A pocket flashlight gives you instant light, carried every day, so you can find your way out of a dark building, read a map, or work on a car when the power fails. In a kid's bug out bag, it gives a child a light of their own for a night away from home.
A pocket flashlight earns its place by being on you when the lights go out. Choose one small enough that you carry it every day without thinking about it.
- Size: Pick a light about four inches long or less that rides in a pocket or on a keyring.
- Brightness: Look for a low mode for close tasks and a high mode of 200 lumens or more for a stairwell or roadside.
- Power: Choose a USB-rechargeable light or one that runs on common AA or AAA cells, and keep a spare set of batteries in your bag.
- Durability: Choose a metal body with a water-resistance rating of IPX4 or better so rain and drops leave it working.
- Switch: Pick a switch with a lockout so the light stays off in your pocket and the battery stays full.
- Kids: For a child's bag, choose a light with one simple mode and a big button that small hands can work in the dark.
