These flashlights can hide your stash

Ostensibly, the design of VSSL’s LED flashlights is in no way intended to facilitate the smuggling of illicit items.

Sure, the defining feature of the company’s products is a hidden compartment behind the light. Sure, the owner of those products could use that space to sneak booze into concerts, snacks into movie theaters… et cetera

But that feature is not considered a selling point by the folks at VSSL. There’s no mention of stash storage on the company’s website or in its marketing materials. VSSL has apparently chosen to position itself as a producer of camping and survival equipment, not an enabler of smuggling.

That’s just as well. Because the four VSSL products that I tested all struck me as great outdoor adventure tools. They also struck me as great ways to hide 7.5 to 18 ounces of pretty much whatever… but I guess that’s beside the point.

All four of the lights are now available in our online shop.

For preppers: The VSSL Supplies

The VSSL Supplies is the largest and most extensive stashlight (that’s my own term) that we sell. In the 18-ounce compartment behind the light, the Supplies holds pretty much everything you’ll need to survive if the you-know-what hits the fan.

Inside that compartment, you’ll find:

• An oil-filled compass
• A razor blade
• A beeswax candle (that will burn for six hours)
• An emergency whistle
• Waterproof matches and fire starters
• Water purification tablets (enough to purify three gallons)
• A signaling mirror
• Fishing line, a hook, and a sinker
• 25 feet of rope
• A signal mirror
• A wire saw (with a 60lb working strength)
• Reflective trail markers
• First aid supplies
• A (very) basic set of survival instructions

In total, the light contains pretty much every item a savvy person would need to survive an unexpected stay in the wilderness. None of the items are flimsy or cheap (though the first aid kit is pretty rudimentary), and they’re all packed into eight tins. Thus, there’s no need to worry about losing any one item in the mix.

The VSSL Supplies is also a pretty decent flashlight. It uses three LED bulbs to produce 200 lumens of illumination, and will burn for 40+ hours without running out of batteries (I didn’t test it for that full length of time, but I did leave it on overnight and found it was still going strong the next day).

All told, this light is perfect for any survival enthusiast. It’s a particularly good gift item for that uncle who dreams of living on a compound in the Nevada desert.

We sell the VSSL Supplies in our shop for $99.50.

For medics: The VSSL First-Aid

VSSL’s First Aid flashlight contains too may items for a bulleted list like the one above (you can find them all listed on the product page). But the contents are easy to summarize.

The light contains a basic cuts-and-blisters first aid kit. You’ll find plenty of gauze and bandages, as well as antiseptic wipes, ointments, and nitrile gloves. There’s also a razor blade, a set of tweezers, and some over-the-counter painkillers. It’s basically the same kit you’d bring on a day hike… especially on a day hike with kids.

The First Aid also contains an oil-filled compass and an emergency whistle, and it’s fitted with the same 200-lumen light as the Survival. It’s honestly not the beefy first aid kit you’d want on a backcountry expedition, but it’s perfect for day hikers, scout leaders, and school trip chaperones.

We sell the VSSL First Aid in our shop for $66.50.

For hedonists: The VSSL Flask

I’ll probably never forgive the folks at VSSL for the way they named this product. Seriously—I can think of no good reason not to sell the VSSL Flask as the “Flasklight”.

But I can’t fault them for their product design. The VSSL Flask’s handle can carry 10 ounces of booze with absolutely no fear of leaks, and it also has room for two collapsible steel shot glasses. Those glasses are sturdy and leak-free; you don’t have to worry about them collapsing while still full of your favorite spirit.

The storage compartment of the VSSL Flask is lined with glass, so it won’t have any effect on the flavor of that Pappy Van Winkle you’ve been saving. And like all VSSL products, it’s fitted with a long-lasting 200-lumen LED light.

We sell the VSSL Flask in our shop for $72.50.

For small stashes: The Mini Cache

The VSSL Mini Cache doesn’t presume to know what items you’d like to store in your flashlight. It just provides 7.5 ounces of water-and-impact-resistant space… and it doesn’t ask any questions.

Like the other VSSL lights we carry, the Mini Cache is fitted with an oil compass and with a 200-lumem LED light. Unlike the others, it has a carabiner end cap that allows the user to clip it to a belt, backpack, or guyline.

We sell the Mini Cache in our shop for $64.95.

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