Is an EDC flashlight even necessary?

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I have them all over. Each vehicle has one, another in my gym bag, one in my range gun, one.bedside, one downstairs, a very small LED attached to the key ring, and one on me.
 
Typically I have (technically) 3 lights. Main light is a Thorfire VG-15S, app on my phone turns on the (camera) flashlight, and I even have a small light on my watch. The light on the watch is somewhere in the ball park of 10 lumens or so. It is good for not stepping on the dogs in the middle of the night.
 
I have them all over. Each vehicle has one, another in my gym bag, one in my range gun, one.bedside, one downstairs, a very small LED attached to the key ring, and one on me.
I do the same, but they tend to pile up bedside until whatever reason they disperse. I know that I can always find a flashlight or three bedside. I never used the flashlight app on my cell phone and eventually removed it as it would just turn on for no apparent reason at all. Actually keep several in vehicles so I can set one down and use another.
 
I have unfortunately lost a part in my VN era pilots flash light that used two AA batteries and had a feature that allowed one to choose a red filter at the twist of the forward bevel. One of the most popular items at the PX for some of us was the old silver chromed two AA "pen lights" that were bigger around than ones thumb and stuck out both sides of one's fist in use. Not sure either produced as much light and a simple oil storm lantern like one might buy for decore these days... but they beat the heck out of no light out yonder. The red lens on the pilot's light was handy in a save your night vision sort of way.....but you could not see the contour lines on a map using it!!!! So one had to build a poncho light bag and get in it possibly with a buddy and use the white light and be blind for several minutes afterward if one needed to see contour lines on the ground.

Back in the 1970's I was thrilled with the little blue throw away pocket lights medical people used. The switch was the pocket clip and it could be held in the mouth if one needed both hands.

As a kid in the 1960's I loved a European Military flash light my dad gave me, a rectangular thing with sliding lens covers in red and green. It was much like the light one saw on pre and early war German troops' field gear and had a leather tongue on it for attaching it to a stud on such gear.

I have a much worn finish AAA Maglite key chain light on my key chain. While it is not a 57 billion Lumen laser cannon it has been useful on more than one occasion.

I carried a stream light pen with the AAAA batteries for a bit but even camera shops got to where finding batteries was iffy. These days I occasionally buy a card of those little three cell in a carrier short stout nine LED light Chinese made flash lights at Tractor Supply on the junk tables and toss one in the driver's door pocket and one in the glove box of each car and leave them laying about the house. Works out cheap and when they get lost or the Florida summer heat gets the batteries and they ooze I am only out a buck and a half tops. Keep several around the house and they get used....because they are never where I put them!!!!! Even one I safety pinned to the fabric of my Lazy Boy by its cloth looped lanyard went walk about!!!!!

For many years each of the kids has had a two AA flash light with hand crank generator hanging on their bed posts along with an athletic whistle. The idea being light to get out of the house with and find their way with out side in weather and whistle to get located by, though they have instructions to go to the back gate and wait for Mom and Dad.

I recently saw some little tiny key chain lights with some sort of set the world on fire LED bulbs that were powered by hearing aid batteries at Bass Pro that were tempting for use on everyone's key chains for emergencies. Ah the Stream light Nano ( thanks drobs)

At one point everyone had their house key in a little 2023 watch battery light holder that was designed to help one find the house locks in the dark. It went over the "handle" portion of the key and so was always attached to the house key. They got used on more than one occasion to look for items dropped between the car and the house and one night to find where the darned ants were getting in the tent at on a scouting event. They always made me think of the funnels placed over the key slots on the doors of a 1600's castle I once visited that were there to prevent fumbling in the dark with the keys.

A friend has carried a Mini Mag in a belt pouch for 20 years...and still ends up with an illuminated left side and arm pit on occasion.....but usually has a light when he needs it. Hard to argue with.



-kBob
 
This question is related to me earlier question about an EDC knife for my son's upcoming 18th birthday.

As I outfit his EDC, I have to ask, is a flashlight even necessary? The lights on these newer smart phones (buying him one of those, too) are pretty bright. I have Phenix that I really like, but I don't carry and pretty much never use it. Sits by my bed.

Should I go down the road of picking out a light, or should I just skip it?

Yes, it is for ME. I use it extensively throughout the day.
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The phone light is awful because if you’re shining it into a small hole (like a gearbox oil fill or a particular bolt nestled somewhere deep inside a frame :cuss:) because it covers up what you’re trying to look at. It’s also quicker for me to pull out a flashlight than to get my phone out, push a few buttons and then have light. Also many flashlights have adjustable beam intensity which is a nice feature.

A person’s everyday activities should (obviously) dictate their EDC. This shield wrench is something that’s in my EDC that wouldn’t be at all useful to some other people. Would the EDC if your son require a flashlight? Depends on his daily activities.
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Some of these inexpensive (and popular) lights can fail at absolutely the wrong time. A mile a way from your truck while returning in the dark from a deer stand. Or a nightstand light next to a nightstand home defense weapon when needed most.
 
A flashlight helped me find something straight and black hiding against the black carpet under the seat of my car this morning.

Another helped me rule out where a small controller might have gone to.
 
Knife, light, keys, wallet ,gun, belt, watch and hat. Never leave home without all these things, may not need them but when you do theres no substitue. Phones optional.
 
Some of these inexpensive (and popular) lights can fail at absolutely the wrong time. A mile a way from your truck while returning in the dark from a deer stand. Or a nightstand light next to a nightstand home defense weapon when needed most.

I remember being out in a freezing pitch-black cornfield 4am setting up a goose blind for my dad and I. He had given me a super cheap flash light to use that he bought earlier that week. On its first use, straight out of the package, I pressed the button on the tailcap- and I har a "spronk!" sound. As soon as I pressed the button, the front plastic lens, bulb, area surrounding the bulb, battery and spring- all launched out of the front and I was just holding an aluminum tube. Learned a lesson that morning.
 
I carry a small surefire one cell AAA in my pocket, a larger CR123 Sureire Scorpion on my belt. A small led on my keyring. Bedside is huge 4 D cell mag light. Scattered around the house are a dozen cheap or free Harbor freight flashlights for the wife and grand kids to abuse.
 
The company I work for went out and bought those stupid Bell + Howell "Tac" Lights for every car in their Fleet. I can't speak for the other vehicles but ours lasted about two weeks.

I guess I can speak to the other vehicles because they're missing from every vehicle they were put in. So I'm guessing that they crapped out and got thrown away
 
My garage door opener broke. After I pulled my car in the garage I had to walk back and manually shut my garage door. Then I was in the dark.

Doh !

I could have re-opened the garage door, walked to the light switch by the entrance to the house, switched on the garage light, walked back to the garage door and shut it manually, but instead I turned on the light I have on my keychain.
 
I have a few fairly expensive ones that range from good to great. For the last couple years, I have used this one for EDC.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/GRACETOP-S...386707?hash=item365641cc53:g:HxIAAOSwIV5drOlv

I haven’t found anything that comes close for the money. I bought more than one and swap the battery from the charger/flashlight in the morning. The pocket clip allows me to swap ends to clip it on my hat, if I need hands free.
 
I find that the ones I have carried on my key chain the last few decades get a lot of use. Probably more than any pocket knife I have carried over the years.
 
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I think we've determined that an EDC flashlight is a necessity for many of us and that others don't care because their phone has served them so far.
 
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