The Importance of the Tactical Torch for Personal Use

When it comes to using torches, the first thing that probably pops in everyone’s mind is their use for enlighting a room during a blackout. Basically, we create an overly simplified mental picture of the household item every homeowner probably has in a drawer in the kitchen or in the garage. However, its purpose has a broader spectrum of uses outside the house. It is a usually a part of the EDC (Every Day Carry) bag and its practicality has even become greater with the advent of LED lights.

There are two types of torches, normal and tactical and there is a notable difference between the two. The tactical torch was developed for military or police use and is very powerful while the normal kitchen cabinet model is limited to household use with a lesser lumen capacity. Tactical torches were originally designed with the option to be mounted onto a weapon for low-light shooting or to hold one with one hand in conjunction with the firearm for the purpose of target identification when there is low lighting. Nowadays, the use of the tactical torch has extended beyond military use and its benefits can be enjoyed by everybody. Here are some of its most important practical uses in everyday life.

First and foremost, a tactical torch is great for self-defence. It is incredibly bright because of the high capacity of brightness output so it can cause a temporary blindness to the person who is about to attack or threaten you, especially during night time when the eyes are adjusted to lower lighting. In addition to this, a lot of tactical torches have serrated or toothed bezel edges which can be used to hit the attacker on the head after blinding and disorienting them temporarily.

Also, a tactical torch helps in emergency situations like blackouts. With the torch, you can instantly light up the room, so you need to keep it within close reach. In addition to this, it can also be used to lighten up dark pathways when you feel unsafe. A torch with a narrowing beam of light can cover a great distance so you can see where you are going and if there’s someone or something else around. Moreover, you can also signal for help when you are lost or need to attract the attention of the drivers on the road. An even greater advantage is if you are familiar with the morse code which you can use in case of an emergency.

Finally, the torch can be used to start a fire when in survival mode. There are several ways to do this and the first one is to break the light bulb, but only the outer glass and not the inner filament. By putting a little bit of tinder around the filament and switching the light on you can get sparks of fire. Another way is to use the protecting lens from the cap of the torch to concentrate the sun’s heat and ignite loose, dry tinder. The third option is possible only if the torch has highly concentrated lumens and by using it directly on dry tinder or some flammable material, it might be able to cause sparks.