The Importance of Carrying a Flashlight and Its Advantages
The first models of flashlights that were ever made were heavy and bulky and used mostly by campers and hikers. However, these amazing tools have evolved greatly during the years and the big heavy torches of the past, today are replaced with more compact and brighter units thanks to LED technology. LED torches use a light that produces more brightness than the standard halogen or incandescent torch lights.
Thanks to their design and range of amazing features, led torches have become a must-have tool for outdoor activities and a significant part of any home emergency kit. If for some reason, you still don’t own one, maybe it’s time to consider investing a quality model that can serve you in all kinds of situations.
Identifying potential threats – Thanks to LED technology, today’s torches are much brighter than the previous models and have a longer beam distance. Bad things can happen when you at least expect them, so being prepared to react properly can save your life. For example, walking to your car at night or coming home walking through a dark street hides a lot of potential dangers and a flashlight can help you spot anything unusual before it’s too late.
- Self-defense – The high brightness of an LED flashlight can help you to temporarily blind the attacker and gain valuable time to run and save yourself. A flashlight with 60-100 lumens is powerful enough to cause temporary blindness when it is pointed directly to the eyes. Some models of led torches feature a strobe mode that is specifically designed to disorient the person by emitting super bright light rapidly. Also, the sturdy, metal construction makes the torch a perfect non-lethal weapon, so in case you need to, you can use it to hit the attacker with it.
- Emergency situations – In case of a power outage, the flashlight can instantly save the situation. No matter whether that happens while you are at home or outdoors, having a quality torch with you can be a life Saviour as you can use it to send signals about your location. Some models have special SOS modes which makes them perfect for such situations.
- Save your phone battery – Your phone’s flashlight is a really great feature that many find useful in a lot of different situations. But honestly, if you keep it turned on for a prolonged period of time, chances are the battery will run out very quickly so you will be left without both light and phone. Being without these two things at the same time can be a real problem in certain cases, so instead of wasting your phone’s battery, be smarter and get yourself a torch.
When it comes to their features, it’s worth mentioning that flashlights today come with many features and options. When buying a flashlight as an everyday carry (EDC) you will want to consider the basic features and then decide whether you need some additional ones.
- Brightness – Most flashlights today use LED bulbs because they are brighter and more efficient than incandescent ones. The light output is typically measured in lumens and lights can have anywhere from 20 lumens to 2000 or more.
- Beam Distance – Beam distance is measured in meters as the distance from the flashlight to an object or to moonlight space. It is also referred to as ‘throw’ or ‘flood’.
- Run time – This one is measured in hours. Some flashlights can run for 100 hours or even more in low output mode. For everyday carry model, you should choose a light with a higher lumen output. Somewhere in the 500-1000 lumen range.
- Construction – The model you consider buying should be durable and to be able to withstand tough conditions. Look for LED flashlights that are made of top quality military or weapon-grade aluminium. Also, a textured grip helps to keep the light from slipping out of your hand, which is particularly important if you need to use the light for self-defense.
- Size – Make sure the model you chose is comfortable to use and carry. It should be lightweight and compact, and it should also easily fit in your pocket or bag or be clipped to a belt hook.
Some other important features to consider:
- Switch Types – Some led torches have multiple switches in order to allow the user to quickly operate the light in different situations. The different switch types are tail-cap, body and head/tail twist. The tail-cap and body switches can be simple on/off or they can also cycle through modes. Rotating or twisting switches turn the light on and change modes by turning either the head or tail of the light. These switches are ideal for cases when the light is stored in a bag or a backpack and you don’t want it to accidentally get turned on.
- Impact resistance – This one is measured in meters and it is determined by how well a flashlight holds up when it’s dropped from a particular height onto a concrete surface.
- Water-resistance – The water resistance of led torches is measured using an IP rating system and comes in three categories:
IPX4 is water-resistant or splash proof from all directions.
IPX7 is waterproof and resistant to 1-meter submersion for 30 seconds.
IPX8 is waterproof for a submersion of 4 hours.