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 2–3 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.
| Mode | Lumen | Burn Time | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max | 700 | 2–3 hr | 115 m |
| Med High | 300 | 4.5–5 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 |
It’s a bit of a cliché to say, ‘this brand needs no introduction…’, but sometimes it really doesn’t. 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, they’re only one part of the Silva story. They were one of the first companies to make reliable electric head torches for the outdoors, and they’ve also branched out into optics, trekking kit and other navigational gear. Tried and tested for the better part of a century, Silva’s precision instruments have literally been the difference between life and death for generations of outdoor adventurers – and as brand pedigree goes, that’s pretty much impossible to beat.
-Tufan, Verified Buyer
