Flashlight addiction?

Well I've been hanging around the CPF forums for the last month or two and I've barely gotten my feet wet in all of this flashlight business. I have to admit it's pretty interesting stuff.

I'm on an extremely limited budget so I can't afford to go buying 50 different lights. But I've been thinking about the things I've read here on the forums. It's pretty obvious that many of you CPF'ers have jobs that require use of flashlights, (Police, Security, Inspectors, etc). But It's also pretty obvious that the majority of people here are really just collectors that spend more time playing with lights rather than putting them to work. This is certainly not a cut or digg in any way as I myself have been enjoying playing and testing the lights I own. I do have to admit however that I've been asked by several people, "Why do you need more than one or two lights?" I don't really have a great response to them. I need a light I can keep in my truck, a light to take in the woods hunting, and maybe a good floody light for inside the house during power outages.

I guess light collecting can be a hobby just light flying RC airplanes or like collecting art. I'm just curious to what all of you fellow CPFer's think about owning a bunch of lights. What are you reasons for owning 50 flashlights. How do you explain your addiction to non-light-o-philes?

Ask them why do they need a hammer, screwdriver, and pliers. Aren't they all just tools? Shouldn't they only need one of them to do the jobs that need done?

Or, perhaps each thing is a specific tool, for a specific job. Yes, you can use something that "will do" like using a pair of pliers on a bolt but that's not what it was made for and for sure not the best tool for the job at hand.

blackwaterstout said:

I do have to admit however that I've been asked by several people, "Why do you need more than one or two lights?" I don't really have a great response to them

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How about "I don't need them, but I like them, so I buy them"?

The other answer that drives people nuts is, "Isn't it nice living in a free country where you can buy what you care to buy and not have to have a 'need' for it?"

It's just something I like to do. I've always liked electronics in general. With all the history, variety, new technology, ect flashlight collecting is a rewarding and somewhat practical hobby. There is something primitive about being able to hold a 4 inch tube and lighting up a room with it. That appeals to most people I think, some more then others.

Plus the simple design of flashlights makes it fairly easy to get involved with modding and it takes take skill to do more advance mods. So not only can you collect them, you can jump in and change them.


Adding: I have an officer at work that always makes fun of me for having so many lights (though I generally only have two on me at work). Always asks me why I need so many in my car, locker, ect. Also..he'll always ask me to borrow a light