Got outshined...

So last night me and my GF went out to take a walk. We have kind of a mountan nearby where its popular to go jogging and walking. We went out after sunset, so it was very dark. I brought most of my lights to compare them and to see how they are in almost total darkness. I havent really done that before, and it was the first time I brought my 2D ROP. Walking around there in the woods I thought to myself "Im packing quite alot of light with me, that must be unusual around here..." We got to a really dark spot and I tried my lights out. The ROP outshined the rest of the lights I brought, I did think however I could get a brighter light still...
Walking on, got to another dark spot, and far away we could se a rather bright light shinig at us. First I thought it was my friend who was out playing with the light I sold him, but the light was to bright to be coming from the that light, the closer I got to the light the more powerful the beam got. So I thought I must be a atv! But now, now the light was sweeping. Then I thought, well it might be the cops looking for something? Walking on towards the light, while my GF was clenching harder on my arm..
So finally we got to the source of the light! It was two guys, one of them had what looked like a car headlight on his forehead, and Im not sure but I think he must have had a battery in his hand. The light was very bright! And rather floody! It lit everything up almost 180 degrees in fron of him! The light was a bit of bluish, maybe like a HID. I did thought about asking him what he was carrying, but since I had all my lights on me, on my belt, I dindt feel like being laughed at. I didnbt think he could be a flasaholic, I dont think we live that close to each other in this country, but I could be wrong!
At the beginning of the walk I was sure that I had plenty light with me to outshine anyone that might be walking by with a light....but NOOO there he was outshinig my a@@ off! I have never seen anyone up there before walking around with powerful lights! And he had to do it when I finally bring out my most powerful light! Made me feel very sad and wanting for more light! Before last night i was happy with the lights that I got, didnt feel like I wanted to buy any more light for a while...
Now I feel like all my light are peashooters and I must get a cannon! I really dont want to be outshined again like that! It was very humiliating! :mecry:

The first rule in any competition is, no matter how big and bad you may be, there is someone out there that is bigger and badder. Enjoy what you have and don't worry about being King of the Hill.

Ah well... that's life!


When I began reading your story, I imagined the other light enthusiast to be carrying this 20 MCP unit from Vector :thumbsup:

If you're walking in the dark why in the world would you need a light that bright?

Mixed lighting I understand, but in the pitch dark 20 lumens or less is perfect, anything more is just blinding you and everyone else.

I'm happy with my L2D, It does what I need it to do

Well, if it was a HID, at least you can take the colour-rendition high-ground. HIDs are better than LEDs for rendition, but do not hold a candle to the tried-and-trued glowing tungsten.

Khaytsus said:

If you're walking in the dark why in the world would you need a light that bright?

Mixed lighting I understand, but in the pitch dark 20 lumens or less is perfect, anything more is just blinding you and everyone else.

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not to mention attracting lots of insects to yourself :green:

When I think about it, I remember the guy having a yellowish large coat. It may have been a firefighter trying a new light out! He didnt walk around with the light because he was in the forest, it looked like he was trying it out. It makes me regret even more that I didnt asked him what it was...

I dont certanly dont need more light than I already have, but the lumen bug bite hard... And the N30 HID isnt that expensive just to get some more lumens to settle me down a bit. Maybe Ill get even more hungry if I buy it. We will know after...

To walk in the forest requires at the most a couple of lumens to get by, and perhaps a focused light if theres some noice you want to check out further away. If I only bought lights that I really need, I probably wouldnt be a member on this forum!

Probably a bike HID with a head strap.

Brighter is not always better!

Might be a cereal killa. Or a Serial thrilla!!

One that preys on flashaholics. That light could have been powered by all the flashaholic souls that he had ... harvested in the past.

Consider yourself lucky.

TORCH_BOY said:

I'm happy with my L2D, It does what I need it to do

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AMEN.

Pistolero said:

Might be a cereal killa. Or a Serial thrilla!!

One that preys on flashaholics. That light could have been powered by all the flashaholic souls that he had ... harvested in the past.

Consider yourself lucky.

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oo:....lol

Or maybe it was someone "bucking" . Isn't that what they call hunting with a spotlight? (illegal).

Though I tend to go with Vermonter73 -- an HID bikelight ...some of the new ones are reputed/boasted to outshine conventional car headlamps.

"Show me yours and I'll show you mine" usually doesn't end well.

I keep hearing this song when I read the thread title:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mML2NhjyLyU

TORCH_BOY said:

I'm happy with my L2D, It does what I need it to do

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+1

Speaking of bots, what happened to Bart?

It's like when a new light comes in the mail......there is always a better one you find somewhere on the internet, usually that day.

Just enjoy what you have

the light you described reminded me of something from foxfury...

Lightfantastic said:

The first rule in any competition is, no matter how big and bad you may be, there is someone out there that is bigger and badder.

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theres a reason why I carry a dedicated FLASH bought long ago when I was in photography....not strictly fair...but I find it to be quite useful than say a "tactical" flashlight that will blind someone for a couple seconds, walking at night a xenon flash tube is bright, let along a FLASH that was made for lighting up to 10 feet:devil:.

for the outshined moments in my life, I simply smile and nod and walk along.
I haven't yet used the FLASH for competition, though I've used it on a drunk guy whose trying to hitch a ride by opening my car door while I started driving from a stop sign...he cried out and fell I guess 3 feet back into the storm drain, he cursed me so I left him alone...haven't seen or heard from him since, but mom has but her door was locked at the time

Be happy with what you have, if not BST is just round the corner.

This scenario happened to me once, at a seaside resort. I had with me at that time me old L5 and I was walking along the jetty admiring some boats with my wife when this other guy came up with a HID and started to sweep the boats and of course out-shinning my 100 lumens or so.....What surprised was that the guy came to me and asked to see my L5 which he admired. In fact he even asked where he could get one, as his HID although powerful is unfortunately a handful and quite expensive to feed.....So at the end there was some consolation to me.

Unfortunately, I sold the L5 after that...he..he