The Best Flashlight for the Outdoors is One That Works

News & Tips: The Best Flashlight for the Outdoors is One That Works...

If you're an outdoorsman then you need a good flashlight. Most game move at daylight/dark, which means you'll be hiking out of the mountains in the pitch black. That's where the flashlight comes in handy. 

When I was a kid, a 9-volt flashlight was a show stopping deal. Then Maglites came out. These were all "That" at the time but used a lot of batteries as compared to LEDs and produced less light.

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Look for a flashlight that can't easily be turned on if jostling around in your pack so the batteries stay fresh.

Nowadays we have some amazing choices and Bass Pro Shops offers a ton of great options. You have to decide what style you want. For my adventures, I want a light that will light up the world in case a bear comes into camp at midnight, or I'm packing out in the dark in wolf, bear and cougar country. I want a good light so I can see a black bear in the dark.

While the bigger a flashlight is, the bigger the beam will be, you don't want one that is too big to comfortably carry. For that reason, I favor one that's no more than 8 inches long.

Next look to make sure that it doesn't have an on/off switch that can be easily activated while jostling around in your backpack or else when you need it the batteries will be dead. Not good. If you're worried about hitting the on/off button, slightly unscrew the flashlight so that won't happen.

Many lights have rechargeable batteries, which is a great option. Being the eternal tightwad, I don't want to waste money on batteries so I'm all for rechargeable ones. But what if you're up on a 10-day elk hunt and the battery dies?

For this reason I'd recommend carrying two lights, one rechargeable and one that uses batteries. You can carry extra batteries. You can't run an extension cord 40 miles to elk camp. On life saving items, I always recommend carrying two, and I consider a flashlight a lifesaving item.

If you're on a tight budget, you don't have to buy two high dollar lights. In fact, I always carry a little cheap backup. That way if my main light breaks, I'm ok. Bass Pro Shops has a Mini LED Flashlight Combo 6-pack for $8.97. They're great to cook with, read in your tent and so forth.

And don't forget about headlamps. Everyone has one now. They're great for hiking down trails and gathering firewood. They point in the direction that you're looking. You have to have one.