When looking into how to choose flashlights you need to keep in mind what you plan to do with that flashlight. There are many things that people use flashlights for, and not just for camping.  Hunting, for example, can be difficult at night if you have a flashlight in your hand. You will want a flashlight on your head so it looks where you are looking. And, this is true for when you need a flashlight to see what you are working on, maybe under the hood.

Flashlights today are nothing like the flashlights of earlier years. There are some that work on low power LED bulbs that last for a very long time and are very bright. Others are waterproof, some you can wear on your head and some make an illuminate style lighting or a soft glow.

When choosing flashlights you want to choose something that is lightweight.  Many flashlights today use LED bulbs so they don’t have to have large batteries.  And, there are some with built-in batteries. Even your phone has flashlight apps that are available that are quite nice as well.  This will drain your phone’s battery rather quickly, so it is important that you only use it in case of an emergency.

Lots of options in flashlights

Choosing a flashlight may seem like a simple task until you realize how many options there are out there to choose from. Flashlights come in all kinds of different styles with various options as well. And, let’s talk about the crazy pricing on them. You can get a flashlight for as little as a few cents all the way up to $100 or more, depending on its features. There are different battery options to consider as well.

If you are taking your flashlight out on hikes then you want something that you can rely on and carry additional batteries for. And, remember some of these flashlights contain really strange batteries. This could pose a problem should you find yourself in a remote location and in need of batteries.  So, when shopping for a flashlight, keep that in mind.

LED flashlights are probably the most popular. This is because the LED bulbs take little energy but pack a pretty big punch.  They tend to be very bright, which you can tell by the Lumen. The lumen on a flashlight will tell you how much light is put out per bulb.  The higher the lumen the more bright the flashlight is. This is important if you need very bright light to see in the dark while hiking, you will want something with a high lumen.

Consider the use of the flashlight

Also, consider the width of the light.  The path and hills, trees, and other things you need to see while hiking in the dark.  If you don’t plan on hiking in the dark but using the light to set up camp or maybe have a nice glow to get dressed in, then you might want to consider a lantern and not a flashlight.