Cheapest Headlamp that Does the Job

I must admit, I feel a little embarrassed asking this group for a >$10 headlamp, but here's the story, for any who care. If not, skip down

This fall I'm heading Israel, with my two daughters. We plan to wade through Hezekiah's Tunnel (here's more info if you are interested http://www.bibleplaces.com/heztunnel.htm ).

It's nice to have a small headlamp; frees up your hands and it doesn't need to be too bright. Having something small also helps in packing light. I bought a new Coleman Max 105 lumens for myself to replace my bulky old TEC.

I would be happy to buy two for my daughters, except I know they will never use them again. $25 each is a little much for one time use. I thought the marked down RayoVac headlamps would be perfect at $9, but there are none in the Wal-Marts near me.

So...what's the cheapest headlamp you wouldn't be embarrassed to buy and use? I hate to buy pure junk on principle alone, but I want something that will work adequately, but be almost disposable.

Any suggestions? Thanks!!!!

Walmart has some rayovac ones that run on 2xCR2032's for something like $6. You can also get the Energizer 3 LED and 6 LED for $10 or $15 respectively.

Technically, you can navigate and all they have to do is see where you are. You can't go wrong with one of these: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12924

6 bucks and it looks like a knock off princeton tec EOS

My friends daughter went to the EU with her church group and her $30 Petzl HL
was ripped off by hotel staff (she thinks)
Walmart has coin cell powered headlamps that mount on baseball caps.
As it is very sunny in Israel your girls will probably have hats so this could be
'the' cheap solution. They are flat for easy storage in a pocket.

If I can assume that you are in the states now, and can access a Walmart, you would do well to get the Rayovac Sportsman 1xAA headlamp on clearance now for $9. All of the stores near me seem to have an abundance of them, as most folks don't like headlamps (because they have not used one when they really need one). It has a red and a blue mode to cycle through, but then the main beam comes on and is a very nice Luxeon in an optic with good throw. For up close, there is a swing over diffuser that makes a pure flood, or it can be partially engaged for a mild hotspot and brighter spill. It is a light touch button, so I turn it off by unscrewing the battery tube cap when I am putting it back in my pocket to avoid accidental turn-ons. The main white beam will only run for about two hours on either a primary or a charge of a 2000 mAh NiMH rechargable, so it is wise to carry one or more spare AA's, and of course some other lights to change by. Be aware that it does not dim much at all right before it dies, so that last note about back-up is worth reiterating. They were a good deal, IMO, at $19 before the sale started. Good luck!

Adding: I should mention, if you do look for these, that they have all been moved to an endcap near the main flashlight section, or to a totally different area of the store in a mass clearance section, depending on the store. So if you see the new Coleman lights and all the cheap plastic lights, you may be close, but they won't be right there.

Dogmeat said:

So...what's the cheapest headlamp you wouldn't be embarrassed to buy and use?

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LOL! If you're embarrased with a cheap one you're gonna be embarrased with an expensive one too! Only a flashaholic would know the difference anyway. All others just see a light strapped to your head. It's not nearly as bad as an umbrella hat so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

If you really want cheap, just take ball caps with you and clip single cell lights to the rim. I do that with my L1 Cree all of the time. This way you can use lights you probably already have, and you still have the handheld option if you are worried about looking like dorks! Make sure it's one with a really strong clip and that the hat has a sturdy rim. Mine holds so tight I can shake my head fast and it won't budge. I'm looking forward to getting my diffuser because I feel it will make for a great makeshift headlamp if it had more flood.

I have the energizer 6led headlamp from walmart and it would work just fine for that tunnel. The one from dx looks good and is cheaper but their shipping is slow so I'd order soon it you decide to go that route.

Thank you all for the suggestions.

>If I can assume that you are in the states now, and can access a Walmart, you would do well to get the Rayovac Sportsman 1xAA headlamp on clearance now for $9.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

That was my plan. We don't have many Wal-Marts in central Washington state. I've checked Yakima and Wenatchee and they are both out. We have lots of outdoors types here and they may have sold quickly.

Dogmeat said:

Thank you all for the suggestions.

>If I can assume that you are in the states now, and can access a Walmart, you would do well to get the Rayovac Sportsman 1xAA headlamp on clearance now for $9.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

That was my plan. We don't have many Wal-Marts in central Washington state. I've checked Yakima and Wenatchee and they are both out. We have lots of outdoors types here and they may have sold quickly.

Click to expand...

hmmm... with gas here around $3.50/gal does it REALLY make sense to drive around a lot looking for a $9 headlamp? That $9 headlamp would get mighty expensive fast.

BlackDecker said:

hmmm... with gas here around $3.50/gal...

Click to expand...

Here in CA, we think back fondly on $3.50/gallon gasoline as "the good ol' days!" :mecry:

The nearest Wal-Mart to me is clearing out Ray-o-Vac Kids' Adventure Light headlamps for $2.50 each. They have a headband, which is removable, and a clip to attach to a cap's visor. They run on 2x 2032, pivot up/down 180 degrees, and have on/blink/off with a single button. The beam is a bit concentrated, with narrow, shadowy rings around the outside of the hotspot.

But, for $2.50, perfectly acceptable and they'd be great for kids, especially as you're describing the need.

(EDITED to add): You can find out more about some of the stuff on clearance lately at Wal-Marts in this thread:
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=180705

Dave

In that price range for short term use, why not get an incandecent headlight? They may be brighter, cheaper, and run on normal batteries. You can get higher quality at a lower price point. It's not quite in your price range, but you can get a Princeton Tec Quest headlight from REI.com for $17. It's waterproof to 2,000 feet. A headlight with a regular bulb taking AAs will be brighter than an l.e.d. headlight on expensive coin cells. It may even run longer. The cheapest l.e.d. light I would trust is a Riverrock/Streamlight Enduro headlight. It costs $15, is usually available at Fry's Electronics and some Targets, is brighter than a minimag, has high and low settings, and takes 2 AAA batteries. My favorite headlight is the Princeton Tec Quad which is only $30. Quality goes up fast with a little more cost when you know what to look for. You can get the $10 2AAA Riverrock flashlight which has a clip and attach it to a hat for a cheap headlight. That flashlight uses the same l.e.d. as the headlight.

A couple of Photon Freedom's will put out enough light to navigate and they can be clipped to the brim of a cap. Great keychain emergency lights as well.

I don't know if there is a Harbor Freight tool store near you. They carry inexpensive, imported tools at low prices. Here is a link for a $3.50 headlamp, but I don't think its LED:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=45807

I bought 2. It's not great, but it will do the job. I use it for working around the house when I want my hands free.
To find the store locations, go to the bottom of the page & click on retail.
Enjoy the Holy Land.

All the Sprawl-Marts in my area are out of stock of the Rayovac Sportsman Extreme 1xAA headlamps, which is a very serviceable light for the $17-18 price they were going for. I wouda' bought up a bunch, had I paid attention to the threads and known about the clearance.

Anyway, the only place I can find them now is through Rayovac Direct online & Batteries Plus online, but they are asking about $30 for them, or it appears that FlashlightZ.com still has some for about $19. The only word of caution with these would be to carry 1 fresh battery for each headlight for every two hours of continuous use that you anticipate having them on. Other than that they're a good little light and when your girls are through with them you can put a lithium cell in and toss them into your glove compartments for emergency use.

Good luck and enjoy your trip!