Why a Flashlight is an important part of your Every Day Carry(EDC)

Having the right Every Day Carry (EDC) is an important topic to focus on in your life. Choosing the right products that fit in to your every day life, style and needs allows you to have the right tools in your pocket and kit when you need it. The things that are currently in my every day kit include a knife, multitool, keys, phone, headphones and a flashlight. A good number of folks I know skip both the multitool and flashlight and while I sometimes skip a multitool, I never skip the flashlight. I am currently bouncing back and forth between two – three different flashlights depending on where I am and where I might be going on any given day.

Half of Every Day is Dark or You are in a Dark Location

Just in the last week, I have had 3-4 opportunities to pull out my flashlight. Working in my garage in a dark corner looking for pots to get our garden started, I was able to pull out a flashlight and see exactly what I needed to grab to get started. Working in the car to check wiring in broad daylight, I could get down on the floorboard and pull out a light and see what I needed. Light is incredibly important and while hunting I always have a flashlight with me as well as a headlight. A headlight is great but it doesn’t always light up what I need. Having an actual flashlight that can help me find gear, find trails, light up something specific and actually utilize the flashlight for blood tracking. My current favorite flashlight for hunting is the Olight Arkfield Pro. It is flat and comes with a UV setting allowing you to track blood quickly and easily.

Flashlights Allow You to Get Away From Danger

High quality flashlights keep you away from danger and allow you to get farther away from danger quickly. Tactical flashlights today are getting better and better and whether that flashlight is in your pocket or attached to your daily carry weapon. Having a quality flashlight can allow you see danger, blind the eyes of dangerous people and allow you to make the moves to either get away or neutralize the situation.

Flashlights Keep you Safe

Having a quality flashlight with you allows you to stay safer in dangerous situations like being on the side of the road working on your car, being in the mountains and/or being lost. Lighting up your body, lighting up the trail and turning on the light can let others know you are there and aware of them. I had one night coming off the mountain in a wildlife management area alongside the Shenandoah. We got followed off the mountain by a black bear. It was past hunting light and we were coming off the mountain with an old weak headlamp and it was just not enough. Having a flashlight in our pack that we could quickly pull out and flash at the eyes of the young curious bear kept us out of harms way.

Choosing the Best Flashlight for your needs.

How do you choose what is best for you. In some circumstances having a small compact flashlight is all you need. I am currently carrying the KL20R from Coast. This flashlight can be charged by USB-C and it has a mode that hits 380 lumens. It is small enough on my key ring that I don’t have to worry about it being with me because it always there. I am currently carrying the Olight Arkfield Pro with UV on a daily basis as well as the Coast as a secondary backup to a more powerful light. I chose the Arkfield Pro because it is flat and fits well within my pocket and does not roll around. It also has the UV functionality that can truly make a difference while tracking wounded game in the field.