Interesting trick to preserve your night vision with bright flashlights

Here is an interesting trick I just used with one of my LED flashlights that was too bright for using around sleeping people.

I put my thumb over the head of the light and covered it completely so the light was shining through my thumb. This way, it only produced a faint red glow, and made it possible for me to quietly walk past sleeping people to turn down the thermostat in the dark.

It not only reduces the output, but produces a red glow which doesn't ruin your night vision. If you turn on the flashlight while keeping your thumb over the emitter and covering the entire reflector/head, there won't be a bright flash that will zap your night vision.

I'm sure I'm not the first person in the world to think of this, but it sure was useful, and really did the trick.

Give it a try sometime! :thumbsup:

great tip!!!! sadly this wont work with large turbo heads like the Seraph P7.

Solscud007 said:

great tip!!!! sadly this wont work with large turbo heads like the Seraph P7.

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If strong enough, light is, whole hand, one can use.

fatmother123 said:

If strong enough, light is, whole hand, one can use.

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try this did i, with Lumensfactory IMR-M3t, burned hand did i get

fatmother123 said:

If strong enough, light is, whole hand, one can use.

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If Barnburner strength, light is, ***, one could use, so groin, light would come out of and very fast, one would move.

Would light, then not, laser become?:thinking:

You folks crack me up.

DM51 said:

If Barnburner strength, light is, ***, one could use, so groin, light would come out of and very fast, one would move.

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oo: .... :green: ...

DM51 said:

If Barnburner strength, light is, ***, one could use, so groin, light would come out of and very fast, one would move.

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And, if I may, quite appropriately, LMAO.

Way before the days of multi-mode lights, I used to do this same thing with my 2 AA Mini-Maglite when I was moving around in a room at night and I didn't want to wake up members of my family.

I've done that before too.
I've now toned down level one on my SPY's to a very very low light. It's amazing how little light you need when you wake up at 3 in the morning and there are NO lights on , anywhere.

Ive also doubled up a t shirt before and used it as a filter, but man, you guys are so entertaining sometimes...

Sounds like you need another light with a sub 1 lumen low.

Now you have a perfect excuse to buy another light :twothumbs.

Jash said:

Sounds like you need another light with a sub 1 lumen low.

Now you have a perfect excuse to buy another light :twothumbs.

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You Aussies are so smart!!

Doesn't every schoolchild know to do this?

I've been doing that 'trick' since 1976 (I got my first flashlight then, at 6 years old).

Use a very dim light and cover one eye. Keep it covered while you do whatever it is you need to do. When you return to your bedroom/tent/chamber of horrors/etc., you will find the eye kept closed compensates for the eye you used to see with, and you will be just fine.

For added coolness, use a pirate eyepatch.

It doesn't work too well with very hot incans :mecry:.

Squishy said:

For added coolness, use a pirate eyepatch.

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I saw a prison guard today, wearing an eyepatch with some kind of fancy looking chromed piece in the middle. Never seen one like it, before.