The History of the Flashlight
A flashlight, electric torch or simply torch is a hand-held portable electric spotlight. It is known as a flashlight mainly in the United States and Canada and as a torch or electric torch in most Commonwealth countries. In 1896, Joshua Lionel Cowen invented a decorative lighting fixture for potted plants which consisted of a metal tube housing a light bulb and a dry cell battery. It failed commercially, and Cowen sold his company and patents to Conrad Hubert that same year. Hubert renamed Cowen's company the American Electrical Novelty & Manufacturing Company and hired David Misell to produce a tubular flashlight for portable use. These early flashlights ran on zinc-carbon batteries, which were poor at providing sustained currents; they would run down after a while and needed to rest before being usable again. Since these early flashlights also used energy-inefficient carbon filament bulbs, this happened rather quickly, and consequently they could only be used in brief flashes (hence their name). Although a relatively simple device, its invention did not occur until the late 19th century because it depended upon the earlier invention of the electric battery and incandescent light bulb.

What Flashlight Is Best For You?
Typically, there is no one light that works well in all situations. Some aspects of choosing a flashlight to be considered are: Is the work close up or is a long range beam required? Is the extended bulb life and reliability of LED needed or is the extreme light power of a halogen or xenon bulb required? Can your budget pay for disposable batteries or does frequent flashlight use demand rechargeables?

Hunting
LED lights are preferred for hunting applications because of the soft light and long run time. Look for a headlight with adjustable band for hands-free convenience. In recent years, hunters are selecting colored LEDs for tracking blood trails and the gentleness of the light on the eyes in dark environments. If you select a colored LED, you will also want to consider having a white light on hand as well for situations where a brighter light is required for seeing.

Diving and Water Activities
Select a light that is waterproof, not just resistant. Many of our lights are submersible up to 500 feet. You can also select illumination tubes which can be clipped to your gear, making your visible to others.

Boating
Water-resistant and waterproof models will both be sufficient for marine use. Look for a spotlight model that will also allow you to see under the first few feet of water.

Camping and Outdoor Activities
These scenarios are perfect for handheld LED flashlights that offer a longer run-time with a softer light for seeing at closer distances.

General Home/Personal Use
An LED variety handheld flashlight is recommended for their significant run-time. Be sure to keep a couple around the house in case of severe weather power outages or natural disasters. If you have a multi-level home, consider having a flashlight on every floor.

Law Enforcement, Fire/Rescue, Tactical
We offer a variety of flashlights suitable for high-stress environments. You may want a flashlight that is rechargeable, lightweight and comes with a bright Xenon or HID bulb. Consider if you'll need a swivel neck, variable light levels, or a strobe option. Your environment may require a waterproof option or the ability of the beam to cut through smoke or heavy air disturbances. Your flashlights body composition may also need higher-impact construction.

Traditional flashlights are powered by a battery and use conventional light bulbs to produce light. However, within the last ten years a new type of flashlight has hit the market. LED flashlights are increasing in popularity because they do not use as much battery energy as a flashlight with traditional light bulbs.

LED stands for light-emitting diode. LEDS are similar to very tiny light bulbs. Put very simply, they are able to light up because of electrons which move in a semiconductor material.
The main advantage of LED flashlights is that you will get much more use out of the battery. Some flashlights can run for hundreds of hours on one set of batteries. LED flashlights also tend to be more durable than traditional flashlights. Also, LED flashlights are made so that the light remains constant even as the battery is dying. This is an advantage over traditional flashlights which grow dimmer as the battery wears out.
At lower powers, LED flashlights do not generate much heat at all. At the higher powers, however, they can generate heat. You will usually find that high powered flashlights have an aluminum body which is used because of its thermal properties.
There are many types of high quality LED flashlights. Streamlight flashlights are some of the best on the market. They make palm size flashlights which can be used in a variety of circumstances. The flashlights are extremely durable. One feature that is particularly useful is the ability to switch between output levels. You can run the flashlight on a lower output level when you do not need a lot of bright light. The advantage of this is that your flashlight will be able to run for a very long time on one set of batteries. If you need bright light, you can use the same flashlight but at a higher output level. Streamlight flashlights are also high quality and have many of the same features.
Many people are using LED flashlights when they hike or go camping. It is also wise to include an LED flashlight in a disaster kit because you will not have to worry about packing a lot of extra batteries. You will also find organizations such a police and fire departments using LED flashlights because of their durable nature. LED flashlights are definitely a marked improvement over traditional bulb flashlights
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Natalie_Aranda