90 years in the head torch game
Silva have been making head torches since 1935 so it's a business they know a thing or two about. This Explore 5 is one of their most versatile models, balancing powerful light output against impressive battery life. It's got four light modes, and the maximum level of 700 lumens will reach up to 115m. At that power you get around 23 hours of light, but turn it down a bit and your burn time shoots right up to 10 hours . It uses Silva's 'Intelligent Light' combination beam, with a long-range spot and close-range flood that feels comfortable on the eye. You've also got a red night vision light and an orange one for map reading. Dust-tight and fully waterproof, the Explore comes on a wide, adjustable headband, with an optional helmet mount included. Battery-wise, it's your usual integrated USB-C rechargeable with a 2hr charge time and a 4-level charge indicator.
- Versatile head torch for outdoor adventures
- Integrated USB-C rechargeable battery (includes charging cable) with 2hr charge time and 4-level battery level indicator
- Silva Intelligent light system combines long reach spotlight and close floodlight
- Red light preserves night vision
- Orange light enables better map reading
- Helmet mount included
- Comfortable fit with wide headband and smooth buckle adjustment
- Fully dust and waterproof
- Button lock prevents accidental battery drain
- Rubber reinforcement increases shock resistance
Mode Lumen Burn Time Distance Max 700 23 hr 115 m Med High 300 4.55 hr 75 m Med Low 100 10 hr 20 m Min 15 50 hr 8 m Light distance max 115 m Light distance med 75/20 m Light distance min 8 m Light modes Max, med high, med low, min Lumen max 700 Lumen med 300/100 Lumen min 15 Weight incl battery 116 g Its a bit of a clich to say, this brand needs no introduction, but sometimes it really doesnt. If you ever did scouts, guides or cadets, got epic blisters on a D of E expedition or went on an outward bounds residential, chances are you did it with a Silva compass in the pocket of your boil-in-the-bag cagoule.
Like so many world-changing inventions, the Silva compass began as a problem that needed solving. Back in the day, your standard compass wobbled all over the shop, making it tricky and time-consuming to get a decent reading. That is, until 1933, when four Swedes invented a liquid-filled compass. The resistance from the fluid slowed and stabilised the needle, meaning you could nail a reliable bearing in seconds. Navigation was never the same again.
But iconic as the compasses are, theyre only one part of the Silva story. They were one of the first companies to make reliable electric head torches for the outdoors, and theyve also branched out into optics, trekking kit and other navigational gear. Tried and tested for the better part of a century, Silvas precision instruments have literally been the difference between life and death for generations of outdoor adventurers and as brand pedigree goes, thats pretty much impossible to beat.
