Why you should always keep a flashlight in your car

There is nothing worse than your car breaking down on the side of the road – except for your car breaking down on the side of the road in the dark!

Don’t panic. Keep a flashlight in your car at all times to avoid ever being stuck in an unfortunate situation.

• Self-defense

Getting stuck in the middle of nowhere is dangerous, especially in the dark. Believe it or not, but having a flashlight handy, can save your life.

If you are ever in the situation where your life is in danger, a flashlight can double as a non-lethal weapon. A single blow to the head or bright flash in the eyes can render an attacker immobilized, just long enough for you to escape or call for help.

• Illumination

Have you ever tried looking for an object you dropped in your car? If can be almost impossible, especially if it’s dark. Keeping a flashlight in your glove compartment is absolutely necessary!

• Emergencies

Keeping a flashlight in your car is essential if your car ever breaks down in an unlit area. Changing a tyre or seeing under the hood of your car to address the problem can be almost impossible without the help of a flashlight.

• Signalling for help

Breaking down on the side of the road also means that the other cars on the road may not be able to see your vehicle. A flashlight can double as an emergency light to signal to oncoming traffic that your car has broken down and may be in harm’s way.

Looking for high quality, durable, affordable flashlights and accessories? Klarus Light manufactures some of the best tactical flashlights in the world! Visit the Klarus website today to choose the perfect flashlight that best suits your needs.

Top 5 Reasons why you should always have a Flashlight in your EDC

The items or contents of your Every Day Carry are something that’s very unique according to your personal needs and ability to carry items everywhere you go. If you carry a backpack around then your EDC can be significantly bigger than someone that does not carry one, making this a truly unique setup for every person.

There are key items you should always have in your EDC setup though, a knife/multitool, small notepad, and a flashlight. While most useful and important, a lot of people cut back when coming to flashlight in their EDC setup, leaving it out due to size and weight many other restraints, but the flashlight is a tool that’s not only useful for seeing in the dark, but for self defence and security, too. 

Still not convinced? Well, in case you aren’t, here are 5 reasons why a flashlight needs to be a part of your EDC.

1. GLIMPSING IN THE DARK

One of the most basic uses of a flashlight is for seeing in the dark, and this is by far more important than you think. From changing a tire on the side of the road at night to finding everything that fell out of your pocket in the dark, having a flashlight on hand is pretty useful.

Sure, most phones probably have built-in lights, but what if you’re out of battery life? Then you’re stuck. For safety, having a small tactical flashlight with you all the time is pretty much important.

2. SAFELY PERFORMING SPECIFIC TASKS

Tire changing being at the top of the list, there are quite a few tasks that can cause damage or get you hurt if you can’t see what you’re doing. For example, what happens when you need to jump-start a car in the dark? Hooking the terminals up incorrectly can damage your car or even cause the battery to explode.

If you are out camping, stuck in the woods at night, a flashlight is vital to help you start a fire. Without a source of light, you could not safely achieve either of these. Even hooking up cables to your television is better done with some light. In short, be safe and use a flashlight.

3. IDENTIFY THREATS

Of Course, flashlights are great for glimpsing in the dark, but if you’re in a dangerous situation you can easily use your flashlight to identify a threat. Whether or not it’s an animal or person, being able to see your mark it’s very important.

If you can’t see your mark you can easily end up hurting someone that isn’t a threat or end up getting hurt by an unidentifiable target. Having a light on you at all times helps you to know who’s coming close quickly and easily.

 4. SHOCK AND DISORIENT ATTACKERS

You can actually use your flashlight as an offensive weapon, too. In a dark situation shining a bright light in someone’s eyes will definitely do them harm. Not only will it shock them, but it will ruin their vision for some time after, giving you a chance to attack or get away.

Hitting someone with a bright beam of light will disorient your attacker as he or she spins away from the flash. This turns them around and gives you even more time for fight or flight to kick in.

