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Headlamp


sojourners7

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When out caching at night with my sons a week ago we found that using crank LED flashlights is very cumbersome. Plus, they do not stay bright for very long. We were having to constantly crank them, which makes a lot of noise and tends to scare away the caches :) I would like to purchase a good headlamp and would like some suggestions as to what you have found to be a good one?

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When out caching at night with my sons a week ago we found that using crank LED flashlights is very cumbersome. Plus, they do not stay bright for very long. We were having to constantly crank them, which makes a lot of noise and tends to scare away the caches :) I would like to purchase a good headlamp and would like some suggestions as to what you have found to be a good one?

 

Try whit Petzl’s headlamps…

I use Petzl Tikka Plus

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You can get plenty of cheap headlamps which will work OK. Just remember that they aren't the brightest (usually not quite as bright as my Elements, but work).

 

Now, if you are SERIOUS, go to your local bicycle shop and check out their bike headlamps!! The one I had was called the Blowtorch (and for the life of me, I can't recall the manufacturer's name...Night Rider comes to mind, but...just ask about the expensive headlamps). This unit has a battery about the size of a water bottle (it fits in the water bottle holder on my mountain bike) and lasts 4 hours of continual use...and cost me around $400 back about 4 years ago (probably a bit cheaper now).

 

You probably are thinking "that Rockin Roddy, he's so crazy". You're right, but when I neeeded that light, I was training for a 1500 mile+ ride and was riding primarily at night...I needed and bought the best! When I say best, I mean BEST!! This unit was so bright, most cars would dim their lights for me as they thought I was a motorcycle (I got respect on the roads). If you've ever rode at night, you'll know that when headlights come at you, you lose sight of the road in front of you...not with this light, this light will light up the roads even with lights coming!

 

I've used this unit to cache, you can get a headband to use so you can wear it on your head...and the battery fits right into your backpack or any fanny pack which has bottle holders...even a large coat pocket!! One thing I completely enjoyed was the brightness, this light would turn night to day!!

 

I compared this light to an LEO friend's extra bright flashlight, mine was brighter...this unit WILL leave you blinded momentarily if you look into it!! The light has a ballast, it's a metal-halide light, the battery lasts 4 hours with constant use...VERY long life, the longest at the time I bought it!! It's cheaper brother was around $200 and had a battery life of 2.5 hours, but was significantly dimmer!

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When out caching at night with my sons a week ago we found that using crank LED flashlights is very cumbersome. Plus, they do not stay bright for very long. We were having to constantly crank them, which makes a lot of noise and tends to scare away the caches :) I would like to purchase a good headlamp and would like some suggestions as to what you have found to be a good one?

Walmart has one for around 13 or 14 dollars made by Energizer that takes 3 AAA batteries and has 4 different modes, spot, flood, spot and flood combined, and red led. Quite a nice headlamp.

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Walmart has one for around 13 or 14 dollars made by Energizer that takes 3 AAA batteries and has 4 different modes, spot, flood, spot and flood combined, and red led. Quite a nice headlamp.

 

That's what I currently use. I've tried several different headlamps over the years, varying in price from $20 to $100, and sooner or later they all developed problems (usually involving the wire between the battery pack and the bulb assembly). I bought the Energizer one when I set out on a weekend caching trip and forgot a flashlight, and have grown to like it more than the more expensive ones I already had. While I personally don't like the idea of disposable electronics, if it ever breaks it's nice to know that I can easily pick up a brand new one for about the same price that it would cost for shipping.

 

The only thing I don't like is that, while the model I bought has about 6 modes, they're all controlled by only two buttons (one for the bright bulb, the other for the dimmer LEDs). That means that if you just want a quick light for a few seconds, you have to click the button about 5 more times to turn it off.

Edited by DavidMac
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I use a Princeton Tec Apex available on-line at many stores. This headlamp is one of the best with several different lighting levels and it is extremely bright. It also has a lifetime warranty. The downside is that it is about $70. IMO, it's worth more than that but it might be a little steep for someone who only uses it occasionally while caching.

