Tell Us What Do You Use Your HeadLamp For?

[Samy]

Samy: FWIW the new H52Fw & H52w are currently up for pre-order w/delivery approx. late Oct. w/user selectable lows of 0.34 Lm (3 weeks) / 0.06 Lm (2 months) / 0.01 Lm (3 months). I just ordered one from Ill. Supply for the same reason...a wide selection of low moonlight settings, and Li-ion support.

Thanks cyclesport,

i was aware that it was up for pre-release but i had not taken a closer look at it's moonlight specs. If it's moonlight is indeed lower than the H51 i shall be in the market for one.

cheers

 

[Lynx_Arc]

I use mine for cleaning and inspecting used cd and dvd discs as the LED light from a headlamp shows even the most minute scratch and fingerprint. I also use it when doing laundry as the washer and dryer are out in the garage and having to switch on/off several light switches while carrying baskets full of laundry is a hassle. I almost always use it when working on things as my eyes are nowhere near as good as they were when I was younger I need brighter light to focus. I'm still using an old rayovac 1AA luxeon headlamp but have my eye on the fenix 2AA one for the runtime/output combination on eneloops.

 

[uk_caver]

I use my general headtorches for camping, night walking, general night activities on caving weekends (roadside changing, loading/unloading cars, going to unlit outbuildings), DIY in unlit or poorly lit areas, for some decorating jobs where extra light helps (painting where I'm in my own shadow).

I don't use them for the finest close-up work I do, but that's because that work is mainly electronics with tiny components, where I have to wear a magnifying visor, and where I use a homemade 10W LED desk lamp instead.

Unsurprisingly, I use headlamps for caving, but for that I use specific very durable helmet-mounted ones, rather than regular surface ones.

 

[RedLED]

This is fantastic, keep them coming! Amazing work and things people do.

 

[RIX TUX]

most headlights use aaa batteries so don't leave them in it for along time (alkaleaks) but has long runtimes
I have a petzl with a li-on battery pack.
I use mine mostly without the headband sitting on something when I need more light, it is floody and lights up an area or room great and adjustable to tilt one way or another.

 

[t0ny1397]

I use my Led Lenser H7 for reloading rifle magazines when im lamping. It can be angled 90 degrees downwards so it will not spook quarry further away. without a headlamp its a real pain! Reloading, rolling a smoke, inspecting shot quarry, and cooking at night... its all good

 

[Mr Floppy]

If it's dark and there's work to be done, it's the head lamp first. My BBQ is also in a dark corner of the backyard too so it comes in handy there. I've spent a great deal of time trying to figure out ways to use my lights hands free and a strap on the head is still the best. Note-worthy mentions to ear, mouth and baseball cap.

 

[joanne]

Sometimes I will use my headlamp when I'm outside working at night, but the majority of the time it's for use in underground exploring.

Like crossing "bridges"

Seeing of the dynamite is sweating

Or lighting up narrow crawls

Underground a headlamp becomes life support equipment just like scuba gear underwater, a climbing rope on the side of a cliff, or a parachute as you exit a plane.

Joanne

 

[lampeDépêche]

Great pics, Joanne!

So what lights are you folks using?

 

[gravelmonkey]

When I'm cycling, I normally have my zebralight H51c strapped to my helmet, just above the visor and in medium mode. Helps with being seen (a high up, moving light stands out from the surrounding street lighting) and I can bump it up to high if I need a bit more light to see where I'm going.

Also- DIY stuff in crawl-spaces and corded inspection lamp gets tangled/is too short/is casting shadows on what I'm looking at.

 

[maitre]

My light is most used for reading in bed when the gf is sleeping.

Secondary to that is camping and mountaineering. My H600w lasted a week in the BC mountains just a month ago with plenty of juice left when I got home.

 

[Mr Floppy]

So what lights are you folks using?

Specifically, ZL H501w is the most used, followed by H51w, Fenix HL20.

At other times, DQG IV on the ear, L3 L10 219 on a baseball cap, Fenix L0P on a clip.

 

[UltraRunner]

Fenix HL25
Petzel Myo
Had an Armytek Wizard Pro that was so unreliable I sent it all the way back to China for a refund.

I do ultramarathons and train @ 4 am.

 

[Therrin]

Like Joanne, I use my headlamps primarily for mineshaft exploration.
(we're friends, she's an amazing camp cook )

I have tons of pictures of me using all my various headlamps!

Looking at dynamite is important. Fenix HP20, w/ surefire diffuser.

