Stocking fillers

[Martin Brown]

Around this time of year I am usually struggling to find some unusual small but at least faintly useful presents...

One I have been impressed with is the GloTorch using a 3M DayGlo yellow phosphorescent formulation that glows nicely all night after a day in sunlight (even at this time of year). About £10 online or sometimes much less if you catch one being offered on an eBay Auction.

We have had one for ages and I wanted to get another in case the first ever packs up. This isn't your average glows faintly green for ten minutes "glow in the dark" this thing really does the business!

The torch only takes AA batteries but its claim to fame is by being possible to find in the pitch dark when camping or in a power cut.

There is a smaller keyring using the same Glo plastic on eBay - the description there is nonsensical as it is physically smaller in length than a single AAA battery and actually powered by a Lithium cell.

Not at all bad for £3 (provided you ignore the description). (no connection to the vendor(s) just impressed with the kit)

Also in the Dayglo colouring line I have found these 32GB Neon flash drives handy (you can never have enough storage).

Anyone else found other obscure, cheap but useful stocking fillers? (YMMV)

[Andrew May]

Is it just me or is that a bit pointless if it needs to be left in the light to recharge. My keyring is always in my pocket so only sees the light of day when I take it out to unlock something.

[Martin Brown]

It might well be if your usage means it never sees the light of day, but the Glo plastic it is made of is really quite impressive.

[chris French]

Whereas, mine spends a lot of time in the 'key pot' in the hallway, so would hav eplenty of time to charge.

[John Rumm]

I find these are very good for certain DIY aspects:

The ability to focus allows you to project a long narrow beam in narrow floor voids, roof spaces etc, without all the light bounding back off the close stuff and obscuring the distant.

Head torches are also very useful for actually working with light where you need it.

[dennis]

Aren't they the same as

I have one of them and they work well but do flatten the batteries pretty quickly. I got two li-ion batteries a charger and the torch for £10.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

HFM? I see he's bumped the price up as a placeholder. At the proper price, they're a bloody handy little unit. I have several, hanging by doors and in pockets.

[John Rumm]

Yup (although I picked ones from a UK seller in case anyone wanted one in time).

Yup, they suck a fairly hefty current out of an AA. You can run them on the 3V cells as well - they are the same brightness but I don't know if you get better battery life.

[John Rumm]

Yup - they were £9.99 for two when I posted... there are plenty of other sellers of them though.

[Brian Gaff]

Sounds like you need some with transparent pockets. Brian