How many is enough?

[Mike_TX]

Okay, so I have probably 18 or 20 flashlights - XR-E's, XP-G's, XM-L's and even a few "lesser" LED's, powered by 18650's, CR 123's, AA's, or AAA's. P6 hosts and C8's and a 3-LED/4xCR123 bruiser, along with some unknown bodies. Lights that throw and lights that flood, and lights that strobe and send SOS signals, and even a green LED in one. I have lights in my car and on my nightstand and in my "storm shelter" closet and on my desk.

The question is - when is enough enough?

I like my flashlights, but I'm honestly getting a little bored at looking at new ones ... anyone else beginning to feel like they've finally gotten enough flashlights?

 

[Vortus]

When your needs are fulfilled, along with backups for them, and a few emergency ones as well, and a few giveaway lights.... Nope. Because only a few are just how I want them. If I feel its not just right, then the search for one that is will go on. Not to mention that my wife laughs, though she is as bad as me about lights and owns more than I do. She accessorizes with shoes, jewelry and purses. I do so with lights, knives and other gear.

 

[ragweed]

Nice post...! I am like you in that 20 lights is more than enough for me now..! I really started after several power outages due to storms so, I feel I am covered for now.

 

[Hogokansatsukan]

I have a problem with that question as for me it has been "just one more". I will say, my flashlight buying has slowed down quite a bit as I have more than enough to fulfill my needs for portable lighting. Now it is more of a matter of a light I just find "interesting"

 

[Rosoku Chikara]

Interesting question. Never thought about it before...

Seems like it must depend on whether or not you are actually "collecting" lights or not. (I do not really consider myself a collector.) If you are collecting, then I guess that you would never have enough. (Even if you ended up owning every type of light made, in every color/finish available, you might still keep collecting by moving into antique lights.)

If you are not "collecting," then I believe, every light should pretty much have an intended application when you purchase it. So, once you have a light for every potential application, that you can think of, that might require a light (and are happy with each of those lights), then I think you have "enough" lights. (But, don't worry, it seems that there will always be something new and "better" that comes out.)

But, when I end up with a "better" light for any given application, the older one gets given away.

I don't collect. (Unless, of course, the light happens to have some kind of true sentimental value... So, maybe I do collect. I fear that no matter how you look at it, "Flashaholism" is a true disease. :))

 

[pchapman86]

I tend to have 3/4 'live' lights that I use regularly and replace when a new version betters it (a couple edc's and a few bigger ones depending on where I'm going) and then everything else is put in the reserve pile, some destined to first aid kits / bike pouches / useful points around the house and the rest given away to friends and family. I've probably gone through about 15 in total, and I always keep my eyes out for a new version (my xt11 just got replaced by the SRT7 but I will get the new xt10 replacement for a slightly smaller form because I like the UI).

 

[WilsonCQB1911]

When I start getting enough where they "own" me (in that I'm constantly looking for reasons to use them all when none exists) its time to cull. I just thinned my meager collection by half so that I've only got ones I really love and use. It's a bit of therapy as in not "stressing" over finding reasons to use other lights. I'm just using the ones I really want to use and love.

I've still got a few more in my collection than I really need or can use, but some of them were given as gifts and I can't get rid of them cause they have that sentimental value.

 

[mikekoz]

Alas.....In my case, sadly, too much is never enough!! :mecry:

 

[LEDninja]

One on your key ring.
One in your pocket.
One in your car.
One in your kitchen drawer.
One by your bed.
A bright one by each outside door.
And a thrower to rule them all.

You need less flashlights than the Lord of the Rings have Rings.

 

[awenta]

It's never enough. If you're done buying lights you're using then start buying shelf queens.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[TEEJ]

Its like asking a carpenter how many nails he needs.

It depends.

If you use the lights, you may need more, as they are tools. If you have several screw drivers of various lengths, do you have the "right" screw driver for every application?