5. USE AS AN ACTUAL WEAPON

Finally, if you choose a proper tactical flashlight you can use the light itself as a weapon. Many tactical lights have a raised end around the light end, giving you something that can be gouged with.

Most lights are also heavy to an extent, making them perfect for hitting someone with. Both of these combined give you one additional weapon in your arsenal. While not the most effective weapon around, it’s great as a last resort.

Be sure to visit Klarus Light’s website right away, you’ll find a wide range of flashlights, ranging from the 700 lumen FH10 to the 2450 lumen G30. Plus don’t miss out on the amazing winter specials! 

Tactical Flashlights For Home Defence

If it were a nightmare, you could wake up and it would be over. But this is worse. It's real and it's just beginning. That noise that startled you from a sound sleep can mean only one thing. There's an intruder in your home. If you're smart, you have a plan for this kind of situation, like picking up the cell phone by your bed and calling the coppers. They're trained to handle this sort of thing.

Even so, with your family's well-being at stake, you feel an urgency to act--now. You reach for your trusty gun. But, there's another piece of defensive gear that's just as important--a tactical flashlight. Developed initially for Special Forces in the military and law enforcement, these lights, with their intensely bright beams, are also available to civilians. They offer protection by temporarily blinding an intruder. Unlike a room light or a conventional flashlight, which shows the bad guys where you are, tactical lights are designed to identify a target without turning you into one.

Tactical lights are designed specifically to be used either alongside a weapon (a handheld) or mounted on a long gun or handgun (a weapon light). There's little point in blinding an intruder to gain a momentary advantage if you can't follow up and get the drop on him. Bluffing is a dangerous game.

Handheld lights are compact, lightweight, and typically use a momentary switch in the tailcap. You grip the light as you would a hypodermic syringe, with your thumb on the switch. This grip helps you to interlock your hands to brace and aim your handgun, something you can't do with a larger flashlight. The momentary switch allows you to sweep a room with short, powerful bursts of light--a technique that makes it difficult for a bad guy to pick out your position.

Weapon lights, which usually can double as handhelds, attach to your gun by sliding into a rail mount that either comes as part of the gun package, or can be purchased separately. Remote switches on long-gun models let you activate the light while maintaining your grip on the gun.

Compared to conventional flashlights, tactical lights deliver more light from a more compact, lighter package. A conventional flashlight with two D batteries and a standard bulb puts out about 15 to 20 lumens. A tactical light cranks out a minimum of 60 lumens of solid beam with no holes or dark spots. It also can stand up to the shock and recoil of a firearm.

Tactical lights get their blinding ability from a high-pressure xenon-filled bulb with a tungsten filament. Power comes from a pair of 3-volt AA lithium batteries instead of conventional 1.5-volt cells. These batteries typically will give about an hour of continuous run time, and bulbs typically last 25 hours. The 6 volts of juice burns the filament hotter and whiter than that in a conventional flashlight. Precision tolerances between the bulb and reflector, and refractive coatings or finishes on the reflector, produce a solid, uniform beam of light.

Tactical lights come in an assortment of models and features – take a look at Klarus Light’s website to choose the perfect tactical flashlight!

How a tactical flashlight can protect you

So you feel you do not need to know how to use a tactical flashlight for self-defence? Ok!

You are walking back from a movie late at night. You start walking down the street to your car. Suddenly you reach a patch that is unlit and dark.

You hear footsteps behind you. You turn to see who it is. No one! You keep walking. Again there is some hustling noise from the tall grass on the roadside. You get Goosebumps and a chilling feeling down your spine.

You turn again but this time you are met by a blow to your face. The assailants steal your money, valuable clothing and your watch. Now you wish you had a self-defence tool. Trust me; there is nothing better than a flashlight.

If like most people, you feel flashlights are only to be stacked away in the kitchen drawers, you are mistaken. There are so many purposes they serve and one of the best is tactical purposes like self-defence.

Tactical flashlights can be used for more than just once a year camping tours and power outage scenarios.

These are a few ways in which you can use your tactical flashlight to get out of a dangerous situation alive.

