Why You Need an LED Flashlight in Your Survival Kit

Dried food, a battery-powered radio, matches, rope, a pocket knife, tape, tools - this is a list of just a few things you may find in a survival kit. These kits are extremely useful and we would encourage anyone to have one stored away in a safe location. So today we’ll talk about what a survival kit is including items you can store in it. We’ll also talk about why an LED flashlight is so important in a survival kit and the best LED flashlights for survival kits. So let’s get started!

What’s a Survival Kit?

A survival kit is pretty much exactly how it sounds, but the contents you choose to put in are up to you! Survival kits are packed with anything you may need in case of emergency. While you can purchase premade survival kits, it’s better to create your own, that way it’s a little more personalized and has what you think you’ll need.

Survival kits can be different for various situations. For example, it’s encouraged for an outdoor enthusiast to have a survival kit should they get lost or injured while in the wilderness. It’s also a good idea to have a survival kit in your house in case of a natural disaster. These two survival kits may look a bit different and have different items in them.

A few common items to store include: medicines, tools, pocket knives, flashlights, batteries, a radio, a blanket, dried food, candles, matches, paracord, first aid kit, and a compass. Of course, these are just a few items that you could have. The sky's the limit when choosing what to put in your survival kit.

Why Do I Need an LED Flashlight?

Whether you plan to take your survival kit on your next camping trip or you plan on keeping it in the house in case of emergencies, it’s important to make sure you have an LED flashlight and multiple batteries. For many people, they won’t reach for their flashlights until the power goes out. They may not even remember where they store their flashlight. While we understand that not everyone is going to be a flashlight enthusiast, it is important to have your flashlight in a designated area so you always know where it is in case of an emergency.

Flashlights are extremely important because without them, we wouldn’t be able to navigate in the darkness. If the entire city lost power, you’d want to know where that flashlight is. Not only do they allow you to see in the dark, but they can also alert people to your location if you need help. People often use the strobe mode and even the turbo mode to scare away wildlife that may pose a threat or to use in self-defense. A flashlight is a versatile tool and you should make sure there’s one safely tucked away in your survival kit.

What are the Best LED Flashlights for My Survival Kit?

So now that we’ve covered what a survival kit is and why a flashlight is so important in it, let’s talk about which flashlights would be best for a survival kit. These flashlights range in size, function, operation, and more. We wanted to be sure to provide multiple options. With each flashlight, we’ll talk about the pros and cons of having it in your survival kit.

Klarus XT11X 32000 Lumen Tactical Flashlight

The XT11X tactical flashlight has become one of Klarus’ most popular flashlights and one of our best sellers due to its versatility and power. It delivers 3200 lumens of blinding light and features a dissipated beam that allows you to see the entire area in front of you. This tactical flashlight offers you a momentary-on, One-Touch Turbo, One-Touch Strobe, One-Touch Low and a built-in memory function. With its two programmable settings, you can choose how you’d like to operate the flashlight at any given time.

It’s also USB rechargeable and is compatible with either one 18650 battery, two CR123A batteries, or two Klarus 16340 batteries. It’s a flashlight that you’ll love whether you put it in your survival kit or not. Check out the Klarus XT11X tactical flashlight.

Pros: Versatile, powerful, compatible with multiple batteries, rechargeable, tactical.

Cons: Slightly larger, not a straightforward user interface.

Klarus FH10 700 Lumen Multi-LED Flashlight

The Klarus FH10 is a unique flashlight due to its multicolor LEDs. It features a dual tactical tail switch design, giving you a momentary-on, One-Touch Turbo, and One-Touch Strobe. So the operation of this flashlight is entirely tactical and very straightforward. It features three LEDs: white, red, and green. It's extremely simple to switch between the LEDs as necessary and each LED features four outputs each and that includes a flashing strobe mode for each LED.

The Klarus FH10 also features an adjustable beam so you can choose between a spotlight or a flood light by simply twisting the head. It's a fairly compact flashlight although the head is quite enlarged. It's extremely durable and is able to run on one 18650 battery or two CR123A batteries. If you're wanting the versatility of the multi colored LEDs, make sure to take a look at the Klarus FH10 hunting flashlight.

Pros: multi-colored LEDs add versatility to flashlight, straightforward user interface, compatible with multiple battery types, adjustable beam.

Cons: IP X6 waterproof rating - You can find more waterproof flashlights. There is no way to instantly get to the low mode.

Klarus Mi7 700 Lumen EDC Flashlight

This is the smallest flashlight we'll talk about today. The Klarus Mi7 is a pocket flashlight but a beast in power. It delivers up to 700 lumens which is extremely impressive for an AA size flashlight. Operating the Mi7 is quite easy with its single side switch. It offers you immediate access to the high mode and immediate access to the low mode. You can also quickly access the strobe mode.

Not only is this flashlight extremely small and therefore easy to carry, it's also able to run on two different battery types: one 14500 battery or 1 AA battery. The good news about the AA batteries is that they're easier to find and, unlike lithium-ion batteries, they won't drain slowly. However, a 14500 battery is going to give you that full 700 lumens whereas an AA battery is only going to give you about 330 lumens max. Nevertheless, many people prefer to use alkaline batteries in their survival kit flashlights. Check out the Klarus Mi7 everyday carry flashlight.

Pros: great size, great power, able to run on 14500 battery or AA battery, straightforward user interface, instant access to high mode and low mode.

Cons: not the best run times.

Klarus ST15R 1200 Lumen Outdoor Flashlight

We're onto our last flashlight which is the Klarus ST15R! This flashlight delivers 1200 lumens and is extremely easy to operate. If features a tail switch which will turn on and off the flashlight and the side switch which will cycle through the different outputs. The ST15R flashlight features a built-in memory function which is excellent for conserving the battery and useful when working on projects.

This LED flashlight offers some pretty great run times so if you plan your usage right, you won't need to worry about charging this flashlight for a long time. Speaking of charging, the ST15R is USB rechargeable making it extremely convenient. It's compatible with an 18650 battery, two CR123A batteries, and two Klarus 16340 batteries. This is an extremely reliable and useful LED flashlight. Make sure to check out the Klarus ST15R today.

Pros: powerful, great user interface, built in memory function, rechargeable, rugged.

Cons: there is no straight to strobe and there is no straight to Turbo.

Concluding Remarks

Whether you have an existing survival kit or you’re wanting to build one, make sure you have the best flashlight for the job! If none of these flashlights appeal to you, check out the rest of our flashlights and find one you love!