By Justin Stakes
Rancho Cucamonga, CA -(Ammoland.com)- Whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast or a professional sportsman; a reliable flashlight is essential when in need of a bright light source and as with all technology it’s ever changing.
The RG850 CREE XML LED Flashlight is Olympia’s latest advancement in state-of-the-art luminescent technology. It is extremely lightweight and compact while offering 850 lumens of pure white light, making the Olympia’s RG850 Flashlight a great portable option when choosing a luminescent.
The Olympia RG850 utilizes a CREE LED similar to the other high-intensity flashlights flooding the market, but this is where the comparison ends. Olympia’s RG850 CREE XML LED Flashlight is a great representation of the lighting industry’s top tier in durable light options.
The product is constructed with an aircraft-grade aluminum that is coated with a premium type III hard-anodized, anti-abrasive finish which provides a non-slip grip for any atmospheric conditions.
This unique finish complements the RG850’s sleek but rugged guise while empowering it’s knack to endure even the toughest of situations.
The flashlight comes with a powerful 18,650 (NiMH) rechargeable battery that has the ability to hold for a maximum of 1 hour on Hi beam and 65 hours on the Low setting before the battery becomes exhausted. Once the battery is depleted, the RG850 has a feature that reminds the user by blinking that the battery either needs to be changed or recharged. In my demo the battery came fully charged and ready to go, with an approximate recharge time of 8 hours.
In addition to an extensive runtime, the RG850 has a very unique feature in which the battery charges through a USB port that is cleverly hidden beneath the flashlight’s head. I appreciated this feature simply because it allows me the convenience of recharging the RG850 anywhere; including in my home, in the car, recreational vehicle or even through an external battery.
The Olympia RG850 is quite a worthy competitor in the class of high performance and highly durable hand torches.
The push-button tail switch used for operating the light on and off includes a sundry of lumination modes integrated to suit a variety of individualistic needs. In addition to the standard “Hi, Medium, and Low” settings, the RG850 also includes a unique strobe and SOS option to help in self rescue situations. When operating this luminescent, a simple additional push of the tail switch will allow a shift to each individual mode.
For Example:
- High Beam- The initial press of the tail switch activates the brightest beam of flashlight, allowing for the best lighting for any situation whether it be camping, caving, hunting, hiking, and other recreational and rugged activities.
- Mid- 2 Presses will trigger a slightly diffused beam of light.
- Low Beam-3 Presses will activate a fully diffused light source.
- Strobe- 4 presses to the tail switch will cause the strobe lighting to activate.
- SOS- If ever in distress and in need of assistance, then pressing the tail switch 5 times will be the option for you. It designates a brightly lit beacon to alert others that might be nearby.
So what’s so special about the light?
Well, other than the pronounced durability and consistently bright white light, Olympia’s RG850 Flashlight is also fully waterproof! Not to mention the memorization feature in which the RG850 will automatically remember the last setting it was on.
Although on my first test sample this feature only appearred to work for the HI, Mid, and Low settings and not the SOS nor the Strobe setting. Olympia’s customer service was outstanding towards fixing the problem and sending me a replacement immediately. I was also assured that there was only a minute group of pre-production samples that had this issue.
I have concluded the testing of the flashlight within a grand total of 2 weeks. I brought the light along with me during a camping trip and was thoroughly pleased with the RG850. After numerous drops, bangs, thuds, thumps and every other damage applicable standard I could think of, the RG850 stood up to every challenge without any failures.
In addition to the stellar performance of its lighting capabilities and durability for it to resist impacts, the RG850 flashlight is even waterproof for up to 2 meters (equaling about 6 ½ feet). So the occasional hiker and outdoor enthusiast won’t be too concerned when they accidentally drop it near a stream or in shallow body of water.
So what does it come with?
The whole kit comes with the rechargeable battery, a micro USB cable and charger, a lanyard, a stylish nylon holster with a dedicated belt loop and D ring, an extra rubber tail switch cover and 2 extra O-rings.
The greatest thing about the Olympia’s RG850 Flashlight isn’t even the light, it’s all the features that the light has built into it. After all the rigorous testing that I put this device through, I have to say that it has far exceeded my initial expectations in regards towards everything from the luminosity to the durability and even the beam’s distance.
SPECS:
- Waterproof IPX-8 to 2 meters
- 850 Lumens
- 5 light settings: High→Middle→Low→Strobe→SOS
- 5 Memory light settings: Automatically memorize last used setting/mode after being in any one of the five light settings for 3 seconds.
- Can cycle through modes via “Momentary On” button capability
- Complies with ANSI FL 1 Standard
- Beam distance: 389 Meters
- Peak Beam Intensity: 12045 Candelas
- Aircraft-grade aluminum with Type III anodized anti-abrasive finish
- CREE-XML- U2 LED
- Micro USB charging port
- Compatible with: 2*CR123 or 1*18650 rechargeable batteries
- High performance metal smooth reflector
- Reverse-polarity protection
- Smart circuit for rechargeable batteries
- $89.99 MSRP
The RG850 CREE flashlight has been ingeniously designed by Olympia to provide the end-user with a durable source of light for any given situation.
Article by Justin Stakes
Photo Copyright @ J. Stakes Photography
Justin Stakes is a Freelance Photographer and Journalist dealing with a variety of different subjects that interest and inspire. His photographic style is a mixture of photojournalism and fine art which results in very sharp and colorful photos. He has won three Photo Show Competitions throughout his and has even been exhibited in the Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art. Through his education, he has had the pleasure and honor of being taught by some of the best professionals in the field of Public Relations, Studio and Fine Art Photography.