Head lamp reccomendation sought

[bobmak]

My current headlamp is a petzel arctic that I have had for about 10 years. I am thinking about upgrading to one of the LED lamps but I wanted to get some opinions first. I would like a lamp that I can use for hiking and route finding at night and that would give me at least 15 hours of run time (I don't want to fumble with batteries on a moonless night). The lamp would have to be powerful enough to allow me to follow an established trail in the Whites. I am currently using the 4V incandescent bulb in the arctic, and have modified the battery holder to accept two rechargable 3 AA cell battery packs for a total burn time of about 20 hours (summer). What I like about the Petzel is that I can focus the beam and I can switch battery packs in the dark; if one park burns out I can swap to the good one by changing a connector. What do you think about the new LED's for solo night hikes?

 

[ExploreTheEast]

I'm not familiar with the headlamp you've been using, but I like Petzl's smaller headlamps, and think they provide enough light for night hiking. In Sepetember and October of 2002, some friends and I used the Tikka and Zipka to reach the Baldface Shelter (NH) in the dark. They provided more than enough light, and since then they've gotten an upgrade (Tikka and Zipka Plus), adding an additional LED.

I picked up the new Tikka Plus recently, and had a chance to use it in a very dark place last month-- an abandoned underground nuclear missle facility , east of Denver. It provided plenty of light in a much needed place, where the wrong steps could easily lead to a plunge to your death.

The attached photo doesn't give you an idea of the brightness of the lamps (because of my camera flash), but does give you a general idea of the conditions in which we were able to use them, a few hundred feet underground with no available light source. When the lights are off, even after 60 seconds, you still can't see your own hand waving in front of your face. The first guy has a regular flashlight, the second has my tikka plus, and the girl in the back is using a tikka.

All of us made it out alive!

 

[Jay H]

I have a Petzl MYO 3 and it's pretty good, it's got the best of both worlds, the 3 LEDS (A Petzl MYO 5 has 5 LEDs) for most normal uses and campsite use but if you want more light, you can switch to the Halogen bulb or for real flood control, both.

It's fairly lightweight, of course, not as lightweight as a Tikka or Aurora, but it is pretty versatile and has very good battery life with the LEDs..

Jay

 

[ripple]

I really like my Aurora, very light, 3 brightness settings and 2 strobe. The light housing pivots too. The beam is not a far reaching beam of light but I think that is the same w/ most LEDs. It is fine for on the trails, or at camp.

 

[Jim lombard]

Streamlight

I'm looking at a Streamlight model 61000 to replace an older headlamp. It has 3 led bulbs and a single Krypton bulb. The LED are for short range and the krypton for long. Battery life is 150 hours on 3 AAA batteries. Looks like you can do spot to flood focus. They're fairly reasonable.

 

[JimB]

I have a Streamlight and an Aurora and they both get a lot of use , especially in winter. My Streamlight is the one with 3 different LED modes and I use it mostly for XC skiing when I need to see a little bit farther because of the speed. The batteries last a long time and the only negative is that it is a little bit bigger and looks more fragile (though I've never broke it). I did have to tighten the pivot screw once after I jogged it loose while mt biking. The Aurora is so compact you can carry it in your pocket and the light has a cool adjustment to it. It is not real bright for fast movement but I have done lots of snowshoeing with it and it worked fine for that pace. It is very light and the batteries last a long time.

 

[MichaelJ]

I love my Aurora, particularly for it's ability to aim (it's on a small hinge). However, I have had the occasional problem with it loosening and wanting to flop down, so watch out for that (it never happened to me before I read about someone else's issue, and then it started happening all the time).

 

[shadowcat]

head lamp

i've got terrible night vision & have yet to find the perfect headlamp. Short of wearing one of my headlites from my car on top my head i bought the petzl myo 5 which has the ability to switch back and forth between the 2 types of bulbs and has a few functions; like a strob that are the "bells & whistles" which are neat. It would be even better for me if i could actually use both types of bulbs at the same time but they haven't come up with a way to do that. it does work very well tho and i can't remember the life of the lamp but i have yet to run out while using it. keep an eye out tho as i see ads for newer & better ones all the time & lots of places have them on sale now too which helps.

 

[Skiddah]

I have been using a Petzl Zipka for two seasons. It is a great lightweight light. I replaced the batteries at the start of last years hiking season just because I figured it was time for fresh ones. They never ran down on me.

The spring loaded head 'strap' is neat and allows the light to be easily attached to a tent pole, or your wrist (handy when searching a duffle bag). I am not sure that the Zipka Plus still has this design though.

This model doesn't let you aim the light though, and it is the only real downside to the light I have found. It is plenty bright enough to hike with in the dark, and bright enough to be spotted in the woods from a very long ways off.

The LED headlamps are a wonderful product. Take the plunge and buy one. But find a store that has a good display so that you can check out a variety of them before you make your purchase. Nothing beats holding it in your hands and playing with it before you buy.

 

[lumberzac]

I have both the Aurora (great lamp) and my newest toy, the Black Diamond Ion. The Ion is a bare bones model designed to be supper light (it weighs less than an ounce with battery). I runs off a small 6v lithium battery burn time is 15 hours, but I've used my on multiple weekends and it's still burning strong. Head to head with the Aurora it seems as bright, but I know it shouldn't be. My only real complaint is that it isn't waterproof so I carry it in a small ziploc.

 

[Johnnycakes]

Bobmak,

I would encourage you to look at the Black Diamond Xenix. It's just a tad heavier than the Tika or Aurora (4.5 oz. vs. 3.2 oz., both weights with batteries), but is much more versatile. A toggle switch on the headlamp allows one to switch between two lower intensity LEDs for use around camp (approx. 100 hours of burn time) and a single "hyperbright" LED with illumination somewhere between a krypton bulb and a halogen bulb (approx. 15 hours of burn time). The headlamp retails for $44 and uses 3 AAA batteries.

