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October 14, 2024
By Adam Heggenstaller
Days often start early and end late on public land, especially when the hunt is for deer, turkeys or waterfowl. Illumination tools, whether they be handheld flashlights, compact headlamps or work-area lights, are essential items both in the field and back at camp. We often depend on lights to get us into and out of our hunting spots and when tending to important tasks such as field-dressing game and putting out a decoy spread. Quality and dependability are paramount, as a cheap light can literally leave us in the dark.
Entering its 51st year of business in 2024, Streamlight (streamlight.com) has built a strong reputation for reliability and smart design among military personnel, first responders and trade professionals who stake their lives on having light immediately every time they need it. Many of the company’s products are ideal for hunters and outdoorsmen, too, providing a wide range of illumination intensity, long run times, rechargeable convenience and handy features that make them go-to tools for lighting the way.p>
ProTac 2.0 (Photo courtesy of Streamlight) This compact powerhouse is only about 6 inches long but offers 2,000 lumens and a beam that illuminates objects out to almost 300 yards. The medium setting provides 560 lumens, while on low the output is 100 lumens. Run times are 2 1/2 hours on high, 4 1/2 hours on medium and 25 hours on low. There is also a strobe setting that runs for nearly 4 1/2 hours. Power comes from Streamlight’s SL-B50 lithium-ion, USB-rechargeable battery. Users can choose from three lighting programs that include the ProTac 2.0’s four modes. The light is machined from 6000-series aluminum and has an IP67 waterproof rating. $195
Enduro Pro USB (Photo courtesy of Streamlight) For navigating to a stand or blood-trailing a deer after dark, it’s hard to beat a headlamp that keeps your hands free. The Enduro Pro USB excels at both tasks, offering a spot mode that gives you a bright, focused beam and a flood mode that provides softer illumination over a wider area. Both modes have high, medium and low settings so you can pick the right amount of light—from 15 to 200 lumens—for the activity. The Enduro Pro USB uses a rechargeable lithium-polymer battery and has an IPX4 water-resistant rating. Weight is 3.6 ounces. $73
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FlipMate (Photo courtesy of Streamlight) Stand this work light on the cleaning table while you breast out doves, or hang it from the meat pole while you skin a buck. You’ll get 500 lumens of cool-white light for 4 hours or 250 lumens for about 6 hours to complete the job. Should you need to work on your truck, the FlipMate’s magnetic base allows you to attach it under the hood. A second lighting mode uses Streamlight’s Color-Rite Technology to produce a beam that allows you to accurately see the color spectrum for identifying different wire or fuse colors. The FlipMate’s light bar rotates 270 degrees, and when folded in half, the unit is about the same size as a smart phone. It runs on a USB-rechargeable, lithium-ion battery. $140
BearTrap 360 (Photo courtesy of Streamlight) If you need a light to illuminate your entire campsite, the BearTrap 360 provides up to 2,000 lumens in flood mode (1,000 lumens on medium and 575 lumens on low). The rubberized frame surrounding the light body serves as a clamp that permits secure attachment to vertical or horizontal objects. It also allows the light to stand on its own. The body rotates 360 degrees and pivots 270 degrees so you can direct the light where you need it. A second spot mode produces a concentrated beam of up to 1,000 lumens on high (450 lumens on medium and 325 lumens on low). An indicator turns red when the rechargeable lithium-ion battery is running low. The BearTrap 360 is about 7 1/2 inches long and weighs 2 1/4 pounds. $270
This article was featured in the 2024 issue of Public Land Hunter magazine. Click to subscribe .