Flashlight "connections" to other hobbies / activities

How does your flashlight collecting "connect" to other hobbies and/or work activities?
What are those other activities?
What's the "theme" linking those, and flashlights?
What other (online or offine) communities do you spend most of your spare time on? Some 'important' :thinking: ones that don't have anything, whatsoever to do with flashlights?

I'm interested here in the 'red threads' linking one to the other, the common themes, what got you from one thing into the other, etc. For example I saw some cave diving pics on this forum, I'm sure there's a number of law enforcement ppl on here, hunters, night hikers, etc. Must be some preppers around here too...

I'll go first. :help:

I've been mostly interested in electronics (since the late 70's), and home computers (since early 80's). At some point I was designing & building memory extensions in MSX computers, doing floppy drive replacement, repairs etc in those machines. Sinclair ZX81 and Spectrum being other favorites (for those interested: some work of mine can be found here). Quite a number of 'high school science experiment' style stuff came to life in my bedroom over the years... :naughty: Aeons ago, did <1 year of physics study. Nothing came of that, but no regrets.

So a good electronics background is there. Combined with topics like heat flow (P = V*I, thermal resistance etc), optics, flashlight electronics is a pretty easy/natural 'progression' (well just one of many interests that flows by, tbh). I'm also the "tinkerer" kind of person. Not so much hardware 'hacking' as in put stuff together from pieces (but sometimes I do), more modding/repair. Like both cheap and quality stuff, will often buy something and modify things to see what works or to suit my preferences. Regularly take something apart to see how it works, etc.

I'm also a semi-fanatic cyclist. Especially with today's powerful LED lights, that easily connects to flashlight collecting.

And a night owl, since... forever. If not 'forced' otherwise, when other people go to sleep, I wake up & vice versa. A night shift is my preferred way to spend work hours. Obviously night owls need more assistance from flashlights than average civilians.

Another long-time angle is a general interest in energy tech, making durable / eco-friendly choices, off-grid living etc, including social impacts these things (may) have. This year spent a lot of time gardening, growing my own potatoes/beans/vegetables etc, which I enjoy but hadn't done in a long time. Looking forward, as a person I'm moving in the prepper direction (and perhaps one day, go live off-grid). TO DO....

Oh last but not least: a big time sink is my gf, which/who has nothing to do with flashlights whatsoever! :laughing: But I'll make her see the light one day.

So.... what's your angles? Btw: don't shy away from sharing a good story or two...

Edit: wow, post # 10^2

i use my flashlights mostly in cycling. one time my group of cyclist rode in a real bad thunderstorm with heavy rain and we stopped at a bar and the lights were out but the bar was still serving alcohol so i pulled out my flashlights and ceiling bounced when the aux. lights went out.

im also into flashlights because i like electronics and usually hardware electronics so like motors, flashlights, speakers and not computers and software electronics.

i also spend alot of time on Serious Explorations forum just not as much as i havent had my truck for 3 years

I class Led lights as a man thing and I collect other man things.Top of my list is women,try to get a few every year on the net dating sites.

Let's see...as a kid I loved glow in the dark stuff! I had toys that glowed in the dark, so I would charge them up and turn off the lights. I'd also play with flashlights, pretending they were bright spaceships landing on a vast field in the countryside (my bed sheet).

During my early teen years I'd cut out "windows" on boxes and cover them with cellophane. I'd line the box with foil, then attach flashlights to the sides. I'd then wear the box on my head and walk around the backyard at night pretending I was inside a mini spaceship, exploring the void.

Nowadays I'd almost always have flashlights on me at night, awaiting for that elusive power outage or any opportunity to brighten up the night and impress other people. I'm always interested in the next, brightest compact light. I recently ordered my first UV light, the Inova x5mt-wuvt. Can't wait until it arrives! I'm sure I'm going to have fun lighting up glow in the dark objects!

Hmmm. I think I was in a rather dark womb, and, ever since that, I'd always had a thing for lights.

The things I've been involved with that involve lights have included laboratory research, forensic inspections with various wavelengths, caving, night hikes and shooting, fishing, automotive repairs/modifications, etc.

