Nightstick Dual-Light Flashlights – SHOT Show 2016
Russ Chastain 01.24.16
At the 2016 SHOT Show, I stopped by the Nightstick booth. These folks make lights, not clubs for cops, and they make a lot of ’em.
What struck me (no pun intended) was their dual light. I can’t say I actively hunt for new flashlights, but I’m not sure how I’d missed this since they brought it out a few years back. The good news is they are coming out with some new dual-light models that should work well for hunters and other outdoors enthusiasts.
Basically, you have a typical flashlight–an oblong cylindrical object with a light at one end. That light is mighty bright and can be operated by rubber-covered pushbutton switches; one near the light end and one on the opposite end. Those switches work together in tandem.
That light is focused in a spot beam that can really reach out there–like 275 meters or 300 yards! But it’s way too bright for up-close work. So they added a second light, mounted in the side of the cylinder and shining perpendicular to the other light. The second light isn’t focused, so it makes a great light for up-close work.
Both lights can be on at the same time.
Right away, I thought of hunting uses for such a light. Heading to the tree stand before daylight, for one. Here you have a light that won’t kill your night vision showing you the trail but that can be used to reach out when you need to look a little farther away.
It also seems pretty useful for recovering game. Whether blood-trailing or simply tracking a wounded animal, this light will allow you to flood the ground with light while giving you a strong spot beam shining outward so you can easily keep an eye out for the animal in the distance.
Couldn’t you use a light with a focusing beam? Sure you could, but focusing the beam can be a hassle, especially when you’re looking at things both near and far. I’ve been known to blast my night vision pretty badly when shining a bright spot light on something close-up when I forgot to refocus my light.
Whether you’re walking the woods or just getting up for a midnight tinkle back at camp, it’s nice to be have a fairly foolproof way to keep from blinding yourself with your own light.
Nightstick now offers several smaller, more versatile models of dual lights, including magnetic, Intrinsically Safe, Intrinsically Safe angle, and even helmet-mounted.
Some take standard batteries, others come with rechargeable batteries. All are worth a look in my opinion.
