When it comes to emergency situations there are many things you need to help you be prepared. Each emergency situation is different and will call for different things but no matter the circumstance you find yourself in you are going to need a good flashlight. Flashlights can be used for a number of different things or reasons. You can send off distress signals from them, temporarily disorient or blind another person or animal and of course they can help you find your way.
Not every flashlight that you pull off of the shelf is going to have the same benefits as the next flashlight. Buying a regular flashlight that takes any kind of batteries can be great when you have to look for something quickly or you don’t plan on using your flashlight for a long time. If you are looking for a flashlight that will help you with an emergency situation or you are needing a strong beam flashlight for hunting, camping or another situation like it you are definitely going to need something different. Each situation can call for something different but there are great flashlights that can cover many different light situations.
I made sure to recommend you the very best flashlight in each following caterory. I also linked to their Amazon pages, where you can read more reviews about each flashlight.
Best Tactical Flashlight
Tactical flashlights are usually the flashlights that police, military or marksman. These kinds of flashlights can be used along with their gun to easily sight a target. Tactical flashlights also all for the user to blind temporarily a person or animal. Tactical flashlights are small enough that they can be kept in a glove compartment of a car or put in a first-aid kit. Women could even carry one of these flashlights in their purses to use as form of non lethal security device.
Tactical flashlights can be handheld or they can be mounted on a weapon. The handheld tactical lights are usually used along with hand guns and the mounted kind are used more so with rifles, shotguns or machine guns. Lithium batteries are usually used in tactical flashlights because they have a long shelf life, work well in cold temperatures and are less likely to leak than alkaline batteries. Tactical flashlights can also have their lenses switched out for colored lenses. Red can be used for night vision and blue can be used to find blood.
The best tactical flashlight is the Fenix Flashlights FX-PD35TAC Flashlight. The price is under $60 and can shine a maximum distance of 656 feet. This flashlight has 6 output modes up to 1000 lumens and is made of aircraft grade aluminum. It can be submerged up to 6.5 feet for 30 minutes.
The Fenix Flashlight has a memory circuit that allows it to enter the last mode that it was in on the previous use. The CREE LEDs give these flashlights a lifespan of up to 50,000 hours. It has two different modes it can be used in, outdoor mode and tactical mode. This flashlight is also a pocket sized product making it easy for anyone to carry. This is the best tactical flashlight on market for its all around abilities.
Military Flashlight
Military flashlights are flashlights that meant to work along with a weapon. Military flashlights are usually mounted flashlights that are also tactical flashlights. They are meant to able to withstand impacts. They can be submerged in water to a certain degree.
Military grade flashlights are flashlights that are more durable against impacts and are going to be tougher body wise than everyday flashlights. Because these flashlights can take stress being applied to them, can be submerged in water and can withstand varies temperatures they would be great flashlights for people who are hunting or people who fish.
The best military flashlights are Surefire G2X Series LED Flashlights with Tough Nitrolon Body, which come in 4 different colors: black, desert tan, forest green and yellow. They also come in 4 different styles, pro, tactical, combatlight and law enforcement. This military flashlight has a tough Nitrolon body, anodized aluminum bezel, and tough polycarbonate window to resists impact.
It puts off 600 lumens of bright light. It comes with 2 lithium batteries and has a shelf life of 10 years. This flashlight has a wide range of temperatures that it can be used within and it is a small bodied flashlight that can easily fit in the palm of someone’s hand. This military flashlight are also fairly lightweight so you can handle them easily.
Best LED Flashlight
The Steamlight 74751 Strion LED High Lumen Rechargeable Professional Flashlight is the best LED flashlight in the market. There are 8 different styles that it can be bought as, depending on what you need as far as charging it. The rechargeable battery is a lithium battery and is rechargeable up to 1000 times. It has a wide beam output and has a beam distance of 656 feet or 200 meters.
It will not roll when set down, meaning it will stay where it is put. It has 4 light output modes, high for a super-bright beam (run time 1 hour), medium for bright light and longer run times (2 hours), low for light without glare and extended run times (3.5 hours) and strobe for disorienting or signaling your location (run time 2.5 hours). It has a durable anodized aluminum construction and a knurled body for a sure grip. The strength of the light output and distance of this flashlight makes it the best LED flashlight available.
Best Emergency Flashlight
The Fenix RC40 Rechargeable LED Flashlight is a powerful emergency flashlight. It utilizes six of the latest Cree XM-L2(U2) LEDs with a lifespan of 50,000 hours. It has five modes of operations plus Strobe and SOS. At the turbo it puts off 6000 Lumens for an 1 hr of runtime, at the high level it puts off 4000 Lumens for 1 hr. 50 min. The mid level puts off 2000 Lumens and runs for 4 hr. 5 min., the low level puts off 500 Lumens and will run for18 hr. 15 min. The eco level puts off 45 Lumens and can run for 125 hr., the strobe level puts off 6000 Lumens and the Sos level puts off 500 Lumens.
This flashlight has a beam angle of 90 degrees and a beam distance of 2395 feet or 730 meters. This flashlight is great for search and rescue because of the powerful beam and distance that it covers. It is made of durable aircraft quality aluminum and comes with a shoulder strap. This flashlight is rechargeable and is plugged in when not in use. An internal circuit system exists so it doesn’t overheat, overcharge or over-discharge. It also comes with a car charger and ac charger so it plugged in wherever it’s needed.
Most Powerful Flashlight
The most powerful flashlight on the market is the Eornmor Outdoor Handheld Portable Flashlight. This flashlight puts off 6000 lumens and it’s more powerful than anything else on the market. Can be used as a searchlight. Easily illuminates up to 2600ft/800 meters and is rechargeable.
It’s also completely waterproof, so you can take it to hiking, camping, fishing, and other outdoor activities. The large handle enables carrying it with you effortlessly while you’re searching, travelling or even just walking your dog.
Other emergency flashlights
There are so many different types of flashlights available for consumers to purchase. There are the flashlights that are mentioned above, which are the military, tactical and LED flashlights but there are many other types of flashlights in the market.
There is the American Red Cross Blackout Buddy the Emergency LED Flashlight that acts as both a flashlight when being used and a nightlight when just normally plugged in. This flashlight will light up the second a power outrage is known to it. It will stay light for 4 hours and the flashlight has 3 LED lights for maximum brightness. There is even a model of this flashlight that you can use to charge your cellphone in an emergency.
There is also the LifeLight LED Emergency Flashlight Car Window Breaker Seatbelt Cutter which is a hand crank flashlight. Hand crank flashlights are great when the flashlight might be sitting for long periods not getting used and you don’t have to worry about if you charged the batteries or if the batteries are even good in the flashlight. This flashlight is meant to be kept in the car glove compartment because you can use it can break your window, cut your seat belt, it’s water resistant and works as an emergency phone charger.
The Internova 1000 LED Camping Lantern is a lantern/flashlight. It has a massive brightness with fully adjustable 360 arc lighting. It can be used in an emergency, for backpacking, in construction work areas, for hiking, auto work, in the home and in a college dorm room. This lantern flashlight puts off 1000 lumens and is water resistant. It can be run for five hours non-stop and it’s durable body makes it a great light for bad weather. Within it you can choose between brilliant white for ultimate brightness, red LED’s for stargazing at night, or the built in red SOS function to keep you and your family safe during an emergency. This flashlight takes 4 D cell batteries, but they don’t come with it.
Bonus Material
Flashlights are essential, especially if you’re hiking at night. And now that you know what the best emergency flashlights are, let’s review the best camping flashlights of this year.