It’s vital to be prepared before you head out into the wilderness, and one of the most important parts of your prep is deciding what essentials you need to bring – without weighing yourself down. That’s why tools that serve multiple purposes, like the Canadian-designed Pyyros survival flashlight, are a great way to lighten your load. This innovative project has just launched on Kickstarter, and if you back it now, you can take advantage of special early-bird pricing to score this modular survival flashlight, power bank and save some cash.
Although it looks like a relatively simple and rugged flashlight at first glance, the Pyyros’ unique design allows you to set it up to perform multiple functions:
- Waterproof lighter: You may already own a Zippo, and while they’re technically wind-proof, they can still be tricky to use in inclement weather. The arc lighter module turns your Pyyros into a water- and wind-proof source of fire.
- Screwdriver set: This module gives you six interchangeable heads that attach right to the base of the Pyyros, turning your flashlight into a versatile screwdriver without adding a bunch of bulk to your loadout.
- Storage: The storage module is the perfect place to stow medication, water purification tablets, fishing line, hooks, waterproof matches, and other small items that are indispensable in the field yet all too easy to lose.
- Portable charger: The internal battery can be doubled up with an additional charger mod which serves as a separate 3,400mAh power bank. You can use this module to juice up other electronics or even the Pyyros flashlight itself.
- Personal beacon: The Pyyros Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) is admittedly pricey and not something most of us will ever need, but if you’re a professional or serious enthusiast who regularly finds yourself very far away from civilization, this could be a life-saver. The PBL module can transmit a distress signal on the 121.5MHz and 406MHz radio frequencies, enabling search and rescue geolocation anywhere in the world.
Each mod simply screws onto the flashlight itself to become part of its body, and you can choose which of these you need to set up your Pyyros flashlight as you like. Of course, the Pyyros 
works well as a regular flashlight, too, putting out up to 1,000 lumens of light. The internal 3,400mAh battery can last as long as six hours at the highest setting and is rechargeable, so you can use it with the charger module or a good portable power bank.
The Pyyros flashlight’s body is constructed of 6061-T6 aluminum, a lightweight yet very durable military-grade alloy that’s engineered to withstand just about any force it’ll encounter in the field. The butt of the Pyyros can be used as a hammer to beat in nails and tent stakes, while the thick crenelated bezel surrounding the flashlight’s lens is beefy enough to break glass, smash wood, or just pop open a cold one.
As a Kickstarter project, there are several different “tiers” for backers to choose from, each with different modules included. Also note that you can add the Pyyros Wind & Water USB turbine charger to each of these packages for $35 CAD (about $27 USD) or the Pyyros Personal Locater Beacon for $345 CAD ($299 USD):
- The Base tier starts at $49 CAD (about $37) and includes the Pyyros flashlight, USB charger, and hammer base cap;
- The Professional tier starts at $89 CAD ($67) includes the Base package plus the windproof lighter and screwdriver set modules;
- The Aviator tier starts at $99 CAD ($75) and adds a storage capsule module to all of that;
- The Emergency tier ($459 CAD, or roughly $346) includes all modules including the Personal Locator Beacon (the PBL costs $299 on its own, so this tier is the best value if you want the complete package).
Note that these are “Super Early Bird” backer prices, and you’ll have to back the Pyyros project on Kickstarter now to take advantage of this deal. This saves you between $15 and $90 off of its normal backer price. As always, however, you should exercise caution when participating in a crowdfunded project.
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