Is it really 'just' a torch?

Pssst... It's just a torch / flashlight / tool. Fuss on this forum is in finding the best one(s) for the job. Or finding the right job(s) for your newly acquired light. :laughing:

Whiskers said:

It's exciting beyond being rational

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+1 (but exciting nonetheless)

:duck:

I dont have a problem,the flashlights have the problem........................they just want to be owned by me

I definitely have more than I need, but I think my obsession is quite mild when compared to the OP. If I don't use a light, I don't keep it. I just don't understand putting lights in a drawer...there are other people who could actually use them. Regardless of whether you sell or give them away, it is much more sensible than just letting unused lights clutter up your home. I like variety, but each torch does do an actual job...no shelf queens for me!

I actually got seriously into the hobby for use at work...I do inspections, and having the right light makes it easier and quicker. So for me, for the most part, form follows function.

Cool post!
As a girl, I have a little different view of it. Women aren't supposed to be interested in flashlights and pocket knives so I get lots of comments from girlfriends about it. I often just bring up womens liberation, and that part of that idea is not being dependant on a man for things like finding your way around in the dark or opening packages or cutting food at lunch... but I still get blank stares of confusion or puzzlement back. Funny, because most of them have knives in the kitchen, they just can't seem to grasp the idea of taking a folding one with them out of the kitchen! Whatever - I like what I like and lights and knives are cool!

I've always though that with things, less is more - but I have problems with that ideal when it comes to my lights. I have way more than I'll ever need, but I keep buying more! Some girls like shoes or dresses, I like lights. Go figure!

So many great lights - and none of them are free. Gets expensive!

thedoc007 said:

I actually got seriously into the hobby for use at work...I do inspections, and having the right light makes it easier and quicker. So for me, for the most part, form follows function.

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Very similar doc,i do maintenance/engineering / repairs on manufacturing machinery,be it production machines,shafts/bearings to robots and conveyors etc etc etc so many uses in work. Then from camping trips to mods and repairs on cars at home I guess i can kind of justify my flashaholism

Amelia said:

Cool post!
As a girl, I have a little different view of it. Women aren't supposed to be interested in flashlights and pocket knives so I get lots of comments from girlfriends about it. I often just bring up womens liberation, and that part of that idea is not being dependant on a man for things like finding your way around in the dark or opening packages or cutting food at lunch... but I still get blank stares of confusion or puzzlement back. Funny, because most of them have knives in the kitchen, they just can't seem to grasp the idea of taking a folding one with them out of the kitchen! Whatever - I like what I like and lights and knives are cool!

I've always though that with things, less is more - but I have problems with that ideal when it comes to my lights. I have way more than I'll ever need, but I keep buying more! Some girls like shoes or dresses, I like lights. Go figure!

So many great lights - and none of them are free. Gets expensive!

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Nonsense...flashlights fill the categories of utility, aesthetics, and general appreciability. They obviously are a jillion times more useful than a pair of equally ezpensive designer brand shoes, especially even if theyre just laying around.

Who else gives voices to their flashlights ro convince them to make purchase?

Amelia said:

I've always though that with things, less is more - but I have problems with that ideal when it comes to my lights.

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2nd that! But it's a little more complicated. Last year on a camping trip (using a tent), among others I had an 18650 powered light with me. With intermittent availability of electricity, regular charging batteries proved more difficult than getting internet connection on my smartphone ( :laughing: go figure!).

Being not too far from home, what did I do? Instead of a charger, I took a whole pack (6 pcs) of 18650's with me. Mostly using low-output modes, and regular exchanging batteries, simply made the average voltage in that pack drop. As you might guess: camping trip ended before that pack needed recharging.

A (small?) collection of lights is just like that - it provides redundancy. More redundancy than needed, but redundancy nonetheless. More choice in what to use for which job(s). Looking ahead, chances are I'll go for a compact solar + charger setup, so I can charge batteries 'out in the wilderness'. But that doesn't undo the usefulness of having the option to just carry more spares.

And... more examples to show friends & family, to point out differences between lights. So that they have a better idea what's out there, and don't waste money on lights that look good but turn out useless.

In the end, it's just a hobby. Many, many hobbies are more expensive, take up more space, require more maintenance to keep things working etc. :sweat: So who cares as long as you can afford it?

Amelia said:

Cool post!
As a girl, I have a little different view of it. Women aren't supposed to be interested in flashlights and pocket knives so I get lots of comments from girlfriends about it. I often just bring up womens liberation, and that part of that idea is not being dependant on a man for things like finding your way around in the dark or opening packages or cutting food at lunch... but I still get blank stares of confusion or puzzlement back. Funny, because most of them have knives in the kitchen, they just can't seem to grasp the idea of taking a folding one with them out of the kitchen! Whatever - I like what I like and lights and knives are cool!

I've always though that with things, less is more - but I have problems with that ideal when it comes to my lights. I have way more than I'll ever need, but I keep buying more! Some girls like shoes or dresses, I like lights. Go figure!

So many great lights - and none of them are free. Gets expensive!

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OMG! A girl ... who likes ... flashlights?





I've been trying to get my wife into flashlights for years and she has an amazing collection (bought by me) all fully charged (by me) and rotated in and out of her handbag (by me) depending on her current need. She looks at me as though I'm mad and sometimes slaps me for daring to leave her Gucci sunglasses discarded in the bottom of her handbag so I can use that particular pocket to store her flashlight. She doesnt understand a Premium Type III hard-anodized anti-abrasive finish is just not as durable as a plastic sunglasses lens and needs protecting.

To me its more than a torch. Its a tool that can make light of the subject.

