Survival flashlight

The most important thing about a flashlight is its brightness, isn’t it? And the Streamlight ProTac understood that!

It’s our Editor’s Choice for so many reasons…

With its 10-tap feature, you can choose among High, Low, and Strobe modes. It’s easy to switch between those. I found that Low mode is bright enough for indoors, and it can last up to 40 hours.

At High mode, you can safely trek even rugged mountains. Streamlight ProTac’s beam reaches up to 130-meters, and it’s so bright at High mode. But it can drain the batteries after two hours of it.

Lastly, you can signal your location with the strobe setting and ask for help. It’s also best for distracting unwanted wildlife visitors so you can get away. And it runs for four hours before Strobe mode drains the batteries.

As for its other features…

It has a pocket clip which I found very convenient. And its mount will allow you to use it on a rifle. My hunter buddies loved that option, but some complained that it was too heavy. But that’s a matter of preference.

So is the tail switch sensitivity. I, myself, didn’t find anything wrong with it. But some of my friends said that the flashlight turned on by itself while in their pockets.

That’s a bummer because we all thought it could have longer battery life.

Still, we’re impressed…

This Streamlight ProTac is one of the affordable ones, yet it’s more durable than most survival flashlights we’ve tried.

It’s waterproof, tested, and proven when I got caught in the rain while on a hike. And I can’t count the times that I accidentally dropped this flashlight. It has a secure and comfortable grip, but you’re bound to drop it if you’re as clumsy as me.

But the Streamlight ProTac held on…

And until now, it’s my go-to survival flashlight. I also think it’s the best EDC survival flashlight because it’s small and light.

Plus, the package comes with two AA batteries. So it’s quite the steal!

I’m telling you – this flashlight is cheap. You won’t believe a flashlight of this quality can be so affordable. But it is what it is…

And affordability is not the only thing Lumintop is good at!

In fact…

I was surprised that this Lumintop flashlight is made of durable aircraft-grade aluminum. And it proved its rugged design countless times that I dropped it. It rolled to a creek once, and it was still working after I retrieved it.

There seems to be no damage in my Lumintop except for a few scratches.

It’s still bright as ever, which is near blinding! I’ve tried cheap survival flashlights before, and they don’t come close to Lumintop’s brightness.

Also…

You can choose among five modes – High, Med, Low, Strobe, and Turbo. At the lowest brightness, the battery may last up to 60 hours.

Now, that’s good enough for our taste. But we don’t understand why the tail cap has a perpetually lit blue LED light. It’s draining my batteries – as we speak! 

Not to mention…

Its tail switch is very sensitive. The mode switches from High to Strobe with a simple grip adjustment and disorients me. Again, it’s not friendly for the batteries.

The positive thing here is that this Lumintop supports two different battery types. A 14500 cell helps bring out its maximum brightness potential and lasts longer. But if you don’t have that, it’s easy enough to find two AA batteries.

No wonder…

Lumintop is our Best Value flashlight!

Here’s another surprisingly high-quality product that comes in cheap prices. 

This GearLight package is already affordable at face value. Then we discover that the box has two tactical flashlights, two holsters, and two hand straps! 

Each flashlight needs AAA batteries that aren’t in the package. But you’ll have extra bucks to buy two sets. And you can buy spare ones that you can store in the battery tubes included in the set.

By the way…

You’ll need those extras because this flashlight consumes too much energy. It’s a little disappointing because it’s not that bright. I hoped it could be as bright as my other affordable flashlights.

Although, this could be a matter of preference. My buddies were content with its brightness when it was their turn to try it.

But the good thing is…

The beam extends so far that I spotted a rock about 300 meters away. I did some night kayaking, and this flashlight saved me from a possible accident.

And with a twist of the flashlight’s head, the beam widens out and narrows in. That’s very useful in survival situations.

And the best thing is…

This GearLight tactical light is designed for rugged conditions. Its military-grade casing survived a 10-foot drop. I tried it on one of the flashlights, thinking I had a spare anyway. 

Turns out, this GearLight is true to its claims! It was also undamaged after being soaked in the rain several times.

