Camping in the wilderness can be such a fun and relaxing adventure, which can offer a wonderful escape from routine and offer all the benefits of nature. At night, though, it can be uncomfortable and disorienting, since we are not night creatures and it isn’t our usual environment, so you can find yourself struggling to get back to your tent or to be able to spot something in the dark. So to be sure that you come well-equipped, make sure you bring and carry around with you one of the most used and underrated items: a camping flashlight. People often make the mistake of thinking that anything that emits light, like a mobile phone (which can really make your battery run out very quickly!), will be good enough for their outdoor needs. But investing in a good flashlight will give you way more possibilities, comforts and be more reliable than other light sources.
So what type of flashlight is best for camping?
Flashlights have come a long way and now offer a lot of possibilities. They can be very powerful and long-lasting, and you can find many uses for them: from helping you find the bathroom at night to making coffee in the morning, or hanging from your tent so you can read or look through your backpack. Some lights are now solar-powered, some have adjustable light output, others are waterproof and they all vary in weight and shape. Some also cost just a few pounds while others can be over a hundred, depending on the different features available.
It is important to consider the camping experience that you want and exactly what type of flashlight will cover your needs. Since nowadays there’s such a broad range of products and features in flashlights, here are a few important characteristics outlined so you can easily figure out which flashlight you need and create a well-lit environment at night for you and your companions.
Dimensions, shape and type
There are some flashlights that come in the shape of lanterns which can be used more for setting up a fixed place around the camping site, headlamp flashlights for when you need to be hands-free, heavy-duty flashlights if you want them to be capable of enduring some hits, or work and tactical flashlights which are made for professionals who need a reliable light source that meets certain technical requirements.
Battery
You can find flashlights with rechargeable batteries that will save you money over the long term, lithium batteries for long-term performance, or common batteries such as AA or AAA which have good performance, are cheaper and sometimes easier to use. Nowadays, the brightest lights are LED flashlights powered by Li-ion (lithium-ion) batteries, because they can provide the watt power needed in an energy-dense package.
Beam and brightness
Lumens are the unit of measure for brightness and an easy way for you as a consumer to find out if the flashlight meets your standards. The beam refers to the distance the light can reach. Nowadays, technology is making flashlights over 1000 lumens to be the new norm, making them common and affordable. 100 lumens is standard for an average flashlight which can help you be spotted on a road, for example; 300 lumens can help you search for something at 50 meters distance and can light up a small room; 1000 lumens and up, that’s a very powerful flashlight which is used by professionals and can easily light up a large area.
Other features
Other features to look for are resistance to impact and water because you never know when it will take a fall or it can start raining; an adjustable beam, to obtain better focus and to change the range of the surface you want to light up; and it can be even more practical if it has multiple uses, like having a rechargeable flashlight with LED lights which can last for a very long time.
High quality flashlights for nearly any scenario
Olight was established in 2006 and they manufacture portable and high-quality illumination products. After breaking successfully into the EU market, they focused on taking it one step further by designing even higher quality products that could be used by law enforcement and government agencies. This way they have created a broad range of items to suit every need and activity, and have kept innovating in their field. For example on the range of triple-A battery flashlights, users can find the Olight i3T, with 180 lumens, interesting. Or if you are interested in a high-range LED flashlights, the Olight M2R Warrior can be a good choice, with a maximum of 1500 lumens output. And one Olight flashlight which offers multiple interesting features is the Olight PL Pro. It has a rail adapter that allows it to be installed on weapons with a heavy-duty quick attach and release mounting system.
Perhaps one of their most comprehensive products is their Olight Warrior X Pro Tactical Light, a recent addition to their catalogue. This type of flashlight has the following features:
Capable of producing 2,100 lumens and up to 500 meters of beam throw.
A high-discharge 5000mAh 21700 lithium battery and a 2A current for much faster charging than its previous model, the Warrior X.
A maximum run time of 8 hours.
2 output modes with different intensities and high-performance NW LED.
An IPX8-rated aluminium alloy body which makes it very resistant, enough to endure a 3-meter drop test and it is also waterproof.
A vibration battery indicator (for example, at less than 30% battery it starts vibrating every 5 minutes.)
A pronounced pattern in its shape for better grip, stainless steel pocket clip and a magnetic tail switch.
Warrior X Pro is great for professional hunters, search and rescue, and law enforcement.
On the 30th Olight will have a Flash Sale where the Warrior X Pro will be available in blue, red and green colours. They provide free shipping for orders over £49 for UK and Ireland customers. Most products have a 5-year warranty, and also all the products come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
