I can remember being obsessed with flashlights even when I was a kid. There was just something about having “power” over the darkness of night that was appealing to me. Particularly since I lived in a very rural area with no neighbors and often without so much as a security light on a pole near by. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed time in the dark as much as or maybe even more than many. I suppose it was just the concept of being able to break the inkiness with the flick or press of a switch that fed my interest.
Back then though, life was tough on a flashaholic. A term I didn’t even become aware existed until just a few years ago when I stumbled upon Candlepower Forums and realized that my “obsession” was not only shared by many others but in some cases, to a degree that absolutely dwarfed mine. Back “in the day” there just wasn’t a lot out there to pack a punch. Ignorance is bliss though I suppose. Back then I thought that my “Streamlight” flashlight, that also converted to a headlamp (a very uncomfortable one I might add), was great and my parent’s MagLite was just the absolute bee’s knees. Oh what little did I know.
Sometime circa 2005 I decided I needed a good light for work and found myself browsing through the world of modern “tactical” lights. I finally settled on an Inova LED flashlight that came with a recharging cradle and with that it was like taking the first hit of meth. I can’t say I know exactly what a meth addiction is like but I can’t imagine its any stronger than a flashaholics addiction to lights and the never-ending battle to find either the brightest light possible in the smallest package they can squeeze it into or simply the most blindingly bright light possible period, size and weight be damned.
Since that fateful day, I say as I chew my nails and scratch at my unkempt hair as I browse the “new items” or “just in” pages of my favorite crac... I mean flashlight suppliers, I have purchased a truly ridiculous number of flashlights. There in is my point about addiction. I can admit that no sane man needs as many lights as I have. I just can’t do anything to stop myself.
I continue to find lights that are super small but throw a fantastic amount of light, brighter and smaller than what I currently carry. Sometimes its a light that has a lumen output higher than anything I have in my possession and I have to go try to figure out how to get it. Sometimes I sell older, less impressive lights. Sometimes I pinch pennies or set aside my day of holiday pay. Sometimes I try to trade family members I’m not overly close to. (I'm sure they will enjoy their stay in Bangkok.
Coincidentally, the world of flashlights bled over into my interest in firearms and then later into the world of every day carry or EDC. With several blogs and forums dedicated to these three subjects its interesting to note that nearly all of them in some way bleed over into the others.
All the above having been said, I’ve been trying to come up with a way to get my creativity going again and decided that over the next few months I would try to do reviews or articles on some of the various items that I do indeed EDC as well as some of the items I keep around the house “just in case”. Its really more for me than anyone else but I hope that some one reads at least one of the posts and gains something from it in some way.
So, with that, I’ll close this post and see about getting started on my first review. A look into a popular refit to the venerable old MagLite that turns it back into an actual usable and reliable light. Stay tuned.
Back then though, life was tough on a flashaholic. A term I didn’t even become aware existed until just a few years ago when I stumbled upon Candlepower Forums and realized that my “obsession” was not only shared by many others but in some cases, to a degree that absolutely dwarfed mine. Back “in the day” there just wasn’t a lot out there to pack a punch. Ignorance is bliss though I suppose. Back then I thought that my “Streamlight” flashlight, that also converted to a headlamp (a very uncomfortable one I might add), was great and my parent’s MagLite was just the absolute bee’s knees. Oh what little did I know.
Sometime circa 2005 I decided I needed a good light for work and found myself browsing through the world of modern “tactical” lights. I finally settled on an Inova LED flashlight that came with a recharging cradle and with that it was like taking the first hit of meth. I can’t say I know exactly what a meth addiction is like but I can’t imagine its any stronger than a flashaholics addiction to lights and the never-ending battle to find either the brightest light possible in the smallest package they can squeeze it into or simply the most blindingly bright light possible period, size and weight be damned.
Since that fateful day, I say as I chew my nails and scratch at my unkempt hair as I browse the “new items” or “just in” pages of my favorite crac... I mean flashlight suppliers, I have purchased a truly ridiculous number of flashlights. There in is my point about addiction. I can admit that no sane man needs as many lights as I have. I just can’t do anything to stop myself.
I continue to find lights that are super small but throw a fantastic amount of light, brighter and smaller than what I currently carry. Sometimes its a light that has a lumen output higher than anything I have in my possession and I have to go try to figure out how to get it. Sometimes I sell older, less impressive lights. Sometimes I pinch pennies or set aside my day of holiday pay. Sometimes I try to trade family members I’m not overly close to. (I'm sure they will enjoy their stay in Bangkok.
Coincidentally, the world of flashlights bled over into my interest in firearms and then later into the world of every day carry or EDC. With several blogs and forums dedicated to these three subjects its interesting to note that nearly all of them in some way bleed over into the others.
All the above having been said, I’ve been trying to come up with a way to get my creativity going again and decided that over the next few months I would try to do reviews or articles on some of the various items that I do indeed EDC as well as some of the items I keep around the house “just in case”. Its really more for me than anyone else but I hope that some one reads at least one of the posts and gains something from it in some way.
So, with that, I’ll close this post and see about getting started on my first review. A look into a popular refit to the venerable old MagLite that turns it back into an actual usable and reliable light. Stay tuned.
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