Flashlights for a Bug Out Location
Kevin Felts 03.23.17
It is just a flashlight, so what is the big deal? The big deal is, walk into a remote cabin that does not have electricity. At nighttime, a flashlight is the first thing you will reach for. The beam of light is reassuring that everything will be ok.
With trusty light in hand you proceed to turn on the propane, light the stove pilot lights, crank the generator, or turn flip the breaker to the battery bank the solar panels have kept charged.
The trusty flashlight sets everything in motion.
Before you buy a bunch of flashlights and put them in a remote cabin, let’s discuss a few short topics.
Cost
Thieves love to target remote cabins. Anything small like a flashlight will probably get picked up and hauled off. Because flashlights are easy targets, lets not spend a lot of money on them, but they must be reliable.
For example, as of March 23, 2017 the Atactical A1 cost around $19.99. It has four brightness setting ranging from 10-550 lumens. The battery has a built in micro-usb charger, so it can be charged with a car charger.
There are a lot of other low cost options. The Atactical A1 is just one example.
LED Flashlights
Believe it or not, there are still flashlights being sold that have incandescent light bulbs.
Please do not buy flashlights with the old style filament bulb. LEDs use a less power and last a lot longer.
Lithium batteries
Even though we are supposed to be discussing low cost options, I feel lithium batteries are the only way to go.
Storage life expectancy:
- Energizer ultimate lithium – 20 years
- Eveready gold – 10 years
- Duracell quantum – 10 years
Also, I have never seen lithium batteries leak acid like what the alkaline batteries do. I have a battery powered q-beam. The lithium batteries have probably been in the flashlight for five years and have not leaked.
Hand Crank Flashlights
Even with all the technology behind lithium batteries and LEDs, I have a couple of dynamo powered flashlights in my collection.
The ones I have seen are cheaply made, but they provide light when the handle is turned. It is enough light to walk around the cabin and find what you are looking for.
A flashlight radio combo I am playing around with is the iRonsnow. As of March 2017, it cost $17.99 from Amazon.
Final thoughts
Hopefully this article helped the wheels to start turning.
Some of the readers may ask, “Shouldn’t you have a flashlight in your vehicle?” In my opinion, a bug location should be ready for someone who walks in with nothing but the clothes on their back.
