Headlamps over 100 dollars????

I am new to the Forum and would love to know if there are anybody out there that takes headlamps seriously enough to pay good money for them? I am a huge headlamp guy. I only have about 5 handheld flashlights and an untold amount of headlamps. If there are some out there, I would like to know a little more about the good ones and is there some headlamp out there, that I do not have, that needs to be in my collection. Most of my little gems cost over 300 dollars. Heck, I'd like to hear if there are cheeper lights that might be good enough to compete with the headlamps I have. They will have to be something special. Just for example, I have had for a while a little light that is cheep and has almost as many features as my good lights. It is a Photon Freedom Micro by LRI. At just under 20 bucks, It has 5 light modes which include SOS, Morse Code, blinking, and any brightness level you want from almost off to full brightness. It can last up to 100 hours, and has a lifetime warranty. That is a special light. It may be a keychain light but it does not act like one. Also it comes with a magnetic base clip, and a lanyard. I like features in my lights. On and off is a given and there has to be something else. That is why I've had to go with the seriously expensive headlamps, not to mention that I'm a caver and there is not much that can be communicated from the ledge of a 500 ft pit to the bottom except for light. You can see the problem. Now, which would you want, a 20 dollar model with no SOS, or spend the money and get one you see with and one other people can see, especially long distances away? Questions or comments? :twothumbs

Greetings and Welcome to CPF!

Here's a link to the StenLight.

http://www.stenlight.com/

Hope you find what you're looking for and Enjoy!

Hi Andy,
Maybe if you list what headlamps you have, we can better help suggest what to spend money on next.:thumbsup:
You should read the threads on here about the Zebralight. It's not being produced yet, but it sound like a great back up for caving.
I assume you already have a stenlight because you mentioned you have 300 dollar lights. So I'd suggest modding the sten with reflectors, maybe switching the emitters to SSC's for more output, that sort of thing.

blaast
wilma 6

Check out the Barbarolight - designed by a caver for caving. Where was the picture in your avatar taken?

There's also the Brunton L3 to check out.

CHC said:

There's also the Brunton L3 to check out.

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also, the recently released Brunton L5. i own several Brunton (formerly Silva) headlamps, including the L3 and L5. Personally, YMMV, but i still prefer the PT Apex, or a Fenix flashlight mounted on my ballcap visor or side-mounted with a JakStrap - either the Apex or the Fenix when i needed a lot of light for nighttime navigation in the forest. from time to time, when i'm not pocketing a Fenix, a ZipkaPlus ('06 2x brighter version) finds its way into my pocket as an EDC - even at work. great form factor on the Zipka/ZipkaPlus, IMO. Still great around camp.

while i've given approx. half of my headlamps away to a bunch of kids and boy scouts, i probably have prit' near 50 of them left (probably more than 50, i just don't like to exaggerate, so i'll estimate low).

some a bit expensive: L5, L3, Nighthawk Digital ECO, Foxfury Performance, Petzl DuoBelt 14, WR HotLite, and the list could go on just a bit, but most are under $100.

Take my advice and DON'T get started on flashlights too. They are a lot more expensive and so many more of them. Plus, the expensive custom lights. I have more flashlights now than headlamps.

On the cheap side the PT EOS modded with a Seoul P4 emitter and a reflector is quite awesome. I'll sell one to you for just over $100 if that will make it special to you :sick2:

Check out HeadFire Revolution by LED Lenser

CHC said:

Check out HeadFire Revolution by LED Lenser

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very nice. it's my favorite Coast/LED Lenser headlamp.

a VAST improvement over all of their previous headlamps.

IMO, the only 1W-plus headlamp they've designed to date that truly can function off of a 3xAAA supply.

this, of course, is due to the "infinitely" dimmable light output.

glad you made mention of it. i hope you didn't pay over $100 for it (unless you were forced to if you lived outside the USofA). in the good ol' USofA its way under $100 ($65USD or less); not sure of its price in other countries. personally, the prices i've seen for some lighting products and backpacking gear that is charged in other countries saddens me a bit for those who must pay those prices. i purchased mine the day they became available in the USofA, and so was forced to pay full price of $65 at that time. i don't regret that purchase or the $65 paid. it's a fine headlamp, IMO. if someone has no experience with Coast/LED Lenser headlamps, i'd recommend spending the money on this one instead of a less expensive one from C/LL. IMO, they are "worlds apart" from previous offerings from C/LL.

