Campfire Fauxton use and EDC lecture

Noelle Blicha
Light: Fauxton

Noelle: i used my keychain flashlight tonight

Me: yes!
tell me the story

Noelle: well. it was dark around the campfire
because the fire was getting low
but i had my flashlight
and i could see

Me: that's amazing!
the others must have been embarrassed by their weakness and preparedness inferiority
what about your other light though, which should always be with you?

Noelle: it is
it resides safely in my purse

Me: and wasnt your purse with you?

Noelle: in the car

Me: argh, that doesnt do much good
well, it's a very good start and I'm proud of you for that
but you still have some things to work on here
you need to learn the true meaning of EDC
It should always be there, ready for action. I mean, for example, when you shower that light should be hanging around your neck.

Conversation: Flashlight features

12:00:25 AM Me: its early, did you get kicked out too?
12:00:41 AM Mike: no i went straight home from work
12:00:56 AM Me: ah, pre-emptively kicked yourself out
12:03:35 AM Mike: shouldn't you be out testing flashlights?
12:05:45 AM Me: yes, actually
12:06:14 AM Mike: throw
12:06:19 AM Mike: longevity
12:06:41 AM Mike: patented
12:06:46 AM Mike: adjustable
12:08:40 AM Me: or flood
12:08:43 AM Me: tint
12:08:48 AM Mike: hue
12:08:50 AM Mike: saturation
12:09:09 AM Me: glare/bounceback
12:09:37 AM Me: ergonomics
12:09:44 AM Me: retention
12:10:04 AM Me: ease of activation
12:10:07 AM Me: versatility
12:10:13 AM Mike: weight
12:10:16 AM Mike: size
12:10:19 AM Mike: color
12:10:22 AM Mike: finish
12:11:29 AM Me: clip design (if applicable)
12:11:33 AM Me: interface
12:11:42 AM Mike: lanyard hole angle and position
12:11:44 AM Me: tailstanding/candle mode
12:12:01 AM Me: stealthiness
12:12:24 AM Me: waterproofness
12:12:59 AM Mike: lens material
12:13:04 AM Mike: reflector material
12:13:08 AM Mike: body material
12:13:11 AM Me: reflector surface
12:13:13 AM Mike: openable without special toolsable
12:13:25 AM Mike: extra bulb in tailcap
12:13:55 AM Mike: underwaterness
12:13:57 AM Me: anodize type
12:14:18 AM Mike: assembled by which minority
12:14:45 AM Me: out of parts from which country
12:14:54 AM Me: what type of led, if applicable
12:15:10 AM Me: what kind of bulb fill, if applicable
12:15:22 AM Mike: tungsten
12:15:27 AM Me: thats the filament
12:15:30 AM Me: more like xenon
12:15:34 AM Mike: argon
12:15:48 AM Me: krypton
12:16:15 AM Mike: ability to crush walnut
12:16:55 AM Me: ability to not be crushed by a truck
12:17:04 AM Mike: float or not float
12:17:20 AM Me: battery chemistry options
12:17:38 AM Mike: battery combustibility
12:17:44 AM Mike: finish toughness
12:18:06 AM Me: finish matching of components
12:18:47 AM Mike: do i go get another 4x4
12:18:50 AM Mike: i'm hungy still
12:18:59 AM Me: you already have a 4x4
12:19:24 AM Mike: i ate it!
12:19:30 AM Me: ranger!
12:19:34 AM Me: no!
12:19:42 AM Mike: we're off topic
12:19:56 AM Mike: ability to swap lens for colored one
12:20:16 AM Mike: ability to affix shock resistant gear
12:20:27 AM Mike: shock gear material
12:20:34 AM Me: heft
12:20:48 AM Me: accessory assortment
12:21:14 AM Me: shock/recoil protection
12:21:44 AM Me: circumference to hand size factor
12:22:25 AM Me: knurling comfort
12:23:07 AM Me: levels spacing, if applicable
12:25:00 AM Mike: gasket type
12:25:03 AM Mike: gasket material
12:25:08 AM Me: /o-ring
12:25:15 AM Me: number of o-rings
12:25:18 AM Mike: oring is a gasket type
12:25:27 AM Me: yes, the type that flashlights use
12:25:34 AM Mike: i'm sure there are variations
12:25:44 AM Me: I don't have one with anything else
12:25:48 AM Mike: sure you do
12:25:54 AM Mike: i bet that old one is just pipe thread
12:26:13 AM Me: actually the threads are just the molding of the metal
12:26:20 AM Me: its like crimped into threads
12:26:29 AM Mike: thats a joint type then
12:26:40 AM Me: k
12:26:45 AM Mike: little hook or no little hook
12:26:48 AM Mike: did we do pocket clip?
12:26:53 AM Me: I think so
