You’ve bought a flashlight. Congratulations! You now have a tool that can help you see in the dark. What you may not realize is that a flashlight can have several alternative uses as well. Check out how versatile the modern flashlight can be.
#1. A Bag Handle
If you carry a lot of bags after a day of shopping, especially heavily loaded plastic bags, then don’t settle for having the handles cut into your fingers. Loop the handles of the bag over the flashlight casing and then carry the flashlight instead. This way you can comfortably carry the weight of several bags at once and it keeps you more organized.
#2. Hand Warmers
This applies more to the older incandescent flashlights, but it’s still a trick that can work well if your flashlight has a metal casing. The power generated to produce light will also produce heat, which will then increase the temperature of the outer shell. Stick a flashlight in your pocket, turn it on, and you’ll be able to keep your fingers nice and warm.
#3. Communication Device
Using flashlights as a way to communicate via Morse code or other agreed upon signals has been a long-proven use for a flashlight that goes beyond the obvious.
#4. Medication Carrier
If you don’t mind having a flashlight that won’t work, take the batteries out of the primary tube and it suddenly becomes an effective way to carry something else. Keychain flashlights can be turned into medication carriers. Larger flashlights could be used to carry cash or other supplies.
#5. Room Lighting
If you attach a flashlight to a post, you have an instant lamp that can be used. This is particularly useful for cabins and other remote locations where power may not always be readily available.
#6. Charging Solar Panels
Did you know that the light produced by some flashlights today is at the same wavelength as sunlight? If you’re in a pinch and need a quick boost of power, you can use your flashlight to generate power through solar panels. It tends to work better for devices that have been equipped with a solar panel, such as a calculator, but it will work to some extent on any panel.
#7. Fire Starter
If you use some steel wool (or a similar material), then you can make contact with either end of the battery in the flashlight to create heat. This heat may even spark so that you can start a fire just by using your flashlight. If you had a magnifying glass with enough lumens and plenty of patience, the light could be focused enough to start a fire as well. In a pinch, you could even break the glass part of your bulb if you have an incandescent light and use the filament to start the fire.
Flashlights can also be used for self-defense.
A flashlight can brighten up the night, but it can do much more than that. That’s why it is such a versatile tool and why every household should own at least one.
