09
Jul
Flashlights are one of those items that bring immense value in a wide range of situations, especially in the outdoors. If you’re looking for a flashlight for hunting, hiking or camping, then you’ll find thousands of different models, which can make picking the right one more difficult than you’d expect. Flashlights come in a wide range of sizes, brightness, features, and prices, and knowing what you want and need is quite important to make the right choice.
The first thing you need to consider when buying a flashlight is to consider the brand. Although this is not necessarily needed when buying other tools and devices, the brand matters big time when choosing a flashlight. NiteCore, Olight, Fenix and Klarus LED flashlight models are some of the most popular ones nowadays. But regardless of whether you go for a NiteCore, Olight, Fenix or Klarus LED flashlight, you’ll still need to narrow down your choice by deciding on the brightness, size, construction, and features you need.
The brightness of LED flashlights is expressed in lumens. The more lumens a flashlight has, the brighter it illuminates. However, two other factors that affect brightness are beam distance and intensity. For most outdoor applications, a 500-1000 lumen torch will be good enough. However, if you need more serious illumination, you can get a LED flashlight with 2000-3000 lumens, which can temporarily blind an aggressor.
The thing to remember is that more lumens aren’t always better. More powerful flashlights will drain the battery quicker, which is why if you want a powerful flashlight, you should get one that uses powerful batteries like lithium-ion or NiMH batteries. These batteries can be rechargeable, so as long as you have a charger with you and a power source to plug the charger in, you’ll have endless illumination. Alternatively, you can get a few pairs of batteries just to be on the safe side.
And of course, you’ll have to consider the flashlight’s construction. Flashlights come in various sizes and can be made from a wide range of materials. For most outdoor activities, you want a lightweight and compact flashlight that’s easy to carry around and has an ergonomic design. Aluminium is one of the most commonly used materials for constructing these flashlights as it’s durable, resistant to the elements and lightweight. Another reason you should always go with a popular brand is that reputable manufacturers usually offer lengthy warranties for their products. However, you should also expect to pay a bit more for a flashlight from a well-known brand.
