Headlamp for Camping

[Trancersteve]

I will be going on my first proper camping trip in a couple of months time. I have spent the last couple of days causally reading posts and reviews here on a suitable LED headlamp powered by AAA or AA batteries but am still undecided.

I am guessing (?) that a headlamp with a diffuser is beneficial to have in a camping environment when working close to objects/cooking. I would also like a headlamp that has more than just two levels of brightness.

I have around £35 to spend here is what I have discovered so far..

Petzl Tikka XP - Is very well spoken of on these forums and has a diffuser and multiple power modes. However it is quite tricky to get a hold of over here and there seems to be a price premium for them in the places that are hanging on to stock. Needs to be modded to get the best out of it.. something I wouldn't want to do.

Petzl Tikka XP 2 - The very luke warm reception of this one puts me off somewhat. Has a diffuser but only two power modes.

Diamond Black Spot - Read reports that the angle mechanism is too flimsy and can slip after some use.

Princeton TEC EOS - Regulated! - Which is nice! No diffuser though and I am reading conflicting views on how well it is as at flooding an area with light. The current EOS lens is frosted correct? Their website photos doesn't back that up. Am leaning towards the EOS currently.. but the lack of diffuser bothers me.

Cheers for any help or pointers on a headlamp I may of missed.. I must say I have been quite freakish lately with reading about headlamps almost excessive in my quest to find the ideal headlamp for camping.. I must be a head case!

I have had to edit my post here and please ignore the two posts by myself below.. seems like the routine maintenance on the forums today since 4PM GMT wasn't that routine at all! Greta ... I was having random others content appearing in my new posts. Good thing I copied and pasted the original post to notepad.

 

[Trancersteve]

forum error - please delete

 

[Trancersteve]

forum error - please delete

 

[yowzer]

Zebralight H501w, or any other ZL model.

 

[red02]

Try looking up the MYO XP. It's the only sub-100 headlamp I know that uses AAs which will give you -much- more runtime and brightness than AAAs. I think its 3xAAAs=1xAA.

 

[Trancersteve]

Thank you for the suggestions.

The Petzl Myo does look like a solid headlamp and has a diffuser. I can definitely see the advantage of using AA batteries instead of AAA with longer run times. I would also need to invest in some AAA rechargeables if I went down the AAA route as I own none.. while with AA I have quite a number of eneloops laying around.

The Zebralight H501w gets a mentioned massively on these forums! For good reason from what I have read. I do like the fact it is a flood lens headlamp.. for probably 90% of the use for a headlamp it makes sense to have a wide angle beam on a headlamp. I am thinking for spot duties and long throw that is what a flash light does best nicely placed in a pocket for when needed.. hmm think I am nearly sold on the Zebralight H501w. It is regulated isn't it?

 

[red02]

Runtime test on multiple batteries: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=230145

In the interest of full disclosure I've had an H501 fail after 4mo of hard use. If your going for the H501, look into the H50b. It's the same light thats just as bright despite the lumen ratings, it doesn't have clicky mechanism which is probably the Achilles' heel of the H501.

Depending on your budget check out the Surefire Saint. The main appeal of this a current controlled 1-100lm brightness setting and a lifetime warranty thats unmatched. It can use 2xAAs to get the full power, which IMO is a great improvement as the circuit doesn't need to work as hard to get the correct current to the LED. For comparison Zebralight has a 1 year warranty and is also current controlled.

Having had the ZL H501, it deserves the praise it receives here. The lens is made of some plastic, so it WILL scratch even though its recessed inside the aluminum shroud. Despite ZL's claim of 2.3hrs on high the runtime I normally got was around 1.25-1.5hrs. Personally I would recommend it, if and only if, you need absolutely NO throw. Beyond 3m its pretty much useless even on high, maybe 4-5m on a good night.

 

[carrot]

Hi there, looking down the barrel of my EOS it does indeed have a frosted lens. It is a brand new 70 lumen version direct from PT so I am certain it is the very latest. It is not as floody as the Zebralight or even the Saint but it is floody enough for comfortable reading and it throws satisfyingly enough that a secondary handheld light does not seem necessary.

Unfortunately the Surefire Saint and Saint Minimus are not in your budget, but they are excellent and I would recommend them over every other headlamp out there.

 

[davidt1]

Runtime test on multiple batteries: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=230145
.......

Zebralight uses Sanyo 2700mAh battery. Eneloops (what most people use) have lower capacity.

Here is what wapkil said at the end of the test:

"The measured NiMH runtimes are close to the ones specified by ZebraLight. In my tests they were slightly shorter than what is advertised but I believe that the capacity of my Sanyo 2700 batteries (measured 2500mAh instead of 2700mAh) are on the lower end of the spectrum."

 

[Trancersteve]

The Surefire Saint is out of my budget range, my gf would probably kill me!

Hmm well this is interesting! Choosing a perfect headlamp for myself is proving difficult.

I am in two minds: I want something floody to use around the tent as I can see a flood beam being much more beneficial, I am also thinking that a floody light is probably going to be much better for all close tasks. I think anything that gives a spot will be distracting - this preferance for something floody seems to be limiting my choice of HL.

