What is the best flashlight for the money for blood tracking in your opinion? Thanks for responding!
I never had any luck with the special blood tracking lights. I do however love the energizer triple beam headlamp. Best light for the money IMHO. I even bought everyone that hunts in my family one for x-mas. Energizer added a bunch of new products after some military contracts and it shows.
Rob
Fenix FD30, if you get one you will "see". Well worth the money if you "use" a flashlight.
I have a Streamlight and a Surefire. Both under $50....the Streamlight is much better and brighter...lasts longer, too. You can find it on Amazon decently priced.
I happened to pick a bunch of these up as part of the gift set for the groomsmen in my wedding. They always tell me how much like the light better than anything else I got them.
Streamlight ProTac 2L Professional Tactical
http://www.amazon.com/Streamlight-88031-Tactical-Flashlight-Batteries/dp/B00396S1Q2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1329063465&sr=8-2
For blood trailing - the Fenix from Brothers of the Bow (Wensels) hands down best compact light I've seen. Great light, and great battery life.
For field dressing chores once you find him, a Petzl headlamp can't be beat.
My favorite is the Browning Hunt master....I've been through a lot of flashlights, but this is the one that's in my pack when I hunt.
http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/flashlights/detail.asp?fid=050H&cid=371&tid=1236&bg=x
Ken
Favorite is the LED LENSER P7. I also use the light a coon hunter uses, the one that has a 6v battery that hangs from your belt and a power cord to the lamp that I hold in my hand, you can also adjust the beam strength to a lower setting with the rheostat on the lamp to save batteries when spore is plentiful. Fenix FD 30 is also a very good light.
Fenix from brothers of the bow check out the sponsors listing check out the utube comparisons. As a tactical army major with 23 years of field experience I used to be a surefire guy now I'm a fenix guy.
I bought a MiniMag light back in the early '80s and it has been attached to my fanny pack with a lanyard since. I replace the batteries each your and the bulb only once since then. To me, that is a pretty good value in a flashlight.
QuoteOriginally posted by LoneWolf73:
Fenix FD30, if you get one you will "see". Well worth the money if you "use" a flashlight.
Totally agree. I have gone through alot of cheaper flashlights. I finally broke down and spent the money on this flashlight and man was it worth it. Unbelievable for such a small light. I have had so many people ask me what it was and where I got it, when they were with me on tracking jobs. I got so sick of squinting and straining my eyes with lesser flashlights. You don't need to worry about that with this one.
I like my surefire minimus headlamp because it goes from 1-100 lumens by turning the dial. In a hand-held light I've been very impressed with the maglite xl50. It was $40, runs off of AAA batteries, 105 lumens, and it has a high, low, and a strobe setting. Hard to beat for the money.
Fenix LD 20. Takes two AA batteries which last a long time, has a clip so I can attach it to the bill of my ball cap. I have two I like them so much.
Surefire makes quality lights & they possess something the others do not they are made in America.
My wife just got an LED Lenser H7 headlamp. Has a spot to flood/spot adjuster and a dimmer. It is the brightest headlamp I've ever used. Princeton Tec also makes a nice headlamp.
I bought a Fenix KT15 light last year. I loved it so much that many of my good friends got them for Christmas.
It runs on 2 photo batteries, has a "daylight" tint to the light, can be as bright as the fires of Hell, and has several levels of luminance. Small enough to pack without hassle, even in a pocket of my pants or shirt.
Killdeer
I have had great experiences with pelican lights, i want a light that doesnt use "special" batteries, the saberlight i have uses 3 c cells and puts out a very good light for a long time, they are a VERY tough and reliable light
http://www.pelicanproducts.us/c.Pelican.Medium.Flashlights.html
NOTHING I've ever owned compares to the Brothers of the Bow "Main Beam" I got from Uncle Barry a few years ago . . . since then I grabbed another plus several more for family members. I'm still amazed by it.
For cheap try the Rocky LED lights you buy at Sams for 25$ for two flashlights. One thing I like is that they use standard AAA batteries but I'll warn you don't look directly into the light it hurts! Great tracking flashlights. Are they as nice as all the ones mentioned above heck no but for the price they are terrific. But for general chore lighting I also love my Petzl headlamps.
Energizer headlamp with 6 LED Spot to Flood. About $16 at Wally World. I have at least 6-8 of those, in each car in almost each room of the house(in case of a blackout)and two in my hunting pack.
Now, blood is not as eay to spot with LED, so I have a mini-Mag Light in the hunting pack and a large Mag Lite in the hunting truck. Didn't need it in the last 2 year though.
Deer went down in sight.
I have used (led) flashlights for tracking and they work pretty well but nothing can beat an old Coleman lantern for tracking in the DARK lights up them BLOOD trails big and small the best.
No scrimping aloud to recover downed game!
I have way to many lights. Streamlight is a great light,tons of LED head lamps and flash lights. I just got coleman with interchangeable lenses(red,blue)that has an incredible beam to it. But for tracking a blood trail I still like Peroxide in a spray bottle and any light will do.
Sitting here thinking about it the last couple years for tracking the only light I've used is my Petzl headlamp to keep a eye on my "tracker". lol She doesn't require batteries or even need a light just a pat on the head and piece of jerky at the end of the trail. Looking back I sure wish I'd trained a tracking dog along long time ago! lol Sorry to get OFF TRACK on this thread but just had to brag up my tracker!
