Multitool.org Forum
+-

Hello Lurker! Remove this ad and much more by logging in.


Share a Story!

us Offline spudley112

  • *
  • Hero Member
  • *****
    • Posts: 910
  • Did you know Uranus has 22 moons?!?
Share a Story!
on: December 06, 2019, 09:27:35 PM
Being nearly as much a flashaholic as I am a knife knut, I thought it might be nice to hear stories related to a memorable times related to your lights...or a time when you WISH you'd had a light with you. Heck, just share any story. I love hearing people's experiences.

When I was 16, the year before I went into the Marine Corps, a buddy (who was getting ready to ship out to boot camp) asked if I wanted to go explore a cave with he and his girlfriend. I agreed to go and went home and loaded up on lights. This whole trip was extremely stupid of us on so many levels. Rather than taking lights made for the job, I took several cheap flashlights...none of which were waterproof. Dumb considering navigating the cave was done mostly in water. I didn't take spare batteries...just several lights. As we went on (it was a huge cave system) lights started to burn out and I would dig another light out of my pack. By the time we had turned around and were approaching the cave opening, I was on my last flashlight.

The cave was actually restricted due to some rare species of cave fish and bats, but like dumb kids, we ignored it and went in anyway. These days I understand how dangerous to these species our presence could have been. On top of all that, we were not wearing hard hats, nor did we have any proper equipment, or emergency gear of any type. Definitely something I would NOT do these days without doing it properly.

I still shake my head when I think of what could have happened had my backpack fallen into the water. When I was a police officer, I was on the dive rescue team and once had to do a cave rescue of two teen boys who had gone into a cave and dropped their light...which broke, leaving them in total darkness. Needless to say, they could not navigate their way out of the cave. It was just fortunate that they had told a friend and when they were reported missing, he told us they had gone into the cave. They had spent many hours in the cave, in complete darkness. I can only imagine the immense fear they felt, believing they might not be found. A tough lesson to learn.
Rather mundane quote entered here to approximate humor.


us Offline gustophersmob

  • *
  • No Life Club
  • ******
    • Posts: 4,074
  • <><
Re: Share a Story!
Reply #1 on: December 06, 2019, 10:45:03 PM
Great story  :tu:

I have very fond memories of playing capture the flag in the dark at many Boy Scout outings in the early 90’s. Back then I had a 4xD cell Maglite. Better as a club than illumination device compared to more modern torches.

I do remember one particular camp playing capture the flag at night in the woods with about a foot of snow on the ground. We all had white stuff to wear as camouflage. Cold as smurf, but super fun.

That’s why I’m pretty well satisfied EDCing a AAA light since they have a similar output as that old mag, even if less throw.
If the trees blew down the wind and no one was around, would the alphabet song really go backwards?


us Offline spudley112

  • *
  • Hero Member
  • *****
    • Posts: 910
  • Did you know Uranus has 22 moons?!?
Re: Share a Story!
Reply #2 on: December 06, 2019, 11:24:08 PM
Great story  :tu:

I have very fond memories of playing capture the flag in the dark at many Boy Scout outings in the early 90’s. Back then I had a 4xD cell Maglite. Better as a club than illumination device compared to more modern torches.

I do remember one particular camp playing capture the flag at night in the woods with about a foot of snow on the ground. We all had white stuff to wear as camouflage. Cold as smurf, but super fun.

That’s why I’m pretty well satisfied EDCing a AAA light since they have a similar output as that old mag, even if less throw.

It is so funny. When I bought my first Maglite I thought it was the most awesome light ever. These days, that first light I had would be a joke. I dragged out my old military angle head flashlight and put fresh D batteries in it. I had to laugh at the beam it put out. I just bought an Imalent HR20 and all I can think is how much I wish I had THAT light when I was in the Marines.
Rather mundane quote entered here to approximate humor.


us Offline MadPlumbarian

  • *
  • Point Of No Return
  • **********
    • Posts: 37,047
  • Plumbers Know Their Crap!!
Re: Share a Story!
Reply #3 on: December 06, 2019, 11:27:53 PM
Cool story’s,,  thank you for your services spudley,
I used to have a 6D cell mag under the seat of the car, that thing was a freaking monster! I also kept a 4D on a rubber hook right at the front door which came in handy.. well so did that 6D, lol.
JR
"The-Mad-Plumbarian" The Punisher Of Pipes!!! JR
As I sit on my Crapper Throne in the Reading Room and explode on the Commode, thinking, how my flush beat John’s and Jerry’s pair? Jack’s had to run for the Water Closet yet ended up tripping on a Can bowing and hitting his Head on the Porcelain God! 🚽


us Offline Roc

  • *
  • No Life Club
  • ******
    • Posts: 1,955
Re: Share a Story!
Reply #4 on: December 06, 2019, 11:49:16 PM
Thanks for your service Spud. I don’t really have a cool story. My dad was a cop and carried a Maglight. Was never impressed with the different guns he carried, but always wanted to check out the Maglight. I discovered this forum a long time ago and discovered regular folk carried lights too. That’s when it started for me.