Sockets for a ratchet? What drive size, 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", etc...SAE? Metric? 6 pointed? Deep? Shallow? Poke-Through?

And so forth. As each beam pattern and light characteristic lends itself to certain tasks, and some lights are better suited for some things, but less suited to others...you find that selecting the right light for a job is like reaching into a tool bag and selecting the right tool.


So, sure, you can 'use' a pipe wrench to hammer a nail, but, a hammer is better.

I might like a certain light to light up a deep crawlspace, but, not if I'm hanging off a ladder to do it, as the UI might not be appropriate. I might want a UI that makes HIGH or strobe come on first, or, that might suck in other scenarios, and I'd want one that came on if firefly as the default instead.

I might want a thrower that fits in my pocket for some tight applications, and a thrower than can help me find disaster victims 600 meters away but which will not fit in a pocket, and so on and so forth.



IE: There is no correct number of lights...for everyone....or anyone.

There are only lighting applications that are met by the best tool for the job.

 

[degarb]

Okay, so I have probably 18 or 20 flashlights - XR-E's, XP-G's, XM-L's and even a few "lesser" LED's, powered by 18650's, CR 123's, AA's, or AAA's. P6 hosts and C8's and a 3-LED/4xCR123 bruiser, along with some unknown bodies. Lights that throw and lights that flood, and lights that strobe and send SOS signals, and even a green LED in one. I have lights in my car and on my nightstand and in my "storm shelter" closet and on my desk.

The question is - when is enough enough?

I like my flashlights, but I'm honestly getting a little bored at looking at new ones ... anyone else beginning to feel like they've finally gotten enough flashlights?

You need one strapped to the head, one strapped to each arm--dont forget your legs, chest and back. That would be 8, counting the second one on your head (pointed rearward).

So, -how I see it- you have barely enough lights for two people.

No XM-l2's? No XP-G2? You live in Texas, for God's sake!

 

[Labrador72]

I'm very close to saying "for me is". I feel I have all my flashlight needs covered.

If I see a light I really like on sale and it has been discontinued I might get it to have a back-up or have it modded with newer LEDs but aside from that I don't see myself buying more than a couple of lights and batteries over the next few years: what I currently have is fulfilling my addiction all-right! No sickness really!
They would have to come out with something I really love to make me cash out more money and from what I can see, the more they come out with newer models the more I think the flashlights I have now is what I really wanted to have!

 

[fractal]

I have the same issue with computers. And to me I found the answer to be ... "when the effort of maintaining them exceeds the value received."

Too many and you are tied to a regiment of constantly charging on a plan to ensure that none of them are ever "dead" when you need them, or dealing with non-functional torches when you need one.

I keep buying lights to see if they are better than what I have but most of them get used a few times and put on the pile. I drag one off the pile and test it occasionally to see if I misjudged it. But for the most part, I still have the same mag light at the side of my bed that I have had for 20 yrs but I have been cycling lights through my bag to find the perfect "bag light". Car lights are also undecided.

Unfortunately, when I am done, I will probably have a couple dozen, perfectly functional flashlights that I don't want and can't be bothered to get rid of and that is a shame.

 

[Cereal_Killer]

I'm in the same boat, I've gotten about every need filled, I have a list of all my needs and the spots I want/need to keep a light and I write down what light fills that roll next to it, I've pretty much got every roll filled, and spares and extra spares and the loaner lights and little direct drive 5mm led lights that will suck all the juice out of otherwise dead batteries yet I'll never be done. I'll always want another 5 or so lights.


When I first started buying good quality lights I would pick out the exact light I wanted and buy it, when I progressed into more of a collector, or "flashaholic" I went threw a phase where I would shop for a light by need (like in the "recommend me a light for" forum) and pick out my next purchase based on need/intended use. Now that I've got all those needs filled I'm back to picking out a specific light I want and buying it and I actually find its easier to controll spending this way. For example I wanted a thrower so I went out (over a couple months) and bought about 4 or 5 different lights trying to find he thrower I wanted/liked best. Then I wanted a small pocket EDC I went out and bought 3 different lights before I end up with the one I use. That helped me find out what I want/like in a flashlight and now I actually buy less lights, and end up with fewer I don't like.


