While I can't buy into the s.a.k. concept (planning ahead and having proper tools at hand is better), I will give a strong and emphatic second to the awesome Maglite.

I started using one when I was crawling around airplanes and peering and poking into dark corners. Even though I quit doing that kind of stuff quite a while back, I still never leave home without my little 2xAA maglite in its holster.

When you get to the point where sometimes it's hard to focus on the really fine print, a good, bright light on the subject is a real help. Not only does a bright light raise the contrast, but the pupil contraction you get when you look at something well lit gives you a significant improvement in depth of focus.

Given the choice between the Maglite and a good 3x or 5x pocket loupe (that quite a few oldsters carry, if you knock them down and search carefully) I'll take the Maglite FIRST. The loupe AND Maglite come out together only when my SO asks for help reading those glazed over pot marks on the s.... she collects, but they're invisible to the naked eye of ordinary mortals to begin with. (TIK?)

John