Flashlight News

Disaster preparedness requires flashlights

Campfires and Flashlights

Lights out get the flashlights

Red Cross on Blizzard Protection and Preparation

Benex Hand Crank Flashlight

This is a nice looking flashlight but it is not a sound design.  After a decade of not using it since it was an emergency light it no longer works.  The rechargeable battery is not holding a charge. I paid  twelve dollars for it and only tried it out a few times early after purchasing it.   As an emergency light this is a FAIL.  I had thought that the crank would make it invulnerable to time but it seems the battery must have been a Ni-Cad which can become useless if not used.  Maybe the newer versions use a more reliable energy storage solution.

Benex Crank Light

Flashlight forum - Benex

Here is a hand crank flashlight with great reviews.

Browning Submersible - pocket clip light

This was a twenty dollar light when I bought it probably close to twenty years ago.  It is waterproof and has been very useful when in the field.  It won't come on by accident since you have to turn the top to light it.  The clip is strong and will hold it firmly on a pocket.  The image size you see here is close to the real size.  It uses 2 AAA batteries.  I stick with rechargeable batteries to prevent damage to this gem.  This is a pre-LED light.  It is either incandescent or a high intensity bulb.


Here is a light that I might consider a substitute for the one above rather than going for the now $30 and $40 lights that fit most of the submersible category.  This one only uses one AAA battery thus reducing weight and with an LED making it last longer than the Browning.  I like the carabiner on it along with the safety color.  This has a blinking mode as well so it can be a marking and rescue device or even for an additional safety light if broken down on the side of the road.

Flashlight News: Burglar Leaves Flashlight, Another Takes his with him, and Donations to Storm Victims includes Flashlights

Burglar leaves a flashlight behind
Hey, even burglars need to see in the dark.  I wonder if they can get some prints off of it.

Burglar uses a flashlight
While they slept a burglar used to light to see his way around the house.  I wonder if maybe there should be a burglar model to come out from a major manufacturer.

Donations to storm victims include flashlights - Georgia hit by a storm.
This is course makes perfect sense since having light really is helpful when the power is down.  I notice that it appears most of these are the small led lights that are the mainstay of low cost lights nowadays.   They do work well, putting out a lot of light and also last a long time for the amount of energy used.

Garrity Life-lite

This is a great light.  It was my mom's for well over a decade.  It is permanently sealed and somehow the battery stays strong close to 15 years later.  I checked the reviews for the current ones and though the light is still made it appears the quality may have suffered in the later versions.  For now I still have a Life-Lite that is well used and still going strong.

Weight 5.9 oz

It is well suited for a simple handhold.

Shake Flashlight

These are a disappointment.  I have yet to find one that is superbly reliable.  The one thing you want is a flashlight that will work when you need it in an emergency and these tend to let you down when you need them.

A better option might be the hand crank version of lights.  I had one of these years ago and it finally failed mechanically.

The reviews on this particular model seem very good though I haven't owned this brand it is probably the one I'd try.  It looks good in Olive Drab too.