What EDC Means to Me: Always There When You Need It

Why do I carry a flashlight with me all the time? It’s partly because I’m a flashlight junkie at heart. But it’s mostly because of the number of times I wish I had a flashlight on me when I needed one. 

My family lives out in the country, and our garage is about 200 feet from the house. One night, while I was walking back to the house, a large buck appeared about thirty feet away from me. He started stomping and snorting, so I went running for the house. I could barely see a thing, but luckily managed to get inside in one piece. Now, I make sure to carry a light with me every time I walk to the garage. 

Pocket-sized options like Streamlight’s Wedge® or MacroStream® USB are perfect for everyday carry because they are portable and powerful. The Wedge® offers up to 300 lumens (or 1000 lumens in THRO® mode), a 69-meter beam, and 3 hours of run time – more than enough power to find your way home in the dark. It is also USB-C rechargeable, making it a great grab-and-go option. I also carry at least one larger flashlight with a strobe feature, like the Stinger®, Strion®, or something from our ProTac® series. These lights illuminate a larger area compared to our pocket-sized options. The Stinger® 2020, for instance, offers up to 2,000 lumens and a 315-meter beam. It also has three brightness modes with dual side and rear power switches, making it one of Streamlight’s most intuitive user interfaces. It fits your every need! 

If you’ve ever had a flat tire at night, you might understand how important a quality flashlight can be. The last time this happened to me, I placed my Stinger® on the ground beside me with the strobe on, facing traffic. I had an Enduro® Pro headlamp on my head so I could see what I was doing as I changed the tire. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of cars that slowed down and moved over because they could clearly see that there was a problem. Someone even pulled over with their flashers on and asked if I needed help. At the end of the day, lighting is all about safety and security. Not only does a good light make me feel safe, but I know it also provides safety to everyone around me. 

When I’m not carrying my lights, they are charging on our nightstand in case of an emergency. If there’s a power outage, we can check the fuse panel right away. For home security, a very bright light with a strobe feature can affect an intruder’s vision, causing disorientation. It can also help to alert your neighbors that there may be an issue. Or, in a serious emergency, a light can be used to signal or alert safety personnel of your location. 

I carry a flashlight all the time, and nowadays, so do many others. In fact, the number of people that carry a Streamlight has more than tripled over the past 10 years. The variety of products that Streamlight offers, as well as the quality and durability of our lights, means we can provide a reliable option for everyone.