I'm on several research forums, am invoved with anti-gang and some other related issues, am a regional coordinator for Tread Lightly, and am on various off road forums and some game forums that don't have direct flashlight connections.

Although I think I have always been fascinated by anything light emitting, it was my night time vermin hunting (or 'lamping') which re-launched my enthusiasm with a vengeance.

I too like night time cycling which has been another outlet and my interest in photography and how to control lighting is also a factor.

Good topic...

I'm a camper, but leaning more toward RV and motorcycle, than backpacking and kayaking, in my advancing years. Then years ago getting into firearms (CCW permit) and owning a dog, it was time to find proper flashlights. So happy to get away from all that Black Diamond and Petzl headlamp/lantern junk. Dim modes with long runtimes are what I look for.

As a minimalist traveler and former train commuter, I'm also into EDC as a "hobby" and have always had a little bit of survivalist blood in me.... flashlights fit right in.

It started when I got my ccw permit. Reading defensive carry forums lead to edc forums then to candle power. I occasionally use a flashlight at work but never realized the quality of lights that are out there. This could get expensive.

My interest started while camping as a kid. Growing up, lights were generally too big to EDC or too weak to be useful, so I never EDC'd one, but there were definitely times I wished I had one.

Today my interest came from my interests in martial arts, shooting, and scuba diving. Regarding the first two, it has been my experience that the vast majority of bad situations occur in the dark, and I learned not long after getting my first concealed handgun license to always carry a light when carrying a gun. This led to carrying a light at other times. My occupation and lifestyle are not such that they normally invite trouble, and I am far more likely to use my light for mundane tasks than anything serious. However, previous employment in high-rise buildings at the time of September 11, 2001 caused me to be prepared with a light on my person, respirator/fume hood in my office, etc. One reason I like keychain lights as much as I do is because I can get non-flashaholics to EDC them.

Regarding the third interest, other priorities have kept me from doing the kind of diving that would require a light - exploring shipwrecks, etc. That is something I am looking to try someday.

Since I began participating here, I have found the electronics and battery discussions to be interesting and informative. My occupation (patent/intellectual property attorney) sometimes takes me into various aspects of advanced lighting projects.

1. Night hiking! in the woods
2. Walking at night (suburban/urban neighborhoods)
3. Camping, backpacking
4. Caving (an interest that I am just now beginning to pursue)

There is a connection between car detailing and LED flashlights. Not only that both can easily trigger obsessive behavior but also, there is a technical connection between them. When car paint is polished, halogen spot lamps are indispensable for controlling the quality of the job. At some stage, powerful halogen spots make one believe that the paint is finally in perfect condition: no swirls, no blemishes, and no other impurities whatsoever.

However, this is a misconception that a tiny LED flashlight can unveil. Just like UV black-lights showing fluorescent paint in banknotes, LED flashlights show the remaining blemishes in the paint. This calls for further elbow grease with different polishing materials. There are dedicated paint control lamps (I think they are specific LED's but I am not sure) but almost any LED flashlight shows many imperfections in car paint that incandescent and fluorescent lamps cannot.

This is why a bloke with a car polisher in hand may have a LED headlamp strapped to his forehead, in addition to having his EDC flashlight in his pocket, when his TM15 is on a tripod, next to 2 x 500W halogen spots also on tripod. Don't ask me who this obsessive compulsive guy may be!

I work in a factory. Understanding house-sized machines often involves seeing into them. We don't (YET) have lights inside most of them, so we use flashlights.

Ask most plant engineers for an anecdote that ends in "So someone got a flashlight and sure enough, the ______ needed adjustment!"

I've always loved flashlights. At one point in my career, I was doing a lot of international travel. Nothing worse than waking up with jet lag in a strange hotel room with black out curtains. That's when I started buying lights. My first was a UK 2xAAA led. I liked the side by side placement of the AAA cells and the collimated beam.

AnAppleSnail said:

I work in a factory. Understanding house-sized machines often involves seeing into them. We don't (YET) have lights inside most of them, so we use flashlights.

Ask most plant engineers for an anecdote that ends in "So someone got a flashlight and sure enough, the ______ needed adjustment!"

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LOL

That is so true.

