Brite-Strike Lightning Strike Tactical Flashlight Review

Testing:

The LED is supposedly pumping out 65 lumens of luxurious warm light on high, which coincidentally is the same as the venerable Surefire 6p. It’s also about as much as a 3-D Maglite, but a bit over a tenth the size. Now, 65 lumens may not sound like a lot if you know a thing or two about flashlights, but it’s been enough for police lights since 1986. Also, it was very nearly as bright as my Ra Twisty, one of my other lights that is known for exceptionally accurate calibration, actually more so even than any of my photographic equipment. It’s also rated at 85, so there may be a bit of under-rating going on by Brite Strike, but it may be the rechargeable batteries I tested with. Still, this is 2009, not 1986, and the cutting edge for LED lights on one AA is now 130 lumens (though not only runtime is a bit shorter than the Lightning Strike’s, it tends to choke on alkaline batteries you can buy at Wal-Mart). On the other hand, engineering reality dictates: “small, bright, long-running – pick two”; it seems that Brite Strike, given the targeted audience, has opted for improved runtime and better compatibility with alkaline batteries here.

Considerations:

Another word on brightness – having tried both alkaline batteries, and Energizer L91 AA lithiums, and Sanyo Eneloops (high-quality, low-self-discharge rechargeable batteries) the L91 and Eneloop seemed to buy me another 20 lumens or so, tested with the less-than-scientific ceiling-bounce method. Both hold up their output voltage better under high current draw, resulting in more power being delivered to the important components. In my experience, the Eneloops offer high capacity, high currents, and none* of the runs-down-in-storage effect that plagued previous generations of the technology. For something to be carried in case of trouble, I strongly recommend either Eneloops or Energizer AA lithium batteries be used in this light, to get the best performance. (*Technically, the Eneloop will be at 80% capacity after two years of storage. You’ll run it down rather before then and recharge it.)

On the topic of self-defense, I will admit that I am not an expert. However, in fending off someone who is seriously willing to do you harm, I’d recommend you bring one of these, a black belt in krav maga, a retractable baton, and a small-frame concealed handgun. This may or may not be practical for you, but the better prepared you are, the better.

Be that as it may, we put the Lightning Strike up to the same test that we did with the Blue-Dot Tactical Series, also made by Brite Strike. Although this light is not on the same level, the testing can be compared with a hope of achieving similar results. We offered a friend ten bucks to walk over and slap me. He laughed and said okay. We dimmed the lights so you could just see what you were doing, similar to lighting conditions you would find in a dark parking lot. He laughed…walked over and got a taste of lightning. Well, not literally, but he was pretty well blinded for a second there, and we were able to sneak around him without him noticing. While this test seems silly, it serves as an example of the power that a simple light can have in the time that you need it most

The tactics recommended by Brite-Strike involve a fighting retreat, which is all well and good. While you might find the rest of my ideas on the topic impractical (or illegal, depending on your jurisdiction… but concealed carry is getting more broadly legal by the day), I think that anyone interested in this sort of thing should probably be taking a martial-arts class. If it’s nothing else, it’s good exercise and piece of mind.

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