Black Diamond

Storm 400

£50 116g

tough, very water-resistant fiddly lighting modes

Power: 400 lumens

Batteries: 4xAAA alkaline (included)

Light modes: spot and flood, red, green, blue, strobe and dimmer

Max output:100m

Max burn time: 150h

Water resistance: IPX67 (immersible up to 1m/30 mins) blackdiamondequipment.com/en_eu/

This torch has some very impressive features, not least the IPX67 rating, making it one of the most robust and water-repellent torches I tested.

There are two white light LEDs – a flood and a spot – which when combined at full power give out a solid 400 lumens on the 10-second burst mode. A coloured LED cycles through red, green and blue options. The modes are operated by a combination of the main power switch, which serves as a dimmer (and to hit burst mode), and a smaller switch next to it, which cycles through the various LED bulbs. In theory, you can tap the side to get in to burst mode too, but I found this feature unreliable with gloves on. I appreciate the versatility of all these lighting options, but when navigating in the dark I really want to be able to move intuitively between flood and spot. Anything else is just a distraction.

The battery compartment behind the light unit is well sealed with an easy-to-open box latch. It takes four AAA batteries – which would suit expedition and remote situations, where recharging isn’t always easy.

The removable stretch-webbing headband is simple and comfortable to wear. According to my scales, the torch is lighter than Black Diamond states on its website, coming in at 116g with batteries.

In summary, despite being a bit fiddly, this is an excellent lightweight torch for remote, wet or dirty environments, where compromising on durability is not an option.