When choosing a flashlight, it's important to get the right tool for the task. If your flashlight is underpowered, you'll be left in the dark when you want more illumination. A light that's overpowered can be annoying to others. The brightness of a flashlight is measured in lumens. The best way to understand a lumen is to think of a birthday candle. One candle, one foot away emits one lumen. Consider these guidelines for your outdoor equipment: 10-25 lumens: Household flashlight. 35-60 lumens: Camping flashlight. 90-150 lumens: Tactical flashlight. The inclusion of a reflector will make your flashlight brighter, so you can opt for a product on the lower end of that range. Keep in mind that the more lumens your light has, the faster it will go through batteries. While you want to have sufficient lumens, don't go overboard or your flashlight will wear out your batteries more than necessary.