Headlamps

[sweeper]

I'm in the market for a new headlamp. My old Petzl quit and is way too heavy, and I've put off the purchase by using a cheapo from HD for the past couple years. A search of the Internets turned up all manner of headlamps from $12 to $499, ones that look like they'd be used on a Space mission. I not worried about paying the price but I want a good lamp that I won't have to replace in a couple years.

What do you use and why?

 

[Guest]

Other than in emergency's I use a tiny princeton tec green led that clips to my hat brim. Once my eyes adjust they make plenty of light for anything other than reading or brain surgery. The green lite doesn't spoil you nite vision. I think most people use way to bright lites. Bright lites separate you from nature. Turtle

 

[Grandpa Paddler]

I've been using an LLBean light for several years and I don't think it is any longer avialable. It's similar to this:

www.llbean.com/llb/shop/69364?feat=headlamps-SR0&page=trailblazer-xr-headlamp&csp=a

Mine has only 1 red and 3 white intensities.

 

[Odyssey]

Thanks for the reminder sweeper. I have a couple cheapos from HD. One I keep in my vehicle, they're just so darned handy. The head band is stretched out of shape. (go ahead and say it, I know you want to). I last used it last weekend to suss out a suspect foundation of a house my son was thinking of buying. Good thing my bright beam picked out all that crumbling rubblestone in the damp dark depths. No sale -no thank you.
I have a Petzl Tikka around here somewhere. Hope it's in the gear where I intended to stash it. But like I say, they're so darn handy it could be anywhere.
The red light is good for maintaining friendly vision in the company of others - no bright glare in each others' eyes. What frustrates me though is having to tick through all the different settings to find just the right one. I'm shopping now for new headlamps before spring. It'll take me that long to decide. Or I could go for this:

 

[yellowcanoe]

I have five or six rattling around. The most recent a Black Diamond Spot Headlamp I also have a BD Revolt and an LLBean Trailblazer which is the most flimsy but is several years old
http://blackdiamondequipment.com/en...lamp&gclid=COv0xJvh2dICFYlMDQodlwMBjQ&start=2

I also have something that the batteries fit in a pocket but its old and heavy.

Advisable to memorize or keep on hand the directions for the BD headlamps otherwise the one button for a myriad of functions will drive you crazy/

 

[Alan Gage]

My old, and relatively cheap, Black Diamond started to fail after about 7 years so I went shopping for a new one last spring. I went to an outdoor store (Midwest Mountaineering in Minneapolis) so I could look at the dizzying array of choices. They were all set up so you try them all out. I clicked and clicked through all of them until I found one with a basic high/low beam without any frills or flashing lights that was relatively low power. One push for dim, another push for bright, and a 3rd push for off. Dim is good enough for pretty much all of my needs. Maybe someday I'll need to use the bright setting but I haven't found it yet.

It's small, lightweight, cheap, and has a good name (Petzl) so hopefully it will last me a good while.

Alan

 

[flyingbison]

I always just get one of the cheapest I can find, because I figure I'm going to lose it or break it in a couple of years. My current one is a Coleman brand with a red light and 3 white light settings. It was under $20 and I've had it for a couple of years now. I use mine almost daily about 6 months of the year, when it is still dark for walking the dog in the mornings.

 

[sweeper]

Has anyone used the rechargeable USB type? I'm not sure that's the best option on a low tech trip

 

[Canotrouge]

The best I had so far and up here we live with our head lamp on pretty much 6 month of the year is phenix HL60R. but really any of there head lamps are good! Really good quality even comping directly from china, I know I know, says the guy that hate buying from china!!! Other good lamps but maybe harder to find are the ne made by Mammut, they are not quite as bright, but they have lasted us many many years!! I would never buy a BD again and probably not Petzel either....

Look at Lupin if you need a real bright one, that is what a lot of mushers use up here... But better be sitting down when you go there to have a look....

 

[latremorej]

"Look at Lupin if you need a real bright one, that is what a lot of mushers use up here... But better be sitting down when you go there to have a look...."

Wow! Maybe lay down before looking. $1,100.00 USD!

 

[devils son in law]

A neat little feature to look for is a small glowing light on the headlamp when it's turned off. I set one down during a night Orienteering event to punch my passport and put my sweater in my backpack and couldn't find it for a loooong time.

 

[sweeper]

Ya no Lupines

I'm not ruling out Made in China, you really can't over all, but I'm still not sure about the rechargeable batteries a lot of the are different then AAs.

 

[Guest]

One of my pet peeves is camping companions that use spotlight bright headlamps and shine them in your eyes.
Turtle

 

[sweeper]

One of my pet peeves is camping companions that use spotlight bright headlamps and shine them in your eyes.
Turtle

I know, I have great night vision and I don't wear one unless I need it. I've been on several 'Moonlight' walks with people that had to have their headlamps or flashlights on, kinda defeats the purpose.

I really don't care for headlamps, but I feel I need one during a solo.

 

[ThreeScoutDad]

I purchased a Trunite TH10 about a year ago, and been very happy. The only downside, it uses 2 CR123 battreries, which i purchased rechargeable one. I have used it on a mid level setting most of a day working in dirt locations with battery to spare. They also have a TH20 that is not quite as bright and uses AA.

A very solid light, a bit heavy as it is machined aluminum, but so far has been bob proof.

 

[Guest]

kinda like people that use colman gas lanterns when camping. don't get me started.

 

[Grandpa Paddler]

kinda like people that use colman gas lanterns when camping. don't get me started.

...and what's wrong with Coleman lanterns?

 

[GearFreak]

Black Diamond Ion. Forgot my old BD headlight once and stopped at an outdoor store for something cheap. Pleased enough with it. It has no switches - have to swipe it. That's my only complaint. Last BD one must close to 16 years old and still going strong - wires are getting older and cut out now and then but the four LED's won't blind anyone.

 

[boatstall]

Two Fenix headlamps in service for over a year now. I have a couple of neighbors, Deputy Sheriffs, each living within waving distance of our house in town. They have been using the flashlights with the 18650 rechargeable batteries for a long time, and highly recommended them, so I started looking at all of the high end headlamps that utilized them. The Fenix brand has proven to be an excellent performer. Major improvements from the carbide headlamps that I first started out with my Grandfather.

18650 rechargeable batteries have changed the game for me in outdoor lighting. Lots of choices in battery capacity within the 18650 size. Started out with the 2400mAh batteries that came with the headlamp packages. Currently running the 3400mAh. The 18650 battery class is only slightly larger than AA. Can be recharged by house charger, 12V vehicle or boat, or USB. I carry a spare as a backup, but never have to replace the battery, unless we are frogging and utilize the high powered output choices a lot. One battery charge will last a week during my normal tripping use. I really like the USB choice, because I always carry a large capacity back-up battery for our phone recharging.

Turtle is correct that with external light sources, the brighter the light, the more disconnected with nature you are. But here in Louisiana, sometimes too dim of a light, does not alert you to the presence of certain forms of "nature" that can be very detrimental to your health.

 

[Pbutkovich]

I got one of these Princetontec Bytes a couple years ago. Very small and light, good brightness. My favourite part is that it starts on the red light. Many others that I have tried you blind yourself rotating through the white options before you get to the red light.