Tactical Flashlight

[SEndorf]

(tactical)
def: relating to or constituting actions carefully planned to gain a specific military end.

Why are there so many advertisements on TV for an overpriced "tactical" flashlight?
What makes a flashlight "tactical"? How does one flashlight present a military "edge" over another flashlight? You turn it on and it produces a beam. Where is the "tactical" edge?

Another advertising balldinger.... Why is it important for a flashlight to be able to withstand being run over by a tank?

I'm all for preparedness...What am I missing here that a dollar store flashlight is a disadvantage over a "tactical" flashlight? If my poor flashlight is being run over by a tank, I presumably have bigger problems than a flashlight issue. I'm so confused by this slick-willy advertising.....

 

[dlettow]

I keep at least a dozen tactical flashlights on my boat, with a screen door cut into the floor, that I made water tight using flexseal.

 

[SEndorf]

I keep at least a dozen tactical flashlights on my boat, with a screen door cut into the floor, that I made water tight using flexseal.

A dozen ! Ahh.. Good to stay ready for the water Armageddon….
And they're hidden in the floor... compliments of the flexseal dude that "sawed this boat in half" !!

 

[Still Brewn]

The only advantage of a higher priced flashlight that I have found is the reliability. I have bought dozens of flashlights over the last 10 years or so. I have found that none of the cheaper ones I have purchased will keep the bulb/s lit after a short period of use. I end up having to shake or tap them to get the light to go on or stay on. I have not purchased a tach light of any brand so for now from my perspective nothing beats a mag light. However I have not purchased an led bulb for any of mine yet. I do have 2 Ryobi (old blue swivel heads for any of you that use ryobi products) 18v flashlights that I bought led bulbs for and they are very bright and last all night now compared to the old bulbs and upon dropping them from a ladder they still lit up whereas the Ryobi incandescent bulbs would no longer work about half the time after a drop.

The only other advantage of a "tach" light I can see is the ability to focus the beam, that is a distinct advantage when the object you are trying to see has a lot of other white/lightly colored objects around it or it is at a great distance.

 

[Lefou]

It's all about the lumens if you're talking white light.
Aircraft grade aluminum body, fits in your pocket or palm of your hand, has watertight seals, or maybe it has a fitting attachment for a firearm. D-ring clips? 550 cord and a loop? It all works.
Me, I like the the high output LED nerd lights that fit on an elastic headband. Keeps your hands free in case you have to swim through dank water - but first remember to take your body armor and plates off before going in for a dip. Luckily, for me there wasn't much water out near Al Asad airbase but they did have lots of dry real estate and contract African guards.
This one night at Al Asad there was no truck waiting for me at 2AM near the flight line. So I walked. Three miles from the flight line with all my gear. WIth about 50lbs of sh*t it took about an hour ...and yeah, I'm slow when half-asleep with no shut-eye for about 20-some hours.
Did the walk with no tac light and just a green glow stick. Bright moving lights can make guards trigger-happy, so you turn the damned things off.
...so the guards didn't shoot me - or eat me.
But they did laugh.

 

[z-bob]

I have way too many little (and not so little) flashlights. This is my favorite by far: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BU9DSHW Mainly because it just has an on/off switch, not 5 stupid "modes" that you have to cycle through every time you turn it on. It works great with a 18650 rechargeable lithium battery. I just carry a set of CR123's for spares but never use them.

 

[smurfjuice]

Can you drive over it with a half track ??

 

[Dland]

No problem, on soft ground.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

I can never find my tactical flashlight unless I'm wearing my tactical sunglasses. They give you military grade eagle vision

 

[passedpawn]

Anyone remember moonbeams (usmc)? Had an extra lamp under the battery spring, and also red/blue filters for reading maps etc in lights-out situations I guess. I de-hoarded recently and through all my old stuff away, including one of these still in the box.

 

[Br3w4u]

I really like flashlights with the ability to focus the beam. Glass breakers on the end can be helpful but my knife has one and I never leave the house without it. If you are careless enough to be leaving your flashlight on the ground to be run over then you should just stick to cheap flashlights or just be more responsible with you belongings.

 

[applescrap]

You mean they don't send troops to Iraq and the jungle with harbor freight flashlights?

 

[passedpawn]

You mean they don't send troops to Iraq and the jungle with harbor freight flashlights?

Mostly helmet-mounted now. At least that's what I see at the trade shows. SureFire looks like the most common (I go to a bunch of military trade shows). It's amazing how much stuff is on the modern helmet - you'd be amazed.

 

[Lefou]

Have an older aluminum SureFire Executive E1 model.
It's almost indestructible and lasts longer with a new LED subbed for the original lamp and 3v lithium CR123 battery.
Expensive to refit as the LED option is $38 alone. 380 lumens at about 2hr. run time.

 

[MaxStout]

The "tac lights" are all over Amazon, and if you're paying more than ~$15, you're paying too much. I have a couple--aluminum alloy housing, around 50 lumens. Every one I've seen apparently have the same controller, with 3 brightness, strobe, and SOS modes; the last two I could do without.

 

[TechFanMD]

If you're using a flashlight in the house or the back yard and it fails - you go grab another one. No big deal. If your're a utility lineman, a firefighter, or out camping - being drop-proof, waterproof, and reliable is no joke. Also, the more expensive 'tactical' flashlights tend to have very good illumination at distance when focused compared to their size and weight, which often involves better optics and reflectors cheap flashlights don't have.

I have a few of the cheap $15 amazon ones, and a few made by Pelican, and while the cheap ones are good, they don't come close to the Pelican. Across my yard, I can tell the difference between a possum and a cat with the Pelican, no so with the cheaper ones.

 

[bracconiere]

You mean you still use white light? lol, i've got a couple of UV flashlights, for checking for aflatoxin!

edit: cheap and probably would blind someone shooting at you faster....

 

[TechFanMD]

View attachment 624781

You mean you still use white light? lol, i've got a couple of UV flashlights, for checking for aflatoxin!

edit: cheap and probably would blind someone shooting at you faster....

but how will you see the assailant and identify them - unless of course the shooter is an aflatoxin

 

[passedpawn]

but how will you see the assailant and identify them - unless of course the shooter is an aflatoxin

Wait, you guys don't have binocular night vision (NVD's)? They have an IR illuminator, but outdoors you never need that. Night vision.

 

[SEndorf]

They've sure come a long way from my ancient "look-at-porn-all-night-in-the-tent" official scout flashlight...…..
All this technology is making me thirsty.

 

[passedpawn]

These are the ones we use around the house. Pretty impressive - 5 for $15. Aluminum housing, waterproof, focussing lens. I got tired of stocking C and D batteries, these take AA.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ARA9YQ8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

I ended up buying the 3 pack at Costco of the Duracell flashlights. Came with batteries too. I think it was $15 or so.

They're not "tacticool", but they're good enough for what I need.

 

[MaxStout]

These are the ones we use around the house. Pretty impressive - 5 for $15. Aluminum housing, waterproof, focussing lens. I got tired of stocking C and D batteries, these take AA.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ARA9YQ8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

View attachment 624792

In my Amazon wish list now. Dammit, PP, between these and the book, you're costing me money on Amazon.

 

[Zuljin]

Y'all have to hit up the flashlight forums. I'm not even going to say. Just go see.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

It's not "atomic," nor is it "tactical," but you can drop it in a deep fryer & still works; at least for a few seconds.