[Note: BTW, if anyone like this headlamp, the small 1xAA boosted DigiTac I and DigiTac II flashlights are really excellent too. Impressive light output and excellent burntime, for a 1xAA power source. Very light weight and, using clip or JakStrap are very serviceable for use in nighttime hiking. Takes up less space and is lighter (even carrying a couple of spare batts) than the Revolution headlamp. Just a thought. Last year i switched from headlamps for most of backpacking then to small, light, hi-powered flashlights. even carrying spare batts, they are a lighter, and often more powerful, lighting solution - important for the ultralight backpacker carrying under 10lb of gear in the pack not counting food, water, fuel in that <10lb weight.]

in my ultralight backpacking days, some would purchase gear here in the USofA and ship it to vFriends (virtual friends) we've known for years through the Backpackinglight.com website. sometimes it was actually cheaper for them, even after maybe(???) paying import duties or some kind of tax on some items, than buying it in their home country. USD exchange rates may also come into effect for some goods, but why are the prices, for example, for Petzl products higher in England than in the USofA (or so i've read elsewhere on another Board)?

oh well, off topic, so no need for anyone to respond to my query. was just curious about its mention in this Thread, that's all - then, my aged mind wandered a bit. my apologies to all.

cave dave said:

On the cheap side the PT EOS modded with a Seoul P4 emitter and a reflector is quite awesome. I'll sell one to you for just over $100 if that will make it special to you :sick2:

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LOL!

I am curious what a $300 headlamp looks like. I guess I could add a bunch of fake gold and cubics to make a blinged out Myo Xp. Then it could look like a 300 headlamp.

The Myo has a huge economy of scale since they crank out thousands. The expensive units tend to be small specialty makers and are on the cutting edge of LEDs and also tend to use better materials and engineering.

The Myo for instance is direct drive and basically no heat sink. The LED is 2 yr old technology and it isn't driven at its maximum potential. Output: around 30-40 lumens.

Here is what a $700 headlamp looks like:
Lupine Wilma, 830 Lumnes
http://www.sleepmonsters.co.uk/gear.php?article_id=212&page_count=1

Heck knows I'm not going to buy one.

Foxfury.com has Pro III tac-fire head lamp 500 lumens , this head light has four 3 watt CREE XR-E Leds , it is $349.99
I hope it help.:wave:

Yeah, I'll just stick with my Myo.

I think I read that someone wanted to know where the picture was taken. It was at Cagles in north Alabama. Just three pits I went into and it made a good picture. I love all the good suggestions. I took one to heart and decided to buy, that was the Scurion. They were out of stock when my order went in but should be ready to ship in a week. I'll share photos and my impressions on it. I checked on almost all the lights that were shared in this topic but that is the only one that I said to myself that I just had to have. THANKS for all the help. Keep right on talking and I will have a to die for collection. LOL.

AndyStroup said:

I think I read that someone wanted to know where the picture was taken. It was at Cagles in north Alabama. Just three pits I went into and it made a good picture.

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Hey I've been to Cagles. I thought it was in Tennessee though, but I'm not sure really. I don't think I could find it again all I can remember is the dogs.

AndyStroup said:

I'll share photos and my impressions on it.

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ok thanks, i'll wait for this :tinfoil:

you were also asking about "gems in the rough" type head lamps....

well... as it is now.... there aren't any low-cost jobs being produced (that i am aware of) that come with one of the new breeds of high efficiency LED... however, many of them can be modified. Seoul P4 stars or emitters are basically direct replacements for Luxeon I and III and K2 setups...

but there are definitely headlamps out there that are very good performers for the money, a few bucks and some skillful upgrades can make them killer.

I own a few cheapos, and I can say, with absolute confidence, and I think anyone who owns this light can agree, that the Streamlight Argo HP 1W is amazing for the price. Somewhere around $30 online if I recall. It a no-frills design. looks kinda uneventful. Doesn't have a lot of features. But IMO it nails the most important stuff. 1. Regulated on both high and low, 4+ hour high, 20+ hour on low on 2 CR123 or 1 17670. The fact that it runs without modification and without a hitch on a 17670 is a feature all by itself that makes this little guy one of the most cost effective headlamps to run. You could run this thing 3+ hours a day (on high), for 3 years, for about $50-60 including the cost of the headlamp. It's super easy to use, no complex interface. It's surprisingly durable, I took it caving and whacked the crap out of it a bunch of times, I've used it out in the rain and snow many times, it's definitely "weather proof." If you drop a Seoul P4 in it, it becomes a real performer, on low, it becomes as bright as it was on high, with a 20 hour runtime. amazing.