When planning a hiking trip, there are many essential items that all hikers should carry. One of these essentials is a quality flashlight. There are hundreds of flashlights on the market, and weight/size, chargeability, and durability will be determining factors in your purchase. This article will help you examine different flashlight options and choose the right hiking flashlight for you.
On hiking trips all essentials must be carried in your pack. This is why the size and weight of your flashlight will be important. A heavy and bulky flashlight will weigh you down and take up valuable pack space for your trip. Its helpful to see and feel the weight of flashlights in person, so you can see how they will fit into your hike. There are also flashlights available that will clip onto hiking shorts or the outside of your pack. Another issue that can add weight to your pack is the need to carry batteries for your flashlight.
Traditionally flashlights have been battery powered for hiking and camping. If you want to go this route, it will be important to check the battery life of the flashlight and what type of batteries it will require. A more modern choice in flashlight charging are solar powered units and hand powered units. Solar powered flashlights will need adequate light to completely charge while hand units are powered by cranking a lever or shaking the base.
A lightweight and efficiently powered flashlight is great, but can mean nothing if it cant stand up against harsh weather and the potential of being dropped. Its vital to choose a flashlight thats waterproof. Rain can happen at any time, and its also possible to drop your flashlight in a body of water or puddle. A flashlight that will remain intact when dropped onto rocky areas will also help you to avoid disaster on your trip.
Flashlights can add nighttime adventure to your trip and also be used to signal for help in emergency situations. If you use the criteria above, you can be sure to choose a quality and reliable unit for your next hiking weekend.