Having said that something with a good mix of flood and spot throw (or adjustable focus on the lens) would be nice for walking in the forest which is right next to our site. But I am thinking I could carry a flash light for that.

The EOS looks great and if it was AA powered I would be inclined to go for it.

ZebraLight looks like it could be a winner.

 

[davidt1]

The Surefire Saint is out of my budget range, my gf would probably kill me!

Hmm well this is interesting! Choosing a perfect headlamp for myself is proving difficult.

I am in two minds: I want something floody to use around the tent as I can see a flood beam being much more beneficial, I am also thinking that a floody light is probably going to be much better for all close tasks. I think anything that gives a spot will be distracting - this preferance for something floody seems to be limiting my choice of HL.

Having said that something with a good mix of flood and spot throw (or adjustable focus on the lens) would be nice for walking in the forest which is right next to our site. But I am thinking I could carry a flash light for that.

The EOS looks great and if it was AA powered I would be inclined to go for it.

ZebraLight looks like it could be a winner.

You are not alone in thinking about carrying two lights, a floody headlamp for camp use and a flashlight for trail use. Many experienced hikers/campers have that setup and more. A Zebralight headlamp is very versatile. Chances are you will find uses for it everyday. If you get one, check out this thread for the many ways in which you can use it.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=277286

 

[LitFuse]

The ZLs are unbeatable for close-up work. The downside is zero throw and that they can be annoying to others near you because of the wide beam profile.

Have you considered the Energizer Hard Case Professional LED Headlight?

It's a very solid light, and a great value. The flip-down diffuser is excellent when you need wide illumination in close. They were going cheap recently, and you could probably scare one up for a good price with a WTB post in the Headlight forum.

Peter

 

[davidt1]

I will be going on my first proper camping trip in a couple of months time. ....

I somehow missed this when I first read your post. The Zebralight H51 will probably be available before your trip. It has a reflector which gives you some throw. It has the XP-G emitter with a big hot spot which gives you some flood. Read up on it.

 

[mleaky]

I use a Petzl Tactikka Plus, while it get's the job done my hunting partner uses a Petzl Tactikka XP and it's much brighter. I've played around with the Tikka XP 2, that will probably be my next headlamp when they offer it in a more subdued color.

 

[Woods Walker]

I think the PT Rebel LED EOS has one of the best beams of any headlamp I own. A nice mix of throw and flood. For camp use I prefer a ZL. The Fenix HL20 is a nice headlamp if looking for 1XAA with some throw.

 

[cy]

been away from cpf for a bit... didn't know out about surefire saint until this mention. looks like surefire did a good job putting saint together.

my old zerbra headlamp while excellent is worthless for anything other than closeup work.

my stenlight has been 100% and never so much as a hic-up.

the headlamp that's gotten used the most is my old streamlight mod using 1x li-on cell

Depending on your budget check out the Surefire Saint. The main appeal of this a current controlled 1-100lm brightness setting and a lifetime warranty thats unmatched. It can use 2xAAs to get the full power,

 

[ionorbit]

I've had great satisfaction with the Black Diamond "Icon"..about $60US.

• TriplePower 3watt LED spotlight plus 4 SinglePower LEDs emit 100 lumens (max setting) for brilliant long- and close-range lighting
• Powered by 3 AA batteries or the NRG Rechargeable Battery. Regulated power supply
• Single Positron switch activates 7 different settings and 2 modes
• Battery-power meter uses 3 indicator lights: green (50% or more), yellow (20% or more) and red (less than 20%)
• Faceted reflector maximizes distance of beam
• Protected against splashing or sprayed water from any angle (IPX 4)
• The battery pac is at the back of head and leds at front, that way the balance out the weight
• Available at backbacking equipment places, ie REI, EMS

 

[HarryN]

Hi, I am looking for something similar for camping, but mostly for my 8th grader. I am not a big AAA fan but I saw that princeton tech makes a Remix Pro which can run on CR123s and is fairly light weight. Anyone familiar with this one? At under $ 50, it is just within the budget.

Since red can be good for reduced night vision loss, I was also curious what people thought about having the 2 "colors", white for the main beam and red for the lower power beam. Comments?

Thanks

HarryN

 

[carrot]

I'm familiar with the regular Remix, which is very nice. The red LED is a good choice for those who like to not destroy their night vision. I assume the Pro is nearly exactly the same, except for taking a single CR123.

 

[CaNo]

My recommendation is Zebralight H501 for up close work/tent light.

Have you considered the Quark series of lights? They come in 1xAA/2xAA/CR123/2xCR123 bodies. These lights give an impressive throw, many modes that do come in handy (Moonlight,Low,Med,High,Turbo,Strobe,SOS). They are very affordable and the R2 editions come with a free Quark PRISM which will transform your flashlight into a headlamp (with the diffuser lens included), or bend the light in a 90 degree angle for a more concentrated beam. You also have the option of clipping it on to your clothing (everything but the CR123 version), using the headband provided free to attach to your head for handsfree convenience, or you can stand the light up like a candle (for the non-tactical versions). It is everything you need in a light...IN ONE. Oh one last thing, they also come in a warm tint for color renditioning, if you do not like the extremely bright cool tint.