Yeah, I hear ya, I take three flashlights dog walking. One 1xAA Fenix on my belt, an 1xAA 4Sevens Mini in my front right pocket and a 2xAA light with more throw in my jacket or vest. Recently I added an 18650 Thrulite TN12 to test. Now I may be taking four lights. It's nice to have options and spares.

"Chaosmagnet, minutes ago you quietly expressed that you feel you shouldn't be here. Now you state you have as many flashlights on your person as Miss Jeanette has total. Why do you feel you need three flashlights on your person?"

Let's see... The light on my belt is primary for bagging the poop -- I can hold it in my teeth freeing both hands; the other 1xAA is back-up.

Then there's coyotes and at times at the coyotes discretion they visit the park in the dark. I like a light with reach to see them and now that I think about it, that's a critical function so it needs a back-up too. So I'd say four lights would be minimum and since I dislike accepting minimums, five.

Chaosmagnet looks at the doctor quizzically. "I didn't say I needed any of them." He draws a short black cylinder from one pocket. "This one runs up to seven days on low and over 900 lumens on high. In addition to using it at work I train to use it with a handgun in low light shooting situations."

The short black cylinder goes back in the pocket, and out comes a keyring from a different pocket. Chaosmagnet indicates a shorter, thinner, greyish silver cylinder hanging from the keyring. "This one is a backup. Once, during a tornado, the lights went out and my daughter started to cry. Because I had a backup flashlight with me I was able to leave her with a light so she'd be less scared, while I collected her younger sister to get her to the tornado shelter."

The keyring goes back in the pocket, and from his backpack a small oblong device is withdrawn. "This is handy for finding things in my backpack, or for leaving on in a very low mode while staying in a hotel, which I do frequently for work. It wasn't that long ago that the hotel I was staying in caught fire while I was sleeping -- this light guided me to my pants, shoes and other things so that I could get out of the hotel quickly and safely."

Chaosmagnet looks at the doctor levelly. "I don't need any of these, but I have found them quite useful. I like to be equipped appropriately for adverse events."

"I'm glad to hear you say you don't need them. Nevertheless, you do have three flashlights on your person and you go into why find each of them useful."

on canoe trips i have several flash lights.a small LED on a
cord attached to my shirt pocket button hole.thats the light
to find a light.another is a Pal light,one of those 9 volt jobs
in a rubber case that runs with a dim glow even when off.that go's
in the net pouch in the tent where i keep my glasses and bear spray so i can find them fast in the dark.a head lamp of course and a $9 three AAA's by Dorcy that i got at a bait shop just before
i pushed off on a trip last year,oops thats four.that AAA job throws a better beam than the lamp i used 30 years ago with the
huge square battery.
oh ya there is the candle lamp and a small Gaz lamp.you never
have enough light alone in bear country!!!

"The way you asked the question, I thought you were asking me what my psychological need was for the flashlights.

"Maybe I'm in the wrong room. I was told that Surefire was going to be here and the first ten people would get a free Titan Plus."