us Offline Sos24

  • *
  • *
  • Absolutely No Life Club
  • *******
    • Posts: 9,538
Re: Share a Story!
Reply #5 on: December 07, 2019, 01:53:09 AM
Nice stories, spudly and gus.

I remember when I was in the Navy and had to do berthing inspections many of the petty officers in charge hated my Fenix PD20.  I would go through shining my light different places and finding dirt and dust bunnies.  I remember during one inspection pointing out one spot.  After trying to show another Sailor the area that needed cleaning and not seeing it as well, he runs up and asks if he can borrow my light.  He then complained that if I was going to use my light then the Navy should have to buy them better flashlights to use so they could see what I was going to spot.  One of the next underways during another inspection, the petty officer showed me his new Fenix light.


us Offline MadPlumbarian

  • *
  • Point Of No Return
  • **********
    • Posts: 37,047
  • Plumbers Know Their Crap!!
Re: Share a Story!
Reply #6 on: December 07, 2019, 04:38:04 AM
Thanks for your services Sos24,
I so would have joined to serve if it wasn’t for my health, everyone in my family served, I remember one day my father and step-mother got into a argument as to who’s better because he was army and she was marines, so they both look at me and said fine you pick who’s better? Oh that’s simple, I said navy, turned around and walked to my room, lol
JR
"The-Mad-Plumbarian" The Punisher Of Pipes!!! JR
As I sit on my Crapper Throne in the Reading Room and explode on the Commode, thinking, how my flush beat John’s and Jerry’s pair? Jack’s had to run for the Water Closet yet ended up tripping on a Can bowing and hitting his Head on the Porcelain God! 🚽


us Offline Pacu

  • *
  • *
  • Absolutely No Life Club
  • *******
    • Posts: 5,514
Re: Share a Story!
Reply #7 on: December 07, 2019, 05:14:56 AM
Being a Boy Scout in the 80s we had our fair share of cheap, junk flashlights on camp outs. Remember those silver rayovac clunkers, those yellow no name that took the massive ass battery?  :facepalm:  Maglite came out with that little AA light and was it ever a game changer. Extra bulb in the cap, water proof-ish  ::), and small enough to backpack with. I still an a fan even though there are way better options out there. Maglites were so ingrained into people my age (i'm 44 now) that we still buy them today.

 Headlamps were an expensive luxury so we just stuck the minimag in our hats while hiking at night. Only the lead guy would be lit as to save batteries within the crew.

I wish I had a Delorean . I'd swing by walmart and buy 50 of those cheap headlamps and deposit them in 1984 for our scout troop to use while navigating in the dark. Energizer makes a pretty good inexpensive headlamp.
:like:    :MTO:


us Offline Sos24

  • *
  • *
  • Absolutely No Life Club
  • *******
    • Posts: 9,538
Re: Share a Story!
Reply #8 on: December 07, 2019, 06:02:00 AM
Thanks for your services Sos24,
I so would have joined to serve if it wasn’t for my health, everyone in my family served, I remember one day my father and step-mother got into a argument as to who’s better because he was army and she was marines, so they both look at me and said fine you pick who’s better? Oh that’s simple, I said navy, turned around and walked to my room, lol
JR

Thanks.  You do know by choosing Navy in a way you chose your Mom, because the Marines are part of the Dept of the Navy, although many Marines just consider the Navy their delivery service.

Being a Boy Scout in the 80s we had our fair share of cheap, junk flashlights on camp outs. Remember those silver rayovac clunkers, those yellow no name that took the massive ass battery?  :facepalm:  Maglite came out with that little AA light and was it ever a game changer. Extra bulb in the cap, water proof-ish  ::), and small enough to backpack with. I still an a fan even though there are way better options out there. Maglites were so ingrained into people my age (i'm 44 now) that we still buy them today.

 Headlamps were an expensive luxury so we just stuck the minimag in our hats while hiking at night. Only the lead guy would be lit as to save batteries within the crew.

I wish I had a Delorean . I'd swing by walmart and buy 50 of those cheap headlamps and deposit them in 1984 for our scout troop to use while navigating in the dark. Energizer makes a pretty good inexpensive headlamp.

