Historically there have been no less than 4 portable lights in my truck at all times ( 2 head lamps, one Mag-Lite hand cannon and assault tool, and one small camp lantern). The addition of a Goal Zero Black Flash makes #5, and it is the “just right” compact-yet-powerful solution where the others don’t make sense.
The Black Flash is nice and compact, with a little heft from the aluminum construction
The Goal Zero unit is a compact handheld LED flashlight in a crowded marketplace, but differentiates itself with a key well-thought-out feature: it is rechargeable via USB! Since I run several “always on” USB sockets in the 4Runner, I can keep this light handy and fully charged in the center console, so it’s ready whenever I need it.
The Goal Zero Black Flash permanently resides in the center stack of the 4Runner
The flashlight has a great design and weight to it, and the lighting, at 90 lumens with up to 20 meters of illumination is enough for what I use it for (poking around the engine bay, finding stuff at night around camp). If there are drawbacks, it would be that the actual lighting functions are pretty “no frills”, meaning there’s no beam adjustment, brightness adjustment, or flashing functions. I can live without those features but they would help to justify the cost of the flashlight.
My photography skills only go so far – but hopefully this portrays the brightness of this little sucker!
The light stickers at $39.95, which, depending on your bias is either expensive (you can definitely get cheaper alternatives) or cheap (some “tactical” competitors cost hundreds). Either way, for me, it is a well-thought-out tool that I know will be ready when I need it.
Great review. The Goal Zero flashlight would be an ideal EDC. The USB feature ensures access to a power supply in the event of an emergency.
I’m a big fan of goal zero’s gear. Many say its overpriced, but i’ve picked up a few things at the Goal Zero Roadshow at Costco. I keep a GZ torch in the rig – combo lantern/flashlight with solar recharging. I also just ordered a Yeti 400 a couple of days ago.
Good write up.