Headlamp

[MadRiver]

I need a new headlamp, any suggestions?

 

[Guinness]

I have had very good success with these two models:

Black Diamond Vectra IQ
Black Diamond Zenix

The Zenix is great for all conditions and the Vectra IQ when you want extanded beam power.

 

[Jay H]

I bought the Zenix IQ after seeing Ed's on Rainier. It's nice and a lot lighter than my MYO 3 which was good, but heavy since it's the belt version.

Like the Zenix although I recently had the axle fall out which connects the headlamp with the headband. it fell out and fortunately I didn't lose it. I was able to reattach it without any tools but for those that own it, check it on occasion to make sure it's not slowly loosening.

Jay

 

[rambler]

I have this model, but not in the camo color. I like it because the batteries and light are in the same unit. It can swivel down. It has a spot that lights the trail several yards ahead rather than just near your feet. It has the three separate bulbs that have three intensity settings and can be used when the spot is not needed.

http://www.bdel.com/gear/spot_camo.php

 

[Pamola]

I like BD as well, and have multiple Moonlights due to stocking up before they pulled them. Dunno why I like them so much. Very light for the amount of light shed as well as a very broad beam. Like many, the most recent models had different brightness settings as well as a strobe. I bought a Nightray and don't like it as much at all.

 

[Jkrew81]

Petzl tikka XP is pretty awesome. I have had mine for about a year now and I have been very happy with it. Great small design with a light filter for proximity lighting and a power boost mode that lets you check for trail signs or anything bumping around in the woods. In contrast with the BD, this unit does not have any external wires so there is less to go wrong.

 

[Neil]

I had to use Googles advanced search feature to find this thread.

http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?p=43388

 

[DougPaul]

There are four lights on my current list of favs:
1) PTec Aurora. 3 small LEDS (broad beam), 3 levels, 3 AAA batts. Lightweight, waterproof, everything in one box on one's forehead.
2) BD Spot. Like the Aurora plus a 1W LED spot beam with 3 levels. Water resistant.
3) BD Xenix IQ. 2 small LED broad beam, 1 1W LED spot beam. 3 levels for each. 2 AA batts + boost regulator. Medium weight, water resistant, batteries on back of head.
4) PTec Apex. 4 smal LED broad beam, 1 3W LED spot beam. 2 levels for each. 4 AA batts + (non-boost) regulator. Heavier, water resistant, batteries on the back of head.

* LED vs Bulb: No contest, get LEDs.
* Battery life: bright=short life, dim=longer life. The multi-intensity lights give you the choice and I only use the bright settings when absolutely necessary.
* Regulators: Boost regulators (best) keep light intensity constant until the batteries die. Non-boost regulators hold light constant for a while and then drop into an unregulated mode. Unregulated just gets dimmer as the batteries weaken.
* Battery life2: The manufacture's battery lifetimes for LED lights are rediculous. They assume that the light is usable even when it puts out very little light. A time to half intensity would be much more meaninful (but shorter...)
* Big lights: rarely necessary. 1,2,3 above are bright enough for camping on their dimmest setting and night hiking on a well marked trail at dimmest or next to dimmest settings. Only occasionally do you need brighter.
* Battery packs: internal (1,2) are great for reading in bed; external on back of head (3,4) uncomfortable. Also internal batteries are more reliable than external battery packs--the conductors in the cable can fatigue and break.

As a general rule, I carry 2 or 3 lights. I recommend that you carry at least 2--a main plus a backup. Lights can fail, and it is much easier to change the batteries in the main light if you have a backup, even if the backup is only one of the pinch lights.

Also, I recommd that you favor lights which take standard batteries (eg AAA or AA). Much easier to find replacements in some out-of-the-way store.

* For general hiking and slow XC skiing (eg on level terrain), I carry one or two Auroras (1) (light, backup, adequate for most hiking) and either a Spot (2) (lightweight) or the Zenix IQ (3) (a bit heavier, but AA batts and regulator)
* For fast night skiing, I'd carry the Apex (4)--you need the bright light when moving fast. (I'd also carry a Spot (2) or IQ (3) and an Aurora (1) as backup.) Also good for SAR and caving.

There are good reviews of most of the above at http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews_index/reviews_index_headlamps.htm.

Also, this topic comes up fairly often--the following search ("headlamp aurora") will bring up a bunch of similar threads: http://www.vftt.org/forums/search.php?searchid=513563. The same search from Google yields more threads: http://www.google.com/search?as_q=h...itesearch=www.vftt.org&as_rights=&safe=images

Doug

 

[weatherman]

One vote for the old non-LED kind...

On a planned night hike last winter above treeline (you may correctly ask, why on earth?????) about 8 of us had various kinds of headlamps, most the lightweight LED kind. My old-fashioned heavy-as-lead incandescent Petzl won out in both brightness and the ability (?due to color temperature) to penetrate the blowing snow to help find the next cairn. I have not parted with it on a hike since.

Weatherman

 

[MadRiver]

Thanks everyone for your input. Since I have to be in when the street lights go on, illuminating a trail is low on my priority list. I simply want a good reliable headlamp that I can use in my tent or cabin when the need arises. I also carry several types of lights so this one would be the easiest to use.

