1xCR123 headlamps... looking for ultra compact for backpacking

[Wacki]

What are the 1xCR123 headlamps out there? This is what I've found:

• Surefire Saint Minimus
• Zebralight H31

Background: I'm an avid hiker. Space & weight is at a premium with backpacking. Backpacking at night is ... well a nightmare. Especially if you are trying to get to a lower elevation in a hurry. The mountain tops can get very cold at night and the paths often have steep cliffs on the side.

I just lost my trusty fenix PD20 on my last trip. I'm buying another PD20 but would like some battery compatible backups & headlamps. Looking for a total of three 1xCR123 lights.

I saw this relevant thread but the 2xcr123 lights are bulky.

Thread on lights for hiking trails

 

[skyfire]

i have the minimus, and i had a H31w.
the minimus is not what i would consider compact. its quite large for a single cr123 form, and is more comparable to a light that uses 2xcr123.
i would say its more comfortable on my head, but after awhile i start feeling its weight.

the H31 is very compact and lightweight for a single cr123 light of any kind.

the UI on the minimus is much preferred over the zebralight UI. rotary dial vs. timed clicking.

durability goes to the minimus. as well as warranty.

for the trail.... zebralights have many different beam patterns that will do the job. from all flood to diffused flood, to reflector base beam.
the minimus beam pattern is interesting. its rectangular in shape. its a flood beam, but due to the optics it has some intensity that gives it better throw than the "all flood" zebralights. i prefer the minimus' beam over zebralights all flood, or diffused flood.

if you were to get the minimus i would suggest the "vision" which is the warm tint version. which makes a difference out on the trail.
likewise with the zebralight models too. their warm tint or high CRI versions would be better. you lose lumens, but its worth it.

i performed runtime tests with my minimus vision, and got 2.5 hours on max setting off a cr123. the light never got hot.
on its lowest setting i think it was around 108 hours.
zebralight will get hot in a hurry on its max settings. even my H501w which has a max of 80 lumens gets hot, and causes my forehead to sweat.
this is inherit of its compact size, and higher drive levels.

when/if i go out on a trail, depending on how long i will be away, i prefer AA batteries for longer trips. i use AA lithiums for my lights, digital camera, and 2-way radios.
zebralight single cr123 models dont really have an advantage over their AA models.

 

[jorn]

Background: I'm an avid hiker. Space & weight is at a premium with backpacking. Backpacking at night is ... well a nightmare. Especially if you are trying to get to a lower elevation in a hurry

Getting down after dark, needing to poo, and no room for toiletpaper in the backpack is hell 🙂

I love my zebra h51fc. (got a cheap camera using 2xaa litiums for backup batts) Been up on mountians 3-5 times a week the last month. Mostly in really bad weather. Mist, constant rain, wind, and sometimes.. all at the same time... perfect fishing conditions 🙂. If you get hurt up there, you would need a helicopter ride down (if you are lucky and can use the phone from that spot. If not, your buddy has to run down until he can call for help. And that might take a while..). Absolutly no place for little girls.. Got some photos from outdoor trips here if you want to have a little peek of the typical terrain 🙂 http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?331682-Post-your-Photos-Part-2/page3

A cool tinted headlamp is not for a outdoor caveman 🙂 I like the warmer tints, makes that brown trail stand out better from the grass or rocks. The steam from your breath is not that annoying /blinding when it hits the light from a warmer tinted (and floody) headlamp in cold contitions. It's really hard too see some % difference in output , and i dont need to use max output on my hi-cri (the dimmest one of them all). So the output difference is no problem for me. The difference in tint shows right away.

The "all flood" zebras is not that good for walking, I ended up using it at max all the time to get the lux needed on the trail. Eating up battery faster than needed. The reflectored one was nice, but steamy breath hitting hi lux hotspot 10 cm in front of my eyes is painful. It gave me a littlebit too much of a "tunnelvision" to find comfy for long walks. The frosted version was perfect for me for a "do it all headlamp". I dont do timed clicks on my zebras i usually hold the button and lets go when it's as bright as i need. A dial button would be better, but size means alot to me. I find the frosted zebra to be a good compromice in many ways, and it's the headlamp i use the most.

