Today, let’s talk about the power and purpose of a handheld flashlight. We will dive into pros and cons for on-body versus off-body carry locations for your flashlight and pre-deployment in a future article.
In 1899 David Misell invented the first flashlight and patented it. Conrad Hubert of Eveready bought Misell's patent and the very first Eveready flashlight was born.
In 1926 Eveready introduced their first flashlight which allowed the flexibility to hang them by adding a ring to the end of the handle, which made flashlights more accessible in an emergency.
The global flashlight market is huge, and per MarketWatch.com, it is currently valued at $906.3 million and is projected to reach $1.271 billion by 2028. So, the way I look at it, if millions of people own and use flashlights daily, I think that flashlights have proven their worth.
I
t is important to also provide a bit of information on flashlight lumens. Simply, lumens are a unit to measure how much light, or brightness, that the flashlight bulb produces. The higher the lumens, the brighter the light. The lower the lumens, the dimmer the light. Here's just a few ways you can use a high-output handheld light to your advantage.
To See: Flashlights light up areas to identify “who is there” (friend or foe), to maneuver through dim areas, and to find objects in dark places. Obviously, there can be other “seeing” uses but this will get us started.
To Deselect Yourself As A Victim: What sort of professionals walk the streets and uses a flashlight? Police and security guards. What type of person scans a dim area before entering? A prepared person.
You are about to enter a dim parking lot, so you reach into your bag (or pocket), hold the flashlight in a practiced, comfortable position, turn it on and scan the parking lot for anything that looks out of place. You are seeing if anything catches your eye plus you are deselecting yourself because there is a very high chance that a “bad guy” that may have targeted you will walk away because you do not give off the perception of being an easy target.
To Disorient A threat: Have you ever been “disoriented or blinded” by a flashlight? It is not a comfortable experience, to say the least. We can use that time that they are distracted to our advantage.
You are about to enter a dim parking lot and you see a “bad guy” walking towards you at a fast pace. You use verbal commands like “Get away!” but your words are ignored. You grab your flashlight with high lumens, turn it on, point it at the “bad dude’s” face while focusing on the eyes. This may give you time to run or create distance to get to another tool. It may even persuade your attacker to retreat.
To Increase Your Punch: Think about adding brass knuckles or a roll of quarters to the palm of your hand and throwing a good punch: There are many different sizes of handheld flashlights. This is to the consumers’ benefit because not all human hand sizes are the same size. Most of the “tactical” flashlights are an excellent choice as they are stronger because they tend to be made of stainless steel or a high-quality aluminum.
You are about to enter a dim parking lot, you see a “bad guy” running towards you and closing the space quickly. It’s blatantly obvious that an attack is imminent. You have just enough time to make a fist around your flashlight and start striking as he strikes at you. You do not stop! You are proving to him that you are not a vulnerable target. He decides quickly that you are not worth the time, or injury, for the reward so the “bad dude” leaves.
Do your research to see which style, size, company, and lumens will fit your needs. Buy one, and then practice deployment from various locations, experience cycling through different “tools” like pepper spray and verbal commands all while practicing your lumen aim.
