Hehe, that aint no lie. At the time I retired I had 17 flashlights of various types, 2 lanterns, and 2 headlamps. (I was a Fireman and flashlights are a important equiptment item) I gave some of them away before I moved but I still have 9 of the flashlights, both headlamps, and one of the lanterns. I’ve since picked up 2 more flashlights and another lantern. I’M ADDICTED!

I now have 6 Surefire’s…car, briefcase, gun safe, bedroom, home office, kitchen. The 2 large and a half-dozen small Mag-lites or Brinkman’s got me hooked.

I have give Surefires out for Christmas and graduations. I buy battery’s by the case of 24.

DO NOT shine them in your own eyes just to see what they will do…you’ll want to scratch your eyes out of your head…Yikes!

I have given a new flashlight to one particular friend every Christmas for the last 15 years. Each year I find a novel-technology or different-function flashlight to give. This gift goes along with a card that always has a variation of the saying, “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” Variations include, “Go ahead and curse the darkness, then turn on the flashlight.”

My most appreciated gift so far? Christmas 2006 I sent a solar-powered, rechargeable LED flashlight. I thought of it as a gag gift, in that it was essentially a flashlight the use of which which required the sun to be up. To my surprise, I got a call from my friend a few days later thanking me for it. When his power went out one night shortly after the holidays, he grabbed the light from the windowsill where it had been sitting since Christmas, and it worked just fine….

I have also amused relatives by sending them, sequentially for birthdays and Christmas, components for an emergency kit, including of course a good Maglight LED flashlight, first aid supplies, and survival manuals. I am thought of as the well-meaning but kooky uncle by my nieces, but their cars are equipped with jumper cables and they have college apartments with necessary emergency supplies.

I encourage anyone thinking of gifts for relatives and friends to remember that flashlights are like guns – it is a good thing to have one when necessary. And no permits are required….. Although if you use either of them a lot, the batteries or ammo gets a bit expensive!