It's Blue, but Great!

Many years ago, I decided to take a solo weekend retreat on a nearby California mountain top. For the most part, I slept during much of the day and did my mental purging (no drugs, please!) at night. All the light I needed in the evenings was furnished by the ambient light from the nearby city. Once the clouds broke, the stars and the moon provided more than enough light. It was an enlightening weekend!

This California experience was not unusual for me - either the low light needs or the late night outdoor activity. When I had trouble sleeping in Pennsylvania, I frequently walked suburban streets at night without a flashlight, but there were more than enough streetlights. In North Carolina, I frequented a nearby state park and other wooded areas at night and would walk a few miles on a forested trail with nothing more than starlight to illuminate the trail - I never tripped over the tree trunks and limbs that sometimes lay across the trail. The same is true when I walked the trails at night in northern Alabama and mingled (not too close!) with the big cats (well, not really big since they weren't lions and tigers) native to the area.

Much of that was over 30 years ago. If I were to try that now, I would encounter problems. My night vision isn't what it used to be. I do not know the trails in the woods near my house. It's impossible to enter the wooded areas - especially parks - without drawing unnecessary attention even in the dead of the night. People, especially police, are now overly afraid that anyone doing such an unusual thing must be more than a little crazy. Okay, so maybe I am, but this is a review of a flashlight.

My eyes are not as good as they once were. I now need some extra light at times. No one, me included, needs to turn a dark room or dark forest area into a daylight bright area with but very few exceptions. Out of doors, that can be disturbing to wildlife and other people - even those who aren't wild.

The Illuminator does the job more than well enough for me. I received this flashlight as a present and have had the reason to use it only indoors since I received it, hence, there will be some limitations to this review. As you read, I think you will find a feature that will be especially useful on a camping trip - especially if you are packing in or on an extended trip. Overall, it is now my favorite flashlight, even if it is for use in my home.

Although a present, the price still showed on the mounting card inside the packaging for the flashlight. I don’t know if it was the price paid. According to this price, Kohl's was selling the Illuminator for $24.99, but I see places online that offer it for just under $12, plus shipping and handling.

There are no batteries - ever. Again, just in case you missed that: There are no batteries - ever. Think about that the next time you pack to go camping or simply face a blackout at home. Read on to find out more.

This little jewel is made in China and imported and distributed by Feldstein & Associates of Maumee, Ohio. Many stores - be they brick and mortar or online - carry the Illuminator. Knowing what I do now, I would have no problem paying $25 just to buy it in a local store and ignore any possible shipping and handling fees from ordering online. It's simply worth the $25.

This is not a heavy flashlight that you might use to boink a bear's nose or club an intruder. It weighs only 6 ounces. How will that feel in or on your backpack? It also isn't large and only 5.5 inches long, 2 inches wide, and 1.75 inches deep. The shape isn't the standard cylinder you run across for most flashlights, but is very comfortable to hold. This is, in part, thanks to the contoured runner grip. Mine is a two-toned silver and black, but I see some places offer more colors than just silver with the black. It is brushed silver rather than a mirror-like finish, so I think it works well for colors.

There are three levels of lighting on the Illuminator: none, low and high. None is the off position, of course. The low setting uses the center-most of the three LED bulbs. The high setting uses all three LED bulbs. One button controls it all. If it is off and you click the button once and it comes on in the low mode, just click it off again and the next time you click it on, it will come on in the high mode. The sequence is off, low, off, high, off, low, off ... oh, you get the idea.

Do you remember that I said it needed no batteries? Well, it's true; although I am sure the flashlight will wear out at some point. On the underside of the Illuminator is a handle that neatly folds mostly into the body of the flashlight. The handle is almost as long as the flashlight. Unfolded, you can crank it to give it a charge. The crank offers almost no resistance, so even a small child or someone very arthritic can do it. A couple of twists and you have light. Crank it for a minute and they claim you'll get "up to 1 hour of continuous ultra bright light." I haven't tried that, but the last time I turned the crank was just over a month ago; I turned it for maybe 40 seconds; and I've used the flashlight several times since. The light seems as strong as it was when it was freshly cranked and I almost always use it on the high setting.

I am not a consumer laboratory and I have no equipment for determining the luminosity levels achieved by this flashlight, but I will say a little about the light. It's blue. I don't mean depressed. That (the color, not the mood) may matter. Most people look for white light from a flashlight. In some cases, that makes a difference. Otherwise, it is more of what you are accustomed to seeing. This blue light works for me and probably will work for you. Yes, the objects you see will be cast in blue, which will distort the color, but do you always need true color? I would say rarely. Actually, most flashlights distort a little to a lot towards yellow or other colors.

Through use, I have found that the handle can be used to prop the flashlight up at angle for when you need to use both hands when working on something. Maybe they should include that in their advertising.

The low setting works well enough for me, but since my eyes are not what they once were, I simply use the high setting. Out of doors, I would probably use the lower setting more. This is especially true in the woods where I don't want to disturb animals or other people. It is also true in town when I consider how the light might affect my neighbors. The packaging is such that you can crank it up a little and give it a try while you are in the store. Of course, under store lights, the blue light will not show up well, but it will give you some idea as to how well it works.

The full operating instructions are absurdly simple, but it is all you need. I quote them in full:

1. Lift handle up and into the open position.

2. Wind handle in a clockwise direction for 30-60 seconds to charge.

3. Return handle to the closed position.

4. Press on/off button to change light intensity.

That's it! Nothing more is needed in the way of instructions.

I've said this flashlight may wear out. That does not mean it is poorly built. If you run over it with a truck or stomp it with a boot, it will probably break. Still, it seems durably built. I suspect the part that would wear out first will be the LED bulbs, but you may already know that LED bulbs are very long lived. It may be possible to replace them, but I don't know how.

Yes, I do see a negative with the Illuminator. There is always something. It would be nice if there were a small loop built into the case of the Illuminator. If there were, you could easily attach a wrist loop to the flashlight. This could save you some troubles if you fell into a river or simply dropped it in the dark and the fall happened to hit the off button. You would be able to locate the flashlight with ease. Such a connection would also make it east to hang the flashlight on the exterior of a backpack instead of taking valuable room inside. At home, you could then hang the flashlight in a convenient place until you need it again. Yes, it is possible to tie something to the handle of the crank, but that is not all that secure and, depending on the thickness of the cord you use, could interfere with the closing of the handle.

This may give you some idea about the Illuminator when you shop again for a flashlight. As I have stated, I like it. I think you would, too. It may even put your blues on the run.