How Often and What for Do You Use Your Flashlight(s)?

[N_N_R]

Hey

Let's see what people use their flashlights for and how often!

I use mine most frequently instead of the lamps at home... lol. For example when I'm sitting in front of the computer, want to have a look around the room for a reason, but am too lazy to rise, go and switch the "real" lamp, I'd use my flashlight which is always with me. Or the same at night- I may wake up, need water or sth, I won't switch on the big lamp, but use my flashlight. It's also a nice alternative early in the morning when I have to get up, but I'm still sooooo sleepy that I'd kill anyone who switches on a huge lamp in my face... I don't normally need flashlights at work or during the day in general.

How about you?

[Beerplumber]

I'm lucky and need/use lights at work daily. Trouble lights or utility lights are lame after you use a high quality headlamp. It's either headlamps or a light small enough to hold in ones teeth. I move around a lot working under bars or in ceilings. After I bought my surefire saint I was using it to BBQ, take out the trash at night and reading in bed all the time. It's just a joy to use!


Stay multi my friends

[Tofty]

The torch i use most often turns out to have been the least expensive, one of the MXDL AAA things i got for a couple of quid of ebay.
I use it as part of my work tool kit, as an upgrade from the old AA mini maglite.
At more than double the brightness and about a quarter the volume i'm ashamed to say i don't miss the maglite at all, despite the fact that it never actually failed on me after many years of service.
The MXDL's tint might be a bit blue but since i use it primarily to hunt for 'tinkle, tinkle, bugger! washers' inside machinery it's a great improvement over the mags notorious rings.

[edcgear]

Usual stuff mostly, and plain AA or AAA is more than enough...

But I needed (and got from tattoosteve99) one powerfull torch because I have time to time inspections/evaluation of steel inside some factories which have no electricity, or I have to inspect inside of tanker, reservoir, or simmilar thing... So outside is sunny day, and while using low lm lamp (80, 90, 100 - 150lm) is not efficient, the 18650 XML hi lm gives enough light!!

[Chain Gang]

I keep small led lights in every room of my home,usually with in arms reach.The main use is in case of power outages and taking the garbage out.I also have motion sensor led lights in the kitchen and bathroom for the a late night snack or for what most people do in the bathroom in the middle of the night.I hate turning on a bright light when I'm still a little foggy from sleep.I also have a Streamlite TR-1 on my Glock 22 for things that go bump in the night.

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

I have an HCRI Preon 1 I keep on my keychain for stuff like finding items I drop in various places, going into the garage at night to find the light switch, and stuff like that.  I use it a lot at night for just shambling around the house so I don't bother anyone, and it saves on electricity too.

I also regularly use my lights for biking, hiking, camping, etc.  I typically have a light mounted on my bike helmet and dedicated for such use, and I use whatever EDC light I've got in my gadget bag on the handlebars of my bike as well for additional lighting.

I frequently use a headlamp when I'm working on something at my workbench in the garage, or for sewing a patch on something etc.  It's very useful for my old eyes when I'm doing that kind of fine detail work.

[N_N_R]

Now I want to work at a dark place, too, lol, I envy you

Beerplumber- I've tried several times (well, it was necessary) to hold a flashlight in my teeth, but I must say I absolutely hate it

Chain Gang- yeah, keeping a flashlight in every room is a nice idea. But if you don't use them often, do you/how often do you/ check the batteries to see if they won't leak?


Btw, I was thinking... would it be possible to save money if we tried not to use normal lamps/bulbs and tried to survive on LED flashlights only for a month


*** LOL, Heinz, only now did I notice your reply and you actually answered my question about the electricity!

[dks]

Usual things:

Power cuts (about once a year at the most, really) looking around the neighbourhood or the yard, sometimes when doing some repair work inside cupboards, in dark places or to any equipment with small parts, especially in the evening, at night if for any reason I do not want to put a light on and playing with them for no reason mostly, to tell the truth… 

[Steinar]

My two most common uses are when walking home at night and when looking for stuff at home. For the last use, both as a light source, and because it's a good trick to use a flashlight when searching for something. It focuses your attention and makes it less likely to overlook the thing you are looking for while it is lying right in front of you.

