Nash Shine On

Visiting a tackle company’s trade show late in the year expecting to see a raft of new items for the following season can be a disappointing procession of reheated ideas and minor tweaks—but never with Nash! They also come bursting into a new year with plenty of new kit, and in 2022 you’ll see the new Siren R4s (read our review of those on carpology.net), upgraded Bushwhacker poles and this new range of headtorches (Moonshine), among many new pieces.

Moonshine sounds like an intoxicating range—what’s on offer?
Nash have looked long and hard at their range of bonce-mounted illumination and come up with a trio of new head torches, all of which are rechargeable. They range from basic and affordable right up to a premium mega-bright version.

Let’s start simple, what’s the entry-level option?
That’s the Micro Lite, which looks like a standard head torch but has a few neat features for its £19.99 price tag. It’s powered by an internal 1000mAh battery which will last you for 6 to 12hrs depending on which mode you use (there are three brightness settings using the white LED, plus a red LED night-vision option). The battery can be recharged using a micro USB connector and takes three hours to do so fully. The Micro Lite has an adjustable elasticated headband and an IPX4 waterproof rating, which basically means you can wear it in the rain.

Sounds a solid option, but what else have Nash got?
The next in line is the Multi Lite, which you’ll instantly notice looks a bit different to most head torches and Nash say that’s because they’ve designed it specifically for carp anglers, not hikers. The puck-like profile means it can be worn comfortably around your neck in a sleeping a bag and the torch itself can be removed from the strap. Supplied with a range of fittings, including straps and a magnet, that means it can be used as a bivvy light or attached to barrows, bivvies, trees or poles. There’s even a ‘Bushwhacker Clip’, which enables you to put the torch on the front of your Nash baiting pole. 

That sounds very handy, but what’s the illumination like?
Its peak output is 180 lumens and there are two white LED settings and one red LED option. The lens element and Nash logos also glow in the dark, so you can always locate the Multi Lite when you need it. It runs off two 640mAh rechargeable batteries and will run for between 2 to 11hrs. Its RRP is £65.99.

Okay, now show me the range-topper…
This is Mega Lite by name and nature. It looks almost built to support Alan Blair’s night-time missions and it certainly packs a punch. It has a beefy 760-lumen max output and a focusable lighting range of 42m to 220m. It has a 3000mAh battery pack which will run for 5 to 81hrs depending on setting (there are three brightness modes), but it also comes with an adaptor to run off three AA batteries if you require. At £109.99 it’s a specialist tool, but one that might help your night-time manoeuvres.