Is an EDC flashlight even necessary?

To +1 a previous post, while I have good lights in my car and home, where I use them the most, I don't carry one. I find my phone is sufficient for my needs, and I dislike carrying any more than I need.

I have many dozens of these, always carry one, stashed all over, I got them generally for less than $5 take AA batteries:




Here's a 3-pack for $12:
https://smile.amazon.com/UltraFire-...e+flashlight&qid=1566577779&s=gateway&sr=8-14

I think they are needed short daylight hours and keep one in my car and truck . Especially the truck to make sure the fith wheel is latched. Have plans to purchase a small EDC light with clip

I've found a small flashlight always on your person to be one of the most useful items I have.

I use a small EDC flashlight multiple time per day. My phone light is a back-up. I consider the flash light a non-optional piece of equipment.

A dedicated pocket light is always a good addition to EDC. There have been a few times where I have been in a situation where using the light on my phone was impractical and needed a light in my hand. Lights are small and inexpensive, even dollar stores have them. Besides isn't the old axom 2 is 1 and 1 is none? A pocket light and phone light will do more to compliment each other than cancel themselves out.

Always have.

1. A good one is a reasonable impact weapon for NPEs or out of ammo. I have bopped dummy targets in class with mine. Good for flying but be careful of those with the vicious impact square tooth edges. Some TSA will snag them. You can get a sturdy one the size of thick pen from 5.11 or Streamlight that work just fine.
2. It is a good interrogative tool for suspicious folks in the evening. Done that on neighborhood walks. Someone approaches and a mild light up, takes them aback.
3. The lights go out - power out because of whatever. I was in the big supermarket and a storm turned it into darkness. The emergency lights were trivial, panic ensued but I was OK. I could find the door. Today with phones though, most probably could.
4. The car goes blooey and you have to look under the hood, esp. at night. Been there on that one.
5. Lighting up suspicious animals at night. However, despite the ads saying the lights scare them, I find the animals think it is neat and stare into the lights but it does let me know if it's a deer or a chupacabra.

Lights have gotten me away from dogs a number of times.

Agree they won't be scared, but they don't understand to not look at the light, so are dazzled by it, cannot see you. Shine right in the eyes (as long as it's dark out), and back slowly away. You can get a lot of distance before they notice, and then usually will wander off as you are no longer nearby whatever made them come out to confront you.


Also fun to shine into woodsy spots and see the eyes of many other animals reflecting at you. They hide, but again do not understand flashlights, so will stare right at you, and you can tell how many are out there.

I'm more likely to have my EDC flashlight with me than just about any other tool.

It's hard to see in the dark.

https://www.streamlight.com/products/detail/index/microstream-usb

Like I said, tiny and puts out a helluva lot of light

Very portable 400 Lumen + lights are getting very inexpensive. In a pinch you can replace them at Lowes or Home Depot. I always have one with me, and use it more than my multi-tool. Very handy for lighting up hard to see mechanical problems.

Bear in mind, the EDC light is especially effective at temporarily blinding belligerent drunks or druggies. Their vision takes a few extra seconds to adjust to a bright light. It gives you a few seconds to "exit stage left", and does no permanent damage.

"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."

Could it be that you are wasting your money if he doesn't carry these items?

Reason I say this is because I have grandsons who are now young men. I have bought them knives, but they never have them on them. We recently went camping, and I asked one of them to lend me his knife (yes,I had one on me, but I was just checking). He did not have his, nor did his twin brother, nor did the youngest. They told me that they were somewhere in their rooms, but that they hadn't carried them once. Later that evening, their Mom wondered where the head lights she had bought them were. Same thing, back in their rooms. If they had to hit the latrine during those nights I guess that they stumbled around in the dark.

in an emergency, save the phone charge for being a phone....

I carried that maglite on the job for years.
Funny story,
One night I told a mook to turn around, he was under arrest. He went into a defense stance and said I know Karate. I smacked him with the maglite and said " I know everready"
Still have that light in the console of the truck.

For EDC I bought one of these a couple of months ago. One of my two high dollar (to me) lights. Battery life, ease of charging, and a built in remaining battery life indicator were features that I wanted. The charger is built into the light. A USB cord enables me to charge it in the car while driving to work. My other light is Surefire 6p that is over twenty years old. I work night shift on occasion and spend a lot time traveling and moving around in the dark. Flashlights to me are kind of important.

I was working in a high rise in downtown Los Angeles on 9/11. I've made sure to EDC a light ever since.

JShirley said:

This morning, after commenting on this thread, I was about to get into the shower, when the hotel lights flickered, and died.

A light is probably the most important survival item you can have, after water.

Click to expand...

I have had that happen at home. My current pocket light has an advertised max brightness of 1070 lumens. I turned it down to the 2nd or 3rd brightest and used it to take my shower, as the water in the tank was still hot.

I use mine at work, to illuminate patients' eyes while fitting and dispensing sunglasses, as well as many other things. My younger son was just like your one with the phone, Armored farmer, until I bought him a good truck light, and a good carry light, after several times of him borrowing mine. The older one knows better-he had an EDC flashlight by 15.

Sounds like you do not want to spend a whole lot of money on something he might not actually use. I would advise an all in one gift set from a retailer like Amazon. Not expensive but functional tools. And if he wants to upgrade to his own stuff, he can later in life. Some of these gifts can even be engraved for a more personal touch. I have used similar sets for gifts of friends who live in NJ who cannot have too much weaponry type stuff.

https://www.amazon.com/Tac-Pac-Trio...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==