# Flashlight?



## Ms. Mercenary (Jul 24, 2020)

I might try to work at least some dinner hours this fall/winter, though because of my vision didn’t do so last year. There have been some medical developments since then that made me a touch more comfortable driving at night. Did a delivery the other evening that went into overtime and found it doable.

You guys recomended some flashlights previously (can’t find the thread) and I was hoping you would again. I’m interested in budget-friendly ones, as it’s still up in the air if I will continue (safety is a primary concern, and if I don’t feel comfortable driving I’llgo back to the daytime only schedule), so I want to invest minimally until positive.

My plan is to test myself gradually starting now, going a touch later every day.

Feel free to include your favorites even if not cheap - if everything works out and I find myself driving, I’ll be ready to invest a bit more.

Thanks!


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## jaxbeachrides (May 27, 2015)

I recommend a tactical led hand sized. I misplaced mine so I can't remember the brand, but they're mostly similar.

Mine was $10 and many have a serrated bezel that doubles as a weapon you can punch with. With a lumen rating of 10k or so they will shine 1/4 mile.

Look for a good rating and a light metal that's durable if dropped and waterproof, this will suit your needs.


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## Seamus (Jun 21, 2018)

Seamus said:


> I have been using this one for a long time and it works great. 6000 lumens is very powerful.
> 
> BUYSIGHT Bright Rechargeable Searchlight handheld LED Flashlight Tactical Flashlight with Handle CREE L2 Spotlight 6000 Lumens Ultra-long Standby Electric Torch with USB OUTPUT as a Power Bank (Black)


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## ObeyTheNumbers (8 mo ago)

Don't shine flashlight at houses from the vehicle looking for the house number.

Drop it off at door then call them from the safety of your vehicle and if they want to tip you in cash, then have them walk to vehicle and that gives you a chance to split.


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## Invisible (Jun 15, 2018)

If you get a large order with drinks, carrying a flashlight may be tough. I used the flashlight on my phone.


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## Ms. Mercenary (Jul 24, 2020)

That looks kinda bulky. Do you find that helpful?


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## Ms. Mercenary (Jul 24, 2020)

ObeyTheNumbers said:


> Don't shine flashlight at houses from the vehicle looking for the house number.
> 
> Drop it off at door then call them from the safety of your vehicle and if they want to tip you in cash, then have them walk to vehicle and that gives you a chance to split.


Oh, I’m not scared. I’m in a very safe area. And only had 2 cash tips in a year; I don’t do lowball offers.


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## Uberdriver2710 (Jul 15, 2015)

get two flashlights...In case one gets misplaced


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## elelegido (Sep 24, 2014)

Lumen ratings for Chinese / Amazon flashlights are like Uber/Lyft's advertised driver earnings - they're fantasy numbers with no grounding in reality. 

You're best off staying with major names such as Anker, Maglite etc


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## W00dbutcher (Jan 14, 2019)




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## Wildgoose (Feb 11, 2019)

How about Head Lamp Flash Light? I have been using this one and it is very good. Neighborhood doesn't bother this flash light since it help them realizing that I am on the job.

You can get these from AMAZON and it comes with 2 pairs.


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## Ms. Mercenary (Jul 24, 2020)

Uberdriver2710 said:


> get two flashlights...In case one gets misplaced


Do I know you?!?!?! 😂


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## Uberdriver2710 (Jul 15, 2015)

Ms. Mercenary said:


> Do I know you?!?!?! 😂


yes, I am a human....not like the other aliens on here 🙂


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## W00dbutcher (Jan 14, 2019)

Uberdriver2710 said:


> yes, I am a human....not like the other aliens on here 🙂


Aliens?

Son, we are still just right of Neanderthals still.


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## jaxbeachrides (May 27, 2015)

If you wear the coal miner light, you can be alien and neanderthal at the same time.


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## Uberdriver2710 (Jul 15, 2015)

W00dbutcher said:


> Aliens?
> 
> Son, we are still just right of Neanderthals still.


