First Look: SneakyHunter Bootlamps

Tired of blinding your companions in the dark when you turn to talk to them, and resembling the Bodie Island lighthouse on early-morning walks to your stand? SneakyHunter has a solid solution to both these issues, with their Hiker's and Hunter's Bootlamps. Two lights that strap around the midsole of your boot, rather than your head, SneakyHunter Bootlamps keep light low to the ground, thereby stabilizing visual perception, and relieving eye strain in the dark.

The lights operate using three AAA batteries to power their 5mm LEDs, and have three settings—white, for general hiking; red, for hiking with a soft light that will not spook animals; and green, which offers less eyestrain over time. They can be activated by simply pushing the button on top—one click for white, two clicks for red, three clicks for green. With a water-resistant-rated lid, the lights attach to the boot via an 18-inch-long, 1-inch-wide elastic cinch strap. The hook-and-loop strap is placed under the instep, and the two prongs on the front of the unit are slipped under the boot or shoelaces, for a slip-proof attachment. When attached correctly, the light should shine right where you're walking. While a little further afield from their intended purpose, the lights also work well when strapped to the knees, if deep water or snow makes boot-mounting undesirable. 

These made-in-the-USA lamps offer 50 lumens per unit, with an average runtime of 70 hours. Further, the company actually makes two variants: one with the standard white, red, and green modes referenced above (Hiker's Bootlamps), and the other with white, red, and violet settings (Hunter's Bootlamps). That violet light is particularly useful for bloodtrailing, as it uses a specific wavelength that causes blood to stand out in the dark. For more information, please visit sneakyhunter.com. MSRP: $59.99/set of 2 bootlamps