By: Hunter McWaters

My hamstrings burned, and I could feel my heartbeat in my mouth as I pounded up the trail in the pitch-black dark. I had flown across the country, driven 3 hours from the airport, hastily packed my bag, and found a trailhead, all on the same day.

Now I had about 2,000 feet to climb in pitch-black darkness to reach my basecamp. I was in a state I’d never hunted in before, walking through a place I’d only ever seen on aerial maps.

In my pack, I was carrying camp, a heavy muzzleloader, hunting gear, food, and 13 liters of water up the arid hillside to where I would spend the next 3-4 days looking for a mature mule deer, roughly 90 pounds.

There was one essential piece of gear that made this hike possible in the moonless night, an often overlooked or second-thought type of tool, my Fenix HM65R-T V2 headlamp.

The thought crossed my mind, ‘At what point will this light die on me?'

After a few hours, we made it to where I had hoped would be a flat, suitable campsite, and I was relieved to find that it was. Now on hour three, and probably being overly cautious about battery life in my gadgets, the thought crossed my mind, “At what point would this light die on me?” I always carry a backup. But the much smaller light would not have the same brightness or lighting options of the HM65R-T V2.

As much as we talk about all the other tools and gadgets we have, a hunter’s headlamp is an essential tool. Hiking in the dark, off-trail, in the mountains with no light is not just inconvenient; it’s dangerous. Not to mention dealing with loaded weapons and complex tasks like processing an animal or setting up camp, all in the dark.

The reason I chose the Fenix HM65R-T V2 is that it’s relatively small yet still has a pretty robust battery. Also, the option to toggle between spot and flood is very handy. Sometimes you need a bright spot light to see far along your path, but most of the time, especially when hiking treacherous terrain in the dark and doing camp tasks, the flood light is amazing. Lastly, the headband is comfortable, secure, and easy to adjust thanks to its twist-lock feature.

The one thing I wasn’t sure of yet, though, was how long will this battery last?

This hunt was an absolute smoke fest. Essentially every single morning started with an hour-long truck or ATV ride, followed by an hour and a half hike through very technical terrain, often off-trail and in absolute darkness.

The long days would inevitably end with the same inky hike back to the vehicle, subsequent ride back to camp, then trying to replenish as many calories as possible before passing out and doing it all again the next day.

I expected my headlamp to lose juice on maybe day 3 or 4. But the hunt dragged on, and so did the charge on my HM65R-T V2.

Not only was I hiking in the dark, usually around 2-3 hours a day, but I was also using the light extensively around camp, as we were almost never at camp during daylight hours. This cycle went on for 9 days, and I expected my headlamp to run out of juice around day 3 or 4. But the hunt dragged on, and so did the charge on my HM65R-T V2.

The little light was my constant companion and the only thing that gave me any security and peace of mind on some of those long, sometimes eerie hikes in the dark. The light stayed strong, and I did not have to switch to my backup until the very last day of the hunt.

This thing lasted 8.5 days of HEAVY use, longer than most “normal” hunts or backcountry excursions. I was astonished. For this reason and all the others I mentioned above, this light will never leave my kit on a backcountry hunt.

When you spend that long with a piece of gear, you form a weird kind of bond with it; a trust. This hunt made me a true believer in my Fenix HM65R-T V2, and I hope I never have to do a hunt without it.

Hunter McWaters
Hunter, Producer, Conservationist
YT: The Hunter’s Quest
IG: @thehuntersquest