Reminisce Upon the Advancements Within the Flashlight Revolution

Think back with me. Which flashlight technologies used to impress you that now only induce laughter in you? Can you recall the various states-of-the-art involving flashlight technology, when you learned about them, and how much appreciation you had for each one?

My appreciation for flashlights developed at a very early age. Every night in my crib, I slept with two items. A lighter (from which my Dad had removed all of the flammable fluid) was in one hand, and I'm sure you've guessed that a flashlight was in the other. I kid you not. As I recall, the first thing that excited me about flashlights was the simple fact that someone had figured out a way to put that same stuff that was in the kitchen lamp into a device that I held in my hand. I could walk to any dark corner of the house and make it brighter by pushing a button. I could effect something "over there" by pushing a button "over here." I felt powerful. This was my first exposure to even the concept of portable light, and to whatever degree a *very* little kid can be impressed by something, I was impressed.

Seems like I've always had a flashlight around. My first recollection of a flashlight was some old Everready light with magnets, so it would stick to the metal dash of the car. In the Scouts, one of our leaders had a long silver light with a sealed beam bulb, mega power!!

Sometime in the early 80s when I was still a child, my dad let me play with a flashlight of his. It was a Duracell Durabeam like this.



I ran round for about an hour outside in the dark fascinated by it. I only stopped when it stopped working. I thought I was in big trouble but the little 3v lamp with its own built in magnifying lens had just worked loose. Anyway I have been a flashoholic since then.


The big advancement that I remember was seeing the first white leds after playing round for years and years with just red, green and amber ones. Also the white leds that where bright enough to illuminate other objects rather than just being visible points of light themselves.

I used to have a light when I was a kid with a main (incandescent) beam, a small fluorescent light, and flashing red and amber lights. It was the bee's knees to play with on camping trips.

I remember those lights with magnets on the side too. Think my parents still have a few floating around -- I'm a second generation flashlight fan, though I take it to bigger extremes.

I remember when I put my first "Krypton" bulb in my 4D Maglight and was so impressed with the light output!

Before I found CPF at the beginning of the LED era, I was happy with a half a dozen Mini-Mag incans. Now if it isn't 20 times as bright or run 20 times as long and can't handle a few 4 foot falls onto a concrete floor, it's just junk. There has been amazing progress in efficiency and reliability.

I still have one of those red plastic 2-cell lights with the magnets.... It lived on my parents fridge for about 13 years. Earliest lights I really used though was the Dolphin torch, then maglites.... now high powered LED's. I skipped a lot in the middle, but you can't blame me, Australia still doesn't know the likes of surefire