Headlamps anyone?

Scott Brady

Founder
Just a reminder to replace your batteries with some frequency. I was having major headlamp envy the other night; now that I have changed the batteries in the Black Diamond, I CAN SEE! LED are deceptive, as they dont get the yellowing / dimming effect of the standard bulbs. They just loose brightness.
 

Ursidae69

Expedition Leader
I bought my first generation Petzl Duo with the external 4-c battery pack back in 1997 and it has finally died after countless miles and hours of night-time work, hikes, drunken parties, etc.

I'm replacing it with the newest Duo that uses 14 leds as well as a high output halogen. I like this model because of the extended battery life with the 4-c batteries.

I also picked up small, lightweight Black Diamond for light use and back-packing trips.
 

BigAl

Expedition Leader
Ursidae69 said:
I bought my first generation Petzl Duo with the external 4-c battery pack back in 1997 and it has finally died after countless miles and hours of night-time work, hikes, drunken parties, etc.

Petzl makes some good lamps, I have a Zoom from ~1991, that has been severly abused, submerged, dropped many times and its still going strong. I bought the tikka when they were first released. I've never had it in water but it's still going strong too. I have a Princton tec that acta a little fussy sometimes.
 

tdesanto

Expedition Leader
Princeton Tec Apex

BajaTaco said:
A great resource for Headlamp and flashlight reviews and education is FlashlightReviews.com

x3 on Flashlightreviews.com. This is an outstanding site.

After using several headlamps over the years, from the dimmer, older LED style to the halogen/ Xenon bulb styles, I finally found a great lamp for me that serves 2 purposes: 1) provides a nice even, wide spill around camp, which makes it easier to see without having to turn my head every time I want to look at something (as with my other, more focussed beam lamps), and 2) provides a very bright spot light (3-watt luxeon LED) for the times when you need more distance (hiking, kayaking back to land at night, spotting stuff on the trail, etc).

Princeton Tec Apex: http://www.princetontec.com/products/index.php?id=2

I chose the AA model due to the fact that I like to use rechargeable NiMH batteries; however, you can also get this in a lighter 3volt lithium style now too.

Efficiency on the new lamps is outstanding, and there's just nothing like being hands-free. With such a bright headlamp, I no longer race against the falling sun in the evening when I need to do things outside.
 

BajaTaco

Swashbuckler
BajaTaco said:
I just got a Princeton Tec Matrix 2 because I was able to get one for only 12 bucks through a recent REI Outlet sale.

...Since I just got it, I don't have any long term feedback, but I just used it last night helping Scott with his Tacoma mods, and it worked GREAT. I am really impressed with how bright this particular side-emitting LED bulb is.

Well, about a year and a half later, and I can say the light isn't holding up. It frequently loses contact and the light goes out. I have to ********** it with my hand or push on the bezel and it comes back on. Bummer!

I picked up a new Petzl Tikka plus just before the arctic trip for ten bucks and it has been working great, even at -30F. It also is much brighter than the 1st gen tikkas with three power levels to choose from. Nice.
 

1leglance

2007 Expedition Trophy Champion, Overland Certifie
I have traveled all over the world with my princeton-tec headlights and used them hiking, backpacking, settin up camp, working on vehicles, bikes, packing backpacks in hostels, jungles of costa rica & peru....on and on
I second the comment to change batt's before they go dead, I usually will replace them before any trip, then as soon as I feel I am not getting the output I want.
My current light is the aurora but I am gonna get a petzl zippa with retractable headband since it will fit in packs better or velcro over the rearview mirror.
I love LED's...
best keychain light is the arc since it uses 1 AAA not a pricey watch battery
enjoy
1leglance
 

