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In any situation, whether navigating the urban jungle or embarking on an adventurous campaign, a reliable flashlight stands as an essential tool. Fear of the unknown often intensifies in darkness, especially when exploring the wilderness. As a prepper, being prepared for any scenario is paramount, and having the best flashlight in your emergency tactical survival gear can make all the difference.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll shed light on the top considerations when selecting the perfect flashlight for preppers, ensuring you are well-equipped to face the challenges ahead.
I will be discussing the following topics in this article:
- Why do you need a flashlight?
- Features of best tactical flashlight for preppers
- Top 6 flashlights on Amazon that you can buy
Why Having a Flashlight is Necessary For Preppers
A lot of us have faced events of darkness at least once in our lives. Even those who haven`t been in such a situation can imagine the fear of darkness. This fear increases if you are going through a jungle or mountains or even a dark alley. In the absence of any sort of light, you are simply unaware of what is going around you.
You may be hearing different sounds from bushes and leaves. But if you don`t have a flashlight then you are simply unable to look around the corner. In these situations, a flashlight can prove to be a great companion for you.
Although you can use an ordinary flashlight in such situations. However, having a tactical flashlight provides you with some enhanced features besides light. During camping, hiking, or even walking in the wilderness, a tactical flashlight can offer you many features. In the coming section, I am going to discuss the benefits of having the best flashlight for preppers in your tactical gear.
Where a Tactical Flashlight Comes in Handy For Survivalists?
A tactical flashlight for preppers can be useful in a variety of situations. You can use it for:
Illuminating the darkness even in different weather conditions
On hiking, trekking, or camping adventure, you need to face the darkness. This darkness may be due to either night or bad weather. A tactical flashlight will help you in an illuminated environment around you. It will help you in seeing different things around you. In short, in the presence of it, you can feel more comfortable.
Even if you are in your city, the flashlight can become handy for you will you are walking in dark streets. You may need it in case of a malfunction in your bike and car.
In extreme weather conditions, the light of a normal flashlight fades out. This enables them in finding paths in extreme weather conditions. On the other hand, the best tactical flashlight provides light intense enough to assist you in extreme rainy or snowy conditions. Moreover, such flashlights are completely waterproof. Thus, you don`t need to get worried about water pouring down.
Self-defense
The number of crimes is increasing day by day. Walking around the streets at night isn`t safe now. There may be some sort of thief waiting to snatch your money and other costly belongings. A tactical flashlight can help you in such a situation. You can use it as a tactical weapon for self-defense. You can disorient your enemy by stroking it right in the eyes.
On the other hand, jungle and mountain environments are quite populated with various animals. As you hike around, there is a danger of finding some sort of animal waiting there for prey. Again, you can use your best tactical flashlight to attack your animal attacking you.
Starting camp fire
A highly bright flashlight can assist you in starting a campfire. Although best tactical survival gear items must include a fire piston. But if you don`t possess it (for any reason) you can use a tactical flashlight for a prepper to light up the fire.
Handling emergency situations
As you go for your wild endeavors, something strange may occur and make your search for help. Rather than shouting or waving at vehicles out and about, you can utilize the SOS mode to flag for help. This incorporates when you are lost in the woods or when there is a fire flare-up or some other sort of crisis circumstance that needs support.
Practically all strategic flashlights are made with a hard strike bezel on the front of the spotlight. This part can too be utilized to break the window on the off chance that you have bolted the keys inside the house or vehicle.
Surveillance tool
Tactical flashlight gives a greater number of services rather than simply giving light. It very well may be utilized to search out your camp around evening time or in any event. Policemen and watchmen can use these while they are performing duties in the darkness of night.
Key Features of Best Flashlight for Preppers
Before buying the best flashlight for preppers for yourself, you should be first aware of different features. You should try to look for the presence of a maximum number of features. Have a look at these features:
Material
The first thing you should be looking for in selecting flashlights is their material. You should look for durable material. Durable material can really make a difference. Another aspect that you need to concentrate on is the weight of the flashlight. A lightweight flashlight is easier to carry around while you hike or trek. So, you should be looking for a lightweight and durable flashlight.
Water-resistant
Many times, you may need to use your tactical flashlight for preppers in extreme weather conditions. There may be rain all around you. If your flashlight is not water-proof then it can cause more problems for you. On the other hand, you can use a flashlight in a fearless manner if it’s water-proof.
Light Quality
The main function of a flashlight is to illuminate the darkness with its light. So, there are a couple of things that you should look for in your quest for the best flashlight for preppers in terms of light quality.
- The first thing you should look for light quality is the ‘Beam Focus’. A highly focused beam can offer you the best experience in darkness.
- Secondly, ‘Beam Width’ is another important aspect. A wide beam gives you a wide focus area in darkness. Instead of viewing a narrow area, you can look at a wide angle.
- ‘Light Brightness’ determines the illumination capacity of a flashlight. A bright light is always good as compared to dim light.
