All credits go to Ste Rumbelow, 15/8/2013, Rugged, Waterproof And Bright – The Bear Grylls Survival Torch
Looking for a torch that combined good build quality with a long performance time and a solid beam with affordable price? Gerber Bear Grylls Survival Torch might be the one that you are looking for. Like every other product in the Gerber Bear Grylls line-up, the Survival Torch has an easy-to-see orange and grey colour scheme.So it won’t be easily lost if it is dropped on the ground or in the woods.
Either end is actually a burnt-orange colour rather than the bright orange across the rest of the range. The body is beautifully made from anodised aluminium. The main bulk of the torch is made from a thick, over-moulded, grooved rubber. It feels good when I hold it and is very grippy even when wet.
The torch is just shy of 6 inches long, and weighs 113 grams so it’s fairly compact and yet somehow feels quite substantial. The Survival torch is actually a very classy product, with a functional handle offset by gorgeous cross-hatched aluminium ends. There’s nothing that feels cheap; and that’s a good thing.
The torch turns on with an excellent-quality-feeling clockwise twist of the bulb cap, at which point 24 lumens are shone brightly from the single LED bulb with a full alkaline battery and produce approximately 10 lumens after of full 24 hours of continuous run time and it was still going. Although the bulb was dimming a lumen or two every hour after that. AND the amazing thing is that over 24 hours of light is generated with ONLY ONE AA battery. To replace the battery simply turn the torch head counter clock wise and swap in a new battery.The beam is reasonably strong and will allow you to see quite well up to about 50 or 60 feet.
Unfortunately, the bulb itself is firmly housed inside the cap, with no way to remove it. If that breaks at any point then it is time to replace a new one i guess. Inside the cap is a rubber seal that keeps it completely waterproof.
And it’s a bonus that the Gerber Bear Grylls Survival Torch is waterproof.The internal electronics are protected from water by this rubber ring that seals the water out went the flashlight is in water up 1 meter.While I wouldn’t recommend going scuba diving with it, the unit is well sealed enough to be used under-water or in a torrential downpour which means you won’t need to worry about the important bits being destroyed.
On the other end is the butt-cap, which is fairly reminiscent of a pommel on the end of a knife. There’s a hole for a lanyard, which is pretty customary with the Bear Grylls range. Unscrewing the cap past another waterproof rubber seal reveals a cavernous storage compartment stuffed with fire-starting goodies. Inside this 6cm deep, 1.5cm diameter compartment are two waterproof bags containing five waterproof matches, a striker-board and a ball of cotton-wool for easy lighting. All are sealed in their own waterproof bags and should be quite dry if you ever need them.
There’s also enough space inside the butt-cap itself for another piece of cotton wool. Alternatively, the compartment has enough room for a spare AA battery, which means you’ll effectively have a solid 48 hours of usage before being without light.
The Gerber Bear Grylls Survival Torch isn’t designed to shine as far as a big Maglite and that’s evident from the size of both the product and the batteries powering it. But for the form-factor and the fact it’s powered by such a tiny power source means I came away being pretty impressed by it.
The additional useful features such as waterproofness and space for storage are two important features that cater towards the ‘survival’ badge along with its durable design.
Conclusion
The Gerber Bear Grylls Waterproof Survival Torch / flashlight package is an affordable and excellent tool for the beginner survivalist. It’s great for camping, backpacking, canoeing or any outdoor activity. It makes a great vehicle or home flashlight and would be a smart addition to your bug out bag or emergency kit. And it’s a great general flashlight for anyone who wants a high quality, bright and long-lasting L.E.D. flashlight to get around in the dark. If you’re after a long lasting, durable, waterproof torch that has space for a few extra goodies for use around the house, camping or back-packing then this is definitely for you.
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