I discovered easy rules to get & keep my wife into lights.
1) Keep them simple 2 or 3 mode max
2) keep them small
3) "normal batteries", AAA, AA or CR123
4) Key Ring attachements
5) Bright or shine is a must
6) Don't make it the only gift I give her.
7) charge or change her batteries for her
8) I make sure when we are out together and we need a flashlight, she uses hers. She accuses me of hogging the flashlights. lol

So you can see, its not just a torch, its a fun gift too!

Str8stroke said:

To me its more than a torch. Its a tool that can make light of the subject.

I discovered easy rules to get & keep my wife into lights.
1) Keep them simple 2 or 3 mode max
2) keep them small
3) "normal batteries", AAA, AA or CR123
4) Key Ring attachements
5) Bright or shine is a must
6) Don't make it the only gift I give her.
7) charge or change her batteries for her
8) I make sure when we are out together and we need a flashlight, she uses hers. She accuses me of hogging the flashlights. lol

So you can see, its not just a torch, its a fun gift too!

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Rule eight is out because it'd be daylight again if I had to wade through her handbag to find her torch

We have a park next to a bus stop. If I miss the preferred bus, I have to take the one that makes me walk through the pitch black park.

I bought my first proper light (Fenix PD32UE) because the tiny light on my key chain (Streamlight Nano clone) wasn't bright enough. I went to a local store to get a LED Lenser key chain light. Then I saw bigger ones. Then I remembered my cousin had an awesome one from a brand called Fenix. So I was going to buy a PD32 when I saw the UE version. About a week of deliberation wondering if I could justify that much money for a torch.

So excited when I got it.

RetroTechie said:

2nd that! But it's a little more complicated. Last year on a camping trip (using a tent), among others I had an 18650 powered light with me. With intermittent availability of electricity, regular charging batteries proved more difficult than getting internet connection on my smartphone ( :laughing: go figure!).

Being not too far from home, what did I do? Instead of a charger, I took a whole pack (6 pcs) of 18650's with me. Mostly using low-output modes, and regular exchanging batteries, simply made the average voltage in that pack drop. As you might guess: camping trip ended before that pack needed recharging.

Click to expand...

This pretty sums up what I do. Carrying a bunch of flashlights + spare batteries around and hoping something will happen that enables you to use them.

18650 battery lasts too long lol.

My mother had bought Led Lenser H7R headlamp and during the Christmas holidays 2012 that was the most bright headlamp I had ever seen. I envied her headlamp and as I had extra money I decided to order a headlamp for myself too. I went with Olight H15 and got Olight T25 too. I was amazed by the runtime of the headlamp and that it was current controlled (I had never heard of such thing before) but I was disappointed by the T25 when I tried it for the first time. It was really good flashlight but the advertisement had made me wait for something mindblowing. I started to look for something brighter. I found Selbuilt's reviews and CPF and whole new world opened...

I gave that T25 to a girl who was working on a festival last summer and when she was returning it I told her she could keep it. She had found the flashlight so handy that she didn't believe me first but I told I already had a new better one.

I have only one friend that share's my interest in flashlights. I don't usually mention to others that one of my hobbies is 'buying expensive flashlights and playing with them'. I'd rather see myself that I'm on a path to find The Perfect Flashlight and my friends have the pleasure of receiving the flashlights that I don't use when I give them away as a gift.

Whiskers said:

My own obsession started ten years ago during a hillwalking trip with a girl friend in winter. We'd misjudged the time and were caught in the dark miles from town with no torch. We spent the next three hours fumbling our way down the hillsides with only the light of the town in the far distance to guide us and all the time my girl kept saying "Why didn't you bring a torch? Why didn't you bring a torch?" We made it back to town and after that day I never went anywhere again without a decent torch/ EDC/ full on bug out kit for every eventuality even if I was only going to the bathroom.

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My obsession got a little boost when we had also misjudged the time (or the darkness of the autumn nights) with my girlfriend. Fortunately I had my flashlight with me and we got back to camp safely. You can read the whole story here (CPF).

I have carried a folding knife for a while and have found it so useful. I thought to myself that there are probably some other things I could carry. I figured that a flashlight would be handy. I researched a good edc light and ordered a ZL SC52w. After that I was hooked. There is always something else. The proper number to have is whatever number you currently have +1.

You guys are pitiful. I, on the othe hand, can quit buying lights anytime I want.

radiopej said:

We have a park next to a bus stop. If I miss the preferred bus, I have to take the one that makes me walk through the pitch black park.

I bought my first proper light (Fenix PD32UE) because the tiny light on my key chain (Streamlight Nano clone) wasn't bright enough. I went to a local store to get a LED Lenser key chain light. Then I saw bigger ones. Then I remembered my cousin had an awesome one from a brand called Fenix. So I was going to buy a PD32 when I saw the UE version. About a week of deliberation wondering if I could justify that much money for a torch.

So excited when I got it.

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Buying a new flashlight is exciting isn't it? I've never worked out why they are so fascinating only that they are. Well, not all flashlights. Some truly suck and have as much appeal as kissing a tramp. Especially those generic LEDs found hanging up in supermarkets. Its like wiping your bottom with newspaper. Works but just isn't as nice.

Kalpn said:

This pretty sums up what I do. Carrying a bunch of flashlights + spare batteries around and hoping something will happen that enables you to use them.

18650 battery lasts too long lol.

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Do you ever misjudge the time? Leave the cat outside a bit too long/ take the bins out when its dark/ *just* to use a torch? I do. All the time. I am Whiskers. And I am a flashaholic! :green: