Trapped in pitch black underground car garage

Next to sudden physical assault on the streets, the episode on being trapped in a pitch black underground car garage was one of my favorites.

It reminded me of some of the scariest horror flicks I've seen that involved being in total darkness or near darkness situations where flashlights meant the difference between life and death. (See: Darkness Falls/Vanishing on 7th Street/Pitch Black/Don't Be Afraid of the Dark/The Omega Man, among others)

In the episode Bear Grylls, once again, cautions against panic and keeping your wits about you. Most people carry a cell phone. The illumination is strictly limited, but as Bear shows, is better than nothing and can still illuminate enough of your immediate surroundings to find your way out. More, you're less likely to panic and better still, not trip over something unseen and hurt yourself.

Speaking for myself, go to the store and purchase one of those tiny, pocket flashlights that use only one, AAA battery. The purpose is not to replace your full-size survival or utility flashlight. It's viable emergency illumination for you and you're far more likely to carry the tiny flashlight than even a AA version. I've purchased several, single AAA maglite pocket flashlights over the years, until I came across an even better, brighter one, the MicroStream, manufactured by Streamlight. Also encased in a full metal body and using just one AAA battery, the amount of light put out is astonishing. I purchased several and keep one in a jacket pocket so no matter what jacket I grab and put on, I have one of those little pocket flashlights for emergency use. It's not meant to replace your full size flashlight but to allow you to find your way to where you keep a full size flashlight handy, such as in your car.