Thanks to candlepwerforums I use my flashlights less and less

Blue72

Flashlight Enthusiast
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Aug 24, 2007
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This past year after being educated on using and preserving our natural night vision from these forums. I have been finding I use flashlights less and less this past summer when I am in the the great outdoors.

I try to enjoy the natural light from the moon and the stars.

I still love my flashlights but I do avoid them if I do not need them.

Anybody else
 

UncleFester

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Apr 28, 2004
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Desert Hlls,AZ
LOL Same here. Since you started this thread, be ready for a heated discussion. Please keep it civil everyone. I've seen people banned in a similar thread many moons ago.

What I've learned is to use the lowest power light I can when I need one. I very often clean my horse paddock at night. I'm about 20 miles north of the metropolis of Phoenix, Az. The glow from the city is enough for me to see the horse poop and scoop it up without using a light at all. That is until my less than wonderful neighbors turn on their floodlights and wreck my night vision with the glare. Multi-level lights are just about mandatory if you have been "enlightened" about night vision. IMHO
 

coyote223

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Aug 8, 2008
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Location
Oregon
Being as I just got into the Flashlights thing. I use them every chance I get, especially the Milky Pocket rockets. I love those things. :grin2:

But I am starting to like the dual-mode lights too, like the L1. So when I don't need such a bright light. :whistle:
 

Youfoundnemo

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Aug 24, 2008
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Munfordville, KY
Well since joining this thread I have gone through more than 50 batterys from using my lights so much, and that was only a month or two ago.....were polar opposites
 

CM

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Sep 11, 2002
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Mesa, AZ
I helped take a bunch of kids on a night hike for our church. The first thing I taught them was to shut off their flashlights and let their eyes get adjusted to the dark. We were at a peak near the city so there were plenty of light pollution to navigate by. I'm proud to say that I think I converted at least half the kids to rely on their night vision rather than their artificial lights. Of course I had a few fancy lights but rarely did they get turned on.
 

cernobila

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Nov 27, 2004
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Adelaide, Australia
In my case, I have been a proponent of multi-level flashlights for a long time, first with my WE incans with a LED tailcap and now with the LED drop-ins. I use my lower levels more often than the high or main light. That is why I am puzzled by the people that only want a single stage "max" level on their LED drop-ins. :shrug:
 

HoopleHead

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Dec 18, 2007
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West Coast, USA
:thumbsup:

same here. i really do try and develop my night vision. i only go for lights that have a very low low, and value runtime above all else. hence i love my Hoople Milky!
 

Stress_Test

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Joined
Feb 18, 2008
Messages
1,334
Well, walking around outside in the dark may be good for stargazing and stuff, but I started to think twice about doing it after this experience:

I took my brother's dog out in the back yard to go pee and sniff around. I had a little 5mm led light but was keeping it in my pocket. I had walked under a row of trees and the dog stopped to do her thing. While I was waiting, I took out the light and turned it on....

DIRECTLY in front of me was a huge spider web that stretched from the tree branches to the ground, complete with fat spider sitting in the center. It was all invisible in the dark until the led beam hit it. I gasped and turned to my left to walk away, only to illuminate another such web with spider right next to my left side!

Slowly turning in a circle, I found that the area under the trees was all booby-trapped with these webs! I very carefully backed out the way I had come, pulling the dog with me.

Had I not turned on the light, I would have blundered directly into the first huge web, then in a panic, have blundering into several of the remaining webs in the process!

It was just dumb luck that I happened to turn the light on when I did, only two feet away from ending up like an extra in a cheap horror movie.

So no, I don't like to go walking around outside in the dark with only night vision!
 

selfbuilt

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May 27, 2006
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Canada
Had I not turned on the light, I would have blundered directly into the first huge web, then in a panic, have blundering into several of the remaining webs in the process!
Reminds me of my trips to Costa Rica ... the rainforest is one place on earth you don't want to wandering around in the dark (and the canopy pretty much obscures any ambient lighting for night vision - blackest environment I've ever been in). I posted my experience with a bunch of lights after a trip 2 years ago. Looking forward to getting back there (most of recent trips have been to places with modern civilization and plenty of lighting, alas).

But I support the principle of practicing using night-adapted vision. Always good to further develop our innate abilities. :)
 

etc

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Dec 19, 2004
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DIRECTLY in front of me was a huge spider web that stretched from the tree branches to the ground, complete with fat spider sitting in the center.

I had the same thing happen to me too. Except the spider was hanging on the thread and weaving the net. It was big and hanging directly in front of my head. I have no idea if the insect was dangerous or not.
 