Whatever light you choose, use it some and bang it around before you trust it. Any light can be fragile, and you wont know before you find out 🙂

 

[dougie]

FWIW, to my mind the factor which determines what equipment you use is reliability and performance. Some people have experienced 100% reliability from cheaper brands and have found that the performance was highly satisfactory. Others have found to their cost that you get what you pay for. When it comes to mountains though they tend to be places where a misplaced foot can potentially lead to a serious injury or even death.:shakehead It makes sense then to try to ensure that if you have to move around a mountain at night that you have something that works well and is reliable as possible. For my money the Surefire Saint or Minimus are the only lights that I currently trust to do that. This isn't to say that there aren't other makes that are as good but simply that Surefire have built what I consider to be the best headlamps currently out there which combine reliability and performance. Having said all of that I still carry a backup as nothing and I repeat nothing is guaranteed to never fail and in the wilderness or a mountain at night being without a light is not an option.

 

[rojos]

If weight and reliability are that important, I suggest using a reliable handheld twisty and a headband like the Nitecore HB02. Put a 1xCR123 light, something like a Fenix E15, on the top strap and you should be good to go.

One of the advantages of that setup is that the 1xCR123 handheld can be a headlamp and a backup for your PD20 all-in-one cutting down on some weight. The other advantage is that there are way more choices for 1xCR123 handhelds than headlamps and it is easier to find a reasonably reliable one for a reasonable price. Zebralights, Saint Minimus, and Princeton Tec Remix Pro are the only choices for 1xCR123 headlamps, I think, and all of those have had reports of reliability problems, the Minimus too, and are kind of over priced for what you get.

 

[Wacki]

Ok, it looks like the cool white is out. Zebralight has 3 different "warm" LEDs. Is the color difference between these noticeable?

1. Cree XP-G Neutral White (color temperature 4200 K)
2. CREE XLamp XR-E Q3 5A Color Temperatures: 4000-4300 K
3. Philips LUXEON Rebel (Typical CRI 85, Norminal CCT 4000 K)

Complete lineup of AA offerings... ya I might switch to AA.

H51 Headlamp AA 200Lm

• LED: Cree XP-G Cool White (color temperature 6100-6500 K)
• High: H1 200 Lm (0.9 hrs) or H2 100 Lm (2.4 hrs) / 140 Lm (1.7 hrs) / 4Hz Strobe

H501w Neutral White w/ new UI

• LED: CREE XLamp XR-E Q3 5A Color Temperatures: 4000-4300 K
• Battery: One AA size alkaline, 1.5v lithium primary, NiMH rechargeable, or 3.7v 14500 Li-ion rechargeable (some protected 14500s may not fit). Reverse polarity protection.
• High: 80 Lumens (2.3 hours) or 7Hz strobe

H51Fc AA Floody Headlamp 85 CRI

• LED: Philips LUXEON Rebel (Typical CRI 85, Norminal CCT 4000 K)
• Battery: One 1.5V AA (NiMH, lithium or alkaline). 14500 Li-ion batteries are not supported. Batteries are not included in the package.
• High: H1 123 Lm (0.9 hrs) or H2 60 Lm (2.4 hrs) / 76 Lm (1.7 hrs) / 4Hz Strobe

H51Fw AA Floody Headlamp Neutral White

• LED: Cree XP-G Neutral White (color temperature 4200 K)
• Battery: One 1.5V AA (NiMH, lithium or alkaline). 14500 Li-ion batteries are not supported. Batteries are not included in the package.
• High: H1 164 Lm (0.9 hrs) or H2 82 Lm (2.4 hrs) / 115 Lm (1.7 hrs) / 4Hz Strobe

 

[ZRXBILL]

If weight and reliability are that important, I suggest using a reliable handheld twisty and a headband like the Nitecore HB02. Put a 1xCR123 light, something like a Fenix E15, on the top strap and you should be good to go.

