Lighting Refresher

Portable Lighting: Some background - Let's face it - humans don't like the dark. Sure, we'll tolerate it for awhile, but we really would like to know what's rustling in the bushes at the edge of the clearing. Is that our beloved Bluto by the backyard fence, or an extremely large racoon?

This dislike of the dark isn't new. However, up until the late 1800's, portable lighting meant carrying a large stick, lit on fire at the end farthest from your hand (hopefully).  The inventions of the electric battery and incandescent light made the flashlight possible. The name "flash-light" is due to the very short battery life in the early days that made it a necessity to turn the light on for short periods of time, get your bearings and then shut the light off. In honor of the flashlight's humble beginnings, you'll also hear a flashlight called a torch.

Stuff you probably already know: There's some basic terminology used to describe flashlights and other portable lighting that you should get comfortable with. Understanding the more commonly used terms will guide you to the lighting gear that best fits your needs.  We list many of these in each product's description in the "Specifications" section.

Burn time: the amount of time a flashlight, lantern, or spotlight will run on one set of batteries. This becomes important when you're going on a long camping trip - batteries are heavy!

Batteries:  The basic battery is alkaline but there's also lithium and rechargeable batteries. Alkaline batteries are the least expensive while lithium and rechargeable batteries can seem very expensive. However, the advantage of lithium is it's power, longer burn times and ability to work in extreme tempatures. Rechargeable batteries'  (NiMH 2300mAh) value is that they can be charged and re-used nearly 1,000 times saving you money in the long run - no money spent on battery replacement. Well, eventually you'll have to replace them, but after years rather than hours of use.

Bulb:  Here's where it get's interesting...

• A LED flashlight's bulb isn't really a bulb - it's a "Light Emitting Diode". LED lights come in multiple colors, are very energy efficient and are designed to maintain constant light even as the batteries lose power. The burn time for a LED flashlight can be 10 or more hours while LED bulbs can last over 100,000 hours and are almost impossible to break. The LED bulb's ability to send out a  bright beam from a very small bulb has fueled the explosion of micro lights or Keychain lights - small flashlights that can be attached to your keychain or clipped on your hat or pocket.  LED lanterns are also durable and can light a room, the patio, or base camp for days on one set of batteries .
• Halogen / Krypton / Xenon flashlight bulbs: Very bright focused light for long distances. They usually have a shorter burn time and are more likely to need replacement during the life of the flashlight. Flashlights with these bulbs are widely used by law enforcement, firefighters and the military due to the powerful light beam that can penetrate smoke, dust and fog. 
• Fluorescent bulbs are energy efficient and cool to the touch. While LED flashlights and lanterns are more popular, fluorescent lanterns are also great for the patio or deck, RV camping, at the camp site during fire season, or in the children's tent when family camping.

Dynamo Flashlight: wind up flashlight - no batteries needed. Great for the glove box or at home for emergency preparedness kit.

Light Beam:  The forward distance that the flashlight's light reaches

Weather Resistant / Waterproof / Submersible lights: Boating and fishing fans know that these are 3 different things. Weather resistant usually means the flashlight can handle the rain, but might not make it through an extended dunk in the pond. A waterproof flashlight can be watertight for a dunk in the pond but only to a few feet deep. A submersible flashlight is designed to handle a dunk in the pond and extra pressure up to a specific depth. LightsTheWay offers an assortment of flashlights, lanterns, spotlights, and headlamps in all 3 classifications including a variety of submersible flashlights such as the Glo-Toob light with a waterproof rating to a depth of 11,000 feet!