Flashlights are one of the many objects which have been made obsolete for the average person by phones, and that's fantastic. Having one less thing to remember and manage by default is a good thing.
Let me convince you it might be worth getting one anyway.
It comes down to ergonomics. Your phone is wide and the light source is not. That means you have to hold it in particular ways to get the right angle, and that's uncomfortable.
Of course it is, it's a big heavy metal rectangle bigger than your hand with the light on the flat side.
Imagine the improvement if you were using something made to be pointed.
I didn't realize what I had been missing till I had to go hunting under the couch for a rogue sock and realized I could just point the flashlight. I didn't have to remember where the flashlight dot was on the phone or determine how to angle it to go under the couch.
Just point.
However, that's ultimately quality of life. If you don't use a flashlight often, it's not a big deal.
You'll realize it's handy in more situations as soon as you get one though.
Consider.
If your phone isn't your flashlight, then you can use the flashlight while using your phone. Maybe you're out walking at night and get a call. Maybe you need to get a decently lit photo and don't want the flashbang look. Sometimes I use mine as a portable lamp.
It's that convenient.
Let's talk about little emergencies.
You'll forget to charge your phone or have a really long day eventually. If you're coming back late with a near dead phone, do you want to be spending phone battery on lighting? Keychain size flashlights these days are USB-C rechargeable and can last hours after spending months untouched. Even if your phone dies, it's fine. It's set it and forget it.
Have a spectacular phone battery, never need extraneous lighting, and don't care about ergonomics? Cool.
Don't get one.
For the rest of you, maybe do a quick search? It's the cost of a couple coffees (or your preferred equivalent) and they last forever.
- Rew
Nightly Notes
I have a particular flashlight in mind which I am very satisfied with. My description may have already narrowed it down to that single product, but I don't want to do product names here on principle. Do your own research, the EDC community is more than happy to help.
Anyway.
I should probably write about consumerism at some point. People buy more than they need, and learning to buy less is an improvement in itself.
I don't particularly want to feed into the infinity of product focused content online.
Useful things are good though. I find my flashlight immensely useful and I should have bought one years ago. I spent a year going "huh, I wish I had a flashlight right now" before actually buying it.
I hope this gets you to consider if you also have those moments, not to buy randomly.
Anyway.
Writing.
I have a new (temporary) writing project and it's eating the writing time for this. I don't know how to feel about that.
It's not the same kind of project, it's a more formal tone, but I can tell my writing style has noticeably changed regardless. That was interesting.
Much to ponder,
- Rew