GearScout's 8 Headlamp Review -Posted with Beamshots

UPDATE: Preview link is dead, review is posted on the blog with beamshots.


Hey Gents- I just wrote a lightning round-up of 8 headlamps for our paper. It's not running in the paper or on the site for a couple of weeks, but I posted it in an unlinked page for CPFers. The password it CPF. The reviews are brief, and non-technical, but they should still be illuminating.

Sorry about the text formatting. Our blog software isn't parsing those pages with the proper style sheet, so it's a bit ugly. It won't look this way when it's live.

The highlight is the Surefire Minimus. I'm sure you guys will recognize the other lights.

I have yet to shoot the beamshots, but I should have some for each light by the weekend.

Comment and criticism are appreciated.

Re: GearScout's 8 Headlamp Review -Preview for CPF

Wow this is fantastic, great reviews of all those lights

I've been trying to hunt down the Energizer Trailfinder Micro 1XAA for months now and haven't been able to. Energizer customer support told me it would be available in the summer. So thats my next question. Is it available yet? Where did you get it from? Also, are you absolutely sure it has to turn on at max power every time? That seems like its completely missing the point....would be a great headlamp gone to waste for me. Thanks

And again, great reviews

Re: GearScout's 8 Headlamp Review -Preview for CPF

Yep. Full power at startup everytime for the Trailfinder Micro. I was bummed, too. Should be shipping to retailers in a couple of weeks.

Re: GearScout's 8 Headlamp Review -Preview for CPF

:twothumbsgood work:twothumbs

Re: GearScout's 8 Headlamp Review -Preview for CPF

so was the surefire headlamp and zebralight similar in the beamshape and brightness departments?

Re: GearScout's 8 Headlamp Review -Preview for CPF

sweet. cant wait for the trailhead micro to come out.

Re: GearScout's 8 Headlamp Review -Preview for CPF

2jzpower said:

so was the surefire headlamp and zebralight similar in the beamshape and brightness departments?

Click to expand...

The Surefire was much brighter, almost as wide but had far more throw and definition.

The H30 is about 1/2 the size, 1/2 the weight, 1/3 the cost, but it's got a different audience because of it's unique butter-smooth moonbeam beam shape.

Re: GearScout's 8 Headlamp Review -Preview for CPF

Very nice writeup imho. Easy to read, and to the point with touch of humor sprinkled in to keep it light, good job. :twothumbs

I'm happy to see the trailfinder micro, make it out for a review. A few of us here have been wanting to see that one.

Re: GearScout's 8 Headlamp Review -Preview for CPF

Nice reviews. The comparison of beams & features is very useful. I'm disappointed by the Trailfinder Micro starting on high and the Minimus starting at 2 lumens, so the perfect single cell headlight remains elusive. Though we are getting closer.

Re: GearScout's 8 Headlamp Review -Preview for CPF

Good Review, definetly the short and sweet type suitible for a wide audience.

I presume anything with the 18650 battery might be just a little to specialized (H60w)?

I would have like to see one warmer tint head lamp reviewed to make people aware of these new lights. In fact there was not really any mention of tint at all, but then again maybe the wide audience is not ready for that.

You said something about one light being the only one with manual lockout, but then you pointed out the H30(another light) had lockout... so I'm not sure how to interpret that and I believe might confuse readers that were reading carefully. You said the H30 ran a little longer on the other levels, but I would have liked a number like you gave for the other lights.

Maybe in the introduction you should say something about the different battery types used. I think currently each is just listed at the head of each review.

Thanks for posting, I learned something about headlamps since I don't follow that many of them.

Re: GearScout's 8 Headlamp Review -Preview for CPF

I take your point on the manual lockout. I meant that the Mammut has an actual mechanical control that locks out the switch, while the Zebra is locked out by twisting the battery cap.

And tint was something our readers won't be too hung up on, so long as it isn't distracting; and none were.

I'd love to go into rechargeable, but 18650s are going to be too far into the weeds for my general audience. I look for easily available spares and batteries since guys will only be able to buy stuff at a small PX when they are out in the field.

Thanks for the feedback!

The reviews are posted on the main blog with new beamshots. Enjoy.