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By Brian Hook
Ask any outdoors person what equipment they use and nearly all of them will include a flashlight on their list of must-haves. Whether you are spending the week camping at the lake your parents once took you to, or answering the call of nature and planning a hiking trip: you will want to have a flashlight with you.
When it comes to flashlights there are many different styles and bulbs. The brightness of bulbs is measured in lumens; the higher the lumen, the brighter the light. The intensity of light you need will depend on environment, weather, and activity. When choosing the best light for your trip there are various considerations, hopefully this guide will light the way for you.
Bulbs
• LED bulbs are very popular due to their long-life and ability to survive the shock of impact. LED consumes less power resulting in a longer battery charge.
• Halogen, Krypton and Xenon bulbs use the basic technology of incandescent however, they employ an internal pressurized gas to extend the life of the filament. Currently, these are the brightest white bulbs available in the market.
• Incandescent bulbs are the cheapest available; however, they are not as bright or sturdy as their counterparts. Incandescent bulbs are also known for a short battery life.
Styles Beam Light: The beam light is the most common flashlight style found. It is available many sizes,including mini.
Uses:• General illumination
Lantern: The lantern is used when you need a stationary light with a broader range of illumination. There are many variations of the light including, pivoting lamp, shoulder straps and mounting capabilities. Uses:
• Tent lighting
• Outdoor dining
• Perimeter Illumination
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Headlamp: Hands-free, worn on a hat or directly on the head using adjustable straps.
Uses:
• Hunting
• Running
• Cave Dwelling
• Mountain Climbing
• Backpacking
Wrist-light: Hands-free, straps easily adjust to the wrist for direct, wide-range illumination.
Uses:
• Hunting
• Running
• Cave Dwelling
• Mountain Climbing
• Backpacking
Wrap-light: Hands-free light that “slaps” around to automatically grasp the arm, wrist, leg or ankle. Low intensity illumination. This light provides a non-distracting illumination, allowing people, vehicles, and emergency crews to identify the movement or location of a person.
Uses:
• Hunting
• Running
• Cave Dwelling
• Mountain Climbing
• Backpacking
Triple Beam Light: A triple beam light offers, white, green and red lighting options. This light comes in standard and compact sizes.
Maglite-Solitaire-LED
Uses:
• The white light is for general illumination.
• The green light allows for low volume brightness when searching in a backpack or a detailed area.
• The red light is useful for low quality night vision.
Faraday (shake) Light: The shake light does not require any batteries or outside power source. The shake light is powered by shaking the light until illumination is achieved.
Uses:
• Emergency survival lighting, in the event that a person is away from a power source for a long period
of time.
• General illumination
Brian Hook is a contributor at the Best Outdoor Flashlight Spot, a site focusing on helping people find the perfect flashlight. Some of the Flashlights offered are AA, LED, Tactical and more. To find yours click here.
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