NothingClever

Explorer
Pelican Versabrite

I couldn't find either my Princeton Tec or my Petzl headlamps as I packed up last week for a weekend moto-camping trip. I thought, "No problem, I'll pick one up at a outdoor store in any one of the small towns on the way." Long story short, I got more interested in my ride than stopping in any of the towns with quality stores and ended up in Lake City, CO (which, if you haven't been there, is really western Texas although many Coloradoans think it's a town in Hinsdale County, Colorado :ylsmoke: ). Their selection of stores is extremely limited and headlamps even moreso.
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I was forced into buying a Pelican Versabrite for $28. Given that Lake City is a small mountain town and things always cost more in small mountain towns, I'm sure it can be purchased for less in other areas. I thought it would be at least decent enough given the reputation of Pelican products.
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Not so much...
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1) The headband is cheap elastic and neither is it adjustable. When you slip it under the provided clip on the battery compartment, you'd better get it right the first time as the velcro hook patch underneath the clip (??) is industrial strength and it immediately pulls the threads out of the fabric headband if you try to center the seam of the elastic band.
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2) The plastic case is strong enough as a Pelican material would be expected to be but the battery compartment isn't waterproof. In fact, it doesn't even really appear water-resistant. I expected some sort of o-ring, but nope.
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3) On top of that, the swivel isn't really as positive as I expected in each indexed stop.
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4) On a positive note, the headlamp comes with a red lens and a green lens. I opted to install the green lens since it's better to read the DeLorme Gazeteer (red highways) while still preserving night vision. The red lens stores in the battery compartment if not used. No particular way, just drop it in beside one of the 2 x AA batteries (provided). When you pull the lens housing off, there is a high quality o-ring in place to prevent water intrusion.
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5) The Xenon lamp is bright and provides adequate light for tasks close at hand. I wouldn't use it for trail running, cycling, etc.
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OPINION: If you're in the market for a good quality headlamp, I'd move on. However, if you want to stick some velcro on the back of the battery case and use it on your dashboard as a more intense, adjustable maplight (with different color filter options) which can also be removed for tasks in and around the cab, it's not a bad purchase.
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Some manufacturer photos...
v1.jpg

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v2.jpg

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v3.jpg
 

JamesDowning

Explorer
Glad you brought this back, good review!

My headlamp doesn't have a fancy name, but the 6 LED Energizer headlamp I use really impressed me.

It has 4 light modes: red light, flood, spot, flood + spot. 50 hour runtime on the floods or spots only.

I use it all the time working on the truck and at camp. Very comfortable, I forget it's there. Only downside is that it isn't waterproof, but appears to be lightly resistant. Apparently there is a 7 LED model that is waterproof.

HDL33A2E.jpg
 

jeep-N-montero

Expedition Leader
I have 2 of the Energizer headlamps and one made by Streamlight, all use multiple LED's with and I can get about 18 hours from a battery change, which equates to about 5 or 6 weekend trips. The Energizer models also have the red light option.
 

tony_h

Member
I went for the 7 LED Energizer. I got it off of Amazon for under $20. Great so far, but I've only had it one season.

The wife washed it after one trip. I thought it was gone for sure. I took the batteries out and let it dry for a couple of days. No problems.
 

ssssnake529

Explorer
I rely on my headlamps for alpine climbing. After using headlamps from Petzl, Black Diamond, and others, I have settled on the Mammut Lucido TX1 as the best headlamp I've ever used. It's really really bright (spot is good to about 80meters), durable, lightweight, the lens rotates under the band to protect it from being scratched when in your pack, battery life is excellent (all LED bulbs) and it's water resistant. For me, it is the perfect headlamp.

http://www.rei.com/product/775033/mammut-lucido-tx1-headlamp
 

nwoods

Expedition Leader
My whole family rocks the Petzl headlamps, except that I find depth perception to be an issue with any LED only light. THe blueish light is just too flat to provide enough contrast in foot stumbling conditions. I have taken to using a North Face lamp that has LED's but also a large bulb that is either a mega LED or maybe a halogen, but whatever it is, it is a yellower, warmer light and provides more contrast for night hiking. I prefer it for exploring mines as well.
 

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