Why do you like flashlights?

My memories goes back to when I was about 3 years old. We lived in an apartment and my father was building a new house for us only blocks away. One night he drove over to see the progress and make sure no kids were hanging out in the garage.

He pulls out his big 6v lantern and lights up the inside. The power and light impressed me. After we moved in, I often found that flashlight and played with it until he had to hide it. We even played with regular plastic flashlights given the chance. Such humble beginnings.

Some guys get off on muscle cars, others want the best PC, which mine still ranks in the top 10, or so. Other people just like the power of a great flashlight. Why do YOU like flashlights?

Besides being a very practical tool for sooooo many different uses (safety, security, finding lost things, using one to "light the way" to fix something where there isn't enough light or power at all, etc.)...

I think with me, it's a gadget that with the science of creating light just makes it fascinating.

You know gadgets, always getting more and more complicated/better designed and hopefully more efficient - smaller/brighter/longer running/more durable...

-primal fear of dark
-like cool gadgets and tinkering with them

I like to see in the dark.

I was asked the same question when on vacation this summer. My response was "you carry an umbrella if there is a 50% chance of rain, right? Well, there's a 100% chance of darkness tonight. Plus, why do you have a spare tire in your car?"

Seemed to satisfy the relatives.

Because being stuck in the dark sucks! :laughing:

In one fell swoop I become the "ERADICTOR of DARKNESS". Maliciously, and with exreme prejudice, destroying the darkenss wich would hide from the light. Protector of the visionly impared I am. I can reach tall buildings, light things faster than a speeding train, and I unaffected by the lack of light. All with the activation of a mighty switch.

On those dark nights I walk. Looking for all that would hide from the light. Where there is darkness, I will be. For I have the light. And on those lonely nights when I move about with stealth, and find myself happening upon a dark deserted tunnel, I have the means to light my way. Should I happen to see at the other end of this dark tomb like structure that stretches for what seems like forever, another light, I feel comfort knowing there is another like me out there. Another soul that too has found the secret of conquring the darkness. One who shares my joy of dealing darkness a measure of justice. One with whom I could form a friendship with. A bond of likeness that seperates us from those who have not yet found the light.

That is of course unless it is an oncomming train!

When I was first learning to camp and hunt with my uncle, he had a 3D Mag that I thought was the coolest piece of equipment. I bought one for myself and it satisfied that need for about 15 years. I suppose now though, this hobby kind of reflects me and what I value: being a little out of the mainstream, quality, functional, prepared, beauty, etc.

It started when I was kid with Flashlight Wars!! We used to play hide and seek at night in our neighborhood with our parent's flashlights. Since then I was obsessed with bright lights.

I've always been fascinated with the way light works. Initially with flashlights I was interested in creating light at all, but as time went on and I learned more of the physics behind light the whole topic of precision made lighting just got more and more interesting to me. (I mean, the whole notion of LOP on a reflector to cause the "wavelets" of light to miss each other thereby avoiding the darkness created when light waves cancel themselves out, what a concept).

It's not just flashlights though, I also collect lanterns of all sorts from pressure burners back to simple dead flame oil burners.

And of course this fascination with light also led to my other favorite hobby... photography.

They have always fascinated me!! What can I say? And I like to see in the dark.

Maybe 25% need and 75% gadget factor.

Geoff

There's been interest in this type of stuff going way back. See link:

Greek Mythology -

"Prometheus: A god of fire, burning, and craft. He decided to steal fire from the gods after Zeus disagreed with his idea of helping the humans."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prometheus

Hiya all, seemed the perfect thread to start with)

Im new to CPF

My interest in flashlights has recently turned from practical to the beginings of a collecting hobby as well.

For me flashlights have everything that sparks my interest in things.

Most of the ones i like are made of metal

All of them are a weapon against darkness

when i was young I was slightly afraid of the dark and to calm me down and against my mothers wishes my dad threw me a flashlight to shut me up one night.

Boom portable fear destruction in a hand held size

Although im no longer afraid in the dark with or without a flashlight

Flashlights are like fire, it is just awe inspiring to have something so small be so powerful

As a human male and a father there is a deep desire to be sure of what im seeing sometimes and only with a decent flashlight can this be acheived.
Not to mention what others have stated about the obvious uses in saftey and work environments

Whats not to like about having the power of the sun in your hands

Seeing my kids grow up there interest in flashlights right now are for the same thing, to make sure that coat on the dresser isnt the boogie man and to pretend they have working lightsabers

1. General safety.
2. Generaly utility, especially after hitting middle age!
3. Means of escaping building/subway should power fail.
4. Appreciation of a perfectly engineered tool.
Thanks to boutique manufacturers, we have unspeakably
good lighting tools for every task. While I like all lights,
I'm particularly fond of EDC's thumb-sized and smaller.
While handling and using something like the HDS is a joy in
itself, the leverage that such a small thing can give a
person in need of light is profoundly satisfying. I don't
want to overstate this, but for me it conjures up the
march of human progress. In a very real sense, these
lights are the products of millions of man-years of basic
science and applied R&D in dozens of fields. It's hard to believe
that somethig the size of your thumb can give you clean, white
light all night (and longer) for the cost of a buck-twenty-five
battery. You can almost see the hand of God at work!

1. Frequently great machining--love of mechanical do-dads.
2. Most interesting electronic gear--theoretical and practical.
3. "Cool" aspect.
4. The light...the LIGHT!!

In another, similar thread to this, I tossed the idea that maybe more than a few CPFers used to be afraid of the dark. I knew I wasn't the only one! :nana:

When I was a small time little kid, my uncle had the coolest flashlights around and he would let us play with it + the fact that I was a tad bit afraid of the dark due to my older cousins telling them there horror stories of the Mau-Mau, so I need those flashlights. . .

Neato factor and fascination of the lighting technology influences me towards it. Also the fact that some years ago, I thought the 4-D Mag was the best there and no other. Let me explain. . .

Came home late one evening and I hopped the front gate to our home. There are no lights on the street where I live + the fact there is a huge tree that provides A LOT OF DARK SHADE during the peak day light hours. So that makes the front area of the house pitch black during the night. Since I already know the exact paces to the front door (Maglight is in car in driveway because it's too big to EDC) after hopping the gate I heard movement in front of me! I high-tailed it out of there and headed to my car to grab the 4D. With batteries already drained and the cast of yellow light I shined it towards the front door. Lo and behold! My brother decided to bring home an American Staffordshire! Now that really got me feeling very put-out since I don't particularly care for dogs! It doesn't know me. . .Yet! Had to go in through the side door 'round the far side of the house. . .

Since then I've been EDCing and liking a lot of different lights—back then to the ones I have now. . .

With so many problems in our lives that we have no control over, it's very satisfying to be able to make at least one problem (not having enough light to see something) go away by simply pressing a button.

...because I like to bring the light...