Right now I have 3 lights on my short list that i know i'll love when i get them where as before I'd order 3 lights just to pick the one I liked best and sell the other 2. Another benefit of having a nice collection of lights (many of those P60's) is that now instead of wanting to buy another light I find myself wanting to mod/build/lego the ones I have (especially the P60's) to suite my personal taste. I still get to enjoy my hobby and get new/upgraded toys, without adding more and more lights cause lets face it, I can only use so many at a time and I only have so many spaces to keep them before the oldest & least used get put in a box.


As I'm here saying I'm slowly buying less and less just yesterday I bought myself a old surefire 6Z but it was on my short list, I'd been lookin forever, even had a wtb in my sig line @ the mp so obvisouly I really wanted one. It won't be getting much use, its being bought for a purpose, that purpose just happens to be sitting in a box (my empty EOTech box with foam cut just for it along with 8-12 spare 123's, that box will be kept in my family's B.O.B. since I run the rest of my lights in Li-ions) I guess you could say I'm not exactly slowing down now that I "have all the lights I need", in fact I'm actually buying more lights that will be used very little where as when I first got into the hobby I was buying lights that could do the most/serve as many of my needs as possible.


Sorry for rambling on...

 

[whiteoakjoe]

I'm sure that to a lot of people owning 20 flashlights seems crazy. But for me living in a house with a flashlight in a kitchen drawer or in a closet with batteries that have not been checked in a few months is NUTS. :shakehead I would bet that most vehicles on the road don't contain a flashlight. :ohgeez:

 

[Badbeams3]

I have a sell imposed limit of 3 lights...per month. And a money limit of $50 per month. So the choice is mine. I can save up my months for a light...4 months for a $200 light for example...or spread it around any way I choose. I have no wife and kids are long grown and gone...I am a free fellow (interested ladies please PM me).

 

[patpacman1214]

It seems to me that for the vast majority of the population, one of those blackout buddy type flashlights that plug into the wall and turn on when the power goes out and a cheap maglite are about all they would ever need/want. But for me there is never enough. I like to be able to pick and choose my lights based on what il be doing and I like to have a decent selection to choose from. As a beginner collector, my friends and family always laugh and say "oh no not another one!" When I say I'm looking at a new light. To them I seem crazy. But to me and a lot of us here on cpf, its a kind of passion. Some people collect antique furniture, some people like old cars or motorcycles. We like flashlights and modding them. Hi, my name is pat and I'm a flashaholic.

 

[Rosoku Chikara]

One on your key ring.
One in your pocket.
One in your car.
One in your kitchen drawer.
One by your bed.
A bright one by each outside door.
And a thrower to rule them all.

You need less flashlights than the Lord of the Rings have Rings.

LEDninja, I like your flashlight "philosophy." It is similar to my own (except for your creative Lord of the Rings metaphor).

But, another question is "How many batteries are enough?" (I seem to keep an inordinate number of fully charged batteries around.)

Anyone else suffer from this "disorder"? (It seems to me that without plenty of batteries handy, even the best flashlights are useless. And, even a low cost flashlight can be a real "lifesaver," so long as you have the necessary batteries charged and ready.)

 

[harro]

I dont know that i've reached ' enough ', although the ' willy nilly ' purchases of 5-6 years ago have certainly all but ceased.
I seem to have gravitated into a certain style/size category of light. It might only be two or three a year now, regardless of whether they're 'Budget' or not, just as long as they suit my requirements. I dont find anything to do with torches boring, but thats only me. Anyone's tastes can change.. and thats cool.
Best Regards.

:)