AllOutdoor Review – Nextorch Saint Torch 31 Flashlight
Eve Flanigan 10.27.23
Sometimes a lot of light is exactly what’s needed. Searching for downed game, or where legal, potential game, the more light, the better. Other times, less is more, if stealth or preservation of dark-adjusted vision is necessary. Plenty of flashlights offer dim to medium brightness. A few offer the whole spectrum, but are quite limited in field of view and duration on the brightest settings. Now, there’s a flashlight, or as the Brits call it, a torch, that offers all points on the brightness spectrum and a lot more more. I had the opportunity to test the Nextorch Saint Torch 31 Ultra Searchlight at home and on the range. While I’m not inclined to nominate it for sainthood, I remain impressed by all this light can do.
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What is the Saint Torch 31 by Nextorch? “Big flashlight” doesn’t begin to describe all it delivers. Yes it is big, weighing 3.3 pounds and 11.22 inches long fully assembled. Old school police Maglite flashlights might come to mind when people over a certain age think of a light with such dimensions, but the Saint Torch 31 is much more.
At the heart of this heavy light is a rechargeable battery pack comprised of six 4800 mAh Li-ion cells. The initial recommended charge is eight hours using a household 110 outlet. The pack has a charge indicator light to signal adequate or insufficient charge. That light and the battery itself can be switched off for energy conservation, or turned on and used with a USB cable to charge phones or other peripherals. The battery pack serves as the primary, 50mm handle as well, having a threaded top that screws into the LED base. At its bottom end are integral metal loops that serve as snap-on points for the included adjustable shoulder strap. Impact resistance is integral too, thanks to aluminum alloy housing that’s been drop tested at 1 meter.
Eight LED bulbs are protected by the 106 mm diameter bell housing on the screw-in top. When not in use, there are aluminum caps that fit both the bulb and battery housings to keep out moisture and debris. One of the non-electronic smart features of this setup is the caps alone can be put together to form a tough, waterproof mini-case. As I write this article from the road, my vitamin supply is traveling with me, safe inside said case.
Those LEDs are capable of a staggering 20,000 lumen output on turbo mode. The turbo beam’s purported reach is 2,827 yards! While I have no way of practically testing that, I can vouch for easy target identifiability to 200 yards–still very impressive. The Nextorch Saint Torch 31 can maintain that brightness for up to two hours and 15 minutes. With just a little bump down in brightness, accomplished with a tap on the thumb-operated side switch, brightness is still remarkable at 6,000 lumens, 3.5 hours of light is provided. Tap once more for medium (1,700 lumens and 8.5 hours of runtime), then low (90 lumens and 81 hours), then blinking SOS mode (20,000 lumens).
Intense brightness makes intense heat. Protections for both the user and surroundings are included. The light-bearer gets mechanical protection in the form of a carry handle that attaches with a simple clamp-on screw. The handle is a simple A2 carbine handle shape with an open end that allows the light to naturally stay level and is easy to let go of if the situation calls for that. On the clamp, opposite from the carry handle, is a tripod optic mount, allowing large areas to be lit up hands-free. For heat and top-heaviness, I can’t wholeheartedly endorse the using this light with its own base as a stand. Attaching the carry handle was easy but I found it necessary to attach with the open end facing rearward for best balance. When it’s installed as shown in the manual, the light is not sufficiently balanced for use on a tripod.
People or other things in the environment around this light are protected by a proximity detector, called a photodetector, and temperature sensor built into the lens housing. When they sense an object at two meters or closer, the Saint Torch 31 automatically dims itself to reduce risk of a burn.
This light was purpose-built for search and rescue. Its ability to turn darkness into daytime over relatively broad areas makes it very suitable for those missions, especially when or where trailer-mounted light systems or the fuel to power them are not readily available. Its portability makes it ideal for dynamic situations where the physical area of interest is rapidly changing, at least compared to other fixed light systems. It can also offer precious recharging capability in austere environments.
I am thankful to have not had the necessity to test this powerful light in a post-disaster situation. Where I have tested it is on the outdoor shooting range during dim-light shooting qualifications. The initial step of my state’s standardized dim light drill is to fire in light ranging from dusk to complete darkness. At dusk, I stood 25 yards to the rear of the firing line and shone the torch on the targets. Those 20,000 lumens easily defeated the oncoming darkness, lighting up every detail on the targets. I repeated this exercise after dark and was wowed by the Nextorch Saint Torch 31’s ability to almost literally turn dark into daylight. “Whitewash” is the word that comes to mind when I attempt to describe the effect. My partner and I took turns walking to the 100 yard mark and lighting one another up. For target ID purposes, this light is more than adequate at that distance for identifying any target that the naked eye can detect and for firing (all standard gun/range safety protocols were observed during this experiment).
The strobe, or SOS feature as Nextorch calls it, struck both me and the detention officers who were present as dazzling at 1700 lumens. By contrast, the dimmest setting seems, to my eyes, dimmer than the published 90 lumens, albeit ideal for reading or other at-hand tasks.
After about 10 minutes of on-and-off use at “turbo” setting, I was wishing I’d taken time to install the handle. The housing gets progressively hotter with time, more so at the front where the bulbs are. While nothing was so intense as to make me fear being burned, there is wrist fatigue to contend with when holding the end of the handle. The handle installed easily and is very sturdy. When placed intentionally on the handle, it allows for thumb operation of the controls while using the handle. It doesn’t do much for balancing the light even when placed as far forward as is reasonable.
Search and rescue missions are the ideal application for the Nextorch Saint Torch 31. It’s capable of lighting up great swaths of terrain while sending a noticeable beacon toward which a potential rescue might orient themselves. It’d be a fine hunting accessory where legal so long as the shooter and light operator are not the same person. That long, front-heavy 3.3 pounds is enough to require its own operator. Mounted on a tripod, it’d make a great work area light for a lot of projects. While it’s easy to pay more attention to the stunning brightness of turbo and high settings, its low setting makes for a fine reading light if suspended by the very handy carry strap.
I’m not sure if this light should be considered the world’s most portable area light or the brightest, heaviest handheld I’ve ever seen. It fits both descriptions and fills the space in which a standing light is too much and a normal handheld isn’t enough. The Nextorch Saint Torch 31 Ultra Searchlight is available by direct order from retailers at a fairly wide range of prices starting at $429.
