Do you appreciate your lights enough?

I recently realized I'd got too many flashlights, particularly Surefires. I have consequently sold many of my lights. Why did I commit this heresy? Well, for me part of the pleasure of owning something is in using it. With so many lights to choose from I had lost some of the appreciation of what makes a light (particularly of the quality of a Surefire) so special. I've found that many of my lights didn't get much use and were simply expensive shelf queens. As I favor performance and new technology many of my lights were outdated and poor performers even though they had very few hours of use.

Since downsizing my collection I've found that I use the lights I've got as tools which I can appreciate the attributes of far more than if they are used infrequently. Besides now I can save up for some of the newer models which are promised in the future. However, I don't think I'm ever going to collect a large number of lights again less I loose the appreciation for the lights I use regularly.

Be reminded that:

Carrot said:

Any light, regardless of the price bought, has NO VALUE if its sitting somewhere unused.

Click to expand...

Too often we get churned into a needless cycle of collecting lights that we think we might need or something that simply must be acquired...then its never used...then its sold on BST, often with a lesser price [price bumps if theres no demand]

I've peaked at 43 lights once, now I've given away lights [most are of old luxeon technology that no one would be willing to buy on BST anyway] until I'm left with just a few Fenixes, Surefires, Streamlights, and INOVAs...20 in all.

I realized my appreciation when I stopped monitoring the forum of new LED technology and use my lights from sun up to sun down...where ever theres a place where its dark or can be dark...including turning the lights off campus retrooms.

With rechargeables, hey, guilt free lumens:thumbsup:

I have only ever bought lights that I thought were actually going to be useful. But inevitably as my collection grows, a lot of these lights end up being shelf queens or back-of-the-drawer queens never to be seen again I just can't be bothered selling them off.

most of my lights gets used pretty often. i just use them instead of wall ceiling lights at home, then there's some night outing by paranormal geeks to dark & interesting places where lights can in handy & lasting back to military camp for annual training. mostly at nite.

I've realized that I've reached a point where I have pretty much all the Surefires I actually need (not want). When I stumbled across the forums in July all I wanted was a light for an EDC bag.

I have to work to make sure all my lights are used - I find that some of my lights are redundant and I've had to "group" them into usages to justify having so many:

Urban Edc (the black is city-chic haha):
E1B (pocket)
E2DL (bag)
E2L (bag)

Country/camping Edc:
L1 (pocket)
C2/M60 (bag)
E2L (bag)

and my C2/M60L sits in my nightstand drawer for emergencies.

I was considering getting rid of a few of these lights but just cannot bring myself to do it (let alone pick which ones go!!!).

Realistically, when I'm in the city (which is where I live 80% of the time), my lights almost NEVER get used outside of my apt and I need to find excuses to use them (my lady laughs whenever I break out the M60 to take my contacts out).

However, the main reason I bought these lights (at least the first few) was in case of an emergency or disaster - I have NO DOUBTS WHATSOEVER that I will be overly prepared in the chance something happens and even my wife has expressed how she feels better with the lights...

So whenever I question having so many lights, I remind myself that preparedness is grossly more important than usage.

I do have a couple lights that don't see much action but they do still get used. One is a old pelican M6 incandescent, the other, a mag 3d with terralux dropin.
Both have been assigned night shifts on the boat when we're out fishing. They get used 3 to 5 times a year on boat. Mag gets the pleasure of being campsite light to those who didn't bring one, so it gets used a little more.

I can see where you're coming from tho, collecting to many would make it more difficult to spread the love. Especially when you have similar lights, for example: beam type, battery type, output and size...

For me its more like obsessing!

I have a pretty decent collection, mostly Surefires. Why I have 4 E2x's I don't know. All different variants though. I also have about half a dozen Arc AAAs. While some are more used than others I dig them all out and use them. I have enough lights so that when I dig out my 6P and run a set of batteries through it, its like getting a new light!

My little used lights have special purposes now, such as my E2O. I got a hold of a twisty switch and it is now my travel light of choice. Simple mechanically and easily repaired out in the field, batteries and bulbs, can't get any simpler than that. I also have good lights stashed in all my various emergancy kits. How many 1st aid/disaster/survival kits do you know that sport the latest model E2L, L2, or Arc AAA CS? Mine do!

Back on topic - yes I do appreciate all of my keepers!

i too recently came to that realisation, but there are some lights i simply will not sell. My ARC LS and my Longbow.

