My uncle's cheap flashlight advice almost got me stranded

My uncle told me to just buy the $5 gas station flashlight for my night hikes. Said anything more is a waste. Last month on a trail near Sedona, that thing died 30 minutes in and I had to use my phone light for 2 miles back in the dark. The batteries leaked inside after one rain. I replaced it with a $25 Streamlight and it's still going strong after 3 trips. Has anyone else had a relative give them gear advice that backfired?

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fiona_lane4mo ago

Your uncle was RIGHT. People spend WAY too much on flashlights for what amounts to a backup item you use maybe twice a year. My dad gave me a $3 plastic flashlight from the dollar store ten years ago and it still works fine because I keep fresh batteries in it and DONT drop it in a lake. You left those cheap alkaline batteries in there for months and then blamed the flashlight when they corroded. That Streamlight will die just as fast if you treat it the same way. And honestly if you hike at night without a proper headlamp and a second backup light, that's on you not the price tag.

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piperr584mo ago

@fiona_lane is living proof that people defend BAD advice just because it worked for them once though.

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