Mini Mags were a thing of beauty when they first came out.  They were so much smaller and more durable than many of the lights out at the time.


spam Offline comis

  • *
  • *
  • Zombie Apprentice
  • ********
    • Posts: 11,148
Re: Share a Story!
Reply #9 on: December 07, 2019, 11:26:36 AM
Being a Boy Scout in the 80s we had our fair share of cheap, junk flashlights on camp outs. Remember those silver rayovac clunkers, those yellow no name that took the massive ass battery?  :facepalm:  Maglite came out with that little AA light and was it ever a game changer. Extra bulb in the cap, water proof-ish  ::) , and small enough to backpack with. I still an a fan even though there are way better options out there. Maglites were so ingrained into people my age (i'm 44 now) that we still buy them today.

 Headlamps were an expensive luxury so we just stuck the minimag in our hats while hiking at night. Only the lead guy would be lit as to save batteries within the crew.

I wish I had a Delorean . I'd swing by walmart and buy 50 of those cheap headlamps and deposit them in 1984 for our scout troop to use while navigating in the dark. Energizer makes a pretty good inexpensive headlamp.

I had many fond memories with Maglites when I was in Boy scout, I love everything about the Minimag, especially its candle 'mode'.  I also did lug around a 6C for many hiking trips, and I remembered how that puppy was really bright, massive and totally overkill.

I had taken many photography trips over the years, and flashlights had always been instrumental, especially navigating in total darkness. 


One story came to mind--about traveling to the Racetrack in Death Valley NP couple years ago, and once night fell, it was total pitch dark.  I vividly remembered trying to get all the coordinates and bearing on my cell phone, so I knew how to return to my car once I finished the photo shoot.  However, I still had that uneasy feeling about the whole thing, since the actual shoot could be 1-2 km away(around 1 mile) depending on our luck, and the land is rather featureless and we don't have any flashlight that could illuminate objects 1-2km away.

I ended up turning on my glo-tube on low setting and set it on the dashboard, and it was a total ass-saver.  It kept on glowing for that entire time I was out there, and following that green light back to our car was a total breeze(see the green light in the following photo).



us Offline MadPlumbarian

  • *
  • Point Of No Return
  • **********
    • Posts: 37,047
  • Plumbers Know Their Crap!!
Re: Share a Story!
Reply #10 on: December 07, 2019, 07:08:19 PM
Thanks.  You do know by choosing Navy in a way you chose your Mom, because the Marines are part of the Dept of the Navy, although many Marines just consider the Navy their delivery service.
Right, but I let them argue it out,
I had a lot of service in my family,
One grandfather if I’m not mistaken was on the beaches,
My other grandfather started off yet switched to air force, traveled the globe and retired as a master sergeant with 27yrs of service, then 20yrs at Yale university,
Father army,
Step-mom marines,
Father-in-law navy,
And a bunch of other uncles and cousins,
My grandfathers brother was actually a gunsmith, who worked with the army for a few thing but he was such a bad drunk they took whatever ideas and cut ties, know how on some hunting rifles the back of the stock has a hole in it, thus you can slip your back hands thumb through the stock rather then over? i was told that was one of his ideas but never got it patented because he was to busy getting drunk,
I so would have joined if it wasn’t for my health,

Which kinda leads me to a story, my cousin was signing up fo the marines, some guy was over the house and doing the paperwork, he asked me if I ever thought of joining and I said yeah, I always wanted to join the navy, but they won’t take me, so the guys like oh come on, I bet the marines will, so I looked at him and said fine if you can get them to take me I’ll join today, the guy had the biggest smile on his face, my cousin had a smirk, So the guy gets ready to fill paperwork out, I’m like dude, your waisting your time, he looks at me and says na, your in good shape, you got this! Dude, I have a seizure disorder, they going to let me join now? I didn’t think so..
JR
"The-Mad-Plumbarian" The Punisher Of Pipes!!! JR
As I sit on my Crapper Throne in the Reading Room and explode on the Commode, thinking, how my flush beat John’s and Jerry’s pair? Jack’s had to run for the Water Closet yet ended up tripping on a Can bowing and hitting his Head on the Porcelain God! 🚽


 

Donations

Operational Funds

Help us keep the Unworkable working!
Donate with PayPal!
March Goal: $300.00
Due Date: Mar 31
Total Receipts: $279.86
PayPal Fees: $14.66
Net Balance: $265.20
Below Goal: $34.80
Site Currency: USD
88% 
March Donations

Community Links


Powered by EzPortal