How to preserve your Night Vision when using a Tactical Flashlight

When using a tactical flashlight it can be frustrating as well as dangerous to have to wait a few seconds for your night vision to readjust again.

So what is the best colour to use with your tactical flashlight to preserve night vision?

Well, the answer is tricky because it depends!

For many years, all tactical flashlight owners believed that red light was the best colour to utilize in order to preserve their night vision (That’s why our vehicle’s tail lights are red in colour). However just because red light is used in dark rooms when developing film, and it is seen as a good preserver of your night vision, doesn’t mean it is as unquestionable as people once thought.

Let’s take a look at the theory behind our night vision…

The part of our eye that allows us to see in low lighting are called the rods. The rods are apparently not as sensitive to the colour red as they are to other colours, meaning that red light can be seen when using a tactical flashlight without giving up night vision. This theory is logical, but it actually doesn’t work like that.

The fact is that no matter the colour that is being used on the tactical flashlight – blue, red or green – the chemical in the eye that allows night vision to work is broken down immediately. The problem when it comes to preserving night vision is not the colour of the tactical flashlight, but instead the brightness of the light. The only way you can truly maintain your night vision is to change the intensity of the tactical flashlight’s beam.

But simply using your eyes instead of a coloured tactical flashlight can have its issues, such as:

  n  You cannot see directly in front of you

  n  You cannot see colours

  n  It is difficult to see and recognize details

What is the answer to preserve your night vision when using your tactical flashlight? You need a flashlight that is able to add coloured filters as well as change to different lighting modes.

Visit the Klarus website and take a look at the range of different tactical flashlights on offer. Many allow you to alter the intensity of the flashlight beam as well as add optional coloured filters.

Klarus Light designs and manufactures some of the most exciting, practical and innovative LED torches on the planet with ultra-high Lumen output.