Sorry.. I misspelled 'awiens'


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## W00dbutcher (Jan 14, 2019)

Uberdriver2710 said:


> Sorry.. I misspelled 'awiens'


Now I see the connection...


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## Seamus (Jun 21, 2018)

Ms. Mercenary said:


> That looks kinda bulky. Do you find that helpful?


I have recommended this light to several people on the forum over the years. So far everyone has loved it and it’s so bright it’s the best flashlight you’ll ever have. And it’s rechargeable


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## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

For some reason, I thought she was asking about "Fleshlights", I was deeply mislead


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## colamacy (Oct 25, 2021)

All you need is a decent tactical, small flash light with enough juice (18650 battery) to find the street number during evenings.

I got this from Walmart two years ago and it still works. It has zoom capability for wide beam (for walking) to tight beam which is good for searching for street numbers as you're driving. They typically run under $10. They aren't super durable for something like going hiking at Mount Everest, but for everyday city life they're sufficient.

Robot or human?

This type of flashlight are able to take two types of batteries, three AAA, or one 18650 (think AA battery on steroids). While both would work, I'd recommend using the 18650 for extra power which equates to more brightness (lumens). If you do go with the 18650 then get a charger. I got this two years ago on Amazon and it has been working like a charm.



Amazon.com



The flashlight is small enough to fit in the space under the radio, have in hand if you feel the need to carry it with you while on your active delivery to the front door, or just have it in your pocket all day.

You can use the regular AAA alkaline battery (Duracell/Energizer) in a pinch which is a good option to have.

A fully charged 18650 will last for up to a month with moderate use for UberEats' delivery.

The charger, depending on your power setting that you can choose, will charge a 18650 from 1.5 hour to 3 hours. Also it can charge AA, AAA, C, and D size "RECHARGEABLE" batteries, NOT alkaline.

Just to be clear, the flashlight can either use alkaline or rechargeable batteries.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Ms. Mercenary said:


> I might try to work at least some dinner hours this fall/winter, though because of my vision didn’t do so last year. There have been some medical developments since then that made me a touch more comfortable driving at night. Did a delivery the other evening that went into overtime and found it doable.
> 
> You guys recomended some flashlights previously (can’t find the thread) and I was hoping you would again. I’m interested in budget-friendly ones, as it’s still up in the air if I will continue (safety is a primary concern, and if I don’t feel comfortable driving I’llgo back to the daytime only schedule), so I want to invest minimally until positive.
> 
> ...


Having been in 2 vehicles that flipped .
One underwater in a bayou, I find this light " interesting".

It is a phone charger ( stays plugged into power outlet,thus will Probably be at hands reach in emergency) a flashlight,a seat belt cutter & it is capable of breaking windows to allow an escape .

All plugged into your " cigarette lighter" socket on the dashboard. Where it will Probably STAY in a wreck.

So you Should be able to reflexively reach it. Even in the dark, underwater . . .
Power windows may not work in a Tesla, underwater,or in a fire . You can break out.
I have been trapped once in a g.m. vehicle upside down by the seatbelt. Unable to escape
When I went underwater in vehicle, there was no seatbelt law, so I escaped. Had to dig mud away from window,had landed upside down. Always relax & see which way you float underwater. The direction of float is UP. You don't want to dig down . . .
( Vehicle orientation is misleading,especially when you are upside down in the dark in water with no air )

I think I will definantly be buying one of these for each vehicle.








It is available at Home Depot.

If your seatbelt locks in a wreck & won't release,you may not be able to reach the glove compartment.
In my truck that got t boned & flipped on land, the contents of glove box were spread out on side of road for blocks .
The passenger got free & crawled out through where the back window used to be. I was trapped.


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## Ms. Mercenary (Jul 24, 2020)

colamacy said:


> All you need is a decent tactical, small flash light with enough juice (18650 battery) to find the street number during evenings.
> 
> I got this from Walmart two years ago and it still works. It has zoom capability for wide beam (for walking) to tight beam which is good for searching for street numbers as you're driving. They typically run under $10. They aren't super durable for something like going hiking at Mount Everest, but for everyday city life they're sufficient.
> 
> ...


