Review of the 1TAC TC1200 Flashlight
Best Place to Buy: 1TAC or Amazon
We Do Like
We Don’t Like
- 25x Brighter than a Normal Flashlight
- Lightweight & Portable
- Guaranteed 100,000 Hours Lamplife
- Incredibly Durable
- Very Affordable
- Replacing batteries can be a slight nuisance
If there is going to be any one of the main necessities you need when camping, a good quality flashlight is one of them!
They are well-needed in a jump out of your sleeping bag bathroom emergency or just for general use to help you see on a dark night.
They are so handy to have and to carry around with you. They barely take up any space and incredibly lightweight.
However, there are a lot of flashlights that you can buy that you only last a couple of camping trips or may even drain battery life so fast that you always need a spare pack of batteries in your bag.
Don’t settle for a low quality made flashlight that only gives off minimal light and may need replaced often.
As I said in previous posts I enjoy camping in woodland areas and at night the moon rarely breaks through the forestry…even on a clear night.
I needed a solution to this and wanted something that provides exceptional light that I can use for years to come.
That’s when I came across the 1TAC TC1200 Flashlight.
After I bought it, I couldn’t wait to get out and test it so I went camping that very night. I must say this flashlight did not disappoint!
Let’s have a look at some of the keys features of it though.
1200 Lumen Output - 25x Brighter than Normal Flashlights
The TAC TC1200 was made and designed to provide absolute optimum range of light even in the darkest of places that can reach up to 2 nautical miles!
It’s a tactical flashlight that is used in the special forces and for good reason. Simply because it is able to light up the darkest of areas to keep them safe and maintain a high level of security.
So, the science behind it is that it houses a Cree XM-L2 LED emitter that puts out 1200 lumens which is ‘the unit of luminous flux that is equal to the amount of light emitted per second from a single source of candela’.
Not really interesting stuff, I know, but all you need to know is that this is an incredible output of light and will surely be able to light up any path or your surrounding campsite very effectively.
With the Cree LED technology it puts out 20% more output than the standard XML T6 used in normal household flashlights.
Have a look at the comparisons between different forms of flashlight created by 1TAC:
As you can see other forms of flashlight are nowhere near in the same league as the 1TAC TC1200.
It is guaranteed to keep you safe in the dark and will light up the area around you.
5 Lighting Modes - Adapt the light for your surroundings
The TC1200 has 5 different modes that can use to depending on your area and circumstances.
It has High, Medium, Low, Strobe and SOS.
These can be turned on or off by the turn of the front of the flashlight itself.
Great for seeing distances far away or if the worst happens and your in distress, use the SOS flashing signal to alert people nearby.
Zoom Lens - Can reach up to 2 Nautical Miles
The TC1200 has many zoom functions from 1x, 250x, 500x, 1000x and 2000x.
This either opens the lens further or closes depending on how far you wish to see.
By opening the lens so its setting is at 1x, it covers a much wider distance in your surrounding area which basically allows you to see all around you.
By closing the lens so its setting is at 2000x, it focuses all the light onto the smaller lens creating a smaller but very focused line of light allowing you to see up to 2 nautical miles.
Incredibly Durable & Lightweight
The TC1200 is a very strong, resilient and incredibly robust flashlight. It is forged from military grade aircraft aluminium.
It is IP 65 rated which means it is protected against dust and water. It can till operate fully after being immersed in either freezing cold and boiling water. Water will never leak into the lamp itself meaning it’s a great companion to have especially on wet or muddy camping trips.
The surface of the flashlight is heat protected which avoids any build up of heat to occur so you can have it on for long periods of time without causing injury.
It weighs just a small 5.6 ounces or 158 grams – no heavier that a small onion!
It comes along with a carry pouch that is made of industrial grade Nylon – perfect to throw into your backpack.
What batteries does it take?
It uses 3 AAA or 18650 Lithium- ion Rechargable batteries.
When replacing the batteries, you will see a separate part fall out of the bottom of the flashlight that the batteries need to be placed into. So it’s not as straight forward as just throwing in 3 AAA batteries, it can be a slight nuisance but nothing too major at all.
Conclusion
Looking at other standard household flashlights I think the TC1200 is by far the biggest winner.
Just comparing the brightness, beam, power and reach of the TC1200 it completely shatters records for having the highest quality and well-designed functionality of flashlights that you can buy.
In overall, I think this is an excellent flashlight that should be added to every camping backpack simply down to the fact that it is affordable, robust, lightweight but most importantly offers an incredible beam of light that will help you see in the dark during your next camping trip.
You can check out the 1TAC TC1200 Flashlight through any one of these links
If you have any questions, drop me a comment and I’ll be sure to get back to you.
With my type of work, hvac, I need this bright lite but I don’t want to have to go through all positions of the switch each time I turn it on, how long does the batteries last on bright? Thank you, I’ve been looking at these for some time,I’ve looked the videos,but can’t find this information out.
Thank you, Terry
Hi Terry,
It’s very easy to switch to the different light settings. Just click the button at the top and you’ll be able to turn on strobe, SOS or flashing.
The battery in the 1TAC can last a good few hours on constant brightness!