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Best Tactical Flashlights for Survival

Survival flashlights are essential to every hunter’s survival kit. However, when hunters put together a survival kit, they know they can’t use just any old flashlight. So how do you determine what is the best tactical flashlight for your survival kit? When it comes to choosing the right flashlight for survival, there are several things that you must consider in a flashlight. That is why we have put together this guide for you to use. 

Here is a list of the Best Tactical Flashlights for Survival

Here are Five Must Have Survival Flashlights:

Best survival flashlight for the money

Zebralight H52

Weight: 1.1 Oz. (without Battery)

Dimensions: 3 inches long and .86 inch diameter

Lowest Setting: 2.9 Lumens for 96 Hours

Highest Setting: 300 Lumens for 54 minutes

In my opinion the Zebralight looks to be the best survival flashlight on the market today. With the amount of light it produces from a single AA battery, it is quite remarkable with the beam uniform. I found the bright setting to be good enough for use during night-time like cycling or seeing across the field. Many use it for bike tours, caving, as well as backpacking and claim the battery lasts for quite a long time on the lower settings.

Another feature I like about this survival light is that it can be carried or turned into a headlamp, making it very easy for me to use when my hands are full with equipment. There is also a battery capacitor indicator light that will alert you when the battery is running low. With the product design, lighting quality and reliability, it is no competition that the Zebralight is a popular choice among many outdoor enthusiasts.

Fenix HL22

Weight: 1.57 Oz. (without battery)

Dimensions: 2.44 inches long and 1.55 inch diameter

Lowest Setting: 3 Lumens for 55 Hours

Highest Setting: 120 Lumens for 1 hour and 24 minutes

The Fenix Hl22 is a great choice when you are looking for a flashlight that is great in size with a bright light. The light is very compact and can run for 55 hours with just a single AA battery. In my opinion, this light definitely meets its lumen rating. The HL22 offers 3 brightness lights, PLUS an SOS mode which may come in handy for hunters like me. The headlamp is both lightweight and portable in size, to be comfortably used for long periods of time.

Personally, I find the HL22 to be very operation-easy and intuitive. Many consider the light to be incredibly bright when set on high, and actually lasts a long time when set on low. The lower modes work well; even with the light is just bright enough for me to walk around without falling over anything in the dark. The low light option gives about 140 hours’ time, which I find to be very comfortable when used in “survival mode.” With just the one button operation, it seems quite easy to use and handy while on the fields.

Best tactical flashlight for your budget

Olight M22 Warrior

Weight: 5.15 Oz. (with battery)

Dimensions 5.7 inches long and 1.61 diameter

Lowest Setting: 20 Lumens for 30 hours

Highest Setting: 950 Lumens for 1 hour

The Olight M22 Warrior will give you a high quality flashlight especially when you have a budget to stay true to. In my opinion, if you are looking for the best budget-friendly survival flashlight, the M22 Warrior is the best one yet. Without a doubt, this light reaches 950 lumes on the highest setting which you probably won’t find with many other budget friendly flashlights. Another great feature I like about this light is the wide area of illumination.

With a strong and durable case, the Olight M22 can also provide as an emergency weapon as this light won’t shine a spotlight on your target, but actually blind your target at once – without revealing your location. I have sparred with this light in my hands and can tell you it makes an excellent striking tool. In my opinion, I consider this a Military or Professional grade tool with a great price that you won’t find elsewhere.

So, if you are looking for something budget-friendly but still come with the needed accessories, I highly recommend the Olight M22 Warrior.

Here's a video of the Olight M22 Warrior for more information and review.

Best lightweight dependable flashlight

Surefire E2L Outdoorsman

Weight: 4.1 Oz. (without battery)

Dimensions: 5.5 inches long and 1.125 inch diameter

Lowest Setting: 5 Lumens for 67.0 Hours

Highest Setting: 125 Lumens for 7.25 Hours

The surefire E2L is one of the most dependable brands of flashlights I have used. This is considered to be the ultimate outdoorsman’s flashlights. I like that it is lightweight and extremely bright but also easily changed when I just need a dim light. For campers like me, this light pierces the darkness and gives you the needed light to cover your area without having to trip over any unseen objects. This is also a great tool to use during a trail hike in the night.