Bullzeyebill

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Feb 21, 2003
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CA
I have not yet reduced my flashlight use, and in fact think of more ways to use my lights when I navigate about the house at night. What I am doing is using less light for my tasks, so I am appreciating some of my lights that have variable output settings where I can dial in the lowest level, or close to the lowest level, depending on the task. It is surprising, to me, that I can get by with a light that does not attain 100 lumens at its brightest setting in this day and age of mega lumen lights.

Bill
 

Burgess

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Apr 10, 2006
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USA
Yep !


Two years ago, i also wandered into a Spider Web,

whilst' "coasting" on my Night Vision. :eeksign:


Don't know what kind it was,
other than the type that BITES ! ;)


Bit me on the left temple, above my eyeglasses.

First, it just kinda' itched a bit.

Then, it started to HURT ! :(


Luckily, i was at home,
so i could simply go inside for treatment.

Washed the (now very swollen) area
with soap & water,
and then generously applied Witch Hazel.

Almost immediately, the pain ceased !

:clap:


The swelling, however, lasted more than 24 hours !



I learned to be more careful in the future.

:whistle:



FYI, here's a brief article on Witch Hazel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch-hazel
_
 

NeonLights

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Jan 18, 2003
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Ohio
I've always relied on my natural night vision as much as possible, both before and after I joined CPF. My lights are tools, I try and use the right tool for the job at hand, sometimes no tool is needed. I live out in the country, usually keep our outside security light turned off, and just rely on starlight and moonlight.
 

JWP_EE

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 22, 2008
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216
Location
New Jersey
Astronomy has been my number one hobby for over 30 years. So if it is clear out and I need to navigate I use my red LED flashlight. If it is cloudy or I am inside then it is white all the way.:D
 

kaichu dento

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Apr 5, 2008
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現在の世界
In my case, I have been a proponent of multi-level flashlights for a long time, first with my WE incans with a LED tailcap and now with the LED drop-ins. I use my lower levels more often than the high or main light. That is why I am puzzled by the people that only want a single stage "max" level on their LED drop-ins. :shrug:
My introduction to multi-level lights was my first L0D just last year. Up until that point I definitely wanted the brightest light I could reasonably carry, but once I got aquainted with the fact that a light could be both bright and dim, I immediately fell in love with the ability to use "just enough light".

I think it's just going to take a while for everyone to get used to the idea of using just enough but once it becomes perceived as normal for a light to have multiple levels there'll be more and more using less and less. :candle:
:thumbsup:

same here. i really do try and develop my night vision. i only go for lights that have a very low low, and value runtime above all else. hence i love my Hoople Milky!
+1

I love my L0D, especially since switching to an RB80, but still wish it had a low about 1% of what it has now; too bright!
I've always relied on my natural night vision as much as possible, both before and after I joined CPF. My lights are tools, I try and use the right tool for the job at hand, sometimes no tool is needed. I live out in the country, usually keep our outside security light turned off, and just rely on starlight and moonlight.
This is one of the reasons I get such long runtimes, no matter what battery I'm using; if I don't need the light, or don't want to destroy the atmosphere of moonlight or even cloud reflected light, then I'm not going to use any.

Being in Alaska sometimes we even have the aurora bright enough to where you can see your shadow by it! :twothumbs
 

jayflash

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Joined
Oct 4, 2003
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Two Rivers, Wisconsin
Like others, I've gone from one extreme to the other. I still enjoy my SF M6 and HIDs, but more often use a VERY low setting on my HDS U60 and NiteCore EX10. Even 5 - 10 lumens can be too much, sometimes.

I wish more lights had a lower, ~1 lumen, setting.
 

rantanplan

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Joined
Jun 14, 2004
Messages
186
Location
Hannover, Germany
It´s amazing how bright "weak" lights are when your eyes are adapted to darkness. Had a barbecue in one of our city parks, dawn came and some time later it was pretty dark when we started to pack our stuff together ... I only used my ARC AAA which was almost a bit too bright, and left two (much more powerful) lights in my pocket ... :thinking:

The stories with the spiders are scary ... nothing against spiders, I sometimes allow some (smaller ones) to enjoy their benifical life in some corners of my flat, but running with my face directly into their bigger brothers ... no, thanks ;).
 

PlayboyJoeShmoe

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Sep 4, 2002
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11,041
Location
Shepherd, TX (where dat?)
Prior to P2D I always carried a bright one level light.

After IKE I found that even lod q4 on low was a LOT of light!

Now a couple Dereelight modules with 100% 50% 5% are coming and it will be interesting to see what 5% looks like...
 
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