If weight is not an issue, the Princeton Tec Yukon (8-9 ounces, with batteries) is another fantastic option. The concept is the same as the Black Diamond Xenix, except that the "hyperbright" LED bulb in the Yukon is even brighter. Because this headlamp takes 3 AA batteries, you'll get 25 hours on this superbright setting, and over 100 hours on the lower intensity LED bulbs. This lamp retails for $59.

Neither of these two lamps allow the beam to be focused, but with two different intensity settings (each prefocused for near or far), it doesn't seem to be an issue. I own the Black Diamond Xenix and have been very happy with it.

John

 

[Periwinkle]

What do you think about the new LED's for solo night hikes?

On an "established" trail, I'd say no problem following the trail. Plenty of light. Now, finding a side trail junction...hmmmm...iffy.

I went half & half with the Black Diamond Super Nova. It's a lot of headlamp: LED & incandescent, complete with a 6 volt backup for 10 hours of LED light. What can I say, I'm into my headlamp! I hike solo, I hike at night, I like light -- it works for me!

Someone here provided this link in the past -- good stuff:

http://flashlightreviews.home.att.net/reviews/reviews_index_headlamps.htm

 

[escapee]

I like Princeton Tec

I've had a Petzl for years. 2 years ago, I bought a Princeton Tec headlamp with interchangeable lamps: LED and incandescent. I've found the LED is adequate for everything, and doesn't have the dark spots that an incandescent beam has. The long battery life is great for winter overnights. If I were buying one now, I would get the Princeton Tec model with an array of 3 LEDs and a selector switch for high (on the trail) or low (in the tent) power, according to how many LEDs are fired up. Princeton Tec is good quality and US made, which I prefer to Chinese stuff for political, economic and social reasons.

 

[Barry Sr]

Any night time spent in the woods has always been by existing natural moon or star light. I was trained this way for years as a combat medical person. I still walk around in the dark at home too. I wear a Black Diamond Ion around my neck and it goes very unnoticed until I need it for reading or maps. It has worked out very well and I have never found a problem picking up a new battery at any pharmacy.

 

[mommabear]

I like hiking at night. My favorite headlamp is the Black Diamond Gemini. It's a hybrid lamp with dual LEDs and an incandescent light. You can switch back and forth. I find there's no definite type of light that's better for solo night hikes - it all depends on the hiking conditions at the time. Things like the level of moonlight, the condition of the trail, and your own eyesight are all factors.

Batteries last a lot longer with LEDs and it gives off a different light, but I find I can't see as far with it. If I'm hiking at night, I use the LED as much as possible and then just click on the xenon light when the trail gets a little tricky or I just need to see farther. I always bring a spare headlamp or flashlight too. The headlamp costs less than $40.

 

[KenC]

I've been using a Black Diamond Polar Star for the past year. It's a Hybrid, One very bright LED which is great in camp or hiking well traveled/marked trails. Then it has a choice of brights for travel. The 3 battery cell (AA)can be worn on your head OR clips onto a neck strap. This is great if your hiking and want to keep weight off your head, and is also great in the winter to keep batteries warm. It may be a few onces heavier but it's very versatile.

Lots of good lighting products out there!!

 

[TomEske]

You're all gonna laugh at me (and I'm sure it's not the first time), but I picked up a 3 LED headlight at WalMart a few months back and have been carrying it all winter. It uses 3 AAA batteries, and I have yet to change them. I used it on a 'unplanned" night hike 3 weeks ago and it hung in like a champ, no problems, very confortable, and good working light. Cost was about 6 bucks.
Now one thing I want to point out for the night hikers, be aware that the color of your LEDS may make it difficult or impossible to see certain color trail markers. My light has a blue tint, and it picks out reds and whites very well. But when I tried to follow Blue markers with black printing, they were almost invisible to my light.
I know there were 2 fellas cruising around Plateau Mountain on the night of April 3rd testing out headlamps for night hiking. Perhaps there will be a comparision article coming out soon somewhere.
Tom

 

[kurcam]

i use the PT yukon + mostly during the winter and find it to work well, hold up well to impact/abuse and be manageable in all situations. i use the 3 leds around camp to maximize battery life and switch to the xenon any time i need a more defined light source (i.e. skinning into marcy dam with a weekend pack at night).

BTW-there is a "focus" option in the PT literature, and it does work to a limited degree, but do not look for anything too dramatic.

also, i strive to use the same size/voltage batteries accross the board for all my needs, so i have some revolving "spares" at all times. this is one area where the yukon frustrated me a bit as it is AA and most of my other items, i.e. avalanche transceiver, camera, etc. are AAA.

i also have used a cheaper generic version of the zipka, and find the light source from the leds to be adequate for 80% of my needs, so it really depends on your needs/weight preference.

the smaller, lighter zipka style headlamps will not be adjustable and may not be as applicable for all pursuits, but they are extremely light weight and generally pretty effective as a light source.

good luck on your decision.

 

[kurcam]

sorry, reading thru some of the other posts, apparently some of the other zipka style headlamps are pivot-adjustable (i.e. the PT aurora) some, however are not.

 

[ExploreTheEast]

apparently some of the other zipka style headlamps are pivot-adjustable (i.e. the PT aurora) some, however are not.

The Tikka Plus is pivot-adjustable. Both the Tikka Plus and the Zipka plus have 4 different brightness settings- dim, brighter, brightest, and disco.