"Thanks for the keyring light; I'll keep it near my closet"

[Paul_in_Maryland]

For Christmas, I gave a Thrunite Ti--a two-mode 1xAAA twisty--to each of three women I work with. "For your keyring," I explained. But two of the women replied that they planned to keep it by their bed, or near a closet. One of these received a black Thrunite; the other a blue. The only one who gladly used the keyring was our intern. She chose the red one ("Hey; I'm a girl.")

The whole point of a 1xAAA light is to EDC it. What gives?
Do I need to stick to bright colors so they'll treat it as a fashion accessory?

 

[3Cylinders]

It has become a Christmas tradition for my wife and I to give out clear fauxtons to all of our friends and coworkers (next year I will need to order ~100 of them to give out). Every year when I give them out, I typically get comments from ~90% of the recipients that go along these lines: "Thank you for the light. The one you gave me last year finally died last month. I can't tell you how many times I've used it and I was wondering where I could get another one." Usually they will follow that up with one (or more) specific stories where the light saved the day. Apparently they are putting them on their keychains, so maybe it's the size/form factor that makes them more carry-friendly???

 

[ragweed]

Not everyone EDC's a light. Don't ask me why as I have no clue. My boy doesn't EDC the E05 I gave him even.

 

[speedsix]

I carry a button cell light on my key chain but I wouldn't carry a AAA light. It is too big.

 

[kaichu dento]

Paul, I know it's a little disappointing, especially when you're thinking of the situations in which they could find themselves wanting a light, but all we can do is give and hope. Merry Christmas and it's nice to read a thread based on giving!

 

[Haesslich]

The people who don't carry a light probably never have been stuck in the dark before, or mooch off others when they are for their lights and then go back to being lightless (and a bit clueless, IMO). Don't give up on giving out lights, but maybe give them to more thoughtful, appreciative folk in the future.

For those people, I recommend gag gifts. Or booze.

 

[Lou Minescence]

I just gave a lady friend a purple Nitecore TO AAA keychain light. She said she would leave it in the glove box of her car. I told her to put it on her key ring. Then it will be handy when you need it. She said she almost never needs a flashlight. Now I can see that light in the glovebox with leaking alkaline batteries for years. I guess it's the thought that counts :sigh:

 

[Paul_in_Maryland]

The thing is, a 1xAAA is designed as a compromise. Had I known these women would prefer a light that's not going anywhere, I could have gotten them something larger, and hence easier to find in the dark and hold.

At Thanksgiving, I gave a keyring-size 1xAA (17x90mm or smaller) to each of four relatives: a man, a woman, a young man, and a young woman. Each gladly put it on his or her keyring...and those four lights were black. So this kind of took me by surprise.

 

[kreisler]

hi Paul. yes, color may be important to the female non-flashaholic. to me, esthetic design is important too. i found in the Tank007 E09 a powerful giftable keychain light with official support for Protected 10440's, and it comes with an attractive tin box and a white diffuser tip. i am going to have my hands on 4 of those boxes: 3 for others (gifts), 1 for myself; they are all on pending order. so far i havent determined yet to whom exactly i will be giving the E09 as gift.

it's a very short and really pocketable light .. but certainly not too beautiful with its esthetic design being reminiscent of Fenix LD01 and Fenix L0D. females would not like it 😉

 

[Cavi Mike]

I think the problem is you thought a flashlight was a suitable gift for a woman. That's like when Homer(Simpson) bought Marge a bowling ball. If you see that a woman has a ton of keychains, it's because they all represent things they're fond of, not because they like a bunch of crap on their keyring.

 

[Paul_in_Maryland]

I think the problem is you thought a flashlight was a suitable gift for a woman. That's like when Homer(Simpson) bought Marge a bowling ball.

I ought to know better. For Valentine's Day 2004, the Washington Post published my guest essay, "The Practical Gift: Some Women Have No Use For It." You can read the complete essay under my original title, A Safe Bet.

 

[PapaLumen]

You should of said "for your handbag".. may of had the same response mind you lol.

 

[Norm]

Paul, I gave 3 AAA lights away this Christmas red to my Wife and two purple one to my Daughter and one to my Daughter Inlaw, they all seemed very happy with their gifts. Definatley bright colours for the girls.

Norm

 

[Harry999]

One of the ladies working near my team in my office is a friend. She and her husband are now on holiday in Africa. When she told me a few days before she left where she was going I said that I thought that electricity supplies could be intermittent. She agreed and said there had been power cuts at least two or three times each time she went on holiday. I gave her a purple Fenix EO1 as a Christmas Gift. She was really pleased with it. I guess it comes down to whether the person appreciates how useful a light may be?

Of course with ladies bright colours can be more attractive and I think the comment above about keeping it in their purse is an intelligent one. Most ladies always have their purse with them...

 

[Fichtenelch]

They only wear it, if it is small AND pink. or red.

