Practical, Yet Little Known Uses for Flashlights
Your flashlight is much more than a source of light in the dark. It can be used for dozens of practical survival applications, and there are a few that you may not have considered. Let’s take a look at some ways that you can use this to your advantage so that you will have more options in your survival bag of tricks.
Blinding Threats
One of the most powerful uses for a flashlight is as an offensive weapon, especially in very dark conditions. Consider that the light emitted from striking a match or using a lighter can temporarily impair your night vision while also reducing its full potential for minutes. Now, imagine how a directed beam of light from your flashlight can seriously blind an attacker. This simple trick could give you more than enough time to make an escape or seize the opportunity to make an assault to defend yourself or your family.
The good news is that you don’t even need a super-powerful flashlight to pull this off, although a high intensity beam can confound the threat for a longer period of time. The trick is to get the light right in their eyes and move it around as they try and duck or cover their eyes. In either case, it can buy you precious time to take other appropriate actions. You can also use this as a way to temporarily blind animals or scare them off as well. Never overlook this powerful and effective defensive mechanism.
Blunt Object
If you have a good flashlight, such as a J5 Tactical, it can be used as a defensive weapon or handy tool. These quality products were initially manufactured for members of the military and police. They would not only provide them with an adjustable beam, but their metallic design was perfect for clubbing an attacker or using it as a way to hit pressure points in order to subdue the individual.
They also make for excellent improvised hammers. They can be used to smash windows and disable headlights. They can be just what you need to break an object in order to access what is inside or to clear debris from an area that you need to crawl through without the need to use your hands and risk injury. The possibilities are endless, and you’re only limited by your strength and ingenuity to make this type of flashlight work to your advantage.
Signaling
Using flashlights for signaling is a practice that’s been around since flashlights were invented. They were a particularly useful way for soldiers to relay information, give their position and get rescued in combat situations. Some flashlights had filters on them that would turn the color to red or green or translucent depending on the situation at hand. You can come up with your own signaling techniques and teach others in your party so that you have a non-verbal and relatively safe way to communicate when other options are not available. You can also use a flashlight to communicate in Morse code in survival situations as well.
Consider these and other uses for flashlights that can prove invaluable in a survival situation. This is one tool that can provide you with a lot of additional benefits that you are able to use it to your advantage. What other uses can you think of? Feel free to share your insights or experiences in order to help us all make good use of this resource.