All in all, some high single digit number per week.

[Logrus9]

Several times a week at home, basement laundry, around the garage, critters in the yard. I have a bunch around the house and car in case of power outages, I have lots of trees and bad drivers near me.

[Pacu]

Colour blind and I do cat5/6 patching at work so i need a bright light to tell what's what.

Serac and Monarch in the tool bag.

also walking the dogs gotta keep an eye out for copperheads

[Chain Gang]

Chain Gang- yeah, keeping a flashlight in every room is a nice idea. But if you don't use them often, do you/how often do you/ check the batteries to see if they won't leak?


I actually use most of the lights and do an automatic battery change and recharge about every six weeks or so.I use Sanyo Eneloop batteries and never a leak problem.I think it's a good idea to rotate and charge or at least visually check all my battery operated devices on a regular basis just in case.

[ducttapetech]

I use my Surefire defender at work to see where i am going in the buildings I work in to turn the breakers on for the lighting, use it on the farm, working on equipment, use it to clean my firearms, use to find light switches in the house and barns. Like my Charge and Sog Vulcan, never has a day went pass that I never used it.
 I really need to buy a rechargeable batteries for it, I go threw a lot of batteries. 

[powernoodle]

I was a flashlight freak before I got into knives, guns and multitools.  I always have a light on my belt.  For a good while, it has been a Quark 2x123 with 18650 tube.  On some occasions its a Quark Mini 123.  But its always there.

For the most part, my light gets used around the house.  Its just a dark house.  So I'm always using it to look in closets, drawers and everywhere else.  But it gets used a few times a day, and its probably the last of my EDC items that I would want to leave behind.

[jerseydevil]

The E01 on my keys gets used every day at work.  The lighting in our basement and garage at the store is crap, and item numbers on products tend to be dark lettering/numerals on dark labels.  I used to carry a mini Maglite, but actually got the Fenix a day before Hurricane Irene tore through here and knocked out power for four days.  Talk about good timing!

[enki_ck]

For the last year or so my main edc light has been the ITP A3, first the alu black XP-E Q5 with the lmh sequence and when I lost it, I got a SS XP-E R5 and haven't bought a flashlight since (used to buy about one a month ). It's my favourite by far. Small but powerful with great spill. And during the winter months I carried and extra 47 Quark AA2 or AA (same flashlight, just with a different body) in my coat pocket. I use them for the usual, walking a dark alley, checking around the yard at night, camping, searching for dropped objects at the parking lot or a club, ...

At home I prefer the 5mm LEDs (E01 and Gerber Infinity Ultra). I use them for night trips to the bathroom, reading lights, night lamps, ... (I don't have night lamps any more, just flashlights) I'm actually a big fan on the 5mm LEDs, great run times and very durable.


 

Colour blind and I do cat5/6 patching at work so i need a bright light to tell what's what.
...

  I'm not colour blind, but on some UTP cables I can't even tell which one is which, especially between the light-brown/white, orange/white.

[Mr. Whippy]

I'm lucky and need/use lights at work daily. Trouble lights or utility lights are lame after you use a high quality headlamp. It's either headlamps or a light small enough to hold in ones teeth. I move around a lot working under bars or in ceilings. After I bought my surefire saint I was using it to BBQ, take out the trash at night and reading in bed all the time. It's just a joy to use!


Stay multi my friends

I agree with this logic.  I use lights most of the time except in the height of Summer.  Night horse check, troubleshooting farm equipment, spotlighting raccoons in the barn , etc.

Headlamps are great for working on equipment.  If I don't have a headlamp with me, I always have a light that is comfortable to hold in my teeth.

I prefer a 18650 or CR123X2 for spotlighting animals--it stuns them more and freezes them in place, but otherwise CR123X1 or AAAX1

[tattoosteve99]

Mmmm let's see so far I have 3 surefires (6p,3p,and e1e) 1 fenix 01, 1 1D mag, and 1 other. I use them all. The 3p is my bling light just to blind people . My 6p and my 1D mag are my most used. The fenix is a backup I keep in my LM sheath. The e1e is currently being modded by me for better runtime and the other is in my Edc bag just in case.