One of the advantages of that setup is that the 1xCR123 handheld can be a headlamp and a backup for your PD20 all-in-one cutting down on some weight. The other advantage is that there are way more choices for 1xCR123 handhelds than headlamps and it is easier to find a reasonably reliable one for a reasonable price. Zebralights, Saint Minimus, and Princeton Tec Remix Pro are the only choices for 1xCR123 headlamps, I think, and all of those have had reports of reliability problems, the Minimus too, and are kind of over priced for what you get.

Thanks a lot for the heads up on the Nitecore headband. I'm ordering one today for use with my SWM V11R.
The only headband I had seen like this before was the Fenix but since the light mounts on the side, and I wear glasses, I was going to get glare. This HB02 with my light on top should be great. Thanks again.
.

 

[Wacki]

ya, i just ordered the headband too.

Thanks a ton for that

 

[jorn]

The big downside for the headband is you cant adjust the light that well, and your head will block the light that would normally hit right in front of your feets.

 

[ico]

Too bad the H501w is already discontinued as well

 

[rojos]

The big downside for the headband is you cant adjust the light that well, and your head will block the light that would normally hit right in front of your feets.

On-the-fly adjustments indeed take longer and are more cumbersome than with a normal headlamp.

I have not had a problem with blocked light though. Maybe that's a problem specific to an individual's head shape.

 

[f22shift]

If weight and reliability are that important, I suggest using a reliable handheld twisty and a headband like the Nitecore HB02. Put a 1xCR123 light, something like a Fenix E15, on the top strap and you should be good to go.

One of the advantages of that setup is that the 1xCR123 handheld can be a headlamp and a backup for your PD20 all-in-one cutting down on some weight. The other advantage is that there are way more choices for 1xCR123 handhelds than headlamps and it is easier to find a reasonably reliable one for a reasonable price. Zebralights, Saint Minimus, and Princeton Tec Remix Pro are the only choices for 1xCR123 headlamps, I think, and all of those have had reports of reliability problems, the Minimus too, and are kind of over priced for what you get.

the HB02 is actually good for you? i just posted a vid review. it was way to small for my head and to be honest i find frustrating after using a dedicated headlamp. i think if someone really needs a headlamp then he should get one as it's designed to function properly. there are too many compromises with a headstrap imo.

 

[ZRXBILL]

the HB02 is actually good for you? i just posted a vid review. it was way to small for my head and to be honest i find frustrating after using a dedicated headlamp. i think if someone really needs a headlamp then he should get one as it's designed to function properly. there are too many compromises with a headstrap imo.

Hopefuly it'll fit me and the OP ok. I just need mine for dog walking and stuff like that, nothing too rugged.

 

[rojos]

the HB02 is actually good for you? i just posted a vid review. it was way to small for my head ...

It's good for me, but I guess it could be a tight fit for some people.

I hope it works for the folks who bought it. I'm really sorry if it doesn't.

*****

Edit: f22shift's review sample turned out to be a defective unit, and that probably accounted for some of the problems he experienced. LINK

 

[Wacki]

If it doesn't fit my head then I'll give it to a friend or my gf. No biggie. Your advice is appreciated.

 

[jorn]

On-the-fly adjustments indeed take longer and are more cumbersome than with a normal headlamp.

I have not had a problem with blocked light though. Maybe that's a problem specific to an individual's head shape.

Problem often comes in the rain when you put your hood etc on. I dident like that setup.

 

[Edwood]

I have used both the Saint Minimus and the H31 on the trail, and I much prefer the H31. It has better battery life and weighs much less. I've had more reliability issues with the Saint Minimus than with the H31. The Minimus is really picky about batteries, but the Zebralight happily works with any CR123 battery type I use.

 

[dougie]

When you say reliability issues with the Minimus what do you mean?