GNB: Coping with Lumen war

Last year, I got my hands on Surefire G2X Tactical that emits whopping 200 lumens. After using G2 with 60 lumens for years, the difference was immediately visible. This year, I borrowed P2X Fury from my friend and it boasted 500 lumens. The difference between 200 lumens and 500 lumens is undeniable.

Within just a few years, brightness of flashlights increased exponentially. This probably is from manufacturers trying to be more competitive as well as consumers demanding higher output.

Brighter lights help a lot more when you are outdoors. You can shine trees at night to prevent getting attacked by drop bears as well as seeing farther out and identify zombies earlier. In this case, more lumens is generally better.

But it seems to have its draw backs. During a recent indoor tactics class, having those 500 lumen flashlights negligently go off produced a bit of problem. I was blinded a bit longer than I used to with lower lumen lights. It is a great tool when you are the one flashing others, but getting a dose of splashback is not good.

Or if you just woke up to the sound of someone breaking in to your home, your eyes might have to cope with sudden burst of light even if it is from you.

Most of houses in US have white walls, and it is a color that can bounce back the light quite easily.

There are times when people will mess up and use inappropriate lighting technique. Splashbacks are not fun, especially when the barricade is a white wall. It can adversely affect the shooter's vision and place him at a disadvantage.

Using inappropriate technique to work around the barricade in self-defense scenario can be dealt with appropriate training. Choosing right equipment for the situation you are most likely to be in is another thing to consider.

There is no way to scale back the lumen war that is going on. Technology will advance with more competition and research and it is up to the user to deal with these equipments.