When I was a kid, few things felt as valuable to me as a flashlight

When I was a kid, few things felt as valuable to me as a flashlight.

I loved exploring caves. At least a few times a year, I would wander too far in, doing things that, in hindsight, were dangerous and reckless. The only way to get in and back out safely was to carry a good flashlight.

The problem was: in the ’80s and early ’90s, there really was no such thing as a good flashlight. The best you could hope for was a AA Maglite. I remember spending $30 to get one in a kit with a rubber holster and three colored lenses. I was awestruck by the 15–20 lumens it produced. That was serious power back then.

Today, for the same $30, I can buy a 500-lumen light that fits in the palm of my hand. It is hard to explain to younger generations just how much of a luxury a reliable light source once was. When you grow up with darkness, light is magic.