Lumen Freaks are here to help people who have knowledge about flashlights and want to know more. If I need the light to produce large amount of light, will it be enough to stun or blind someone. It is for an instant? Again, I look for the capability to hit that 150 or higher lumens range, but I also try to pick one. It doesn’t ALWAYS operate in that range because sometimes I just need a flashlight.
Does the flashlight have the ability to be turned on and off VERY quickly? I tend to lean toward pressure buttons here; if I’m adding pressure it’s on, and if not, it’s off. Does it have the ability to remain on at the level of light I need? Again, sometimes I need a flashlight to just be a flashlight. If my pressure button doesn’t also have a way to turn the light on and leave it on. Then I tend not to use it.
Will the light function as a light?
More to the point, will this tool actually prove useful when I need it? Will I be able to adjust the beam, the brightness, and the features quickly and appropriately for a given situation. One of my friends told me of a time when he was a young police officer. He chased an assailant up a tree, and with five other officers there and he pulled out his new flashlight that simply drowned out all the other lights around him. He told me that he learned “that the man with the brightest light is apparently the one in charge.”
Does the light have other ‘special’ features?
There are some lights that have little beveled edges around one end or another. These can easily be used for self-defense. I think it’s worth mentioning them, but I usually tend to use a flashlight as a flashlight. If I have to hit someone, I’ll find something harder and more clumsy; rocks or chairs work great. However, when there’s nothing else available, it’s nice to know I have the option if needed. Lasers can also be found on some lights, but lights with this option usually are made to mounted on firearm. Since many who carry a flashlight will not be carrying a firearm, and weapon mounted lights are a special topic.It is beyond the intended scope of this article to consider laser options.
Is the flashlight simple enough to actually use without activating a ‘special’ option by accident?
Some lights have strobe options that are disorienting to attackers, but strobing light can also cause same disorientation in user. I distinctly remember trying to do a low-light pistol course. My strobe option kept turning on when I was trying to make my shot. Strobes are great for signaling or disorienting someone, but when I’m trying to make a shot with my pistol. It tends to disorient me instead.
With flashlights, as with any other item that has a high failure rate, if you carry one… carry two. For items that can fail you, it’s always a good idea to have a back-up. I actually carry two flashlights on me, or I have one nearby that will easily accessible perhaps in my vehicle. Or in an outside pocket of my pack that I can quickly find.