While a pretty smart person generally, I’m a total airhead as far as anything connected to physics is concerned. A real bimbo. Shameful, really. So much so that my physics teacher just sighed and passed me. He knew. My parents never scolded me for physics either. They also knew.

So when a flashlight says “high lumens” I’m suspicious. Wouldn’t they say how high if that were true?

my other question goes towards the 18650 battery. Could someone show me a picture? Yes, I’m smart enough to type that in the search field, and did so. But I keep coming up with stuff that just says “rechargeable battery” and I’m not sure it’s the same thing. This, too, is connected to physics.

I’m going to get Seamus’ recomendation simply because I just blindly do what he says. I’m a Seamus Lemming.

But also like the idea of a tactical one, so prolly getting one of those, too. Never hurts to have backups.

On a separate note: I did another 8pm, which started out when it was dark already. Granted, I might not be comfortable goingto unfamiliar areas in the dark (which is a bad idea for a chick to begin with), but happy to report that I’ll be able to work past 4 pm in the fall/winter. 😂


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## Seamus (Jun 21, 2018)

Ms. Mercenary said:


> I’m going to get Seamus’ recomendation simply because I just blindly do what he says. I’m a Seamus Lemming.


Ha Ha! You won't regret it. I've had several people on UP very happy with it. I have used the same one since 2017 and still use it every night I go out, it's still going strong and rechargeable so I haven't spent a penny on batteries. It's a bargain at that price and works very well. I would never recommend it if it didn't do the job. Trust me, you will be happy with it.


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## W00dbutcher (Jan 14, 2019)

Ms. Mercenary said:


> While a pretty smart person generally, I’m a total airhead as far as anything connected to physics is concerned. A real bimbo. Shameful, really. So much so that my physics teacher just sighed and passed me. He knew. My parents never scolded me for physics either. They also knew.
> 
> So when a flashlight says “high lumens” I’m suspicious. Wouldn’t they say how high if that were true?
> 
> ...


It's a type of battery.

An 18650 battery is a *lithium-ion battery*. The name derives from the battery's specific measurements: 18mm x 65mm. For scale, that's larger than an AA battery. The 18650 battery has a voltage of 3.6v and has between 2600mAh and 3500mAh (mili-amp-hours).Feb 8, 2021


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## Ms. Mercenary (Jul 24, 2020)

W00dbutcher said:


> It's a type of battery.
> 
> An 18650 battery is a *lithium-ion battery*. The name derives from the battery's specific measurements: 18mm x 65mm. For scale, that's larger than an AA battery. The 18650 battery has a voltage of 3.6v and has between 2600mAh and 3500mAh (mili-amp-hours).Feb 8, 2021
> 
> View attachment 674523


All of this has been invented by civilization just to confuse me. 😂

Thank you. This is VERY helpful. At least I now know what to look for.


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## Ms. Mercenary (Jul 24, 2020)

Seamus said:


> Ha Ha! You won't regret it. I've had several people on UP very happy with it. I have used the same one since 2017 and still use it every night I go out, it's still going strong and rechargeable so I haven't spent a penny on batteries. It's a bargain at that price and works very well. I would never recommend it if it didn't do the job. Trust me, you will be happy with it.


My only issue is it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to hold it in my teeth so no large offers. 😂😂😂

(I have an ancient one that’s similar, even though it uses batteries - was part of a post-9/11 survival kit. And a bazillion of camping lanterns. My electric here goes out regularly, and I’m still afraid of the dark.👻


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## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

I carry a FenixTK20R, usb recharging in my vehicle, had it 7 yrs, works great


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## lilhuskee (May 28, 2019)

Ms. Mercenary said:


> I might try to work at least some dinner hours this fall/winter, though because of my vision didn’t do so last year. There have been some medical developments since then that made me a touch more comfortable driving at night. Did a delivery the other evening that went into overtime and found it doable.
> 
> You guys recomended some flashlights previously (can’t find the thread) and I was hoping you would again. I’m interested in budget-friendly ones, as it’s still up in the air if I will continue (safety is a primary concern, and if I don’t feel comfortable driving I’llgo back to the daytime only schedule), so I want to invest minimally until positive.
> 
> ...