QuoteOriginally posted by Killdeer:
I bought a Fenix KT15 light last year. I loved it so much that many of my good friends got them for Christmas.
It runs on 2 photo batteries, has a "daylight" tint to he light, can be as bright as the fires of Hell, and has several levels of luminance. Small enough to pack without hassle, even in a pocket of my pants or shirt.
Killdeer
X2
I bought one of these Flash Lights (http://www.ultraok.com/ultrafire-high-power-cree-r5-led-600-lumens-5modes-flashlight-torch-can-use-cr123a-or-18650-battery_p1649.html?zenid=373817b5b414b4fc92dccfdbb0b80cb7) back in Oct. and for the price I'm very pleased with it. Compares to a Surefire in brightness. I bought 12 of the CR123A batteries in a package deal on Amazon, but so far the first battery I put in it is still going strong and bright
Whatever it is that Barry and Gene sell on their site is what I have. Heck The batteries never did wear out, I changed them after a year and a half cause I got worried that they just couldn't last tht long. It is small, strong, and MAN is is bright. . or not, depending upon you need.
ChuckC
Get the main beam from Gene and Barry. Awesome light!
Jason
I actually picked up a Maglight LED in the clearance section at Walmart this fall and it is the first LED flashlight I have really liked. VERY bright and usable light. Mine uses AA batteries, so it is a tad longer than I would like but it casts a beam a LONG ways if needed and I have a lot of hours on mine already and still the original batteries. I would buy another!
Fenix for sure
Fenix is one of the best products I have ever purchased. So impressed with it, I bought one for my daughter. We do everything from track deer to shine frogs with ours. Mine is the PD30 and my daughter has the E15. Both run off the cr123 batteries, mine takes 2 and hers one. Hers has a max lumens of 140 and I had read that if you keep the lumens under 160 it will prevent the light from getting so hot to the touch that it will burn you, so that is why I got her the lower lumens one. She wears hers around a neck lanyard as it is so small. Most of the time, I use mine on the lower lumens setting anyways. Battery life on these fenix lights are great and VERY durable and well built.
For me it's the compact Stanley Ultra Bright Spot Light. It's rechargeable and light weight. $39.99 with the charger, very bright.......
Gene and Barry's flashlight blows all others completely out of the water!
Another vote for the Fenix PD3 or mainbeam. I have been wearing one on my duty rig for three years and it gets wet,dropped, rolled on and it keeps on shining. it puts out more light than my big rechargable streamlights. Simply an amazing product!
I have the Fenix PD3 and can't say enough about it, it is the cats meow
Princeton tec makes a great inexpensive led headlamp. You can find them on sale for around $15 from time to time. Small packable and lightweight a great light for all the times you need your hands free. Not good for bloodtrailing imho, I go get the coleman lantern for that.
I vote for the Fenix also from Brothers of the Bow. It puts out an unbelievable amount of light from such a small package. I liked mine so much I bought 3 more for birthday presents for my 3 sons. They also LOVE them!
Mike
After hunting with a couple buddies who had Fenix PD30's I NEEDED to get one. Like it so much I bought a second one to wear on my helmet at work. I too bought the large packs of cr123 batteries but now use rechargeables from China.
Look at Romisen flashlights from
http://www.dealextreme.com/c/flashlights-lasers-999
This place has many brands of light and you are buying directly from China [where everthing comes from anyway]. The Romisen I have takes AAA as well as cr123 batteries and is $18. Hard to go wrong...
QuoteOriginally posted by LoneWolf73:
Fenix FD30, if you get one you will "see". Well worth the money if you "use" a flashlight.
I think he meant PD-30.
I have one...LOVE IT!
check out their site.
Looks like they have a couple new models now ( PD-31 AND PD 32)
I would shy away from the PD-31 as the "low" is too low.
The 30 and 32 are basically the same just different control switches.
GREAT TORCH.
http://www.fenixlight.com/product.asp?classid=1
QuoteOriginally posted by waknstak IL:
Princeton tec makes a great inexpensive led headlamp. You can find them on sale for around $15 from time to time. Small packable and lightweight a great light for all the times you need your hands free. Not good for bloodtrailing imho, I go get the coleman lantern for that.
I have the Princeton Tec "Remix Pro" model headlamp and love it. Here's a review: Princeton Tec Remix Pro review (http://jerkingthetrigger.com/blog/2010/11/20/review-princeton-tec-remix-pro/)
for tracking deer I use a 6 d cell maglight. I have several of the small super lights but they just dont make the grade compared to the big maglight. I attatch a cheap gunsling to the light with electrical tape and it carries exceptionally and the batteries last all season and then some. You can get one off the auction site for about 40.00
Fenix. NO QUESTION!!
For tracking, I love my Tikka XP 2 headlamp, sometimes with a flashlight in hand. The headlight is adjustable, has bright and dim settings, a diffuser, and a dim red led for getting set up in the dark on a stand without attracting attention. It's been versatile.
No luck with one of those blood tracker lights, picks up too much. If you know what you are looking for, bright, natural looking light seems best.
Check out this seller I have a 600 lumen light and uses rechargable batterys good deals
http://www.****.com/itm/1000-Lumens-CREE-XM-L-T6-LED-18650-Flashlight-Torch-502-/190639213427?pt=US_Flashlights&hash=item2c62fb8b73
Jim
Link did'nt work go to **** and search Cree zoomable flashlights and order one that takes 18650 rechargeable batteries.
Jim