Mid-Life Gear Crisis

You’re growing up. Maturing. Taking on new responsibilities, a new sense of purpose, an increasingly assured mastery of yourself and your surroundings. It’s time to think about what really matters at this important time in your life:

Flashlights.

People are depending on you. That $3 number from Walgreen’s isn’t going to cut it - much less that giveaway keychain flashlight you got from the US Bank booth at RibFest four years ago.

But taking flashlights seriously doesn’t have to mean spending $100 on some armored beast the size of a riot baton, with enough lumens to summon superheroes in the night. In fact, buying one of those is a sign of continued immaturity. Or at least weirdness.

All you need is a dependable flashlight, bright enough for real-world use, that you won’t have to smack to get it to work in the middle of a power outage. A few levels or modes would be nice. Along with all that, it should be priced so you can save your money for more interesting or necessary things.

This Life Gear Pro Series flashlight is made of aircraft-grade aluminum. While actual aircraft are safe from its 400-lumen beam, it would be the brightest flashlight most people own. It runs on four regular old AA batteries (included), and is just generally built to take a smiting and keep on lighting. At this price, nobody could call this an irresponsible purchase.

And, OK, it’s got what Life Gear calls “an aggressive bezel” so it “can be used for defensive protection.” Hey, just because you’re grown up doesn’t mean you have to give up all your fantasies.