12:26:57 AM Mike: pocket clip removable if applicable
12:27:09 AM Mike: oh yea, i finally killed the black widow
12:27:15 AM Me: good job
12:27:17 AM Me: how
12:27:17 AM Mike: i used a 3d mag too
12:27:20 AM Me: nice
12:27:28 AM Me: black widow killability
12:28:26 AM Me: non-removability of clip when not trying to remove it, if applicable
12:28:57 AM Me: ease of clip use / pocket retention
12:29:46 AM Me: thread smoothness, length, and strength
12:30:05 AM Mike: pitch
12:30:08 AM Mike: metric or standard
12:30:34 AM Mike: focal length if applicable
12:31:15 AM Me: silence on all levels; or volume, pitch, and annoyance factor if not
12:31:54 AM Me: value
12:32:20 AM Mike: nono no
12:32:23 AM Mike: value is subjective
12:32:28 AM Me: beatability (related to cost and toughness)
12:33:13 AM Me: value is subjective, but some lights are just clearly a good value, like when theyre cheap but have performance above what youd expect at their pricepoint and don't give up anything critical
12:34:03 AM Mike: oh like every mag
12:34:04 AM Me: for example, my surefires are ok value to me, but are very poor value overall, but my highlighter is a good value, even though I rarely use it
12:34:15 AM Me: but mag gets you on the bulb and D cell replacement
12:34:18 AM Mike: larger than 5D or not
12:34:30 AM Mike: its cheaper to just buy a new maglite
12:34:35 AM Mike: with 2 bulbs and fresh duracells
12:34:49 AM Me: they dont come with fresh duracells unless its a minimag
12:34:58 AM Mike: yes they do
12:35:07 AM Me: my 3D didnt
12:35:09 AM Mike: my 3D definately came with duracells
12:35:11 AM Me: 2C didnt either
12:35:16 AM Me: when did you get it?
12:35:26 AM Mike: 5 years probably
12:35:29 AM Me: I think they used to supply them, they definitely dont anymore
12:35:30 AM Mike: and it came with a minimag
12:35:38 AM Mike: which also had batteries
12:35:40 AM Mike: and the holster
12:35:45 AM Me: my 3D came with a minimag, mini accessories, and 2 AAs
12:35:55 AM Me: 2C came with nothing
12:36:01 AM Me: 2Ds Ive seen come with nothing
12:36:22 AM Mike: they make a 2d?
12:36:30 AM Me: of course
12:36:42 AM Me: its 15 bucks, same as 2C
12:36:56 AM Me: I have one, check it out
12:38:13 AM Mike: a 2d?
12:38:15 AM Mike: its probably ugly
12:38:23 AM Mike: all stubby
12:38:23 AM Me: it looks like a 3D
12:38:29 AM Me: only one that has 2 Ds
12:38:31 AM Me: instead of 3
12:38:48 AM Me: its actually not all that stubby, still pretty long
12:39:03 AM Me: but definitely stubbier looking than the 3
12:40:33 AM Me: you forgot shininess
12:41:42 AM Me: grabability in temperature extremes
12:42:36 AM Mike: theyre all aluminum body mostly, thats probably pretty god aweful
12:42:49 AM Mike: steel will isolate the temperature alot better
12:43:00 AM Mike: but at the same time aluminum allows the whole body to become a heatsink
12:43:18 AM Me: yeah, if theyve been sitting in a cold car they are pretty uncomfortable, thats where polymer bodies are really nice
12:44:00 AM Mike: no you need a flashlight glove
12:44:18 AM Mike: like a falconer has a glove
12:44:27 AM Me: no, just need to pick the right material for the temperature you'll be facing
12:45:01 AM Me: or, if it'll be used in the cold, you'll probably want two gloves regardless of the type of light
12:48:21 AM Me: bezel sharpness
12:51:29 AM Me: switch durability
12:51:31 AM Me: switch noise
12:52:07 AM Mike: one thats overlooked alot
12:52:10 AM Mike: smell
12:52:15 AM Mike: some of them are just horrible
12:52:21 AM Me: that's true
12:52:31 AM Mike: and it gets on your hands
12:52:34 AM Me: I have some lamps I don't like to use anymore because they smell when heated
12:52:48 AM Me: rubber coated ones can leave a smell on your hands
12:52:54 AM Me: and copper/brass ones like the old one
12:53:56 AM Me: this isnt a big factor to me, but taste when mouth holding
12:58:59 AM Me: color rendition
12:59:07 AM Me: is it better suited to indoor or outdoor use
1:09:15 AM Mike: ok using the laptop sucks i'm gonna go do other stuff
1:09:23 AM Me: okbye