To dog owners and enthusiasts everywhere – especially families welcoming their newest addition.
Having a dog in the family is a LOT of work – feeding, cleaning, playing, walking – it's a full-time job. Walking your dog is important, but sometimes you find yourself in the darkness of the late evening, the day’s light starting to go out just as you're leaving the front door to take your furry friend out for their daily stroll. The last thing you want is to see is your beloved Beagle running away after a rabbit and off into the dark of the night, leash attached and everything.
That’s why we at J2Ledflashlight have decided to blog about the need, convenience, and safety of carrying a good flashlight when enjoying those night-time outings with your very own.
In this blog, we will be covering...
- 6 situations where you and your dog will be finding a flashlight useful
- Examples of flashlights here at J2Ledflashlight for dog-walking and what makes them so good
Here’s how it may go: you have just left the house and have set out on your evening walk. As you make it down the road, here are some possible situations that we have found good for using a flashlight:
1. You see your friend sniffing at something and they don’t seem intent on stopping. But it’s just too dark to see. You turn on your flashlight (on the lowest brightness, of course, to keep their eyes safe too). It turns out your dog has a plastic wrapper in its mouth, chewing it like its favourite toy.
2. As you make your way down to another street, you notice that the sidewalk might not be busy, but the road is still bustling with traffic and oncoming cars. You decide to turn on your flashlight to a higher setting. Pointing further along your path keeps drivers aware of you two as you make your way.
3. As you slowly reach a less busy street, the streetlights start to lose their brightness in lighting up the path ahead. You ramp your brightness setting back up and you shine it up on the path. You realize there are some bumps and the path is a bit uneven. You also notice that you could have fallen into a small ditch. The flashlight helps you ensure that the two of you are knowing where you step.
4. As you continue down your route, you see another person approaching. To make your presence known, you turn your flashlight up to its standard setting to let them know that you have your dog walking with you. But you notice that the approaching walker also has a dog. The light allows both canines to be aware of their approaching counterpart, as they can be just as surprised by other animals as we can.
5. It’s time for a potty break. You get ready to pick up after your dog, but it’s too dark to see. So, you use your flashlight to make sure you are responsibly and completely tidying up.
6. To those who decide to take a more secluded or rural route with their dog, using the strobe or a high beam can also deter any unwanted animals from crossing paths with your dog. Ensuring that there are no opportunities for your dog to suddenly get scared will also keep you from suddenly getting scared.
Some Dog-walking Flashlights at J2Ledflashlight
Having covered how useful and important having a high-quality flashlight can be for your nighttime dog walking, we here at J2Ledflashlight would like to go over two great dog-walking flashlights that you may want to consider for your next trip.
Nitecore P12
The Nitecore P12 is an LED flashlight that we love and highly recommend to all nighttime dog-walking lovers. It runs on a rechargeable 18650 Li-ion rechargeable battery, meaning that a full charge during the day will have you up and ready to go the moment evening hits to power this flashlight at full capacity. It can also run on 2 CR123 Primary (non-rechargeable) Lithium Batteries.
The range is great, with the lowest setting beginning at 1 lumen and capping at 1000 lumens. With the brightness adjustment button being on the side of the flashlight, it is also super easy to change brightness settings with one hand as you keep your dog steady with the other.
Along with a throw of 232 meters and a fall resistance of 1.5 meters, this flashlight is everything that a nighttime loving dog walker will need as far as a flashlight is concerned.
Attach the lanyard around your wrist and you also won’t have to worry about dropping the flashlight mid-walk. The flashlight even comes with a solid and super tough Velcro holster, so you can attach it to your belt or leash handle when you are in need of a free hand.
You can buy the Nitecore P12 here.
Nitecore EA21
The Nitecore EA21 is our second high-quality LED flashlight that is great for dog-walking. It runs on two AA batteries, giving a widely available and easy-to-find power source.
The thinner and sleek design of this flashlight allows for a comfortable full handgrip with the on-and-off switch and the brightness adjustment button being located along the side of the flashlight. Aside from the 4 different levels of brightness, the flashlight also has an output with a strobe light option to make others aware of your presence. It also has a red LED output for preserving night vision in low-light settings if desired.
Join on the lanyard and keep the holster attached to a belt or bag and this flashlight becomes one of the best and highest-quality dog-walking flashlights for one to use.
You can buy the Nitecore EA21 here.
Extra Tips for Choosing a Flashlight for Evening/Night-Time Dog Walking
We all like to know where we’re walking. It becomes twice as important when we have a dog companion at our side. At J2Ledflashlight we encourage you to keep walking, daytime or not. Enjoy what the outdoors has to offer and go nurture that special bond you have with your canine friend. We hope to see you guys enjoying the evenings taking your little friends for those little strolls.
Stay aware and be safe! Here are a couple of tips and tricks to keep in mind when using your flashlight for your dog walks.
- You’re going to want to choose a flashlight that has a good range of intensity. One that goes from a very low brightness level (like 1 lumen) to the flashlight’s max output (up to 1000+ lumens). A higher setting will be useful for seeing what’s ahead at greater distances. On the other hand, checking if the nearby path ahead is clear would be great for a lower setting.
- If you’re a city dog walker, then the lower setting will also be beneficial to the vision of your dog and people you may come across. While using a stronger setting will give cars, bicycles, and other pedestrians the opportunity to see you and your dog from afar. *Never point your flashlight beam directly at an oncoming driver.
- The upside of using a more tactical-type flashlight for dog walking includes the extended range of lighting functions. This includes the strobe or beacon functions, which can be used to scare off unwanted predators like coyotes or small unwanted critters like rabbits or skunks.
- Finally, your dog is almost always certainly never going to be at your side. So you’re going to want a flashlight with a good throw. This means the ability for the light to project itself into the distance. For those walking in more rural areas, it may be of more importance to know what’s further ahead. In addition, flashlights with good flood are also important as the beam is able to cover a wider range of a wide path or a sidewalk. Meaning you can survey the area for anything that you may need to be on the lookout for.
- You'll want a flashlight that lets you maintain your ability to adapt to the changing environment around you and your dog at any time – especially at night. Some recommendations include tying a lanyard to your flashlight so you never have to worry about dropping it, or keeping a flashlight holster on your belt so you can free your hand if needed.
- Remember to charge your battery and carry around a spare along with your essentials so you also don’t go blind mid-walk. Make sure to double-check these things as they may become important when you least expect them.
Wondering what other flashlights fit your specific needs? Leave a comment below and let us know if you have any questions.