That's one of the reasons I don't work at night because you have to strain your eyes some people don't have appropriate lighting some people don't even have numbers on their doors so I got to waste my time looking and trying to hunt for somebody's address nah I'm an early bird 6 to 5:00


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## Rickos69 (Nov 8, 2018)

@Ms. Mercenary 
Here is one that you can also use to burn down those nasty customers' houses that you were complaining about.


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## Ms. Mercenary (Jul 24, 2020)

lilhuskee said:


> That's one of the reasons I don't work at night because you have to strain your eyes some people don't have appropriate lighting some people don't even have numbers on their doors so I got to waste my time looking and trying to hunt for somebody's address nah I'm an early bird 6 to 5:00


I don’t either. But I don’t make any money in the fall and winter. So something needs to happen.


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## SpinalCabbage (Feb 5, 2020)

I carry a 10" maglite in my car. Great as a light. Great as a club.


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## Mad_Jack_Flint (Nov 19, 2020)

Wildgoose said:


> How about Head Lamp Flash Light? I have been using this one and it is very good. Neighborhood doesn't bother this flash light since it help them realizing that I am on the job.
> 
> You can get these from AMAZON and it comes with 2 pairs.
> 
> View attachment 674440


I was thinking something like that.


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## Invisible (Jun 15, 2018)

Ms. Mercenary said:


> I don’t either. But I don’t make any money in the fall and winter. So something needs to happen.


Why don’t you look into mystery shopping? That was my first gig work. It’s legit and there’s a mystery shop forum that’ll give you recommendations on companies. You’d have no clue but there’s hundreds of companies, like Intellishop, Secret Shopper, etc.

i don’t know what the pay is now but I did a variety of shops, from test driving vehicles, to checking out apartments complexes, and pretending to shop at furniture stores. I had one shop where the company sent me a secret recording device to record the conversation, but I had to send it back. It was fun, and I also shopped restaurants, so I’d get free meals.


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## W00dbutcher (Jan 14, 2019)

Delivery complete.

















I dunno.. seemed appropriate at this time of the thread.


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## sumidaj (Nov 2, 2020)

Amazon has "PEETPEN L45 Rechargeable Flashlights 2000 High Lumens, Super Bright Zoomable Flashlight, Waterproof IPX6 4 Modes Long Working Time, Emergency Flash Light, Camping Hiking Outdoor Survival" flashlights... 


About $25 bucks but worth it.... I have the older version. they are excellent.they last literally for hours and you can just recharge them via USB... 

I have 2... I keep one in my car and every so often switch it out with the one at home cause I'll use the one at home more often... the car one is just emergency / backup so i don;t use it often... I swap them out just to keep the batteries in use / charged.


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## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

SpinalCabbage said:


> I carry a 10" maglite in my car. Great as a light. Great as a club.


Only the 10”? The biggest Maglite made is a 6 D cell, I have one, it’s like having a lead pipe


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## jaxbeachrides (May 27, 2015)

Frontier Guy said:


> Only the 10”? The biggest Maglite made is a 6 D cell, I have one, it’s like having a lead pipe


You mean, this one?


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## SpinalCabbage (Feb 5, 2020)

Frontier Guy said:


> Only the 10”? The biggest Maglite made is a 6 D cell, I have one, it’s like having a lead pipe


Yeah. It (the 10") is very hammer-like. The 6 D cell one is club-like. I prefer the hammer-like swing of the 10" model. 

Maglite is one of the few on Amazon that are honest about their lumens.

To be honest, those plastic lantern flashlights at Walmart that cost about $5 are perfectly fine if you need something right now and real cheap.











ACK! I am sitting here typing and my phone starts ringing. Scared the bejesus out of me. Didn't realize I'd left the volume so high.


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