Gerber 22-80112 Carnivore Blood Tracking Light, Mossy Oak Camo
From Gerber
GERBER Carnivore Blood Tracking Light Carnivore Blood Tracking Light Mossy Oak Utilizing eight uniquely calibrated L.E.D.s TRAX brightly illuminates blood so sportsmen can easily find their wounded game. The unique pistol grip and quick deploy 4 AA battery cartridge allows for ergonomic comfort and easy maintenance. Lanyard and sheath included. Available in Mossy Oak Break-Up Easy toggling between TRAX and Xenon Battery life indicator Water resistant Holster style sheath includes vest clip Easy access to 4 AA batteries Specifications: -Light Source Type: 1 xenon lamp 8 5mm L.E.D.s -Output Color: White Blue/Red -Output Color Modes: Xenon Trax -Output Lumens: 45 -Illumination Distance: 325 -Housing Material(s): Plastic Mfg No: 22-80112 Manufacturer: Gerber Blades
- Amazon Sales Rank: #1040 in Home Improvement
- Color: Mossy Oak Camo
- Brand: Gerber
- Model: 22-80112
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: .90" h x 2.80" w x 9.00" l, .65 pounds
Utilizing eight uniquely calibrated L.E.D.s, TRAX brightly illuminates blood so sportsmen can easily find their wounded game. The unique pistol grip and quick deploy 4 AA battery cartridge allows for ergonomic comfort and easy maintenance. Lanyard and sheath included.
Its a gimmic - try using a white light or a dog instead
A one star review from me is a warning to walk away.
I tried one of these at a local gun show to see how "TRAX" really works (or doesn't). I had a knife with me and donated a sample of blood drops on the ground to simulate a fresh kill from my finger. All TRAX really did was give me a paper cut feeling in the finger.
Basically the trax mode uses 4 red leds and 4 blue leds to supposedly help you find blood. If you remember back 20 years at the butcher counter the fresh meat was always lit up with purpleish fluorescent tubes to make the meat look fresher and brighter than the store's white light would. TRAX is a variation on that concept except you are supposed to use it to spot blood trails on foilage (green or tan), or dirt and it just simply doesn't work.
The red blood reflects the red led light, but so does everything else to a lesser degree. In theory the blue part would be absorbed by blood and thus make the blood brighter but it doesn't. The butcher shop tubes had special phosphors to make fresh cuts of meat look bright red in the case - this doesn't have that effect. Its white light actually works better for finding blood.
The theory does not work - instead just get a powerful white light for tracking blood. Any good bright xenon light will show red blood plain as day. Choose your light source to get a good amount of red spectrum like a normal light bulb. Cold lights like HIDs do not have much red emission to begin with and will hide blood. Any xenon light will work better than the LED gimmic.
Another alternative is to get a dog that smells a blood sample before being fed every day for training. Blood does smell (ironically like iron but it's the hemoglobin you are smelling). Soon your dog will associate the odor of fresh blood with getting fed. Next make it a walking game with a few drops of blood to the hidden food - the dog will follow the scent to the hidden dish of dog food. Dogs' brains are easily programmed to seek out a fresh kill for a food source as a survival technique so this only takes a few weeks to teach them blood=food nearby. Make sure that no blood is in the food as the object is to get the dog to follow a trail of blood to find their normal food. Bloodhounds, Shepherds, Labs, are all good mixes for this work. Blood's odor is very distinct so almost any dog will work. If you don't want to become anemic check out the local blood bank for expired donations which must be discarded - if you explain that it is being used to train a "search" dog they'll probably give you a unit if you sign a waiver and give ID.
Take your dog with you hunting and check out the garmin astro - let your dog do the work. It's faster, easier, and more accurate than colored leds. GARMIN 010-00596-01 Astro Bundle 220 Dog Tracking GPS
Blood Tracking Does Not Work
I have to agree with the other reviewer. I've used this flashlight for the past two hunting seasons, but have only had to use it once to track wounded game after sunset. The blood tracker light really is a big gimmick, because it just doesn't make the blood stand out at you. The color red stands out in EVERYTHING that you shine the LED's on, including dry brush and grass. It was easier to spot my blood trail with the white light. When I switched to the LED setting and held it directly over blood, I thought to myself, "Huh! So that's what blood looks like under this thing?" I give it two stars because it actually works well as a regular flashlight. The blood tracking feature doesn't really work, and turns a decent flashlight into one that is just overpriced.
Gerber Carnivore Blood Tracking Light
Actually bought this for my son for Christmas. He's an avid hunter. It looks awesome! I'm sure he'll be very pleased with it. Great value!
