Being able to smugly utilize the thing that people always ask why you carry around is one of the best feelings there is.

I'm in Tokyo right now, got a limited EDC since no firearms/knives at the moment, but it felt nice to have my ifak and flashlight when the (false) earthquake warning popped up on my phone.

They called me an idiot for spending $20 on a tiny Sofirm flashlight but then I clip it on a cap's brim and work in the darkness while the mortals must rest

one of the major beefs I have with sci-fi is just how crappy the torches are both in what's meant to be the modern day and the future

When the early bright white LEDs came out (not the ultra-packages) I got my father a photon keychain microlight.

He was working dozer/fire duty with a coworker. They were back deep in the woods investigating. Their regular flashlight bulb burned out. It was after midnight, completely overcast, no moon, rural, Dark AF. They stumbled in the dark trying to get back to the truck. It was the early 2000s, they didn't carry cell phones or pagers. Dad remembered he had a keychain light. "We came out of there, about five miles, with that little light, we took turns smashing the button. both our fingers hurt, but we made it out" Yeah, dad, they have a little lock on the front, that holds the button down if you need that :)

I've got a memory where I was in a small meeting room with no windows and the power went out. One person said "I wish somebody had a flashli..." right as I clicked mine on.

I've had a little single AA Fenix in my pocket for almost two decades now... Comes in handy more often than you'd think.

... But I also always forget phones can do light as well. That said, I'm not shoving my phone down in an engine bay to get a better look at wiring, but that $15, 20 year old flashlight, sure.

I guess sign me up for flashlight crew.

"It's your time to shine."

"Other people will look up to you and will be able to tell the time."

"An enlightening experience."

"A bright idea, if I may say so myself."

"With great brightness comes great visibility."

"Your ability to illuminate a situation is truly outstanding."

"You are the light at the end of my tunnel."

"Don't take this lightly when I say you're brilliant."

Ive said it before: do you want to be the grumpy, antisocial prepper that eats beans in his (yes, almost exclusively his) bunker until radiation poisoning finally gets him?

Or do you want to be the hero of the neighbourhood, who has a solar-powered stove to heat up the baby milk for cute single mother next door?

As a Kyiv resident: no, you don't want power outages. It's less fun after the 10th time in a week.

Can we bring this kind of energy to Lemmy? Pretty please?

Provide a means for people to charge their phones = Instant Hero.

I have a whole electric generator and I would prefer not to own it. Where I live, electric service can be iffy at times due to falling trees. And it can sometimes a day or more for the power to come back.

The LAST bloody thing I want is for that generator to come and run. It costs real money when it does come on and that cost sucks. The only thing that costs more is freezing the house up when it's -30 outside.