Friends asking to borrow flashlights for the incoming storm

Who has once-skeptical friends asking to borrow flashlights for the incoming storm? AA lights are best to give, imho, since it's more likely for the average person to have refills in their home already, and most of the AA ones in my collection have easy UI's with buttons that people are familiar with (e.g. Xeno E03).

Re: Am I the only one on the east coast...

Ironically, my mother asked me if I had enough flashlights, and if I wanted to borrow one of the two flashlights that she has.
(I guess she hadn't heard the rumor that the recent earthquake was caused by me dropping my flashlight collection.)

Re: Am I the only one on the east coast...

That's funny, Bob. I guess Moms never quit being Moms.

I've noticed that most folks don't really understand our appreciate our hobby........ until a tropical storm is knocking at the door..... or as in my case, until they go to a beach party (like I did last night) and forget that it gets REALLY dark when the sun goes down. I had three lights and saved the day..... er, night.

We'll be thinking good thoughts for you, silentlurker .

Re: Am I the only one on the east coast...

Don't forget that, with the incoming storm, ALL of the large alkaline cells are sold out. One hardware store that I was at sold out of D cells in matter of hours.

Funny enough, however, AA and AAA were in abundant stock.

Re: Am I the only one on the east coast...

enomosiki said:

... ALL of the large alkaline cells are sold out. One hardware store that I was at sold out of D cells in matter of hours.

Funny enough, however, AA and AAA were in abundant stock.

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Interestingly enough this is what my sister in law noticed when she was in japan during the big quakes. Panic buying stripped all C and D cells off the shelves. AA and AAA were available though. She said that most people she new had old incans that required C or D's. (She was of course armed with an Olight t25 2AA)

Good for us flashaholics I guess.

Re: Am I the only one on the east coast...

We all need a variety of flashlights, lanterns and headlights..... with *boxes* of replacement batteries. A flashlight without a battery is..... just a holder for dead batteries.

Re: Am I the only one on the east coast...

HotWire said:

...A flashlight without a battery is..... just a holder for dead batteries.

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That's a great way to put it. I always have many boxes of spares in case of emergency.

Re: Am I the only one on the east coast...

Two LF SP-6, SolarForce L2, UF SR-5, SR-T6 and several LED M@G mods + 3 dozen 18650 cells all fully charged and half a dozen various "lantern" toppers for the lights. I think I'm pretty OK in the lighting department.

Re: Am I the only one on the east coast...

My XML Neutral Coleman lantern , 24hr run time, is ready for the storm...

Re: Am I the only one on the east coast...

I just gave some of my loaner lights to friends who were glad to get them.

Re: Am I the only one on the east coast...

My go to lights for this storm, and all other times, are my EDC Quark AA regular with Fenix Camping Lampshade, Fenix TK20 2AA, Coleman Max 2AA, Life Gear 2C, Quark Mini CR2, Nitecore EZ CR2, and Coleman Max CR2, plus a few other stragglers. I'm thinkin' I'm pretty well set up for this one. A 24 pack of Duracell AA alkys, 16 Energizer E91 lith AAs, A dozen Duracell CR2s, and Duracell Cs. I have a few D cell lanterns as well, but gave up buying food for them long ago! I also have a dozen Dietz hurricane lanterns filled with K1 Kero.

Re: Am I the only one on the east coast...

Plenty of lights and batteries ready for Irene. I do like the simplicity of using AA and AAA batteries. I have Solarforce L2i's and L2r's with XP-G R2 and R5 3 mode H-M-L. They are very solid and well built. No problems at all with heat.

Re: Am I the only one on the east coast...

ma_sha1 said:

My XML Neutral Coleman lantern , 24hr run time, is ready for the storm...

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Where did you get one with a neutral xml? Did you mod it yourself?

Be safe everyone.

Re: Am I the only one on the east coast...

I'm down in Apex, NC (south of Raleigh). Went to Target today to see what was left on the shelves and my experience mirrors enomosiki's.

Large alkalines (C,D) were gone from the battery aisle, though you could find some on endcap displays. AA, AAA and 9V were present, rechargeable batteries were plentiful and lithium primaries were untouched.

Flashlights were picked almost bare. The remaining lights were either small and plastic (penlight sized or smaller) or expensive (MagLEDs and Inovas). It almost seems like people equated size to power and bought the biggest they could justify. Nice to know that I could get a decent LED light that would outlast the sold-out varieties in a pinch.

Quite surprising to see this happen this far inland, but better that people have them in case they need them than be unprepared. Good to know that if I'm traveling, I can pickup some AA and ride out a power outage easily.

Re: Am I the only one on the east coast...

I usually have a half-dozen Sipik68 for use as loaners, or 'giveaways' as it often works out.

Single AA, under 9 bucks, extremely well-made for the price. I tell them how to make a lantern out of a milk jug, and off they go.

I would be reticent in loaning out any of my 'flashaholic' torches to any other than family, as one never knows what may happen in an emergency situation.

With that said, I pray that the East Coast makes it out of this one with minimal damage and no loss of life.

Re: Am I the only one on the east coast...

As long as you have plenty of AA's to spare, I enjoy using the 2AA Mini Mags with xenon bulbs in candle mode. Might not be efficient or that particularly bright, but it does give a different atmosphere compared to some of the lifeless and flat LED's.

I packed up my daughter for her move to Manhattan on Thursday, gave her my old Nuwai Q3 and some batts.

I think AA lights are most appropriate for non-flashlight enthusiasts since most have AAs laying around or can pull them out of remotes and other electronics.

HotWire said:

We all need a variety of flashlights, lanterns and headlights..... with *boxes* of replacement batteries. A flashlight without a battery is..... just a holder for dead batteries.

Click to expand...

I agree spares are a must, I'd like to add multi mode lights are also a must. It's not fun draining a set of cells in an hour on a 1 mode light when you could use those cells effectively for 24 continuous hours in a multi mode light.

ebow86 said:

As long as you have plenty of AA's to spare, I enjoy using the 2AA Mini Mags with xenon bulbs in candle mode. Might not be efficient or that particularly bright, but it does give a different atmosphere compared to some of the lifeless and flat LED's.

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I agree, except that warm/high cri leds have given me the efficiency of leds combined with the color/contrast/etc. very similar to incans.

Like many here no doubt, I have a drawer full of LED & similar torches, including headlamps, the best for a power outage, and two large drawers full of batteries.

Plus several torches dotted around the house, and battery powered PIR LED lights.

Also battery powered mobile phone chargers..

I have had ONE power outage in 3 years, here in the UK, it lasted 30 minutes !!

30 minutes without computer or TV !!

I also have used Pepsi bottles full of water I rotate occasionally, no water once in 5 years, and we were warned about that, maintenance work. !!

I don't understand the mentality of some people, according to UK reports, of people only now buying torches & batteries for the Hurricane, and the Mayor of NY having to warn about the safe use of candles.


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Would the average City dweller have books, battery powered radio, with batteries, non electric can openers, ( I quite like cold baked beans) or other food not requiring cooking ?

Will they have prepared by baking / cooking food out of the (potentially) useless freezer, or bought the same ?