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Which headlamp would you buy?

her209

her209

No Lifer
Looking to purchase a headlamp for camping, etc. I came across the ones made by Coleman which is a pretty popular brand in camping equipment. These are the Exponent line. Apparently, there are two version, one that is 3AAA .5 watt and one that is 4AA 1 watt. I assume that is the size and number of batteries that it uses. They both use Luxeon LEDs. The price is very reasonable imo.

Link for reference:
http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-...Headlamp/dp/B000PY89OK

Which one would you buy? See poll. Feel free to suggest others.
 
That looks like overkill unless you really need something that heavy-duty. Maybe a Petzl Tikka or something from Princeton Tec? (I use a PT Eos)
 
Originally posted by: EvilYoda
That looks like overkill unless you really need something that heavy-duty. Maybe a Petzl Tikka or something from Princeton Tec? (I use a PT Eos)
Click to expand...

:thumbsup:

 
Get one with green or red lights so you don't blind others and kill your night vision. At the very least get one with adjustable brightness.
 
Originally posted by: LS21
looks bulky as hell. my black diamond runs forever on triple As
Click to expand...

This.

I have both a BD Moxie as well as a Petzl Tikka. I don't see a point in the over-head harness either, for what you are doing. I have taken my Moxie through some pretty extreme jumping and hiking and it still managed to stay on my head. Not to mention that even on the lowest setting (which provides 200 hours of battery life from 3 AAAs) there is still plenty of light for reading or walking. I rarely use the Tikka, as it is just backup I got from an REI scratch and dent sale, but seems good enough.
 
i really like the black diamond stuff. I have one for cold weather with a remote battery pack to keep it warm and another with batteries in the case. this is the one i picked up. http://www.rei.com/product/771451

i have been using the cold weather unit for about 4 years and have yet to replace the batteries, this includes at least a few weeks of being out backpacking plus regular use while working in a theater.

the princton tec and petzl lamps, along with the BD lamps are better quality IMHO. I also use a streamlight headlamp that is bomb proof at work, it is attached to my hardhat. I would consider the streamlight for personal use also.

this: http://www.amazon.com/Streamli...qid=1245090743&sr=1-44
 
What's the performance differences with the 1w lamps linked above and these?. (NOTE - This site link is getting garbled......remove underscore in domain of link first.)
 
Originally posted by: jjsole
What's the performance differences with the 1w lamps linked above and these?. (NOTE - This site link is getting garbled......remove underscore in domain of link first.)
Click to expand...

That is actually a good question, because I just noticed that the BD Moxie, which I paid $40 for, is made in China. Hopefully it was designed elsewhere and uses Taiwan made LEDs, but who knows. My point stands on the extra overhead band that seems unnecessary, but who is not to say the linked above is equal quality? I always have a backup anyways, because some of my hikes involve getting pretty far from civilization, so I might pick one of these up as a backup. (Not that the Tikka I got for $5 is doing bad) Additionally, the Moxie wins for style, hands down, but I obviously care more about the light cast in front of me than the style of the device casting said light.
 
Wattage is what really matters when you're going for brightness. A single 1W LED will outshine a similar headlamp with three lower wattage LEDs.

I have the Petzl Tikka XP. One 1W LED with three brightnesses, 3AAA, the ability to take colored filters (ex. red to preserve night vision), and a built in sliding diffuser plate to switch between spot and flood beams. Waterproof to a few feet.

http://www.rei.com/product/751760
 
Out of curiosity, is your notion of "camping, etc." making it to the fully plumbed bathrooms and back to your tent, with maybe an hour of reading DaVinci Code or something, then falling asleep and taking a shower to go on a 45 minute hike, while needing a headlamp to read the roadmap on the way home? Hopefully not, and you are way overkilling it, if so. Don't get me wrong, lighting is very important for many things, but having had chats with others and just the general pussification overall of this country, I have to assume. Please don't tell me you "camp" in an RV. (Way out on a limb and ready for backlash)
 
candlepowerforums is your friend.
.5 watt is too little esp at that price.
get at least a watt, the nicer models have the ability to dial down the light output so you don't have to blast everything with light if you don't want to. candlepower can answer ur questions. the whole wattage thing is misleading, an older model watt is not as birght as a newer model emitters watt, the emitters keep getting more efficient so its a slightly dodgy spec.
 
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