A question to those experienced with spending time in nature and around animals - what is the best use of a torch when I happen to meet a bear at night? Obviously, my goal is not to illuminate the bear in order to watch it or take photographs but to make my situation as safe as possible and make us both go their own ways. Should I point the light at him with most power so as to blind him? Or maybe turn on the strobe mode and hope this will scare him away? Or illuminate myself to appear threatening? Or don’t turn on the light at all because it could attract him?
Best mode in that case is: run as hell.
illuminate the path you want to bear to take (away from you)?
The rear lights of your car or motorcycle or any motorized vehicle that has more speed than a bear, for when you’re leaving the area!
And…bears can run fast 
Independently of the lights you have, you’ll want bear spray to keep it away! Or keep away from bear areas.
And I am not an expert, I only see National Geographic and “Mountain Men” shows a lot :nerd_face:
LED flood lights don’t phase them. I doubt a flashlight would.
An air horn might work.
You need to ask this question on wildlife forums, there is likely no flashlight enthusiasts that can answer you the right way. Expect silly answers to your questions here.
Air horn/bear vid https://youtu.be/IN7gc5NvRRA
3 Reasons Why Using Bright Lights To Deter A Bear Is A Bad Idea
Maybe check out their profile on Grindr to see if they mention what type of light they like?
Loud noises will make them run at first. Last week I dropped a pack of firecrackers out the window to chase off our big buddy. He hasn’t been back yet but I doubt he will stay away long.
I know that air horns scare away coyotes quite well.
(We have coyotes around here, and we have a dog and two cats.)
Forget the light unless you want to see the bear.
If you need to deal with a bear get bear spray.
In Cali we are fortunate not to have any grizzlies. All we have are black bears like the one on the state flag. (Note that black bears usually have brown hair.) If you mind your Ps & Qs, and don't act stupid, the bears around here will generally leave you alone.
Carry bear spray. Don't leave food where a bear can get it. If a bear does get its paws on your stuff, don't try to take it back.
Like I said, don't be dumb.
In heavily used wilderness areas, such as those around Tahoe and Yosemite, black bears are frequently in contact with humans. You may go there only once or twice a year, but the bears live there. They see people every day. They don't freak out when they see a person in the distance. You might freak out, but the bears don't!
In Yosemite, for instance, no one has ever been killed by a bear. Surprising fact, but true. (Source: https://www.travelyosemite.com/discover/travel-tips/bear-information/) Many, however, have been mauled. Many thousands have had bears break into their cars. Here, I'm talking about the stupid humans who left food, gum, or other pungent belongings in their vehicles.
When I was in my twenties, I had a couple of close-up encounters with bears. The scariest was one night while camping with friends at Little Yosemite. That's a camp above Nevada Falls where hikers often spend the night before ascending Half Dome.
After hanging our food (and aromatics like toothpaste) from a cable line, my experienced friend instructed us to remove all the items in our backpacks, and lay them out on a nearby log. We also unzipped every pocket in our backpacks so it would be easy for a bear to stick its nose in. We then laid the packs against the same log.
The bear woke us up in the middle of the night. We were sleeping in the open, without a tent, and the bear came as close as ten feet away, making a lumbering inspection of all the things we had laid out for it. The bear was huge! I was scared as all heck, and tried to make myself as small as possible. My knowledgeable friend, however, immediately grabbed his flashlight—you knew there had to be a flashlight in this story—turned it on the bear, and began berating it in a loud, forceful voice. He was not screaming, mind you, he was just being assertive. "What are doing here, bear? We're here, bear. You're not welcome here. We got nothing for you!"
The bear barely even noticed. It showed little or no interest in us. It just wanted to rifle through our stuff.
If we had left anything in a vulnerable way, as did the folks in a nearby camp, the bear would have gotten it. We were fine, however, and so were our neighbors, but they, unfortunately, had to hike out the next day to get a new food supply.
And, yeah, the flashlight did nothing to scare off the bear!
A mini air-horn. I don’t know what your bears over there are like but here, black bears are generally pretty skittish. Even clapping your hands or yelling will usually send them skittering heads over teacups away from you. Lights may work maybe, but maybe not…if you use a light, add sound to it somehow.
If you have bears that can be aggressive (provoked or unprovoked, or upon surprise) like our grizzlies…well, you’re probably toast but try your best. I’ve known people that lived in bear-heavy areas of Alaska that made it a point to never arrive home after dark, and they always had a higher caliber pistol or a good rifle in reach.
But whatever you do, avoid this situation and don’t let them trick you. Maybe some honey biscuits….
The best light against a bear would be something like a 6D Maglite or a Convoy L6/L7 with the 26800 tubes 
I have no advice but do remember this Simpsons skit:
> Best suitable light mode when meeting a bear?
it makes no difference to the bear,
Light has absolutely NO DEFENSIVE VALUE against a Bear
the purpose of the light, is so you can see which way to aim the Bear Spray.
Noise is more likely to make a Black bear leave, than light. Pepper Spray is more likely to make a Black bear leave, than Noise.