Penlights

Why a penlight rather than a torch

A penlight does a different job from a hand torch. It gives a narrow, directed beam at close range, clips into your breast pocket and comes out with one hand. You use it to read a label, find things in your bag, check pupils or look into a wound — situations where a powerful torch dazzles both you and the person you are helping.

Having it in your pocket rather than in your bag is the whole point. A light you have to search for does not get used.

The colours are for marking, not function

Luxamed comes in seven colours and Medstuff in five. The colour is on the housing and in practice is used to tell lights apart: one per person in the team, or one colour per bag so that you can see at once if something has ended up in the wrong place. The light is white LED whatever the colour of the housing.

If you want a different light colour, the blue light filter is the accessory that changes exactly that, and it fits on the Luxamed light.

Where the light belongs

One in your breast pocket, one in the medical bag and one in the admin pouch together with your notebook. Check the batteries at the same time as you go through the rest of your equipment — a penlight that has lain unused for a year is the most common dead item in the kit.