Backup time
You may have no power source once you are out there in mountains. So, the next thing, you should look for selecting your best tactical flashlight is the ‘Backup time’. Some people term it as battery life. You can define it as the “number of hours/minutes/ your flashlight will be able to provide you light”. The greater the battery life, the greater the chances of survival.
Usage modes
The best flashlight for preppers always offers multiple operational modes. Backup time can be managed properly with the help of these different modes. Each mode has different associated light properties and battery consumption.
- Eco Mode: Flashlight works in battery economical mode. It may result in a light reduction, but it will keep working for a huge amount of time.
- Mixed Mode: A mixed-mode offers you both battery backup and light brightness.
- Bright Mode: This mode consumes maximum battery strength and provides less backup time. A flashlight working in bright mode provides light at maximum capacity.
Working conditions
Ordinary flashlights are made so as to work under normal conditions. However, a tactical flashlight is designed to facilitate you in different weather conditions. In short, the best flashlight for preppers is comfortable to use in watery, snowy, and other extreme conditions as well as normal conditions.
Hand Grip
The grip is an important factor to be considered while you are looking for the best flashlight for yourself. Although there are other models too like helmet-mounted flashlights. But most of us hold flashlights in our hands. So, you should carefully look for the hand grip material. A properly designed material will be ergonomic. This will not only increase your grip but it will also enhance the comfort of your hands as well.
So, whenever you go out for buying some flashlight stuff, please ensure that the grip is strong enough to facilitate you in watery and moist conditions. Another thing that you should be considering is that we may be wearing gloves in case of ice-cold winters. The grip should be like that you can hold it comfortably while you are wearing gloves too.
Additional features
If a flashlight comes with additional features then it is really handy. Additional features are always good add-ons for a product as these offer you more flexibility. You may also look for these add-ons while selecting the best flashlight for preppers. Some of these features may be:
- Pocket Clip
- Carrying sling
- Built-in fire piston
- Multiple light sources
- Compass
- Hammer
- Cutter knife
6 Best Flashlights for Preppers
In this section, I am going to provide you with honest and unbiased reviews on the top 6 best flashlights for preppers.
1. Patriot Brother X Tactical Flashlight
Meet the ultimate prepper flashlight for hikers. Patriot Brother X Tactical Flashlight is at top of our best flashlights for preppers list. It is made up of aluminum alloy material and this makes it highly durable and reliable. Being lightweight it is super easy to carry around.
This flashlight is totally solar-powered, so you don`t need to replace its batteries around. A 3000mah battery provides you with a large battery backup. With a powerful 800 lumens light, it can be seen from as far as 500 meters distance.
With a powerful strobe light, you can use it in any sort of emergency situation. Additionally, it offers four different operational modes. You can use it in high beam mode to see distant objects in wilderness areas. However, in city areas, you may use the low-beam option. Another additional feature of this light is that it can serve as a power bank for charging your mobile phone via a USB port. Other additional features accompanying this flashlight are:
· Built-in compass for path finding
· Glass breaker hammer
· Wire and rope cutter
· Emergency siren
| Pros | Cons |
Provides 800 lumens light | Not waterproof |
Solar powered | No corrosion protection |
Lightweight and highly durable | Emergency siren is not present |
Can cover up to 500 meters | No battery level indicator |
Multi-mode operation |
|
Power bank |
|
Variety of add-ons |
|
2. Rechargeable LED Flashlight 120000 Lumen
With powerful seven operating modes and multiple light sources, the Alifa Rechargeable for Emergency Flashlight falls at position 2 on our best flashlight for prepper list. You can find three types of light sources:
1. Main light
2. White side light
3. Red side light
You can switch different modes by long pressing the button i.e. 1.5-second press. Each light source comes in different ways.
Main light can be used in three modes:
a) Full bright mode (100% brightness)
b) Half-bright mode (50% brightness)
c) Strobe light mode
Whiteside light has two operating modes:
a) Full bright mode (100% brightness)
b) Half-bright mode (50% brightness)
Similarly, Red Side light can be used in either Flash or Slow-flash mode.
Along with multiple operating modes, this flashlight is solar-powered. It comes with a powerful 3000mah battery. If you ask me about charging then let me be very clear that there are two charging options. You can charge it either via a built-in solar panel or via a USB port (by connecting it to your laptop). In addition to these, you can find some add-ons with this flashlight too:
1. Seat belt cutter
2. Powerful glass hammer
3. Side magnet allowing attachment to the metal surface
4. Compass
Pros | Cons |
Single switch operation | Not waterproof |
Three light sources | No corrosion protection |
Lightweight and durable | Emergency siren is not present |
Multi-mode operation | Can`t serve as Power bank |
Variety of add-ons like compass and glass hammer |
|
3. Nite Ize T4RE Tactical Flashlight
This flashlight is tailor-made for multiple purposes like hiking, cycling, fishing, and trekking. The light is made up of aircraft aluminum and this makes it highly durable and lightweight. It is completely water-resistant. So, you can feel the comfort of using it in different challenging environments. This makes it a strong companion even in extreme weather conditions.