 

[mikedeason]

Women will never change the battery and will likely lose any light you give them.

At least the women I know.

Flashlight=Low priority

 

[kaichu dento]

They only wear it, if it is small AND pink. or red.

Some pretty narrow assumptions about 'women' showing up here all of a sudden and you guys are forgetting that they're as varied as we are. I've given lots of L0D's in natural and black to women who are still carrying them and my friend's wife wouldn't accept anything at all until the time I showed her an old Arc-AAA, which she still carries all the time.

Like the rest of us, most of them are probably going to enjoy something a bit nicer looking, but that's something the buyer can take into consideration when looking into available choices. Especially now days there are more and more women who want something less feminine.

 

[skyfire]

for women, the pretty colors definitely helps.
i showed my mom some pics of the different Xeno E03, and she immediately said she wanted the red one.
last year, i gave my friend, and his girlfriend a blue and purple E01, they both wanted the purple one. of course she got it though LoL.

i gave my dad a E05, he said thanks, ill put it in the car. so, later i gave him a AA light, and i said put this in your car, and the E05 on your keys.
and before all that i had already given him a modded 2D maglite, that he leaves in his truck.
he just refuses to attach it to his keys, i thought it would of been helpful, cause he has bad eyesight, and works a late shift. but ive given up on him.

most everybody i give a light to appreciates it, or at least acts appreciated out of respect for me because they know of my fondness of lights.

 

[Gregozedobe]

I'm like 3cylinders - I give out fauxtons along with the suggestion; "Put it on your keys now, that way you'll always have a light when you need it." Some people do, some don't. I don't fret if they don't, as I know some people like to keep their key ring as uncluttered as possible. Also too much weight can prematurely wear out the ignition lock on some vehicles.

Because fauxtons are so cheap (less than 40 cents each from Dx when you buy in bulk like I do) I can hand them out like lollies, without worrying too much whether a "good light is going to waste". I give people their choice of colours, and most women show a distinct preference for a particular colour that they like (but so do most men). Green, blue and purple seem to be most popular, with black the least popular.

I also offer to replace the batteries (for free) when they go flat, but so far haven't been asked to (I make the offer hoping to get feedback on how they have used it).

About 1/3 of recipients that I see again comment on how useful their little light has been, but so far as I know I haven't started anyone on the downward slope to flashaholicism (yet).

I also give some "proper" lights, but find out what people want/need first so I can give them something suitable.

 

[GaAslamp]

The whole point of a 1xAAA light is to EDC it. What gives?

It's weird because if any type of person in the universe could possibly understand the concept of EDC, it should be women with all that crap some of them carry every single day in their purses. 😀😉 Yet ironically it's always women who question all the things I EDC, such as flashlights, defensive tools (the ones who have a reason to know ), multi-tool, miniature first-aid kit, et cetera--I guess they disagree that such things, including flashlights, could ever be useful because they (not all, but most of the women I know) sure as heck understand and practice EDC! :thinking:

Do I need to stick to bright colors so they'll treat it as a fashion accessory?

Yes, and/or drop the keychain notion because I don't like bulky keychains myself and I'm sure that many women (and men) don't either.

It has become a Christmas tradition for my wife and I to give out clear fauxtons to all of our friends and coworkers (next year I will need to order ~100 of them to give out). Every year when I give them out, I typically get comments from ~90% of the recipients that go along these lines: "Thank you for the light. The one you gave me last year finally died last month. I can't tell you how many times I've used it and I was wondering where I could get another one." Usually they will follow that up with one (or more) specific stories where the light saved the day. Apparently they are putting them on their keychains, so maybe it's the size/form factor that makes them more carry-friendly???

Whenever I've given out flashlights to friends and coworkers, with few exceptions it has been fauxtons because their size, form, and light weight are all conducive to people carrying the flashlights and remembering that they even have them (memorable because of their form, I suppose)...well, that and the fact that I can get fauxtons for 40 cents each. 😉 And except for a couple of specific people who would appreciate flashlights as gifts, I never give flashlights as birthday or Christmas gifts, only as random handouts or during actual emergencies, which happened once. The fact that their batteries are lithium and would probably be good for a long time also helps. Aside from fauxtons, I've also given out E01s and E05s loaded with lithium primaries (depends on whom I'm giving them to).

The people who don't carry a light probably never have been stuck but eye dark before, or mooch off others when they are. For their lights and then go back to being lightless (and a bit clueless, IMO). Don't give up on giving out lights, but maybe give them to more thoughtful, appreciative folk in the future.

Even many of those who have suffered as a result of being under-prepared find it difficult to maintain preparedness once the crisis has passed. Humans in general all have the ability to know better, but usually are in denial or have insufficient motivation to act on their knowledge. Some people are different in this regard, and others will mooch off them. 🙄 Yeah, I roll my eyes thinking about it now, but another aspect is that I sure do enjoy being prepared for others during an emergency, so it's not all bad. 😉