It has come to this…
Periodically gathering up the Lair’s principal flashlights…
…and replacing/recharging all their batteries.
And it’s not like I have some weird flashlight fetish – I didn’t even know until years after I’d moved off-grid that there was such a thing as a flashlight enthusiast, or that there are fora devoted to the things. They have a whole vocabulary I don’t speak. No, in my case it’s just that when you make your own electricity there are always dark places where you can’t flip a light switch, and a flashlight is always a good thing to have near.
Most of the lights in that first pic are gifts, the latest being a nice Fenix from Commander Zero. The place I’ve been using it doesn’t really do it justice – it sits on my nightstand though a few years ago it would have been my principal belt light. I lightened the load a while back since I’ve been less active outdoors, and now I only regularly carry that little Lumintop.
Which was also a reader gift though I don’t recall from whom. Sometimes if I have to go out at night, though, I’ll still put a flashlight holster on my belt and that’s when I carry the Fenix.
That old Maglight is a retread – somebody was actually throwing it away, if you can believe it. I updated it with an LED, and it hangs mostly forgotten in a place where should I ever need a flashlight in that place I’ll need one very badly – and I might not have a belt or pockets at the time, so…
Of all the “EDC” gear in my pockets, it’s the flashlight that gets used most. A good, small, bright CR123 or AA flashlight that fits unobtrusively in the pocket is a wildly useful thing.
Yup, the little Olight S1R Baton II rechargeable resides in my cargo pocket and has been used so often that the black anodized coating is wearing off exposing the brass below. That magnet in the base holds it to any ferrous surface for hands free and has saved my ass with fishing up dropped bolts more times than I can tally. A month or so ago I “lost” it and ordered a replacement. Then found it as the thing had fallen out of my pocket and been pressed into the turf by the mower. Works just fine. My only beef with the manufacturer is that the 123 rechargeable is custom designed for Olight and you cannot recharge standard 123 lithium rechargeables in the case. those have to be removed and charged externally. Great product otherwise. Yeah, their custom battery costs a lot more than the “standard”.
I’ve been wearing caps with lights for over 15 years. They come in handy so often. I’m not sayin this is the best, it’s an example. I bought two, one works. I’m okay with it. And it’s rechargable, instead of eating 2032 batteries. I’m going hunting for a few more, soon. I’m looking for a rechargable, but not necessarily from this outfit.
Hands-Free-Baseball-Headlamp-Flashlight/dp/B08M3BMWW1?pd_rd_w=GmWxm&content-id=amzn1.sym.7e262374-44e5-4ab3-b618-0a09608861a6&pf_rd_p=7e262374-44e5-4ab3-b618-0a09608861a6&pf_rd_r=A9ZTMEY5F3KZ5RZR1C54&pd_rd_wg=JHPb8&pd_rd_r=1c348269-0c1a-42ae-9e1e-c72523018032&pd_rd_i=B08M3BMWW1&psc=1&ref_=pd_bap_d_grid_rp_0_4_i
Sorry if that is huge..
Nolan
Usually deleting everything past the ? including same will take you to the site. All the guff after the ? is tracking stuff.
EG – put this in the link bar:
https://www.amazon.com/Flashlight-LHKNL-Ultra-Light-Rechargeable-Waterproof/dp/B08D66HCXW/ref=sr_1_2_sspa
Instead of:
https://www.amazon.com/Flashlight-LHKNL-Ultra-Light-Rechargeable-Waterproof/dp/B08D66HCXW/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?adgrpid=1228154832067219&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.CoLPOMd6s6oioihRTSPLZRodiY3UxlcCK-w8CH5WPb3pWLxNQqz1C_lADchpA558sS9CRSPDdMnPAh2KLjnV1Ps_yMj1D3n3hA9dmIxDcT11_LThflPgQ3F4mlqyXCSU1d_y072Dc-HZ5pwRYwM2DQK-QFA7SEGYWCUYacIsUSfXDJzBb3XU7std82995lN7X7mAuytrhFbhLC88YEpijhIG0Rj2lsxM1Fbo58LKWQCNMNOXbtk68UiCw3H9GtwmlN4RJHlUKHAVYqKgAm_7Zggp-4fdnW3thh9hgZHqLe4.7jsxcTMR_Uzf0sTRUInlCvee9m6O0RQrXw0uCueqtGQ&dib_tag=se&hvadid=76759844499167&hvbmt=bp&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=102557&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=p&hvtargid=kwd-76759943811221%3Aloc-190&hydadcr=22825_13602349&keywords=head+mounted+flashlight&msclkid=8ab711ac6eca1f3e140d771aabd1635d&qid=1723254050&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1
My go-to for many years is the Streamlight Microstream- 1 AAA battery, 1.25 oz fully loaded. Not the brightest on the block, but perfect for 95%+ of the chores for which it is employed.
Terrapod, thank you for the How To.
I have a flash light on my belt but mainly I rely on head lamps. I use a three AAA battery pone mostly but I have a rechargeable that is very bright that I use if I need to check outside. Living in Alaska off grid winter nights are long and many people light their outdoor pastimes with head lamps. When I worked at a fish hatchery we kept the incubation room dark and worked with head lamps. It started with 4 D cell units with a wire from belt mounted batteries progressed to 3 AA units with old style bulbs and progressed to 3AAA batteries with LED bulbs.