Choosing The Right Flashlight — Page 4: Applications

Olympia RG850 850 Lumen LED Flashlight

A: Hunting

As mentioned earlier, colored lights are much easier on the eyes than white lights, and for that reason I recommend them for hunting, as long as a white light is available also. The colors (take your pick) are great for getting to your stand before sunrise, but a real pain for field dressing. Some people prefer colors for blood tracking. I'm still not a convert. LED lights really are great in hunting applications because of the soft light and long run time. A headlight with an adjustable band is fantastic in these scenarios because you only have two hands. One normally has a gun or bow in it and the other is carrying other gear or busting brush. Elastic headbands can be used over hats, and headlamps can certainly also be used as a hand-held light.

B: Scuba Diving

Pelican is the primary manufacturer of illumination tools for scuba and diving, and many of their lights are waterproof to 500 feet, much further than we will ever go while alive. Definitely check out the waterproof and pressure specs when checking out flashlight features before your purchase.

C. Law Enforcement

The days of the 6 "D" cell metal flashlight on a duty belt are over unless you need to use it as a club. Since collapsible batons have taken the place of the club, there's no reason to be weighed down and clumsified by such an archaic illumination tool, especially since lights a tiny fraction of the size and weight are readily available with many times the brightness and run time of those obsolete dinosaurs (of course they still work just fine). Various pistol techniques are more easily mastered with a smaller light that fits your hand, and battery replacements are small and weigh about as much as an extra pistol cartridge.

D. Spotting/Marine Use

These are similar uses because of the distance and power required. A waterproof flashlight model is perfect for marine use. You can identify floating debris that can be harmful to your boat's hull, and even see under water to a certain extent. Search and rescue operations are enhanced with good light. Sometimes all you are searching for is deer in a field or a raccoon across the campground. A spotlight is perfect for these tasks.

E. Camping

Camping scenarios lend themselves well to lantern use even more than in the home. Lanterns are perfect for tent use and stationary use on picnic tables, giving a wide area of light for performing multiple tasks as well as comfort. In handheld flashlights, low powered lights with LEDs are perfect.

Novatac OPMOD SO120 Limited Edition Flashlight

F. Weapons Mounted

Weapon Lights on pistols are the accessory du Jour. Right or wrong, everyone thinks they need one, and all of a sudden their pistols are obsolete because they do not have accessory rails. Most new pistols have grooves in the dustcover to accept various tactical lights. When first introduced, certain accessory rails were proprietary in size, making sure that you used the manufacturer's own version of a light. Now rails are quickly becoming more standardized with Mil-Std 1913 (Picatinny) sizes.

Problems abound with pistol mounted lights. People point guns at people because they simply want to use their gun mounted light. What is firearm safety rule number one?

Don't point a gun at anything you are not willing to destroy! This is a serious matter and not a bit funny. You may find that if you use a mounted light incorrectly you will be shown a pistol holster in a dark body cavity you never knew you had. Some older lights were also heavy and caused pistol malfunctions similar to limp-wristing. Any affixed light contributes to malfunctions a bit. Holsters are still fairly hard to find that accept lights, and if you do find one it has to fit not only your exact gun, but your type of light also.

Weapons mounted lights are a fantastic tool if practiced with and used appropriately. Rifles and shotguns can readily accept powerful lights of all sizes, so when you're choosing the perfect flashlight for your firearm, be sure to consider the weight, brightness and reliability you need.

G. Emergency/Home Use

As stated before, just about any AA powered cheap flashlight will work for checking for a popped circuit breaker, and I have them in many rooms in my house and they are always available. But for more preparedness better lights are required. LED lamps are worth their weight in gold for the long run time they offer. A lantern is useful for gatherings of people around the dinner table or to play cards. I have even played pool under lantern light. At least one bright and powerful light per family should be standard, and more is better. Be prepared. What is safety and peace of mind worth?