 

Yes, those crank lights are worthless! You get what you pay for.

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Gear snobs need not apply, but Home Depot has a Husky 2 Led focused headlamp it is Red and Black in color, sells for 9.97 and kicks all the other Petzls and Princeton Tech and bike helmet lights to the curb. I have Princeton Tech lights that cost 3 and 4 times as much and they cant hold a lumen to the Husky for under 10 bucks , uses standard batteries.

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The LED headlamps give more of a warm glow than a focused beam. OK for walking, but not so good for searching dark corners.

 

I use a Petzel Tikka Plus head lamp for walking and a Princeton Tech Rage for a focused beam when I need one.

 

There are some headlamps that combine LED and Xenon lights so you can have the best of both worlds, but they tend to be on the heavier and bulkier and I don't find them to be very comfortable. You mileage may vary.

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The LED headlamps give more of a warm glow than a focused beam. OK for walking, but not so good for searching dark corners.

 

I use a Petzel Tikka Plus head lamp for walking and a Princeton Tech Rage for a focused beam when I need one.

 

There are some headlamps that combine LED and Xenon lights so you can have the best of both worlds, but they tend to be on the heavier and bulkier and I don't find them to be very comfortable. You mileage may vary.

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The LED headlamps give more of a warm glow than a focused beam.

 

Not so with the Husky Headlamp, the lens focuses the beam into a perfect circle of bright light that shoots out easily 150 feet. This light is amazing, Home Depot 10 bucks the red and black one, with a comfortable headband, even comes with the batteries. I use it for everything now.

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If you have the extra money I'd say Petzl or Princeton Tec are the top leaders in the head lamp market. As a Caver also I have both the Petzl Duo, and a Princeton Tec EOS as a back up. The Princeton Tec EOS is a very good 1 watt LED for a reasonable price. The Petzl Duo would for sure be Over Kill for just Night Caching! As well I'm sure the cheaper LED lights out there would work fine too!

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I use three different headlamps, depending on what I'm doing. I have a Bright Light bike light that is great for that (and caving) because it lights up "from curb to curb" with a special len (don't need that coverage while caching). For climbing I have a Petzl Zoom that has a focusable beam that goes quite a ways (who needs a 30 meter beam while caching). And for general use, a Black Diamond Zenix with three LED's that are beam or flood (works very well for caching). I always carry a Mini-Mag flashlight also, for backup and sticking bushes where the head doesn't fit.

 

On thing to note when using a headlamp - there is less surface detail seen because the light is so close to the eyes that there is little to no shadows cast by ground imperfections. I've been on snow fields where footprints were almost impossible to see with a headlamp, but a flashlight held a waist level showed them very clearly.

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Tikka XP is my choice.

 

Yup, that's what I use and it works great.

 

That's a handy link. Click on the BOOST MODE and WIDE ANGLE videos to see how these features work.

 

I also found the following page helpful when deciding which headlamp to get.

 

http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Li...amps%20-%20LED/

Edited by michigansnorkeler
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I did a lot of research on headlamps before finally deciding on the Princeton Tec Apex. If you are looking for an extremely bright, long lasting, and versatile light then I think you will love the Apex. It is available in in 2 models. One uses 4-AAs and the other 2-CR123s as it's power source. The Apex Pro uses the CR123 batteries so it is a bit lighter. If you get the AA model, I recommend lithium batteries for your longest burn time.

 

Here are a couple of great review websites for headlamps. You can find my full review of the Apex on the Trailspace site.

http://www.trailspace.com/gear/lights/headlamp/

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews_i...x_headlamps.htm

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It's just random chance, but nearly every light I've ever depending on was a Petzl. I've seen some great lights from other companies, but all my memorable ones have been from Petzl.

 

I always keep a Petzl E+Lite in my bag. It's insanely small, lightweight and decently bright. A great emergency light.