Crenshaw

I think I'm coming to the end of my cycle. Even before CPF I always have had a crappy maglite in arms reach and a led on my key chain, but finding CPF spurred me to replace almost all of my old lights with more modern technology.

I bought my SF L2 about 18 month ago on a whim and now I still have that L2, but I've added 4xA2's, a K2-MS, a Fenix P2D and a SF M6.

My P2D is my carry at work, my L2 was eating up my pants and I had to find something smaller with no knurling. The P2D fit the bill fine, and after a slightly rocky start it has been an exceptional light.

Whenever I'm in jeans I carry my Round A2 with GS+Strion, it's my favorite light I really appreciate having it handy. I'm giving it to my GF (she asked me for an A2 by model!) as soon as my "new" 4 flats A2 arrives so I can swap the bulb. She was able to negotiate for the GS LEDs and the OS tailcap but the Strion stays with me. :naughty:

I have a Red A2 on my nightstand, I polished the LEDs to give it a very nice diffuse beam and I use it to not disturb anything at night. I really like the red glow, I know it's strange but I sometimes use it for reading.

I have a UV A2 that I had a specific use for, but I couldn't obtain low enough wavelength LEDs to make it really useful. I accidentally grabbed it for my last trip instead of my white A2 (both round and were on my desk together). Somewhat useless when all you have is a high beam. It's a great toy though.

The K2-MS is sort of a botched purchase. I want to have some mods done to it, but the chance of breaking the selector ring is still too high for my comfort. I like having my dedents to know what will happen when I push the button. I don't appreciate this light very much in it's current form. It fills no need I have well.

I bought my SF M6 purely as a toy. I have way over-accessorized this light. I need at least 4 more M6's just to use all the accessories and custom machined parts I bought. It's amazingly impressive light. Running on 3x17670's with an 1185 is awe inspiring. It's not very practical for anything I want to use it for but that's OK. Either way I need to get more M6s or sell off some parts.

I have an amazingly bright light, I have 2 great EDC lights depending on the purpose (A2/P2D), The only gap I really have to fill is long-running area lights. For that purpose I'm looking towards the Coleman Max LED Lanterns.

I think I'm done with expensive lights (>$100). My L2 will be going into my car this winter and that will be it's new home for many years.

My new thing is moving towards guilt-free lumens. The SF-M6 is so much fun to use because I know I don't have to feed it. I want my A2's to achieve that.

Oh, and those crappy mag lights, I still keep them around. I put LED upgrades and Lithium AA's in the mini-mags. They don't see much use but for $20 each I don't feel bad about not knowing exactly where they are at any given point in time. Also, there is 1 thing a D-cell maglight can do much better than any Surefire.

As like Bullfrog I am also in NYC, I mostly buy the things I have for emergency preparedness lets face it.... things are not what they were many many years ago where you left your front door unlock 24/7. Not only that but living through 9/11 you want to know if something of that sort ever happened again you would want to be pretty well prepared in the event SHTF. Let me me tell you having a flashlight on me these past few years has really made some horrible experiences(stuck in the NYC subway during rush hour in the dark a little less horrible). Im still trying to convince my brother who works in a fairly large building in the city to atleast have a light in his desk so in the event lights go out, fire, I dont want to sound paranoid but terrorist attack(as I said above things arent what they used to be) or what ever he may encounter, the light can at least guide him to safety rather than basically navigating with his eyes closed. So after all that yapping YES I appreciate my lights, and I think not enough people do.
They might think carrying a flashlight is a good idea when THEY need it but when they see you have a light in the pocket for no good reason(atleast that what they think) they are quick to judge.

Yeah, I live in Florida and after the 2004 hurricane season... well, I grabbed an X5t after Charlie, and the rest is history. I really only started EDCing by accident when I found an Asp baton holster for 50 cents at a garage sale, and look where that's gotten me.

The stuff I have that's not used regularly is all special-purpose (or, well, supplanted but still useful). Two Coast dive lights, one modified mini-mag Cree loaner (I won't miss... much) and a Pelican M3 LED that really deserves a weapon mount (they make some spectacular mounts for those) and pressure switch.

Other stuff for battery-vampire use, low light, low low, really low low (one-N rice-grain-bulb incandescent), future disposable mod hosts... only my air-crew marked E2 never leaves the house. Everything else I've got gets used for its purpose when that purpose occasionally comes up.