WOLF EYE tactical flashlight uses the latest LED technology to provide super bright light in the darkness. Using this technology can provide up to 900 lumens of light. Moreover, there are three operating modes. The high mode can provide super bright light while the Low mode offers more battery efficiency. You can also use this tactical flashlight in strobe mode. You can charge it via a USB interface.
Water-proof, dust-proof, snow-proof, and comfortable hand grip design makes it a strong contender for placement at the third number on our list. One main disadvantage is that it doesn`t come with add-ons like a hammer, magnet, pocket lock, or compass.
Pros | Cons |
Super lightweight and durable | No add-ons |
Water-proof | No corrosion protection |
Suitable for extreme weather | Can`t serve as Power bank |
Multi-mode operation |
|
Provides 900 lumens of light |
|
4. ThruNite LED Flashlight Archer
It uses 12 powerful LEDs for providing you with bright light of 2000 lumens. LEDs are so powerful that you can see things up to a distance of 660 ft. It is normally an area of a football ground. Due to aircraft-grade aluminum usage, LED Torch Tactical Flashlight is extremely durable and reliable.
IPX-6 technology makes it suitable for use in watery conditions ranging from lower to heavy rain. It allows users to operate in five different modes:
1. High brightness
2. Medium brightness
3. Low brightness
4. Strobe
5. Emergency signal SOS
It comes with a powerful rechargeable battery that can be charged via a USB cable. One of the most exciting things about this flashlight is its ability to serve as a power bank. You can use it to charge your cell phone.
Pros | Cons |
Super lightweight and durable | No add-ons |
Water-proof | No corrosion protection |
Suitable for extreme weather |
|
5-mode operation |
|
Gives 2000 lumens of light |
|
Can serve as power bank |
|
5. SecurityIng LED Car Emergency Flashlight
One of the best flashlights for preppers that are rechargeable, reliable, and multi-purpose. It is made up of aircraft-grade aluminum. The use of aluminum makes it reliable, durable, and lightweight. With the latest IPX-8 water-proof coating, it is ready to be used in hard environments including heavy rain and snow. It is completely scratch-resistant and corrosion proof.
A single switch is provided on top of the flashlight to shuffle through all five modes. These modes include: super bright, high bright, medium, low, and strobe. However, you will not be able to find strobe mode in this flashlight.
The flashlight is made to hold four batteries with 2600mah capacity each. So, this makes it a giant flashlight with a total of 10400 mAh battery power. For charging the batteries, you can use a micro-USB cable. Batteries are really fast to charge. The flashlight can also serve as a mobile charger for your mobile phone, MP3 player, and other small appliances.
Light brightness up to 450 lumens makes it an ideal choice for camping, trekking, hiking, cycling, and other tasks. It is designed to cover a distance of 350 meters. Moreover, you can also use this flashlight in emergency situations. A built-in hammer can be used to break car glass in an emergency.
Pros | Cons |
Reliable, lightweight and durable | Covers limited distance of 350 meters |
Water-proof, scratch-resistant | No emergency signal SOS |
Suitable for extreme weather conditions | No sort of add-ons like compass |
Corrosion proof | No glass breaking hammer |
Huge battery capacity of 10400 mAh |
|
Can serve as power bank |
|
Powerful bright light of 450 lumens |
|
6. Cree XP-L LED Rechargeable Flashlight–
One of the finest and best flashlight for preppers is the Cree XP-L LED flashlight. The use of military-grade aluminum makes it highly durable. A 4.3-inch length and 3.5 oz weight make it compact and lightweight enough to hold and grip easily. IPX-8 coating makes it water-proof, skid-proof, corrosion-proof, and scratch resistant. All of these features make it ideal to use in outdoor environments and a variety of weather conditions.
Cree XP-L is powered by a powerful 3400mAh Li-ion rechargeable battery. For convenience, it is shipped with a USB cable and you can use a USB port to charge it using the charger. You can also use it as a power bank to charge your electronic gadgets.
This flashlight provides a 1000 lumens brightness and that too with five different operational modes. Each of these modes provides a brightness of 1000, 650, 320, 80, and 8 lumens. Additionally, you can also use it in strobe and SOS mode in emergency situations. These different modes and highly reliable LED make it a really good product for policemen, rescue operators, firemen, the army, and people like us.
A pocket clip and battery indicator are mounted on top of this flashlight as add-ons. If you look at its price and features then you will feel that it really gives a good ROI to you. In my view, it is the best flashlight for preppers’ usage in 2023.
Pros | Cons |
Reliable, lightweight and durable | No emergency siren option |
Water-proof, scratch-resistant | Add-ons like compass and hammer are missing |
Suitable for extreme weather conditions | Only single light source |
Corrosion proof | Small capacity battery 350 mAh |
Can serve as power bank |
|
Powerful bright light of 1000 lumens |
|
Pocket holder and battery indicator |
|
Bottom Line
Buying one of the best flashlights for preppers is really challenging task. But I have tried my maximum to educate you regarding all the essential and add-on features of various tactical flashlights.
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