That’s why it’s our Top Pick flashlight!

Personally, I’m all for the SureFire Defender’s tactical design! This is how you disorient and hinder your enemy: Simply aim the beam at their eyes and blind them with 1000 lumens at High mode.

That will surely give you an advantage.

But that’s not all…

At first, I thought that this SureFire was too expensive – it even costs more than other tactical flashlights I’ve tried. But I changed my mind because it comes with six batteries.

And that’s very convenient because the SureFire Defender is a powerful flashlight. And you know what they say – with great power comes great battery consumption.

Also…

You only have two ways to use this flashlight. You either use it at 1000 lumens or 5 lumens. 

I think that 5 lumens is enough for the tent. But when I trek at night, I want it brighter. However, 1000 lumens is too much.

So, I conclude…

SureFire defender is great for any survival situation. It’s also durable enough to survive impact or being submerged in water. 

But it’s not for everyday carry or your usual backpacking and hiking trip. It’s good to be prepared, though, so I still include this in my survival kit.

The Nitecore EA41 falls in the middle of the price range. And its quality makes it seem like it costs more.

The first thing I love about it is its eight light modes. You can choose the Turbo, High, Med, Low, or Lower. And in critical situations, you may switch to Strobe, SOS, or Location Beacon mode!

Now…

I haven’t had the chance to use the latter three yet, but I found the five other options very convenient.

Inside the tent, 50 lumens at Low mode is enough. At Lower, the 1 lumen is a perfect nightlight. When we walked around the campsite at night, we were all content with the 160 lumens of Medium mode.

And when we’re still on the trail after sundown, 560 lumens at High mode served as well. And we know what 1020 maximum lumen output can do to our opponents, right? It’s also useful when boating at night, especially since the beam goes up to 366 yards!

But once again…

The batteries suffer in this situation. It’s best to have spare sets if you’ll be out for days. And each set consists of four batteries – remember that!

But that’s my worst complaint about it. This Nitecore is small and light enough to be an EDC flashlight. And it’s useful outdoors too.

Just be careful…

Its durable aircraft-grade aluminum casing is sturdy enough. But when you look inside, I find tiny rust where the batteries are. It might’ve been after I used it in a downpour.

But it’s still working as good as new, and its brightness hasn’t dimmed. Now, it’s one of my personal favorites.

Here I am again with my brightness issues! My buddies think the Streamlight Survivor is bright enough to light up the campsite. But I prefer it to be brighter, especially in its High mode. So maybe it’s a matter of preference.

There’s a lot to love about Survivor anyway…

You can switch from High to Low mode. And in emergencies, you can opt for the Emergency Flash mode. It also has a Moonlight mode which I found a good night light when out camping.

All of these you can have for an affordable price. You’ll have to buy batteries for it, though. Either a rechargeable NiCd battery or four AA alkaline ones would do.

Be sure to take a power bank or a spare set with you. The Streamlight Survivor will drain it out if you leave it on overnight at Low mode.

So, overall…

I’d be most confident with this flashlight on a trail that I’m already familiar with. Still, if orange nylon casing is your thing, I’d recommend the Survivor.

Its shape isn’t the best feel inside my palm. But it’s nylon casing is smooth and secure, so that’s an added point!

This EagleTac survival flashlight is probably the brightest I’ve seen. So it’s a shame not to put this in the top ten.

In the first few weeks…

I was so impressed that I showed this around to my buddies whenever possible. 

It has two modes – the Flashlight and the Diffused modes. But you can choose in-between, where they alternate every few minutes. 

The Flashlight mode can brighten up even a moonless night. And it reaches out over 500 yards! I found it most useful when fishing or kayaking at night. It might also be great for looking for people who need rescuing.

However…

The light seems to be blinding even for the user. I can use it against an opponent, that’s for sure. But even with the diffuser on, it disorients me.

My camping buddies agreed with that, to the point that they asked me to use another flashlight since we were already safe at the campsite anyway.

Another thing…

This EagleTac isn’t the most durable choice among this price point survival flashlights.

