Les Jones

Travel > Backpacking Headlamps

Some people are turned off by the nerdiness of a headlamp, but even my most non-nerdy friends fall in love with headlamps once they try them. The benefits are obvious: light whereever your eyes are pointing, with both hands free for pitching a tent, cooking, or hoisting a food bag into a tree. Headlamps are also ideal for cycling, caving, and climbing. There are dozens of headlamps on the market. The ones below are the ones I've owned, in order of purchase.

Features

Tilt Except for the Saxo all of these lights have a pivoting lamp. You can tilt the light up or down, which is especially handy when reading. It's also essential for good headlamp etiquette: if you're talking to someone and notice your light is in their eyes, you should tilt your lamp away.

LED vs. Incandescent Bulbs
Flashlights and headlamps have traditionally used incandescent bulbs, but LED lights are moving into the mainstream. The big advantage is their battery life, which is many times that of regular bulbs. You'll carry fewer batteries and be assured of long-lasting light. The downside is generally lower light output, and less distance (LED light can't be focused). LED bulbs last many times longer than traditional bulbs before burning out, but if they do burn out or break they generally can't be replaced.

One or Two Strap Headband
All headlamps have a band going around the head. Some also have a a strap going over the top of the head. The extra strap is good for heavier lights to help distribute weight, but tends to make adjustment more difficult.

The Headlamps

Petzl Micro
I bought this lamp years ago for the simple reason that it was the lightest on the market. Today, the LED lights have taken away that title. Even if they hadn't, I wouldn't recommend the Micro. The beam is anemic. I once compared it to a Mini-Mag (which also uses 2 AA batteries). It was about half as bright. The tilt stage on the Micro can't be tightened enough, so with a little age it works loose and begins flopping down during night hiking or caving. The straps are also difficult to adjust.


Petzl Saxo Noi
The Saxo is a compromise between a flashlight and headlamp. It works pretty well as a headlamp, but lacks a tilt adjustment and tends to bounce around because of its size. In flashlight mode, it's shaped for comfortable carry. You can remove the headband and thread it through the tail of the light to create a cushy wriststrap. I used it this way at the Lake Eden Arts Festival, where a headlamp really would have been too nerdy. The Saxo is a good choice if you aren't sure about the whole headlamp thing, or expect to use a flashlight more frequently.

Petzl makes a waterproof version called the Saxo Aqua. That may be a good idea, since my Saxo succumbed to water damage that corroded the electronics.

Black Diamond Gemini
The Gemini bridges the divide between incandescent and LED bulbs by using both. Press the power button once for LED, and a second time for incandescent. It works great, and the headband and switch are very good. When folded, the tilt mechanism shields the power switch to keep it from being activated inside a backpack and draining the batteries.

The Gemini's incandescent bulb is the brightest of the four lights reviewed here. If it still isn't bright enough, a high-output krypton bulb is included in the package. My original model uses just one LED and was plenty bright for Melissa and I to play rummy at Icewater Springs. Newer models include two LEDs for even better output.


Petzl Tikka Plus
If I'm camping I'm wearing a ball cap. With most headlamps, that means turning the bill around and wearing the lamp over the cap. I bought the Tikka Plus because I could easily wear it under a ball cap, with the lamp shining out from under the bill.

The Tikka Plus uses 4 LEDs for amazing light output. It's almost as powerful as the Gemini's incandescent output (with 8 meters range compared to the Gemini's 10). That's remarkable considering it uses AAA batteries to the Gemini's AAs, and has significantly longer battery life.

You want tricks? It's got em. Press the power button once for maximum light, again for medium, then low, then emergency strobe. In strobe mode it lasts for an incredible 400 hours. You can go directly from the current power level to off by holding the power button down for a second.

Conclusion: Duh! Buy the Tikka Plus
This is easily the lightest, simplest, and most comfortable headlamp I own, and one of the brightest. It's the perfect light for backpacking.

	Black Diamond Gemini	Petzl Micro	Petzl Saxo Noi	Petzl Tikka Plus
Empty Weight	4.6 oz	3.5 oz	4 oz	2.8
Batteries	3 AA	2 AA	4 AA	3 AAA
Burn Time	7/1000 hours *	7.5 hours	9 hours	80 hours

* 7 hours for incandescent bulb, 1000 hours for LED bulb

Posted by lesjones