Best flashlight?

[pocketfulladoubles]

The absolute best are Fenix, https://www.fenix-store.com/ I happen to have the PD20. Built like a tank and is easy on the batteries with more power than you need. Has four brightness ranges. I have mine on a small camera lanyard hanging on my neck all the time under my shirt. Handy as h___.

Yes, absolutely no question. If you want the best, you want the Fenix - one with the Cree XR-E. Cree has an XP-G LED coming out, but I don't think Fenix has a lamp with one yet. At any rate, some of these are already absolutely blinding at a couple hundred meters.

[Frank Petronio]

Not only that, you can use them to shoot with! Nicer than on camera flash ;-)

[Terence McDonagh]

Surefire. Everything else is second best.

[QT Luong]

So how do you quantify best ? Luminance to weight ratio + construction quality ?

[ki6mf]

I like the type of pen light which has a circle of metal around the bulb this throws all the light towards the direction you are pointing.

[Terence McDonagh]

So how do you quantify best ? Luminance to weight ratio + construction quality ?

Construction quality for me. They're slightly heavier for a given application, but I've used mine to break handholds/footholds in ice, and I've dropped mine down countless rock slopes, all without more than a few scratches.

I will agree with the poster above who pushes for headlamps. For long night treks, my Black Diamond headlamp with the separate battery pack allows me to hike all night through forest. My Petzl Tikka is just about right for everything else. Black Diamond Ions reside in my emergency kit and almost every pack I own as back-ups to the others.

But some times a headlamp just doesn't cut it. A good, powerful flashlight can put out a lot more lumens.

[pocketfulladoubles]

So how do you quantify best ? Luminance to weight ratio + construction quality ?

Durability of body, water resistance, energy efficiency, beam throw and shape, etc. Overall, if I could only take one lamp and my life depended on it, I'd trust the Fenix.

[Toyon]

You might find an LED flashlight too bright. I'll assume you don't need a lot of power to look at an aperture scale. I would look for a cheap battery penlight at a dollar store. Using an LED would be like bringing a firehose to a plant watering (unless it is variable power).

[Toyon]

Not only that, you can use them to shoot with! Nicer than on camera flash ;-)

Out zombie shooting again?

[Dave Jeffery]

"Black Diamond Ions reside in my emergency kit and almost every pack I own as back-ups to the others."

Mine as well.

"But some times a headlamp just doesn't cut it. A good, powerful flashlight can put out a lot more lumens."

I totally agree

Perhaps the headlamp is perfect for the lens settings as it offers hands free use and it's no too bright requiring the eyes to re-adjust in low light, and a powerful flashlight might also be good to have for illuminating something in a dark scene to focus on as well as for hiking.

Having both is probably good.