 

[DougPaul]

I simply want a good reliable headlamp that I can use in my tent or cabin when the need arises.

Any of a wide variety of headlamps will do for this application. The Aurora/basic Tikka class lights are likely to be fine.

I routinely use my Auroras after lights out in the house. Also great for reading in bed. That said, I often use my Zenix IQ or Apex for poking around in the dark corners of my cellar or attic. (I wouldn't buy them for this use--they are just the brightest at hand. And since I use them with rechargeable batteries, I don't worry about consuming batteries.)

Doug

 

[arghman]

I like my $10 ($10-$15, I forget exact price) Energizer LED headlamp, maybe not the greatest but it was inexpensive, not bad, & you can switch from using white LEDs to red LED to save night vision.

I found it at Target after I misplaced my Petzl Tikka (still can't find it) and had a camping wkend coming up real quick.

 

[Fen]

I love my Petzl Zipka Plus and use it for everything, including night hiking. If I'm in camp it lives in my pocket, otherwise it lives in my pack. In the tent it goes under my camelback to make a lava lamp, or in an orange stuff sack for mood lighting, or around a Nalgene or my wrist if I just need a quick lantern. LED technology has come a long way recently ... the new Petzl is much brighter than my old halogen/LED combo in either mode. Plus, I get a kick out of the clever design. It may be my favorite piece of gear. $38, 3 AAAs.

 

[Quietman]

I like my $10 ($10-$15, I forget exact price) Energizer LED headlamp, maybe not the greatest but it was inexpensive, not bad, & you can switch from using white LEDs to red LED to save night vision..

I've had this lamp for 2 years and while the more expensive brands may be better if you have the cash, this one has never let me down. It's cheap and light enough that you can buy 2 if your worried about durability, and if your night hiking, you need a backup anyway. They have a more expensive(relatively speaking) 5 LED that runs around $17 that I got for my son but it isn't any brighter. It does have a push button switch that is harder to turn on accidently.

Energizer Headlamp(picked the site for the picture, not the price!)

BackpackGearTest.org Review

 

[Artex]

Ditto on the Black Diamond Zenix. It's quite versatile and comfortable to boot. If you buy it and don't like it, JayH will personally refund your money.

 

[John H Swanson]

I like my $10 ($10-$15, I forget exact price) Energizer LED headlamp, maybe not the greatest but it was inexpensive, not bad, & you can switch from using white LEDs to red LED to save night vision.

I found it at Target after I misplaced my Petzl Tikka (still can't find it) and had a camping wkend coming up real quick.

Me too. Works great, Target.

 

[Stan]

On a planned night hike last winter above treeline (you may correctly ask, why on earth?????) about 8 of us had various kinds of headlamps, most the lightweight LED kind. My old-fashioned heavy-as-lead incandescent Petzl won out in both brightness and the ability (?due to color temperature) to penetrate the blowing snow to help find the next cairn. I have not parted with it on a hike since.

Weatherman

You can have the benefit of both. My Petzl (Model???) has an incandescent bulb with an adjustable beam as well as three LEDs which are adequate for most conditions. The LEDs operate long after the batteries are too weak to power the incandescent bulb.

 

[sapblatt]

another nation heard from

Call me crazy, but I love my Princeton Tec Scout - it is cheap (under $20), reliable, more than bright enough, light (under 2 ounces), and uses lithium coin cell batteries (great when it is cold.) I have two of them and two sets of spare batteries with me on all hikes.

My old incandescent lamp used four AAs and was not as bright.

 

[DougPaul]

You can have the benefit of both. My Petzl (Model???) has an incandescent bulb with an adjustable beam as well as three LEDs which are adequate for most conditions. The LEDs operate long after the batteries are too weak to power the incandescent bulb.

I have used a dual mode headlamp--the Petzl Duo. Originally incandescent for both high and low beams, low converted to LED. Modern LEDs are more efficient, more reliable, and more tolerant of low batteries than incandescents.

I recently compared my 10W incandescent bike light to my 3-4W PTec Apex. Both were equally bright. (Both have about the same width beam, so this is not an issue of different beam widths.)

On a planned night hike last winter above treeline (you may correctly ask, why on earth?????) about 8 of us had various kinds of headlamps, most the lightweight LED kind. My old-fashioned heavy-as-lead incandescent Petzl won out in both brightness and the ability (?due to color temperature) to penetrate the blowing snow to help find the next cairn.

Interesting.

I doubt that the color difference would make a difference in the amount of light reflected by blowing snow. (Theoretically, it makes a difference when the particles are similar to a wavelength in size--but snowflakes are far larger than the wavelength. For instance, infrared (longer wavelength) is used to see through smoke (smaller particles).) Could also be an effect of visual perception (is the bluer light more blinding?) or headlamp placement (closer to one's eyes reflects more light back into one's eyes).

One trick to help one to see through snow, rain, fog, etc is to take the headlamp off and hold it in your hand like a flashlight. That way, less light is reflected back into one's eyes.

Doug

 

[Remix]

Get a lamp with both a spot and flood capability. The spot capability is really important for seeing the other side of water crossing.

If you are going to hike in the winter alot, a lamp with a separate battery pack makes sense. You can keep the pack next to your body so the batteries stay warm.