SureFire ARC-2

Description

If you want the power of the sun’s surface at your fingertips, look no further than the ARC-2. Its incredible 4,500-lumen output is enough to throw a blinding beam of light out past 1.25 miles! This baby uses an ultra-high-output HID (high-intensity discharge) system along with a deep, mirror-finish reflector to attain its phenomenal performance. Made with military, border patrol, search-and-rescue, and maritime users in mind, the ARC-2 is one serious piece of lighting equipment. The HID lamp assembly is protected by a 3mm coated tempered glass window and detaches from its handle, which is also its battery. The battery handle has a sealed body that is machined from high-strength aluminum and finished in Type III hard anodizing. Our test model came with a standard 80-minute battery, but a 120-minute extended battery is available, as well. For continuous illumination, the light can be plugged into a wall or vehicle’s power socket for virtually unlimited runtime. The hilt displays how much battery power is left by way of illuminated colored light bars. Like a car equipped with HID lighting, it takes a few seconds for the ARC-2 to warm up. We took it out camping, and let’s just say that campers on the other side of a lake woke up to an HID sunrise.

Pros: Light reach, ruggedness

Cons: Size, price