8 Survival Uses for a Flashlight

There are many survival uses for a flashlight. Walking in a dark alley, a lonely street, a forested area or a dark parking lot can bring chills down your spine. This is because you don’t know what is lurking in the dark. If you have ever been in this situation before, then you know how crucial it is to have a flashlight, especially when you hear some strange sounds from a nearby bush or suspect to see a shadow of a person in a corner.

People in such situations wish they had a safety weapon with them such as a flashlight. In this case, not just any type of flashlight is good. There is a big difference between a normal light and a survival light. Tactical Flashlight Guide give the user a wide range of uses than normal flashlights. They can be used for illumination, self-defense, blinding an attacker, in emergency situations, and even to start a fire.

The advancement in technology has enabled flashlights brands to come up with compact, sturdy, lightweight and brighter flashlights. This makes things easy for Preppers as they don’t have to carry heavy and large flashlights for their lighting needs. Most of the tactical flashlights are portable and durable. They are made with lighter materials, but can withstand tough weather conditions.

The difference between a normal flashlight and a tactical flashlight

Tactical flashlights have a totally different role than a normal flashlight. Initially, tactical flashlights were created to be utilized in conjunction with a firearm to help with target identification in places where there is limited lighting. Instead of carrying a separate flashlight, it would enable the marksman to target a weapon and illuminate a target at the same time.

Another area where tactical lights were used was by the police and security. Tactical flashlights were a wonderful innovation as they could offer a concentrated light beam that could temporarily blind an attacker or suspect and assist with target identification. This field of use meant that the tactical flashlight had to be made differently from the normal flashlight. This is because normal flashlights are made with cheap materials like plastic, and would not provide the same durability as with a tactical flashlight. Let’s export other survival uses for a flashlight.

Tactical flashlights provide a wide range of uses that you won’t get from a normal flashlight. Also, unlike other survival weapons, tactical flashlights are portable and are allowed on all modes of transport making it easy for travelers around the world to carry them. Here are some of the uses of tactical flashlights:

Provide illumination in the dark

No one knows what challenges awaits them ahead until they encounter it. For this reason, you should always have a tactical flashlight with you as you go hunting, hiking, traveling, or even as you carry out your daily activities. Today’s tactical flashlights are usually small, bright, and convenient to carry.

Having a tactical flashlight might save you as you go home late at night in the dark. It will illuminate your path or alley. Also, if you arrive home when there is a blackout, you can use the flashlight to light your room. Furthermore, if your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, you can always remove the darkness to change the car tire.

Disorient an attacker

Walking at night is very risky as you are likely to encounter a thief or an attacker or even a stray animal. If you are in such a situation and have a tactical light, you can always switch to the strobe mode and blind the attacker or animal. This will leave them confused as you make up your mind what to do next. Be very cautious before blinding any person with this mode. Not every person who is walking or running at night is an attacker.

Start a fire

The survivalist can use a flashlight to make a fire in different ways. This may not be the primary use of this device, but it can help you to-do-so.

The first method is to take out the protecting glass on top of the flashlight in blazing sunshine. Then, hold it in the air between the sun and the tinder. After a few minutes, sunshine will converge and burn the tinder.

The second technique is to remove the head and the protecting glass. Then, break the bulb and not the filament. Afterward, put the tinder in and switch the light on.

The third and final method is available for only a few types of flashlights. The flashlight should have a very intense light that is capable of burning flammable materials. Simply turn the mode on and thrust your flashlight near the tinder.

Provide light for shooting in the dark

Many tactical flashlights are used in shooting as they are designed to be mounted on guns. If you want a tactical light just for shooting, you can go for those that have rail mounts. Night vision scopes alone do not provide perfect light in very dark areas and thus shooters prefer having a tactical light to help out in such scenarios. Tactical lights provide more light so that you will have a faster target attainment.

When using the light for shooting, you should hold it in the appropriate position to avoid being hit.

Provide light in extreme weather conditions

A survival flashlight can come in handy in many extreme situations. Imagine if a storm broke out and you had to be left in the dark? A flashlight will provide you with light until the issue is rectified. In addition, tactical flashlights are usually waterproof and can be used even when it’s raining. Normal lights can’t survive extreme weather conditions like rain, water, and extreme temperatures. In case you drop this light accidentally on tarmac or on a hard surface, it will still function as it is normally shockproof.

Self-defense tool

After disorienting an assailant, now what? If an assailant is armed, you have to disorient them and hit them before running for safety. Almost all tactical flashlights are made with a hard strike bezel on the front of the flashlight. This part can as well be used to break the window if you have locked the keys inside the house or car.

In emergency situations

As you go for your wild expeditions, something out of the norm might happen and make you look for help. Instead of screaming or waving at cars on the road, you can use the SOS mode to signal for help. This includes when you are lost in the forest or when there is a fire outbreak or any other kind of emergency situation that requires help. Use it well and it is advised that you should not switch on the light for long as it may as well attract bad people.

Surveillance tool

A survival flashlight provides more uses than just providing light. It can be used to survey your camp at night or even for hunting animals in the dark. You should not take any chances when out there so having a bright, durable, shockproof, and weather resistant flashlight is important. That’s what a tactical flashlight gives you.

Features to look for in a good tactical flashlight

Is there the need of having a tactical flashlight that you cannot rely on in different situations? A tactical flashlight should be reliable and durable in all areas. This is by providing bright light to functioning in different weather conditions. Here are some of the features to consider looking for in a quality flashlight:

The type of material the flashlight is made with should be durable and lightweight
The flashlight should be very bright with powerful lumens
The light should be able to provide both a focused and wide beam for different situations
The flashlight should have a long runtime
It should work in different weather conditions and temperature
The flashlight should be compactly designed with a firm grip for easy handling
It should come with additional features like pocket clip and lanyard for easy storage while in action.
The flashlight should have different light modes to manage the runtime and be efficient in use.

If you are a Prepper, I hope you have found this information on tactical flashlights to be of great importance. As you can see from above, a tactical flashlight can save you in many situations and be used in various ways. So, instead of carrying a heavy defense weapon, carry a tactical flashlight which can save you in different situations that other weapons can’t.

When selecting a tactical flashlight, ensure that you go for the best. It should be bright, have different light modes, constructed durably, waterproof, shock-resistant, and compact in design. As you go out into the wild, you will always be grateful to have such a tool with you.

Can you think of other survival uses for a flashlight?

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