I worked in the IT dept. of a large company. I often found myself installing equipment in racks and running cables through the racks, underneath floors, etc. Computer rooms are usually lit pretty well but when working behind the racks and underneath the raised floors it can get quite dim.

I had an Inova 1xAA that fit in the coin pocket of my Levis. It was great for lighting up a small area for a minute or two to accomplish a quick task.

YBCold said:

i use my flashlights mostly in cycling. one time my group of cyclist rode in a real bad thunderstorm with heavy rain and we stopped at a bar and the lights were out but the bar was still serving alcohol so i pulled out my flashlights and ceiling bounced when the aux. lights went out.

Click to expand...

Great story! Now, THAT's a reason to EDC a good light eh?

Since i was a child i have always been interested in fishing,hiking and other outdoor activities. It was only natural that these hobbies lead to my interest in flashlights,knives and other gear. It is all linked together! In order to do nightfishing one must have flashlights and to clear out fish and chopping wood for the campfire one needs knives and axes and multitools and so on.

First i had only crappy lights and knives, then i baught incandesant Maglites which was state of the art then. I still remember when i baught the incandescent Mini AA Maglite and how impressed i was of how bright i thaught it was! The interest and the insight of how important it is to have quality flashlights and other quality gear has continued since.

At work i use flashlights often to light in to machines and for night jogging i always use a headlamp and for mountainbiking i use a bikelight!

I too work in a factory and often need a light to look inside very large pieces of equipment and to provide extra lighting indoors. It is for this reason that I generally prefer fairly "throwy" lights as I'm often having to overcome the fixed building lighting, for example when looking up toward a ceiling 90' above.

After my work influenced my flashlight hobby, my flashlights led to the next hobby of operating a website. I'm afraid to think of what may come next :thinking:

I've always been fascinated with lights and being prepared. As a kid I was always excited to play with lights, and that has never changed. Now that I'm older and have nicer lights I like to go on more night hikes, and I've always been into camping. Now that car camping has turned into a backpacking hobby the lights have become perhaps even more important. As some people also mentioned, 9-11 and other natural disasters have also reinforced my interest in trying my best to be self-sufficient and prepared for some possible disaster events just in case.

My foray into, and crossover for flashlights is, I guess, two-fold. Combined, my Dad and Uncle could do just about anything, and as a kid, I was involved in many of their projects. I'd often get yelled at for not paying attention, and not holding the beam of the light in the specific area they were working, or not recognizing that the next tool they will need is a phillips head screw-driver and not having it in my hand ready to give it to them at a moment's notice. "A good mechanic's helper will have a tool ready for the mechanic before he needs it!" is what I would hear from my Dad. While it wasn't always fun, I did learn a LOT from my Dad. I learned how important tools are, and how important it is to take care of them. "If you take care of your tools, they will take care of you." He taught me... if something is broken take it apart. You can't brake it anymore, or any-worse. LOL... he was wrong but I continue to learn by taking broken things apart. Through them, I learned to be confident, and self-reliant. Oh yeah, and that tools are important.

My Dad taught me to help other people with no thought of personal reward. He started "Joe's club." For example, he'd stop and change someone's flat tire with their spare, and if the recipient offered a fin ($5.00), he'd refuse and tell them "No thank you, but now you are a member of Joe's Club. You have to help two other people in need, and enlist them into the club." I don't know if Joe's club exists anymore, but my son follows that philosophy and told me about a website called "the chive" and does RAK (Random Acts of Kindness). :thumbsup: I'm proud of my son.

During 9-11, I participated in assisting the rescue effort at the WTC Ground Zero, and a couple of years later joined my local Community Emergency Response Team CERT. During a Search and Rescue training session I realized that the issued lights, and my personal lights were not good enough. That's when I came here and bought a couple of SAR lights and backups. Since then, I added a number of 18650 lights so that I can fill each need that I may have, AND supply neighbors during a power outage, or supply search team members with better lights than they would otherwise be carrying.

In conclusion, it seems that I have lights to support my personal needs to be self reliant, and to perform random acts of kindness. They are tools to be used or loaned out. It seems that the majority of my collection of lights is more to help other people than my personal needs are.