Buying a torch or a watch? Start here

The biggest number on a torch box is lumens, and it’s rarely the one that matters. The first guide explains all six numbers and why a bright torch dims after a minute. The second explains what’s ticking inside a watch, and what the water-resistance rating really allows.

Torches

Watches

How to read a torch box Watch movements explained

Learn

Torches and watches first, then the batteries and the compass that go with them.

How to read a torch box →Lumens, candela, beam distance, runtime, drop and IPX ratings, what each means and why a 300-lumen torch can out-reach a 1,000-lumen one. Watch movements explained →Hand-wound, automatic, quartz, solar, GPS and smart: how each keeps time, how accurate it is, and what 30, 100 and 200 metres really mean. Battery equivalents →Every code that means the same cell, from watch button cells to the CR123A and 18650 in a torch. Measuring battery voltage →Is that cell flat? How to check with a multimeter, with charts for alkaline and lithium-ion. All about compasses →Why Australia needs a Magnetic South compass, setting the declination, and four ways to walk straight to a point.

Tools

Free, in your browser, nothing to install.

Watch accuracy checker →Tap when your watch reaches the minute, today and tomorrow, and see how many seconds a day it gains or loses. Beam distance calculator →Turn a torch’s candela into beam distance, and see how bright it really is at 50 or 100 metres. Unit converter →Feet to metres, ounces to grams, Fahrenheit to Celsius, for gear specs written the American way.

The gear we use

Only what we own and carry ourselves. Each one links to our write-up first, so you can see why we chose it before you look at a shop.

Silva Expedition MS compass

Our baseplate compass for map work: balanced for the Southern Hemisphere (the MS), with a built-in declination adjuster, a clinometer and map scales for 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 maps.

Why we chose it See it on eBay (paid link — eBay)

Silva Expedition S MS mirror compass

The sighting version: you see a distant landmark through the sight and the dial in the mirror at the same time, for a more precise bearing. The mirror doubles as a signalling mirror.

Why we chose it See it on eBay (paid link — eBay)

Our torch and watch will join these once we’ve written them up. The eBay links are paid links: as an eBay Partner, Digital Greenhouse may be compensated if you make a purchase through them. It never changes the price you pay or what we recommend.

Gear: torches, watches and the things you carry