With the hard anodized body, I like how durable it is and how it provides plenty of options to handle without any risk of losing it.

Here's a video of the Surefire E2L Outdoorsman for more information and review.

Best flashlight for everyday use

Sunwayman V11R

Weight: 1.73 Oz. (without battery)

Dimensions: 3.31 inches long and .91 inch diameter

Lowest Setting: 1 Lumen for 35 Hours

Highest Setting: 570 Lumens for .42 Hours

I prefer the Sunwayman V11R If you are looking for an everyday-use flashlight that can also be added into your survival kit. It allows complete flexibility in the amount of light it gives. The light is quite small, so you can keep it in your pocket without even noticing it’s there. The sunwayman comes with a metal switch, but I personally prefer to use the rubber switch that is already installed. Though you might need a higher voltage of RCR123a batteries to hit around the 500 lumes, I tend to use a middle move to avoid any battery waste at times I don’t need a full blast of light.

Another thing to keep in mind is when using the higher voltage in “turbo” mode, you will have less than 5 minutes life out of it, but with normal use the battery will last about a week. What I like about this light is that it provides good value at purchase price and comes with extensions, which allows me to use cheaper batteries. I like that It is very versatile and comes with a great holster that you can use with or without any extension. So if you are looking for a high quality flashlight that you can use for every day, I suggest the Sunwayman V11R is great for the job.

Here's a video of the Sunwayman V11R for more information and review.

Accessories

Without accessories all you have is just a plain flashlight. As you go further into more choices, you will notice the better quality flashlights come with different features besides the bright light and long lasting battery.

Many tactical flashlights vary in different coloured lenses, such as blue, red, and green. Each of those coloured lenses is used for different specific purposes. One thing to look for in a flashlight is the diffusers, which creates a soft ambient light from the extra bright light. Other accessories that you want to keep your eye out for include the weapon mounts, a remote pressure switch, extra O-rings, holsters, a strike bezel, and many other features. Another thing to consider is the battery options, and how many modes the flashlight model offers. After all, if the flashlight only offers one mode, it probably isn’t one of the best survivor lights to look for.

Batteries: rechargeable or primary mode?

One of the biggest decisions survivalists must make is what batteries to use in them. Though opinions may vary, most hunters agree that you should stay away from alkaline batteries. Though they are fairly easy to find, these types of batteries has a very short life span. Another issue with primary alkaline batteries is the tendency to leak. Most survivalists find the primary lithium batteries are the best choice as they offer more power and a longer shelf life. It has been proven that lithium batteries are able to hold at least 90% of their charge for longer than 5 years.

For many survivalists, when it comes to the choice in batteries, rechargeable batteries are the best way to go. Rechargeable batteries have fewer problems than primary ones. You can also choose between Li-Ion and Ni-MH. Most prefer the Li-Ion batteries, because of their longer shelf life. Some hunters are starting to use Ni-MH. One of the big advantages to Ni-MH is that they are available in the same sizes and contain similar voltages as alkaline batteries. This means they can be used in the same flashlights as alkaline batteries.

How to Use a Survival Flashlight

A survival flashlight can be used for a variety of things. One of the most common uses is to provide light in an emergency situation. May it be where your car broken down on the side of the road, or your power goes out inside your home, a tactical survival flashlight is the best way to provide the light you need. With the right accessories, you have the choice between bright lights and soft ambient lights. The different coloured filters can also be used for many different types of light.

The blue filters provide the best light for reading maps during dark hours, red filters prevent any destruction of your night vision, and green filters are most idea for hunting at night.

Another great use for survival flashlights, is that it can able be used for self-defence. Even for people who carry other means of protection such as a firearm or pepper spray, survival lights can also be useful as they deliver a powerful hit to both humans and animals during any course of attack. The best survival flashlights usually come with strobe patterns built in, to be used for signalling purposes. Whether you are signalling for other members or trying to flag down a search party, strobe patterns will do the work for you. Before choose which survival flashlight is the best flashlight for you, also consider mini flashlights, as they are small and easy to carry at all times.

Conclusion


Consider the survival flashlight as a life-saving device. They can be used to provide bright lights in an emergency as well as a mean of self-defence. This is very important to hunters as anything can go wrong out in the wilderness. Whichever flashlight you choose, make sure it features everything you need in a tactical survival flashlight.


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