Best Flashlight
When it comes to choosing the best flashlight, the ones with dual purposes work the best in survival situations as well as for ordinary use around the home. Not only are the quality of materials used important, but the shape, weight, and balancing are also important things to take into consideration. Not only can your flashlight be used to light the way, but it can also make for a nice weapon.
Flashlight of all Trades
Before you go out and buy a flashlight, consider what other purposes the best flashlight can be used for. Good flashlights have multiple uses.
- Weapon: If you’re looking for the best flashlight that doubles as a weapon, size matters. While some people prefer a smaller pocket sized flashlight, I prefer a 3-4 battery sized light for the added weight. A pocket sized light is fine for more precision strikes like to the eye or the temple. A heavy 4 cell light works great as a club upside the head or to an attacker’s arm who is brandishing a weapon.
- Lantern: Many flashlights allow you to unscrew the head and set it on the ground face down. The shaft of your flashlight should fit into the head and stand upright like a very powerful candle. Not all flashlights are capable of this, but the old Mini-Mags worked great.
- Fire starter: People have been successful using different parts of their flashlights as fire starting tools. If you have a decent sun you can use the lens or the reflector to help focus and intensify the sun’s rays.
- Hiding Valuables: In a pinch you can remove one or more batteries and have a nice waterproof storage for things that might get found when searched. Thieves may steal everything in your pockets, on your fingers, and around your wrist, but probably not an old (dirtied up) flashlight that doesn’t even work properly.
- Spotter for Shooting at Night: Smaller tactical lights are great for lighting up your targets in a firefight. You simply hold it in your left hand with your thumb on the button at the end of the light, while the head is pointing at your attacker. Your gun hand rests on your flashlight hand and arm which has the dual purpose of steading your shot and spotlighting your opponent. For this to be very effective you’ll need the best flashlight that has an on and off button at the end rather than anywhere else.
Incandescent VS LED
Before you go to buy your next flashlight you may want to figure out which bulb you prefer. In terms of durability, the LED wins out. Incandescent bulbs have filaments inside which might shatter if you drop your flashlight. LED bulbs can last up to 10,000 hours burning non-stop while incandescent ones go for about 6 hours.
LED’s are great for many tasks like cooking at night while camping. However, if you wanted to see that critter that just crept out of the bushes at 20 yards away you’ll need the focusing power of the incandescent bulb.
The best flashlight bulb for the job varies with the job. One type of bulb may be better for a specific use than another so you’ll have to decide what you will be using your new flashlight for first.
Not Just a Light
The larger three to four D cell lights make the best flashlight clubs as well. Just grip your light by the head where the end is out over your shoulder and the head is against your little finger and heel, pointing towards anyone in front of you. Initially point the beam on the person’s chest.
If the person becomes aggressive or attacks you can easily point it in their eyes effectively blinding them. That makes an attack from them pretty much useless. There is no way they can see what you’re doing so they cannot block your attack.
All you have to do is flick your wrist in a downward motion and you bring the end down on your attackers head or collar bone with bone crushing force. The aircraft aluminum that so many tactical lights are made from makes them virtually indestructible.
Return from Best Flashlight to Survival Equipment
Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...
Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?
- Click on the HTML link code below.
- Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment,
your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.
Print This Page
New! Comments
Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.