My LD20 is the only light I use daily...(And my E01 as a neck light on paracord daily.)
For whatever reason does anyone here have a really small collection (but still goes on forums every day and loves lights?) Maybe you got rid of them all, or only kept your EDC, etc? Id just be interested to hear that story, since I know a lot of guys here are the opposite, have maybe 50 lights, or 100.
These are my two main lights, the only two I use or need...(so if I only owned these lights Id be perfectly happy - because I dont find myself using anything else.)
I have a large collection that serves no practical purpose. My purchase decisions are based on whim, folly and/or mood . . . there is an occasional economic connection but not usually.
I had quite a collection kicking around. But since going back to college I've had to part with most and have kept with only the ones I really need (or think I need hehe)...Down to about 2 headlamps and maybe 6 lights hehe.
I have fewer than I once did - I've sold/given away quite a few. I don't actually know how many lights I own. But probably more than 100 some of which are pretty much obsolete now and would need major effort to make them worthwhile nowadays.
(also have a WF-501B but it came as an extra and I prefer the 504B by far)
Thrower: Trustfire X9
Don't have a headlamp yet but will get one one day.
To be honest I can not see any fields I do not have covered as the above 3 lights do everything I could possibly want (well apart from a triple XML, 35W HID, 120k lux aspheric, single 26650 light, triple 18650 light, single 10440 pocket rocket, flame on a stick, and the above mentioned headlamp :p ....but those are wants, not needs :D )
Maglite Mini AA w. TerraLUX plugin and NiteIZE IQ switch (household emergency light, in candle mode also on camping trips)
Nitecore EZCR2 (keychain, headlamp w. a simple 4Sevens headband)
Fenix TK20 (multi-purpose light e.g. camping, neutral natural tint)
SkyRay STL-V2 (thrower w. also some quite useful spill)
As you can see most of them are not "fashionable" at all but all of them are pretty good for the job.
I have also some (perhaps ten) others, e.g. Quark Mini CR2 Ti which is a bit shorter than EZCR2 but not as easy to operate one-handed for me so I'll keep it just as a collectible. I've been into flashlights for just 2-3 years and just recently realized that the new stuff may be a bit brighter on paper but usually it doesn't impress me much otherwise.
I like lights but don’t like collecting lights. So I have lights distributed where I might need them (car,night stand, etc) and the rest are on my desk (at home).
There are purposes for most of them. There are a few in a junk drawer that I don’t care about. There are a couple that I’ll give away that are good lights where I just have too much redundancy. There are a couple of special purpose ones that I don’t really need but as I said I like flashlights
If I rounded them all up not including the junk ones that could just be thrown away I have less than 20 I’d guess unless a bunch of button key chain lights pushed me over that number.
I could get by with just a Zebralight H51f, Thrunite TI, and a Photon Pro. It’s nice to have a few more to distribute where you might need them however.
The most expensive lights I have are the headlamps. I don’t have any big XM-L throwers.
Now that I think about it however it’s still amazing (to me) how many lights I have. Since becoming interested in lights the biggest change has just been to realize all the times when it would be nice to have a light and then buying one for that purpose. The number I have is more of a convenience rather than a necessity.
I try to get lights with different sizes, beam patterns or power sources for different missions. I then multiply this by two or sometimes three, one as a workhorse and the other as a backup copy. But damn they really have too many uses and too many types For example, I didn’t have any High CRI lights, so I ordered a one mode penlight, then I realized I didn’t have a multiple mode Edc penlight and got one of that too. I had a 1xAAA on my keychain and decided that they were useful indeed, I ordered a second one with softer optics. Then I realized I didn’t have a 1xAA with similar optics. Got one, then another with better tint and steel body. But heck, I had 1xAa and 2xAAA neutral/high CRI lights but none if I needed in a P60 host. So I got a High CRI drop in for that. By this calculation I have 50 wisely chosen lights and 20 i could choose to sell.
If all could have nice tints, a headlamp, an XML thrower, a 1xAAA keychain, a 1xAA or 1xcr123 multi mode EDC and a tactical 1x18650/2xcr123 should cover many needs. Add an ultra powerful 3-5xXml flood light if you need to but I can’t really find anything more. So I guess I have wasted a couple of $1000s for nothing
once i've received all my pending shipments (see my sig. all to me irrelevant flashlight accessory stuffz. just nice to have, like Chidwack's suggested UF headband, Vectrex's proposed UF holster, dinoboy's recommended UF swivel belt clip, MixoMaxo's favorite Ch*nese tweezers, etc.) i am going to write my last epic hehe flashlight review (planned: Lumintop Worms) and then sign out of this nice place. i'd return when the legendary DQG Tiny III (SS and or Ti) is available. i mostly come here because it is great fun pastime while i (still, argh) wait for the completed receipt of all placed orders. if i stop ordering, i will also stop b**hing on bfl
Fairly small collection, although I don't consider them that way, and I still come here daily; even long before I signed up. This forum is a great resource when shopping for a new light or needing a specific question answered by someone with genuine knowledge. But the flashlights themselves would not be enough to keep me interested in this forum, but for the fact that the regulars who make up this community (all y'all know who you are) always seem to be having actual fun regardless of whether the topic is flashlight related or not.
So for me, coming here has more to do with the camaraderie and good humor than with my so called flashlight collection. Which, BTW, consists of the following: 6 retired Maglites (in AAA, 2AAx3, 2D, and 3D). 2 rarely used, anymore at least, Surefires (G2N in FDE and E2D), a Fenix TK-12, 4 Shiningbeam modified Romisens (RC-C3 II NW, RC-A4 X Q5, RC-27 II Q5, and a RC-N3 WW), 4 Pentagon MOLLE lights (FDE, OD, and 2 GITD), 4 Solarforces (L2 in sand, L2T, L2m, and a L2p in blue), an the odd assortment of keychain/button lights
on bfl