[N_N_R]

Today I'm going to dig my granny's basement for old newspapers & magazines which I can sell to second-hand retailers/collectors at a nice price... the electricity there's usually either .. gone or crappy, so I wonder what to take with me: the Maglite Mini or just my Fenix E01 with a spare battery just in case.. Given the size and the fact that I don't have many pockets, I guess I'll go with the E01, moreover, I have the Maglite Solitaire on my keys, lol

[jekostas]

I always use my light going from my car to my apartment at night.  While there isn't a problem with security, it's ill lit and I have enough ankle problems that I don't need to be walking in to things.

Also, new baby (at least since the beginning of the year) - Tank007 E09.  Fantastic little light.

[mvyrmnd]

Daily, for any number of incidebtal and mundane tasks.

I have a Solarforce L2p with a lantern head and a triple High CRI dropin than hangs from my wrought iron bed head, that's used instead of a bedside lamp.

My Tri-EDC (High CRI) is used as it's name would suggest, and is used for work and play, as well as retrieving my toddlers teddy from behind his bed at 2am when he's woken and realised it's missing.

My High CRI Preon 1 lives on my keyring as an emergency backup.

My High CRI (I'm staring to notice a theme here...) Mac's 3300L is used for big outdoor tasks and nighttime Geocaching.

[Styerman]

Mine get lots of use , at work and at play . My penlight see's lots of work looking into nooks and crannies . They are very much a part of my EDC , had a nasty experience with total darkness / light failure , so I always have at least two on me at all times .

Chris

[sjian]

I use my flashlight at work to do a fuel level check at the start of the shiftand a pre-trip inspection before any trip.  In any given day, I could be doing anywhere between 6 to 12 trips. 

Occasionally I'll find a use for it doing other tasks like walking around at night, but you never know when that might come up.  I currently use a Fenix LD10 but planning on getting a zebralight H502w as soon as they release it.

[gustophersmob]

90% of my flashlight use is covered by my pocket carried Fenix LD01 SS.  90% of that 90% usage is at work, used in well lit areas to make things brighter.

Most of our test technicians and quality control inspectors either don't have flashlights or they have one of those 9 x 5mm LED jobbies that are garbage.  So, anytime we have a test failure, I'm loaning mine out to better illuminate the boards/parts being investigating.

[N_N_R]

I just realised the most frequent use I make of my flashlights is constantly fidget & fiddle with them, turn them on/off ...  

[Beerplumber]

I just realised the most frequent use I make of my flashlights is constantly fidget & fiddle with them, turn them on/off ...  

Thats the best part, everything else is just excuses.


Stay multi my friends

[demonoflust]

I tends to use my mobile LED as flashlight more and more nowaday instead of my MagLite or Midnite MiniChamp.

[nuphoria]

Depends on the time of day/year for me, but this is what I mostly use lights for:

Got a couple of larger ones which are for checking out strange noises at night or walking the dog in the dark.
My true EDC tends to be a 123 sized light and gets used in and out of the house on a regular basis.
My evening/PJ light is a Preon I with a clicky and I use it instead of house lights through the night. I'm an insomniac and find that's it's much easier to use this instead of putting lights on all over the place.... cheaper too

[N_N_R]

I just realised the most frequent use I make of my flashlights is constantly fidget & fiddle with them, turn them on/off ...  

Thats the best part, everything else is just excuses.


Stay multi my friends

LOL

 checking out strange noises at night

Like what ?! *help* *scared* 

My evening/PJ light is a Preon I with a clicky and I use it instead of house lights through the night. I'm an insomniac and find that's it's much easier to use this instead of putting lights on all over the place.... cheaper too

Yet another person who saves energy & decreases bills with flashlights

[Gareth]

The majority of the time I'm using my lights at work, small re-wiring jobs in the dark, looking for lost parts under benches, tracing pipe runs/wiring etc etc.  I've realised that this doesn't necessarily demand a super bright light, but also that 1xAAA's can be a little fiddly for extended use.  My most commonly used light is a iTP A2; not super bright but sits nicely in my hand and has a pocket clip.