There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
Best flashlight for emergencies? One with lithium batteries. The batteries longer in storage and they keep most of their brightness until near their end. Alternatively, and for home use, a rechargeable that can be kept plugged in. I dumped all my AA and AAA flashlights LONG ago. Too many times reaching for one only to find it dead. My EDC is an Olight M20SX. Forget super high lumens. Most of the time I use my primary flashlight on low. On low, with the diffuser on, and pointed straight up at the ceiling, you can easily illuminate the (entire) average room with a soft light. Whatever you get for emergency use, make sure it’s tough and sealed from water & moisture.
What kind of flashlight to take camping? Depends on priorities, I suppose, but most people want to keep weight to a minimum (unless base camp or car camping). My preference would be a good quality polymer lithium flashlight or a headlamp. As a practical matter, a headlamp (I like Black Diamond) is easier to use in most camping circumstances. Again, forget super high lumens. You want a range that lets you select the dimmest usable level that preserves your night vision.
Best bang for the buck? A seriously loaded question! Having purchased too many inexpensive flashlights only to have them fail, I suggest buying the best you can afford, especially if you’re going with an LED/lithium light with features and brightness ranges. It buys you a better LED, housing and lens, quality reflector, decent switch, good electronics, and good sealing. It’s cheaper to get bang for the buck in a conventional (alkaline/incandescent) flashlight, but at the expense of having to keep an eye on batteries all the time and perhaps keeping an extra bulb on hand (handier if the flashlight stores one). For some that’s a worthwhile trade-off as you can buy very well-made AA lights for very little, for example.