 

My primary light is a Petzl Tikka XP. I don't like the voltage regulation on it as much as other lights, but if you keep the batteries fresh it's pretty bright. I also use a a Petzl Myolite. It uses a xenon bulb instead of an LED. It's a little bulky, but it's very dependable and bright. The color of the light is more natural too.

 

You won't find it in a headlamp package, but the best bang for the buck is going to be a light using the Luxeon K2 LED. It's nearly as bright as some of those cheap walmart "x million Candlepower" spotlights. Make sure you get one that drives more than 5 watts and has proper heat sinking. For the price you won't find anything brighter (<$40 on ebay).

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Every time the conversation turns to headlamps I always think back to that one camping trip. It was that time of the night. The fire was blazing merrily. The beer had reached the point of saturation, you know, when just as much has to come out as goes in. There where, I think, four couples. One couple being big fans of their headlamps. The rest of us being somewhat less enamored with the extra light.

 

Remember, if you are wearing a light in the middle of your forehead don't look your friends in the eyes. It is probably the one time it is recommended you look your friends wife in the chest. You still don't want to stare.

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I use a Rayovac (bought at Wallyworld or similar, probably $15 or less). It has a 1-Watt white LED, dual red LEDs for protecting night vision, and a single blue LED. A single switch cycles between the three colors. The box claimed that the blue LED is to help hunters with tracking wounded animals (red blood shows up really well), but I've found that it really helps with locating caches at night. Most camo-tape and some paint reflects the blue light differently, and some caches all but glow in the dark. There's a diffuser lens that you can swing over the bulbs to create a wide-angle light, or swing away for a focused beam.

 

The biggest advantage is that it uses a single AA battery; now my headlamp, flashlight, and GPS receiver all use the same battery type. Another advantage is that the single battery fits in the same pod as the lights, eliminating cumbersome battery packs and electrical cords. The disadvantage is that I don't have as much battery life as a 3- or 4-AAA pack.

 

I also use a 3-Watt LED 2-AA flashlight for more intense focused light while searching (and while walking through abandonded train tunnels).

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Walmart has one for around 13 or 14 dollars made by Energizer that takes 3 AAA batteries and has 4 different modes, spot, flood, spot and flood combined, and red led. Quite a nice headlamp.

 

I have 3 that I've bought over the years but that very one is my favorite and the one I use most often.

It's more than bright enough for caching, small, lightweight, has red lights for increased night stealth (and less night vision impairment), and seems to run forever on a set of batteries (I think I'm only on my 2nd set in 5 years and I use it all the time).

 

By comparison, I also have a Petzl and a really cheap one (About $4.50), probably also from walmart that works pretty well (nice and bright) but uses more batteries and is bigger and heavier than the others (although not huge and super-dorky like some I've seen in the $5 range). It's the only one with a regular lightbulb (non-LED) which can be helpful in some situations (I like that light better for reading (like in a tent)).

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I have an Energizer 1-Watt LED Headlight that I picked up from Lowes for about $20. It beats the carp out of my Petzl Myo 3. The 1 Watt LED is brighter than the Myo's incandescent bulb and the batteries last a lot longer. Plus the Energizer has 2 smaller "area" LED lights with little throw that are nice for trail walking, and 2 red LEDs to protect night vision. The Myo was about $40 on clearance. Twice the price, half as nice. Won't make that mistake again. Sometimes the "name brand" gear just isn't worth the money.

 

If Energizer had a 3 watt LED light it would be better, but even the 1 watt is bright enough to throw for 100-150 feet or so. Uses 3 AAA batteries so it's not overly heavy either. I'm probably going to pick up a second one while I can... it's a great light.

 

linky

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Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see the name Streamlight. They make several good headlamps. Streamlight is the brand most used for tactical applications and by search and rescue teams. Common models are the Argo, Septor, Enduro and Trident. We use the Tridents now but if I had to recommend a better one I'd say the Septor. I've sold them for several years and they are quite popular around here. You can find them at Gander Mountain or Fastenal.

Edited by Team LaLonde
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