away. OPSEC comes to mind.

Edited to add:

I think I might have mistaken the point of the thread. I looked at it from the perspective of lending it to someone in need. After reading all the replies, I realize this also applies to giving lights to friends and family as gifts. Allow me to address this from the perspective of a pre-planned gift:

1. How often? I have gifted two flashlights in the last 5 years. One to my dad, one to my brother.
2. What Brands? Both were Solarforce. I also included a couple of 17670 batteries and an Ultrafire WF-139 charger
3. What price range? I spent approximately $50 on each setup
4. What situations? Both were Christmas gifts

 

[more_vampires]

I will make an exception for someone who might need extra batteries, whose light died, or perhaps a friend who was caught with their pants down and normally otherwise prepared. You're not going to catch me loaning things to neighbors during an emergency, because then they will wonder what else I have stocked away. OPSEC comes to mind.

I see your point there, sir. I've had great neighbors that I trust, then there's "just that guy over there." Fine line as far as that goes.

Guy down the street from me has a 100 foot ham antenna. I trust him, his wife is really nice, and his kids are beautiful. I'd give him tons of stuff, versus a crackhead neighbor that I had living in New Orleans.

Levels, levels.

 

[RedLED]

Exactly why I no longer give away lights to anyone I meet outside of CPF.

I understand what you guys are saying, but if it is a protection light, they all need the blinding demo, then it is a different game. They don't realize what can be done to others with light. Once I hit them with it they grab it back and love the concept.

I warn them, then hit them for a second and they get the idea.

You out brought up a good point, and I should have had it in my original post. I only give lights for protection, the smaller ones I give from time to time to clients but, not people I worry about, friends and family get the protection ones.

 

[Poppy]

Hi everyone!

As the title says, talking about giving away lights. So you carry a boatload of lights (like I do,) do you carry a light (or more) for the express purpose of charity?

What brands? What price range? How often does this come up for you?

Stories welcome.

Suggested format:
1. How often? Varies wildly for me. A big trigger is a power outage lasting more than a day.
2. What Brands? Sipik 68 is my #1 giveaway light.
3. What price range? $3-$25, unless it is a light that I hate and want to get rid of.
4. What situations?

So there was a power outage and some people were out in front of my house saying they needed D batteries. Why? For incans. Hmm.

*Click* *Click* Two lit Sipik 68, one for each of you. "But we don't have AA batteries, either." Here you go, 2 alkies for each of you.

Hi Vamps,
In my mind, GIFTED lights, Loaned/lent lights, and just GIVEN away lights are all different.

Regarding gifted lights:
A dollar store near me had three LED 2D cell flashlights. I gifted many of them. One Christmas, I think that everyone on my list got one with their more principal gift. Oh yeah, and a set of batteries.
Other than that, I have gifted my dad, father-in-law, my son, and brother.
The first lights that my dad and father-in-law got were power outage emergency lighting, I.E. when the power goes out, these automatically come on. I don't want them tripping, falling as they try to get to bed, or to other lighting sources. Later I gave them good lights, that are not Li-Ions, or 2*CR123 lights. Overall they were all less than $50.
Regarding power-outages:
During Sandy, I gave a couple of D cells away, and loaned a lantern, to a neighbor.
Currently my plan to help my neighbors is more along the lines of setting them up with a lantern that will run on a power bank, and a power bank that can be recharged from their car's USB port, or a USB output port that can be plugged into the car's cigar lighter. With a soldering iron it is easy to mod a 6V lantern to accept the 5V output of a power bank.

 

[MidnightDistortions]

I've given a few FourSevens lights to people I work with. The last time I did, the recipient responded, "It's really nice, but I'm not going to carry it with me all the time." The next person I gifted a Preon to said, "Why do I need a light for my purse when my cellphone has a flashlight?"

You can lead a horse to water ...........

~ Chance

Exactly why I no longer give away lights to anyone I meet outside of CPF.

Pretty much this. I don't know too many people who would EDC a light or would appreciate one so i don't hand them out. If by chance i'm with a group or something and they needed a flashlight i'd probably let them borrow one but otherwise i'm not the type to hand out lights to people who are unprepared. Just pull out my incan 2AA Minimag and people won't notice i am carrying it. If i need more light i'll use the T7 but otherwise the only type of people who i'll hand out, borrow or give them one are those who are having trouble with their light(s) working.

I was cashiering one day and a person bought a cheap plastic 2 pack of LED lights. The person said they needed them because their power was out. I bought my second light sometime around 2001 (probably after 9/11) because my original light my parents bought for me went missing. Later on i had this beat up AAA MiniMag and my mom gave me 2 cheap plastic lights and an AA Minimag (the one i normally EDC with my T7) since she was moving. It's just common sense to keep a flashlight at home with working batteries. But it amazes me how there's people in the world who don't own a light or think their cellphone light is all they need. So i find it pointless to hand out lights or give them out to people.

The only time i hand out a light is if theirs are not working and maybe give one to someone who is already carrying a light and would appreciate another one.

 

[Poppy]

A question I missed yesterday.... do I carry lights to give away? NO. I do have a number of Rayovac 2AA EVB2AALED-B lights that are listed as doing 12 lumens/ 23 hours. I'll give them away to anyone who needs one. At $1.50, I'm not such a big spender, but it'll tail stand and light up a room better than a candle.

I also bought five stainless AAA lights to gift this year. My sisters giggle when I show them that I got a new flashlight or lantern, but they are polite. We recently spent a week together, and each saw the value of carrying a light when we went out to dinner (and were challenged to read the menu in a dimly lit restaurant), and at a piano bar, where a group of people gathered around my light to read the words in the song book.

Maybe... just maybe, they'll EDC a light in their handbags. Even if they don't, I think they'll appreciate the thought more now, than before.

 

[magellan]

I've given away a few Olight i3s EOS AAA lights and also DQG Fairy 10180 lithium ion battery lights. The Olight is a good, cheap AAA light and the Fairy is tiny and easily fits on a keychain. I like to look for the sales when you can pick up the i3s for $15. The Fairy also has the very convenient feature of an integrated charger that screws on and works off of USB.

Most of my friends are somewhat technically savvy so I can explain basic safety for lithium ion batteries in the case of the Fairy.

 

[Stefano]

I do not like lend the flashlights.
In the eventuality of having to lend a torch lights have available economic (brand Varta - 1xAAA) paid around 3 US dollars.
Over time I donated Nitecore T0, Fenix E11, Fenix PD32, Nitecore MT21A and MT2A.
All were greatly appreciated.

 

[Jash]

I pretty much give away anything I don't use regularly anymore. I used to have around 60 lights in my collection, but it has now dwindled to a mere 20 odd now.

I've given away everything from EO1's to a 4D Maglite with a Mac's Customs drop in. There hasn't been a whole lotta flashlights added to my collection in the last 18 months, so the gifting has slowed somewhat.

 

[DesertNightOwl]

I have a serious stack of Maglite mini AA lights and cheap cheap Ozark headlamps I got from an old employer that I gift out as needed. Just last night I gave my brother an Ozark when we were changing the filler hose on his trucks auxiliary fuel tank. I usually only gift to people I work with that are new and need a light or family members that will actually use it. Most people don't seem to understand the value of a good flashlight so I don't.bother to pass a light on.