1. A weapon:

There are some flashlights that come with a bezel. This can be used for various purposes. It is not intended by the makers that you use it to hit someone but then desperate times call for desperate measures. If you are under attack, you can hit back with the bezel – make sure to aim for the sensitive areas of the opponent, like the neck or the eyes.

2. In Darkness:

Most assailants use darkness as their strength to attack or rob someone. Do not let this happen to you. With a flashlight on you, you will always keep yourself safe. A tactical flashlight comes with very strong beam intensity and a long beam distance. Therefore, you will know you are in trouble from a secure distance and then you can do something about it.

3. Identifying:

Identification is another very strong deterrent. If a criminal feels that he or she is going to be recognized later, they do not risk attacking someone. Most robbers do so thinking that no one will be able to track them as they used the darkness to not let you see their faces. If you have a tactical flashlight with you, you will be able to see from far and also to far and so recognizing your attacker will not be a problem.

4. Disorientation:

The last two points were more about avoiding a bad situation but let us say you have landed in one already. Now your only chance is to fight back. Not everyone is trained in martial arts, so you can use the high intensity of the flashlight to blind the other person momentarily and hit them as hard as possible. This will render them helpless.

5. An Improvised Hitting Tool:

Most tactical flashlights are built to be long-lasting and sturdy. You can use them to hit the attackers head or nose. Also, when you are trying to block a punch, you can use your tactical flashlight to do so. Though some are small, they are very strong. So this will give you an advantage over you attacker at all times.

6. A Confidence Booster:

Just the knowledge that you have something that can help you survive will give you a confidence boost. This is very important in a dangerous situation. So always keep your confidence booster at your side.

7. Fend off Animals:

This is especially for those who often go camping, mountaineering; trekking etc. Animals are confused, blinded and disorientated by intense lights. So if you are ever under attack by a bear, wild boar or a vicious dog at night, a tactical flashlight is the weapon to use.

It is imperative that you keep your tacticalflashlight with you at all times. Invest in a good tactical flashlight, even if it means having to pay a bit more – nothing is more precious than your life.

Weapon Mounted vs. Handheld Light – Part 2

With a few exceptions, lights designed to be mounted to your pistol’s accessory rail cost significantly more than a handheld light of equal quality. Not only do they have to pack a lot of illuminating power into a small package, lights that mount directly to your firearm have to include a switch that is easy to reach.

The sensitive electronics must be able to withstand the recoil of a centre fire handgun. The lens material has to endure muzzle blast and fouling without breaking or permanently diminishing the quality of the beam. That’s a lot to ask, and it doesn’t come cheap.

Many weapon mounted lights will function perfectly over the course of a few practice sessions, but only the most rugged lights can withstand the recoil and abuse of being attached to a pistol for several thousand rounds. Consider how often you’ll want to practice with your light mounted to your pistol when making your choice, and assume that if you want maximum durability, it will come with a price tag to match.

Even if you decide not to keep your light mounted every time you fire the pistol, at the very least, fire 200 rounds with the light attached to ensure it’s mounted correctly and will not work its way loose under recoil. Also be sure to check that the light and switch still function after firing. 

Finally, it’s not a bad idea to clean the outside of the light’s lens before storing the gun for emergency use.

Here are a few suggestions from Klarus Light to get you started. There are plenty of excellent lights listed here, always be aware that inexpensive lights typically cannot be expected to stand up to long-term use nearly as well as more costly designs. Remember the old addage, “If it looks too good to be true… it will probably catch on fire when you try to turn it on.”

Klarus XT11
Klarus XT11S
Klarus XT15

Weapon Mounted vs. Handheld Light – What do you use?

Weapon Mounted vs. Handheld Light – Part 1

Do you know what that rail is for on the front of your handgun? Contrary to popular belief, it’s not there to impress the ladies! It’s for mounting accessories, which usually means some kind of “tactical” light. Anyone who carries a handgun or keeps one around the house should also have a good flashlight, and a rail-mounted light is a convenient solution. Handheld flashlights are a popular alternative, and many respected firearms instructors seem to prefer this option.

