What makes a flashlight tactical? A flashlight designed for use by the police or army is a tactical flashlight. Many tactical flashlights are mounted to a weapon with the purpose of low-light shooting. Usually, they’re smaller than traditional flashlights. They emit much more light. For maximum durability, they are made of weapon-grade aluminum.
Tactical flashlights are also a really handy personal defense and everyday tool for the average civilian.
A tactical flashlight can help thwart attackers. What is more, it is one of the most versatile and useful tools you can have in your every day carry kit. For example, if you need to fix something around the house, it’s a really handy tool to have on your keychain or simply around.
Benefits of Tactical Flashlights
Electric power can be cut for long periods and it can go out at any time. This should be something you know. Having a flashlight on you can save your feet from injuries and your time as you navigate about your dark home.
What is more, apart from helping you navigate after a power cut or fix wire connections, a tactical flashlight can also be used as an effective self-defense tool.
Flashlights like this are crucial for low-light shooting. They help you identify your target and let you see your gun sights in the dark. A tactical flashlight can be very handy in tough situations even if you don’t carry a gun for personal defense. You can take it into places like planes and movie theaters where guns are banned. These items are a great idea for people who live in countries with stricter gun laws, but who still want to carry something for personal defense.
A Tactical Flashlight Helps Identify Threats
Attackers often use darkness to their advantage. A bright flashlight can eliminate the advantage of an attacker stalking in the shadows and help identify threats in a low-light environment. It can be enough to get him to leave simply by shining the light on him.
When it’s dark out, a light shining in your eyes momentarily disorients attackers. This is only logical. You can take advantage of that natural reaction to bright light to protect yourself from assailants.
Your would-be attacker will likely reach his hands up to his face and experience three to four seconds of semi-blindness and disorientation. Then, you have enough time to attack or flee.
You can also use the flashlight as an improvised weapon. Some tactical flashlights have a toothed or serrated bezel. These are advertised by manufacturers as a tool that you can use to break car windows in an emergency. Yet, it’s not that easy to break a window with a small, tactical light. It might take hours or not happen at all.
The bezel on a tactical flashlight can be used during an attack as an improvised striking device. After you’ve shone the light in your attacker’s eyes and blinded him, you must hit his face with the toothed bezel as hard as possible.
Note that toothed bezeled flashlights can be deemed “striking tools.” Place it in your checked luggage to be safe.
Which Flashlight Is the Best?
We’ve determined why you should get a tactical flashlight – it is a great tool to protect yourself. Now the question is which one you should get. There are so many models on the market. Typically, the one you choose will come down to your budget and personal preference.
Look for a tactical flashlight that’s small, simple, and features light output of at least 120 lumens. It should obviously be small so you can carry it in your pocket every day. It should be about the size of your palm.
The flashlight should be waterproof so it works in all weather. Get a flashlight that’s waterproof so it will work in wet conditions.
You don’t need a complex flashlight full of functions and features such as strobe or SOS or flashlights that let you alter the brightness depending on how many times you push the on/off button. You don’t want a product that’s so complicated that you have a hard time using its main feature when you need it, which is bright light. Get something very simple with just an on/off switch.
Rugged Construction
Your flashlight will probably see a lot of use, so you need a product that will withstand the action. Look for flashlights made from hard anodized aluminum. This metal is light, yet quite tough. What is more, make sure the metal on the flashlight is easy to hold. It should be machined. It’s a bad idea to risk dropping the flashlight when you need it most.
Experts recommend LED rather than incandescent lights because the latter’s bulbs tend to break easily when dropped. LEDs, on the other hand, are tough and rugged. What is more, energy efficiency of incandescent bulbs is low.
