Imagine pursuing your prey when suddenly your cheap flashlight you’ve brought along on the adventure breaks down and leaves you in the dark.
One of the most essential pieces of gear for any hunting trip is a high-quality hunting flashlight.
With all the products out there, however, it can be hard to determine which flashlight is truly the best for hunting.
When looking for the best hunting flashlight, consider the following factors.
The 5 Factors to Help Pick the Best Hunting Flashlight For You
1. Durability
Like all hunting equipment, the best hunting flashlight will have to be able to withstand extreme levels of wear and tear.
You’ll want to find a flashlight that is water and impact resistant.
Durability is one of the first features you should look for when trying to find the right hunting flashlight for you.
After all, there’s no point buying something that will break down easily while you’re hunting your prey.
2. ANSI FL1 Standards
ANSI FL1 standards, a set of flashlight performance guidelines, were introduced to even out the playing field for flashlight manufacturers.
You can use these guidelines to figure out which is the best hunting flashlight for you.
These standards include the following elements:
- Light output [Lumen]
- Peak beam intensity [Candela]
- Beam distance [Meter]
- Runtime [Hours]
- Water resistance [IPX Rating]
- Impact resistance [Meter]
With these standards, you can ignore all those ambiguous marketing phrases you may find on flashlights.
Instead, use the guidelines to make direct comparisons between flashlights from different manufacturers.
3. Beam Type
The lens reflector that surrounds the bulb determines how light is dispersed.
When it comes to beam type, you have three options that are listed below.
- Fixed or flood type
- Characterized by a small single beam width
- Good for general applications (such as walking and camping)
- Focused or spot type
- Characterized by a single beam condensed as a spotlight
- Can penetrate long distances
- Perfect for fast-paced applications (such as route finding)
- Adjustable type
- Has a range of widths varying from wide to focused and any point between the two, for versatility in use
4. Bulb Type
With the numerous advancements in LED technology, why waste your time on bulbs of any other type?
There’s nothing on the market that comes close to LED flashlights when talking about runtime, brightness versatility, impact resistance, and general energy efficiency.
You might opt for units that use disposable batteries. However, you also have the option of a rechargeable model, which comes with built-in lithium ion batteries.
These batteries get juiced up via USB connection to a PC, a solar panel, or an AC or DC outlet.
In the end, while this kind of flashlight may be higher in price, the cost factor will be effectively offset by the flashlight’s low ongoing operational costs (since you won’t need to make repeated purchases of disposable batteries).
5. Size
You’ll need your hunting flashlight to easily fit into a pocket.
Better yet, you can also choose a flashlight with a clip so you can attach it to your belt.
Whichever option you choose, the flashlight must still remain relatively small.
Fortunately, LED lights–while they produce extremely bright light–are also tiny.
Are you currently in search of the best hunting flashlight for you? What kinds of flashlights have you used in the past for your hunting adventures?
Tell us about what you’ve used and how they worked for you in the past!