Here are the basic pros and cons of the handheld light.

No matter which way you lean on this issue, it’s essential that the light selected is of high quality. Even if you skip the practice and training necessary to become proficient with a light, just having ready access to a reliable illumination source is better than waving around your gun in the dark. Below are a few general gear-specific tips and some recommendations to get you started.

Handheld Lights

LED technology has come a long way in the last decade and we now have plenty of remarkable flashlights that put out a great deal of illumination but can still fit in your pocket. However, not every well-constructed bright flashlight is suitable for use with a handgun. Beyond basic quality and light output, the most important feature to look for is a switch that can be activated easily with one hand. This usually means a tailcap switch that is operated with the thumb.

A simple interface is also ideal. Some lights have a strobe function or various brightness modes depending on how many times or how long you press the switch. For self-defence, the light should be stupid-easy to operate so that next to no brain power is required to activate it under stress.

Some lights feature a “momentary-only” style switch, which is useful for techniques that require the user to activate the light only for short bursts in order to avoid becoming a target for a potential attacker. Others boast extraordinary light output, which may be ideal when searching for missing children in the woods at night, but possibly counter-productive when illuminating your bathroom with a glossy white tile floor.

Most tactical flashlights run on one to two batteries, usually AA or CR123. Both battery types are common and affordable, and many of the brighter flashlights will burn through those batteries fairly quickly when used on the highest setting, so keep a good supply handy. No matter the bells and whistles, just make sure your light comes from a reputable manufacturer, like Klarus Light, who have a history of making lights that work every time and won’t die out on you when you need it.

Below are a few excellent tactical flashlights that are both reasonably priced and reliable.  This list should help get you thinking in the right direction.

Klarus ST2C
Klarus XT2C
Klarus XT11
Klarus FH10

This list should help get you thinking in the right direction. Stay tuned because next week we’ll be discussing the basic pros and cons of the weapon -mounted light.

How you can use your flashlight when you go on a camping trip

Flashlights can be used for far more than you might think and you will definitely miss having one at the right time. Flashlights usually illuminate a task for your assistance but there are a lot more functions that a flashlight can do.

Since the advancement of LED technology the flashlights have been passed through a renaissance period of sorts. They are now smaller in size, brighter and can be controlled with microprocessors. They use less energy and they are compact in design. These features have made a flashlight one of the necessary things in your daily life.

Flashlights can be used in many ways and several security services are using flashlights now-a-days. They would be your perfect assistant while you are on camping or hiking. Flashlights are not only used for illumination, but also as a self-defence tool. They can provide you with the support you need to handle any dangerous or emergency situation. For these special purposes, tactical flashlights were invented. Tactical flashlights are very popular in military, police or other armed forces agencies.

So, flashlights can be helpful in camping too. A reliable flashlight for camping is a must have device for everyone. Every camper needs a flashlight; it doesn’t matter if it is for the trip to the toilet block and back, for cooking purposes, for finding your things or to detect something strange in the dark. While you are camping you should always bring a handy flashlight along!

There are so many reasons why campers need to bring a long a flashlight. Those who are frequent campers need a high quality flashlight for camping, take a look at the wide range of on the Klarus Light website. Here’s why:

-- It is useful for outdoor works or activities in the dark such as hiking, driving.

-- Flashlights make it possible to read at night.

-- Cooking after the sunset requires the assistance of a flashlight.

-- It is useful if you need to search for things in the dark and to detect any suspicious object in night.

-- So in camping, flashlights can be used to illuminate the camp zone.

-- Tactical flashlights are very handy self-defence tool. Lighting up the place will make the attacker nervous, and throwing a harsh light beam into the eye of enemy can blind them for a moment.

-- The body or the handle of a flashlight is very hard and it is strong enough to be used as a striking weapon.

Make sure to always keep your flashlight handy when you go on your next camping trip! What else do you use your flashlight for when you go camping?