These days, thanks to a booming everyday carry trend, there are lots of pocket-sized tools that pack mighty features into mini packages. Thus is the case with the new Wayfinder titanium flashlight now charging through its Kickstarter run.
Gone are the days when flashlights did little more than, well, shine light. Also gone are the days when flashlights used to need giant batteries that were the size of bread loaves to output a pretty murky beam of illumination. Lately we've been seeing a range of tiny torches on offer ranging from a 3,000-lumen powerhouse with a power-monitoring display screen to a super small light offering a pry bar on its base.
Wading into the mini flashlight trend is a new offering from TiMate known as the Wayfinder. Made from titanium, it offers a quick-release magnetic base which means it can be more or less ripped off its holder to be used in hand at a moment's notice. It's also waterproof and has two light settings that can throw out a maximum of 120 lumens. There's a detachable and reversible clip that lets it hook onto a shirt or pants pocket or – more functionally – onto the brim of a hat, which turns it into something of a headlamp.
The Wayfinder isn't constrained by battery size either, as it is rechargeable via a USB-C port that hides inside the body and is revealed with a quick twist. The makers say the device can get seven hours out of a single charge, which should take about 30 minutes. It comes in at a small, but very finger-friendly size of 2.72 in (70 mm) and weighs 1.4 oz (38.9 g). Despite its diminutive size, the non-light-emitting end can also function as a glass breaker.
A range of add-ons increases the Wayfinder's carry options, including a cap that can help secure a lanyard, a carabiner-style keychain option (both US$15 additional), or a D-ring (US$12 additional).
As of writing, the Wayfinder has already raised over US$14,000 on an initial ask of US$5,000 and there are still over three weeks left in the campaign, so it seems a pretty good bet the manufacturing will go forward. Of course, being that this is a crowdfunded project, all the usual cautions apply. But if all goes well, TiMate says that flashlights should begin shipping at the end of the year.
Right now, super early bird pledge options are still available at US$59. After that, the price climbs to US$69, which still represents a discount on the somewhat eyebrow-raising final retail price of US$79.
Source: Kickstarter