For seeing in very dark places. Like Joanne said, it's life-support equipment underground. Custom "Speedy Special"

Dual Fenix HP20's (one with a surefire diffuser)
Dunno what's going on with my friend there, but she's using my Fenix HP10

Tight crawls Fenix HP20 w/ surefire diffuser & HP10

More tight spaces. Fenix HP10 & Petzl Tikka 2

Oh wow here's an old one. Um... Petzl Tikka 2, Petzl Tikkina 2 & a Coast 7736TS
(my pre-high-output LED headlamp days)

Also

And for work!!!

Doing oilfield security Petzl Tikkina 2

As a wind turbine electrician. Fenix HP10

More wind turbine work Fenix HP11 w/ surefire diffuser

I go through headlamps the way some of you do handhelds.

Petzl Tikka 2 (x2)
Petzl Tikka plus
Petzl Tikkina 2 (x2)
(Petzl Core LiPo battery) (x2)

Fenix HP10
Fenix HP20 (x3)
Fenix HP11 (x3)

Black Diamond Gemini
Black Diamond Icon (x2)

Energizer (some piece of crap, dunno the model)
Energizer (a different piece of crap, different model)

Other off-brands I can't recall at the moment.


I managed to break all three Fenix HP20's.
Every single one the wires inside the cord eventually broke somewhere and one also had a switch which malfunctioned. It's a poor design.

One HP20 started malfunctioning, then the switch failed and the light died while I was 500ft underground and about a mile into a mine. I switched to a Energizer backup, and started to head back to the surface, then promptly bashed my head on something and broke that one, then switched to a Petzl Tikka 2 with the realization that I was swiftly running out of lights, and began to tread quite carefully. I was down to that backup headlamp and a handheld.

Before that trip I always pushed the "Always take 3 lights" rule when going underground. Now I usually take about 5 to 7 on extended forays.
Usually a Primary headlamp, a backup headlamp, and a backup backup headlamps, along with a primary handheld, a backup handheld, and sometimes a backup backup handheld. Also batteries for all!
(you can go through quite a bit of lights and batteries when you're underground for up to 12 hours straight, plus consideration for possible emergencies).

I purchased my HP10 as my first Fenix headlamp, and it's still going strong , I've since modified it with an XT60 connector to accept either it's own battery pack (also with an XT60), or a custom LiIon pack.

The HP11's are great lights. I used them for underground exploring, working on wind turbines, reading at night, all kinds of stuff.

Then I got my custom "Speedy Special" (by Speedy Caver), which is my primary light for underground use now.

The Petzl's are indispensable. I use them for EVERYTHING.

Oh almost forgot one, storm drain exploring!!!
(I have no idea which lights I'm using here, it's just a cool picture)

 

[Therrin]

Back in the day when I was using the dual petzl's and the Coast on my helmet, that was... 9xAAA on my head. And then my handhelds were also 3xAAA (x2) = a total of 15xAAA. In a single weekend I'd burn through 45 to 60 batteries without any trouble.

I was buying the bulk packs at Costco for quite a while, keeping Duracell in business all by myself.

I have to say that upgrading to high-output headlamps and modding them to take my custom 18650 packs, and using handhelds that use 18650's was one of the most efficient "money saving" steps I ever made.

Now when I get back to the truck while on a trip I just plug stuff into my various chargers and then head back out.

 

[lampeDépêche]

Great Pictures, Therrin!

Where is that storm drain?

("uh, underground, I think?")

 

[Therrin]

Thanks!

Um... it's kinda under a river, in Illinois. It's an overflow control sump, about oh, 250' underground?
If the river is in jeopardy of overflowing the banks or gets too full, they open that sump and drain it out through the borehole in the background to a temporary holding area, then back-drain that area via a connection that meets up with the borehole about a mile before it gets to the sump.
You have to walk several miles through the borehole to get to the sump chamber.

It's a very awe-inspiring location. I guess maybe it's weird to call an overflow control sump "awe-inspiring". Seeing it is one thing, but being THERE... it's amazing. I remember the whole time I was thinking to myself "God I hope this thing doesn't open while I'm looking up at it". It was raining outside.

 

[lampeDépêche]

Ah--is this all part of the Deep Tunnel Project, or "Tunnel & Reservoir Plan"?

I lived out in the Chicago region (aka "Chicagoland") for some years, and remember hearing tales....

 

[Therrin]

I'm really not sure. I was working on a wind turbine project in Iowa at the time, and drove out to meet up with some folks on a couple different weekends. Last year I worked in 4 different states, 8 different times. Got bounced around a lot, so I just go exploring underground wherever I happen to be at the moment.

 

[gsr]

I've used my Surefire Saint to mow the lawn after dark. Sometimes you just run out of day before you run out of work.