I dropped my EagleTac once while on a hike. It rolled down small rocks, and I had to retrieve it. And once I did, it wasn’t as bright as before. And it completely stopped working after several months of heat and rain.

It served me well, and I don’t regret buying it. But I hoped it would have lasted longer.

Especially because…

I loved how long it took before I had to recharge its batteries. The package comes with its charger (and a ballpoint pen – which doesn’t have anything to do with the outdoors, but I still liked it), and I only used it a few times.

My friends and I would go backpacking or camping for at least a whole weekend. And I observed that I didn’t need to bring the charger to camp because it could last the whole trip.

That was surprising because of how bright and powerful this flashlight is! Still, it broke down before I knew it.

In the end…

I still recommend this EagleTac light as a tactical flashlight. If brightness is what you’re in for, this is your guy!

In this Nitecore survival flashlight package, you’ll get a flashlight, rechargeable battery, charger, and a headband. You can use the flashlight as a headlight or a handheld torch. There’s also a pocket clip for everyday carry.

Also…

You may choose among Turbo, High, Medium, Low, and Ultra Low modes. In survival situations, you can use the Strobe, SOS, or Location Beacon modes.

That’s a lot of choices for an affordable survival flashlight!

Only…

I liked it better handheld because it felt uncomfortable on my head. I’m not sure if it’s the headband or the flashlight’s tendency to overheat. But the thing is that I couldn’t last an hour with it on my head.

The grip isn’t the most secure and comfortable but it’s slightly better. When my friends tried it, they also thought that it’s more convenient as a torch than a headlight. But that option comes in handy from time to time.

Still…

I highly recommend it, at least as an alternative flashlight. Its battery life is average but its charger is reliable. And its Turbo mode is as bright as any tactical flashlight you might find.

Its versatility and overall durability got it to our top ten.

I would recommend this Fenix product for everyday carry rather than for a survival flashlight. But that can be a matter of preference because my friends loved this flashlight!

Don’t get me wrong – I can see why.

First of all…

It’s super bright – 1000 lumens at High setting. And the beam reaches almost 300 yards so it’s very useful when you’re stuck in the trail after sundown.

But it’s hard to adjust the different light settings because of the switch. It’s too shallow and not sensitive enough. 

But I love that it has Strobe and Moonlight modes along with the usual settings. I’m that outdoor guy who likes versatile tools and if you’re like me, you must give this Fenix a try!

Another thing…

This affordable flashlight includes batteries in the package. The rechargeable one is convenient, especially since it comes with a USB cord for charging. But in case of power outages, the non-rechargeable LumenTac batteries will come in handy.

It could be their compensation for this flashlight’s battery life. It doesn’t last as long as I would’ve liked because I usually go camping for days on end.

It’s also kind of disappointing when it dimmed after weeks of use. It hasn’t broken down yet, which is a good sign. But it got soaked in the rain once and now it’s not as bright as before.

Still…

This Fenix light is more affordable than other survival flashlights of the same quality. I placed this with my choices of EDC flashlights, but feel free to use this in the outdoors!

Yes buddy…

Here’s another Fenix flashlight in our top ten list. But this one is more durable so if that’s what you’re looking for, this might be your guy.

This one got soaked under heavy rainfall. I even dropped it in a creek! But it hasn’t dimmed or broken down a single time. Its aircraft-grade aluminum case proved its worth, after all.

But I had to take a point off its durability because, after about three months, it started to have issues.

Straight out of the box…

I already didn’t like the switch. It’s not sensitive enough, and it’s annoying when I’m in the dark, and it takes time before I can turn it on.

And it worsened after a few months. Now, switching between different light settings is more difficult than ever.

It also doesn’t help that the batteries drain in no time. And it takes longer to recharge it than to use it at a High setting!

Still…

Those are minor inconveniences compared to how useful this Fenix flashlight is.

It’s bright at the highest mode, and its beam reaches 200 meters. I love using this around camp, but it’s bright enough to blind your enemy momentarily.

So, it’s better overall than most survival flashlights of the same price.