Getting to the Heart of the Matter with the Gerber Cortex…

Gerber calls it the Cortex…I call it nothing short of awesome. Weighing in at a scant 2.12 oz. and no longer than 4“ it is the epitome of good things in small packages.

The construction is rock solid with one of the most serious non-slip surfaces I’ve ever seen. Wet, dry or full of dirt,this light isn’t going anywhere. The aggressive checkering bites into your grip making your hand and the light one. And that’s a good thing if you ever have need to employ its crenelated bezel! I tell ya’ the features just keep coming with this one… the Cortex sports a wickedly scalloped ring for striking that could really pack a punch, especially considering it’s diameter is just there right size to fill your hand and give your fist a little extra “umph!”

The beam is bright and blasts throughout the thick lens without any artifacts or dark spots. With a max output of 125 lumens and strobe, it’s more than necessary to disable an assailant or light up a room to take stock of your surroundings.

High, low and strobe are selected by cycling the heavy duty clicker switch in the tail cap. The switch is sealed against dust and water infiltration and provides a sharp click for user feedback letting you know it’s been pressed.

Now for the real gem in all this. The gang over at Gerber have come up with this technology called Omnivore. Personally when I hear the word omnivore I think of the likes of a T-Rex or a pack of wolves taking down their prey to the sounds of gnashing teeth and ripping flesh… then munching on some leaves and twigs to round it out, being  not picky about what their eating!! kinda’ creepy I know but apply those thoughts to powering a flashlight and you have Gerber’s new offering to the LEO, MIL and EDC crowd!

But what is Omnivore ?

Omnivore allows the torch to operate on either the proven and trusty A123 battery or the ubiquitous and much venerated AA! Now there are some tradeoffs in performance between the two and the overall length of the light changes depending on the battery used, but in my opinion it’s more than worth it to get such a flexible battlefield pickup!

Here in Michigan we’ve had one of the coldest winters on record, so banking on this I left the Cortex in my truck for several days in well below zero weather. The result? The Cortex suffered no ill effects to performance from the cold!

This little light is a performer. Running either battery option provides more than enough light for task work, navigation or looking for Legos under the couch! In fact I actually got to use it in a real world emergency. I was at a local fishing spot with a friend when we were approached by a woman looking for help. Her elderly husband had fallen into the rocks that line the shore and was unable to get up. I grab my bag and pull out my Cortex, my friend grabbed her phone  and off we went! The Cortex lit up the rocks like daylight and soon enough we found him. There he was, on his back and wedged between two rocks and unable to wright himself. With a little leverage and a supportive arm, the man was back on his feet and heading home! If it wasn’t for the Cortex, I would have had a harder time finding him and that increased search time could have resulted in a worse outcome.

The Cortex has become part of my “Grayman” EDC load out. It’s diminutive size and disproportionate output makes it a slam dunk when you want to be prepared, yet blend in like everyone else.

Click here for more information or to order yours