Overview
Nowadays, flashlights are so different from their heavy, barely efficient forebears, and that’s part of the reasons for carrying a tactical flashlight on you regularly. This is unlike the days of our parents when flashlights were heavy, cheap, plastic containers that had 3 (or more) enormous D batteries.
All they did was to provide a good beam of light when turned on. However, the “beam” was always like a halo that had nothing in the middle, or the switch worked intermittently, and you had to smack it to get it to work.
And despite the fact that the flashlight of old was a big, semi-effective tool, somehow it stayed around for years without much change in its features.
These days, thankfully, we have a variety of high-quality, smaller, multi-tasking tactical flashlights to choose from. We can now say our final goodbyes to the D-cell flashlights forever.
These flashlights are always handy for a lot of reasons and here are my five reasons for carrying a tactical flashlight in our modern world:
1. For emergencies
Of course, being attacked is a serious emergency, but there are others as well. If you’re involved in an accident along a dark road at night, or your car breaks down, your tactical flashlight can send out a powerful light beam that can attract help. Also, the new ones have in-built flashers.
Supposing you were separated from your friends while in an unknown place, your flashlights and walkie-talkies will definitely assist you both in finding each other. And if there’s a natural disaster like a blizzard, hurricane, tornado, or flood, you’ll need a strong light to find your way.
The same thing goes for when you witness an accident. You might have to bring a strong, clear light to be able to know someone’s condition or help them to get away from the pile of wreckage.
2. To scare off dogs
Dogs are man’s best friend, of course, but some of them have been trained to be a stranger’s worst enemy. And most times these are the type you meet late at night when you’re all alone.
If you find yourself facing someone’s guard dog that managed to scale the fence, you can effectively scare it off by training your tactical flashlight in their eyes. Although it won’t do any lasting damage, it will distort their orientation long enough for you to get away. Such situations are one of my favorite reasons for carrying a tactical flashlight.
3. To help you get safely to your car
Walking to your car alone at night can be quite scary even if you’re working for a company with its own parking lot. Rather than running across the lot and hoping that no one sees you, you can switch on your tactical flashlight the moment you get outside. This will also signal to any creep lurking around that you’re prepared in case they want to mess with you.
You can keep it on all the way to your car and shine it around one more before getting your keys and sliding inside your car.
4. For self-defense
Sadly, our modern world is now such a crowded and dangerous place than it’s ever been. Therefore, only an unwise person would ignore this truth or try to wish things were different.
Different people have reacted in different ways to this increased level of daily danger. While some take self-defense classes, some carry guns and other weapons, and the rich go around with bodyguards.
The majority of us either can’t afford bodyguards and don’t like to carry a weapon everywhere or don’t have the time to take self-defense classes. We want to carry something lighter and simpler but can also scare away danger when it comes.
This is where the tactical flashlight comes in. With a very powerful, bright, and migraine-inducing beam plus bezel edges that can cause serious pain when hit on the head, a tactical flashlight is an effective tool that can keep the creep away long enough for you to escape.
5. To find your way in the woods
For anyone who has camped in the woods, you’ll understand how dark it can get at night. Sometimes while camping we might be collecting firewood or taking pictures and lose track of time. Then you’ll notice that it’s already pitch black and you have to find your way back to the campsite. The old flashlights were practically useless in this kind of situation.
Your tactical flashlight however will slice through the dark like a sharp knife through butter. It also has an emergency strobe that will help people looking for you to locate you and guide you back.
Summary
As you can see, the tactical flashlight is more than a flashlight, it’s a great survival and self-defense tool. It can help you to go about in our dangerous world safer and more effectively.
Another great reason for carrying a tactical flashlight is that it’s very important for rescue personnel, emergency workers, police, soldiers, and just about the ordinary guy and girl in the street.
You should ensure that you don’t leave your house without your tactical flashlight and know how to use it effectively.