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Ok, so I was at REI the other day and looked at Headlamps. Knew nothing about them then, just read Joe's article, so have an idea about the Technical stuff. The only headlamp I ever had was for night fishing years ago. They were about 12.00 and when the light bulb burned out, you just bought a new one. We used them just for retying and did not keep them on full time. (Can you say, "bug magnet"?) We used black lights to watch our lines.

Is there a Brand out there that people seem to like better than others? If I'm going to spend the money, then I want to get a good one. Waterproof preferred... And tell me, is it really necessary to have 3 lamps? I mean, really, how much candlepower do you really need? I saw some three lamp units that went upward of 60.00.

The last hint of a thread on this subject was in 2003, I think we have come a long way in technology since then and it talked more about flashlights....

@big_load
T-hank-S for the recommendation on the Black Diamond Spot headlamp.. http://www.rei.com/product/826319/black ... t-headlamp
I didn't think I needed a new "unexpected night-time hiking" headlamp for my daypack until I found myself interested in this HAZ forum topic discussion. I just reviewed the features, compactness, pricing, and specs on this one and the other recommended Petzel models, and for me, this one you recommended wins hands down at.. 90 lumens, 70 meters full beam (~twice the Petzel distance), and all this for the same price at $39.95+tax. I just ordered mine from REI

@te-wa
Wouldn't super glue be more effective?

PLC92084 wrote:@te-wa
Wouldn't super glue be more effective?

I would guess "no" since you can't easily turn it off & on with super glue

interestingly enough, super glue did not make the list of manly items to keep around. Duct Tape and WD-40 are the only things a real man uses. Super Glue is for girls and their little play tea-sets.

srsly, Pam. $45 for a headlamp is just silly.
energizer is quality enough for $14, then with what you have left get these: (just size accdgly) http://www.sierratradingpost.com/sierra ... -rec-4146X

@te-wa
I beg to differ about super glue. I work with sheetmetal, and super glue works wonders on cuts. I always have some on my bags.

So, we should all shave our heads, too. That way the duct tape will work better. And hair is heavy, so gotta get rid of it.

azbackpackr wrote:So, we should all shave our heads, too. That way the duct tape will work better. And hair is heavy, so gotta get rid of it.

Well, I guess then the Petzl Zipka would work better....

@te-waThanks for the advice. I know what you're saying. I probably will go with an Energizer for now, because I will probably only need it when I get "caught" out after dark like I just did. I have a bigger priority purchase that I need to get before Cochise in Jan. so will save the $$ on the light for now, maybe upgrade later when I start hiking with the diehards at 4:00 a.m.

Thank you all for the input, it is really helpful...

Pam

I agree with other, I love my Black Diamond Spot headlamp. Also have 2 Princetec Quad headlamps. If the Petzl Tikka plus as people have suggested on here catches your fancy, keep an eye on steep and cheap as I have seen it on there over the past few days, for a pretty good price too...right around $18 - $20

I also have 2 of these eGear headlamps, they are definitely worth the $20 I paid for each. Love how you can focus the beam in and out, as well as the red light lamp for your night vision

http://www.batteryjunction.com/egear-hl-100.html

Old Petzl Tactikka XP (kinda a sand-colored casing/headband), three filter colors + the standard diffuser, 3x AAA batteries. It's been rock solid for years.

I also picked up the (overpriced) Surefire Saint Minimus not long after it came out. Other than being horrible for battery life, and not having a red option, it's a damn bright and durable light. Not really suited to night hiking though, or even lengthy tasks at camp due to the battery life.

I tend to also prefer a light in my hand though for the same reasons others already mentioned above. For that it's usually my trusty Surefire E2D LED Defender on its low setting. For shorter trips I'll go with the two Surefires if for no other reason than being able to share the same batteries.

Grasshopper wrote:the recommendation on the Black Diamond Spot headlamp.. http://www.rei.com/product/826319/black ... t-headlamp
I just ordered mine from REI

It arrived on 12/24 and I've been walking around my place in the dark for the past two nights to check it out and even though a wilderness night hike using it won't be the same as walking around inside my familiar pad, I'm impressed with it compact packaging and numerous light options and especially with its 90 lumens, 70 meter high beam option which appears to be for real! I also did a double take when I opened the package and discovered that the $39.95 price also included 3 Energizer AAA alkaline batteries. For my needs I do believe this one will be an excellent emergency gear addition for my day pack, replacing a much older & sometimes "shorting-out" Black Diamond headlamp.

@Grasshopper I'm glad you like it. Mrs. big_load and I used ours a couple nights ago when our power was out yet again. I have flashlights and retired headlamps stationed all over the house.

Thanks for all of the advice on this thread, I have gained lots of information from it and will come back to it in the future.
It's kinda funny how it worked out. My sister gave me this cheap little plastic flashlight for Xmas, probably from Walgreens and under 5.00. But it's more than I had, and it had a nice little bright beam, so into the pack it went. Of course, I'm broke after Xmas, so for the heck of it, I put the Energizer Headlamp on my Birthday list and my mom got it for me. Into the pack it went.

Good thing, because this last week I got caught after dark again. This time descending a sometimes fairly steep trail that I had never been on before. It wasn't going to be a long trek, so I just pulled out the cheapie flashlight. Didn't want to bother with the headlamp, because I didn't think I would be using my hands much to descend so the flashlight was just easier and quicker. It was bright enough and I liked the fact that I didn't necessarily have to point my head directly at where I wanted to put my feet. There were a couple of areas where I did have to use my hands for a long step down, but the flashlight was small enough that I just stuffed it in my mouth for a minute.

Judging from the experience, I think that I prefer to have something handheld for immediate close to your feet stuff and the headlamp to light up the trail further in front of you or for scrambling, when you need your hands free. I'll probably use both if I want to do some Wildlife Spotting on the trail after dark, although if I get serious about that, I'll probably upgrade.

If I find that I am in situations (purposefully or otherwise) more frequently after dark, then I will most likely upgrade to something brighter with a few more options and thanks to you guys, I have some great advice to fall back on. :thanx:

@Outdoor Lover
I now carry both in my emergency day hiking pack for unexpected nighttime hiking (the Black Diamond-Spot headlamp and a good flashlight with a beam that can be climbed ) Don't forget to put an extra set of dedicated batteries in the pack.

I just got a Luminaid lamp. 3 ounces. Fold up smaller and thinner than my cell phone. 7 hours of sunlight gives about 15 hours of light. Waterproof, floats, and has a handle to hang in camp as a lantern. Hook it on the back of the pack to charge. Maybe in a plastic covering if bushewacking in Az.
I got two and donated 2 with their get light give light program. The development and use for disasters and to provide light in areas where there is no power is interesting.
http://www.luminaid.com

Don't forget ebay--got an 800 lumen headlamp with a rechargable batt pack for about 22.00 bucks. For caving but is fairly comfortable and unobtrusive for such power. Lots of smaller headlamps also that use regular batteries, not name brand but run 10-12 bucks and some for less. Also use the above in camp if you suspect illegals or animals in your car camp. Lights up the woods real well.