A tactical flashlight is technically one that is used for military or police applications, often in connection with a weapon, but it’s very good to have one for more common purposes. In this article we’ll look at
- what a tactical flashlight is
- the uses you might want one for
- and a selection of good reasonably priced ones.
What Would the Specs Be for Tactical Flashlights?
They are bright, astonishingly bright, able to light up large areas outside. This is partly because they use LED lights rather than the older light bulb models. In terms of lumens, which measure brightness, they start around 100 lumens and go way up, even to 1000 lumens or more. But several hundred lumens would be great for everyday indoor or outside uses. LED lights last and last… many thousands of hours is typical.
They are sturdily made to stand up to heavy use.
They are easy to use quickly. You don’t want one with so many bells and whistles that you have to fiddle around with it to get it to even turn on or off.
They can be used in the rain or in other wet situations.
They might be powered by regular alkaline batteries, say AA or AAA, but rechargeable lithium ion batteries are more cost effective and environmental.
They have various modes of operation so you can use them for many purposes. They can be switched between the modes easily, with a side switch or sometimes an end switch.
They come in all sizes, from very small to very large. Compact flashlights are often 5.4 inches long.
They can be mounted on weapons.
Purposes for Anyone
They are great for shining light exactly where you want it.
If your car breaks down at night, two flashlights would be useful: one for working on the car, one for flashing a warning to oncoming vehicles.
Self-defense can take a variety of forms, and one method is shining a tactical light in the eyes of an assailant or let’s say of a would-be assailant. This could be when you are out in public or even in your own home.
Just looking for something can be improved by using one. A tiny object dropped on the floor, something you suspect is behind a cabinet, and more. Supposing you saw an insect disappear under your refrigerator… or you were trying to connect a couple of electronic cables in a dim spot behind a television or computer.
A Selection
Especially with a flashlight that needs to be strong and reliable, just casually picking one off a store shelf isn’t the best idea. Here are some that are available online. I don’t list prices because they are subject to change, so just click through to have a look. In my opinion you do not necessarily need to have the very best if it is outside of your price range, but do look at reviews from people who actually use them. I find the comments in the reviews to be more helpful than the number of stars.
There are a huge number of choices. Popular brands include Klarus, Fenix, Surefire, Streamlight, Solaray, and others.
You don’t need to spend a fortune to get a really good one, but it should have metal rather than plastic casing.
Starting with a small one I own myself,
I like this small tactical flashlight so much that I have two of them in different colors. A bright orange one is in a secure spot in our bedroom and a more muted color is in the bag I carry when I go out in the world. It’s got a lumens rating of 300 on the brightest of its three modes.
Here is a very popular one with desirable features: