If you have ever been hiking in Southern Utah, you know that night descends faster than you think it will with a darkness and suddenness that can be alarming if you aren’t properly prepared.
Crooked Horn Outfitters has a new gizmo that addresses this problem with an innovative approach. The Backpack Trail Light is a clip on LED light that attaches to your backpack straps. The small unit rides unobtrusively until needed, then you simply flip the switch and adjust the small bulbs to wear you need them, and bingo, you have light right where you need it without having to tie up your hands with a flashlight.
The Trail Light comes packaged with two units, and two additional battery trays for a quick change of power.
Some great thinking went into this light. The clips will slide onto the straps of your backpack, fishing vest, bino-system, rifle sling, turkey vest or upland bird vest, or whatever you are wearing. Additionally, it features a spring-tensioned clip that will attach to standard MOLLE points, a shirt pocket, or the brim of a hat.
The adjustments on the where the bulbs shine allows you to aim it our in front of you for hiking, or down at your hands easily and with little fuss. The power supply is two CR2032 button batteries, the same batteries used by most red-dot and illuminated retical rifle scopes, so they are readily available.
By shining downward, the Trail Lights direct light where you need it, while giving your eyes a rest by keeping the light from shining in them and wrecking your night vision. Each light will burn for 30 hours on the included batteries. The light shines brightly out to 50 feet, and one light can be pointed down and one up so you can view both hands and feet simultaneously while climbing a tree stand.
With a standard flashlight, you encumber your hands limiting your ability to climb. A headlamp requires you to turn your head to shine your light where you want it, and can create some awkward head contortions to illuminate and see what you want at the same time. This system uses the stability of your torso to give you the right amount of light where it works best.
Lennis Janzen, Crooked Horn’s owner and designer of the light, has spent thousands of hours in the field and took that experience to design a light that has real-world applications for every outdoorsperson. These weatherproof, practical lights will live on my hiking pack from here on out.
