I received a tactical flashlight from Survival Hax for the purpose of evaluation and review. This rather small flashlight (just over five inches long) has some big features. At first glance you might notice it’s aggressive appearance with a knurled handle for a positive grip. A focusable thousand lumen beam is located at the head while the button power-switch is located at the end. The flashlight case is constructed of aircraft grade aluminum and is crash, pressure, and water resistant.

The power is provided by interchangeable sources. The primary power source is a rechargeable 3.7 volt lithium battery and the secondary power option is an adapter that holds three AAA batteries. This adapter is a great provision as AAA batteries are generally accessible from any grocery or convenience store and enables you to stock up and carry extra batteries when operating in off-grid situations.

Then there’s the integrated electronics that provides five lighting modes: Low, Medium, High, Strobe, and SOS. Each mode is accessed by a full or half click of the switch. I discovered a slight inconvenience that once you click the flashlight off it advances to the next mode so that when relit you may have to cycle through to access your preferred mode. The rechargeable battery will last three hours on high and five and a half hours on low. I imagine that the strobe mode would use even less power but would be aggravating to use but could extend the battery life in a pinch.

The head of the flashlight uses a convex lens as part of it’s focusing capability. I took off the retaining ring, removed the lens, and held it curved side toward the sun and about an inch over some crushed dark dry leaves and created a coal that I coaxed into a flame. Next, I removed the battery and took some fine steel wool and stretched it out to touch each end. After a few attempts the steel wool sparked sufficiently to ignite a paper towel. Then by using one of the alternate power AAA batteries I was able to make a flame by connecting each end using a thin hourglass shaped foil gum wrapper.

These are just three benefits outside of the flashlight’s intended use. Because of it’s rugged construction I would imagine that it would also make a formidable self-defence weapon. Although the tactical flashlight comes with an attached wrist strap it unfortunately was too small for my hand to fit through it.

The Survival Hax Tactical Flashlight is a solid tool that is easily stored in a glove compartment, backpack or pocket and weighs only a third pound. It’s good to know that it has these multiple capabilities that can be used in various survival scenarios. For more information on Survival Hax’s Tactical Flashlight you can visit their website at https://survivalhax.com/products/tactical-led-flashlight .

It turns out that there ARE AAAA sized batteries (pronounced as “quad A”) with equivalent cells known as “LR61″s. They are 3.5MM shorter than AAAs and can have reverse polarity compared to conventional larger sized batteries. I took a voltage meter and discovered that was the case with these. So I began to think about applications for this new find and decided to test them as a replacement for a single AAA cell flashlight.

In order to make this new sized battery work I had to modify it a little. To lengthen it I added a small wad of aluminum foil to the flat end while wrapping the entire length of the cell with masking tape, making sure to surround the terminal at the other end for proper insulation. I wrapped enough tape around the circumference to match the diameter of a AAA battery so that it would not rattle and be centered properly for the flashlight connectors. As you can see by the photo, the battery works! The remaining five batteries lie beside the flashlight, along with the 9V casing and it’s parts.

This was a fun discovery and experiment but I also wondered about the significance of other applications. When you only have access to a 9V battery but have need for 1.5V cells, the dis-assembly and modification of the AAAA cells within can provide a variety of voltages when they are placed in series or strengthened when wired in parallel. If you find yourself in an emergency situation this could be valuable knowledge.

A friend recently wrote to me about this principle that was taught to him by his grandfather. If you have been outside in the dark and need to go indoors briefly for some reason such as to answer a phone or fetch a tool, you can close one eye before entering the building and keep it close for the duration of your time inside. Once you exit, you can open your closed eye and it will retain it’s sensitivity in the dark. This technique could prove critical if you don’t have supplementary lighting like a flashlight.

Take time to practice this technique. Once you make the quick trip inside a lit area and then return to the dark, compare the vision from each eye and notice the difference.

A cigarette can also be used as a “slow match” or coal carrier. As a child I remember adults using their cigarette to light fireworks on the 4th of July celebration. Although there have been attempts to make “fire safe cigarettes”, they can still produce fire and can be kept alive with a draw of your breath.

Cigarettes can also be used as a water filter by placing it in a reed or tube with the tobacco end facing the water source and the filter facing you. It won’t filter out microscopic impurities, but it will filter out most visible impurities to improve the water quality.

I’ve also heard to 2 medical uses for cigarettes. One use is to apply tobacco as a poultice to draw out venom from insect stings. Another use of a cigarette is as an ear candle to draw out excess ear wax when your ear is plugged with ear wax. The filter end is gently placed in the outer ear canal while the tip is ignited. Safety precautions are obviously needed for this procedure which is best done with an assistant and an aluminum foil shield surrounding the filter.

Perhaps you have used cigarettes in your own emergency situations or have heard of others’ use. Please leave a comment to share your experiences.

Fire by ice optical method

Now that Summer has arrived, the sun is at it’s best for optical fire methods. You can use concave reflectors that you point at the sun and find the focus point where you hold the tinder. Some items that I’ve used include flashlights, soda cans, broken headlights, jewelry, doorknobs, compact mirrors, etc. Also, you can use convex lenses. Some items that I’ve used include marbles, paper weights, magnifying lens, fresnel lens, clear light bulbs, vases, plastic bags, etc. Visit my Contact page and drop me a line with other items that you have used!

I was thinking about how many ways that I have made fire… but really, there are five ways (see Ken’s five fire categories) but each way has many means to accomplish it. Take for instance, the OPTICAL way uses light, but the means to accomplish making a fire include a flashlight reflector, car headlight reflector, silver mixing bowl, modified CD, soda can, makeup mirror, glass paper weight, lens shaped ice, pocket Fresnel lens magnifier, glass magnifying lens, etc.. Also, water filled items include soda bottles, plastic bags, condoms, flower vase bowls, clear light bulbs, and more. The point is to concentrate heat in a spot long enough to cause combustion. It’s really a lot of fun to figure out different methods, and of course, in a survival situation, it could save your life!