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 tobin00
Location: Washington, DC
Gender: Male
 |  |  | headlamp recommendations?
< on 2/11/2012 11:20 PM >
|  | | | I'm about to go out and do some train hopping, and I figured it would be a lot better to have a headlamp than trying to carry a flashlight in my hand.
I also figure it'd be nice to have one that either has a few red LEDs or a red filter, so the light isn't quite as obvious at night.
Anyone have any good recommendations? I've poked though the forums, and everyone recommends bringing flashlights on explorations, but I've not seen much discussion of headlamps.
The Petzl TacTikka seems pretty nice, and has a drop-down red filter. Energizer also makes the TrailFinder for about half the price, but I've seen some reviews that it's not very comfortable.
Any advice would be much appreciated!
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Captain Stormy
    
Location: Chicago mostly. Sometimes Minneapolis.
Gender: Male
SO TIGHT THAT IT CHAFED
| |  | Re: headlamp recommendations?
<Reply # 1 on 2/11/2012 11:59 PM >
| | | | This Energizer lamp is VERY popular with explorers: http://www.google....g&ved=0CLIBEPMCMAk
I've never owned one, but I have used them in the past. Batteries last a long time and the red LED is useful.
I've owned and couple of (and currently use) these: http://www.google....Ag&ved=0CFoQ8wIwAA
Puts out more light than any other cheap LED headlamp I've seen, and can take quite a bit of abuse. Burns through batteries in 6-8 hours, so make sure you always carry spares, and doesn't have a red light option, but if I'm worried about being seen, I would rather just turn my main light off and use a very small hand light when necessary to keep from tripping.
I would recommend NOT springing for a high-end expensive headlamp. No matter how nice, sand and water WILL eventually get to it and kill it. It's inevitable. The ones will built-in rechargeables can be nice and save you battery money, but will kill you when you are camping or on a UE road trip and don't have time to plug it in for 6 hours every day.
Hope that was somewhat helpful. The good thing about headlamps is that there are a lot of good ones in the $8-20 range, so if you buy one that you don't like for one reason or another, it's not the end of the world.
http://www.urbex12.com |
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20-100
  
Location: Québec city
Gender: Male
Gentleman of fortune...
| | Re: headlamp recommendations?
<Reply # 2 on 2/12/2012 3:12 AM >
| | | | I completely disagree with Captain Stormy... I think that hi-end headlamp are a better choice, I have a Petzl Tikka XP2 and a Petzl Tacktikka Plus.
They are rock solid, the older Tacktikka plus is now my backup (it has been used and abused for many years, been dropped in drain water, rain, asbestos, been used in the snow, etc)...
My Tikka XP2 is now my regular headlamp, a lot more light, excellent battery autonomy. I have purchased it with the Core accumulator, a Li-Ion rechargeable battery pack, for environmental reason, I dont really like disposable batteries but this lamp can also be used with 3 AAA cells when rechargeable batteries are not practical.
Princeton Tec also makes excellent headlamps.
In some places that we explore, cheap lamps are not an option (anyway, cheap or hi-end lamps, always have some backup lighting).
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tobin00
Location: Washington, DC
Gender: Male
| | | Re: headlamp recommendations?
<Reply # 4 on 2/12/2012 9:21 AM >
| | | | Nice, thanks for that link to a previous discussion. I searched the forums for "headlamp" and for some reason that didn't come up. I actually one-clicked the Energizer 7-light one on Amazon tonight, since it's so cheap, I figure it's worth trying out, and it's got some built-in red LEDs too. I'll take a look at that other discussion as well.
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Loki
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Gender: Male
| | Re: headlamp recommendations?
<Reply # 5 on 2/12/2012 9:58 AM >
| | | | I have a five year old Petzl and the elastic is failing faster than the electronics. This is after multiple drops/crushes/submersions and solvent washouts.
I plan on getting one of these two next,
http://www.petzl.c...mps/duo-atex-led-5
http://www.petzl.c...ps/duo-led-14-accu
But that might be slightly excessive for your needs 
If you're taking it hopping I would recommend a cheap Energizer any day of the week, I've owned a few and they're good for the price, last thing you want to see is your brand new $200 head torch getting wasted by a loco.
Wank | Wank | Wank | Wank | Wank | Wank |
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AnAppleSnail
Location: Charlotte, NC
Gender: Male
ALL the flashlights!
| | | | Re: headlamp recommendations?
<Reply # 6 on 2/12/2012 11:54 AM >
| | | | Having red LEDs on your forehead is highly visible. Seriously. Duct-tape a tacticool red-LED flashlight to a tree in the woods and walk around seeing where it is. If it's a headlamp, it'll be at head or waist level (if the wearer is ninja-walking), but still pointed near the horizon. The damn things are highly visible.
Achievement Unlocked
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Glass
 
Location: Chicago
as one does
| | | Re: headlamp recommendations?
<Reply # 7 on 2/12/2012 7:03 PM >
| | | | Second on the Petzl.
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Jonsered
Location: Back in New Mexico where I belong
Gender: Male
Dressed for a scarecrow ball.........
| |  | | Re: headlamp recommendations?
<Reply # 8 on 2/12/2012 7:30 PM >
| | | | I've been using a Princeton Tec H20 1M for a few years now. Super nice light. Waterproof to 1 meter says the company, but mine has been deeper than that and survived.
It doesn't have a red light, but frankly I find the red to be of limited usefulness in my world. Red is less visible to others, because its at the very end of the spectrum visible to the human eye. However that also makes it less visible, and thus less useful, to you. Red LED's also seriously screw with photographs.
I have changed my personal exploring ethics code. From now on it will be: "Take only aimed shots, leave only hobo corpses." Copper scrappers, meth heads and homeless beware. The Jonsered cometh among you, bringing fear and dread.
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Asher0719
Location: MSP
Gender: Female
The World Abandoned
| | Re: headlamp recommendations?
<Reply # 9 on 2/13/2012 9:59 PM >
| | | | I'm definitely looking into getting a Petzl Tikka XP2 now, thanks guys for all your useful info!
~Asher |
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\/adder
 
Location: DunkarooLand
Gender: Male
I'm the worst of the best but I'm in this race.
| | | Re: headlamp recommendations?
<Reply # 10 on 2/13/2012 10:52 PM >
| | | | I have one of these
Black Diamond Gizmo. I can't complain about it other than the lack of a red LED, but it was free except shipping, moosejaw sent all of their customers a free $20 promo code around christmas time. It's probably the best headlamp you can get for under $20 bucks online.
I had a crappy energizer one that I dunked under water multiple times and killed it. Have yet to try swimming with the black diamond.
[last edit 2/13/2012 10:53 PM by \/adder - edited 1 times]
"No risk, no reward, no fun."
"Go all the way or walk away"
escensi omnis... |
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terapr0
Location: Sauga City
Gender: Male
www . tohellandback . net
| | | Re: headlamp recommendations?
<Reply # 11 on 2/13/2012 11:36 PM >
| | | | went through several crappy low-budget headlamps before finally settling on my Princeton Tec Apex (http://www.princetontec.com/?q=apex) It's not the cheapest, but at 200 lumens its quite bright, extremely durable, waterproof and has survived thrashings that did in fact destroy my cheaper lights.
spend enough time underground and you'll really begin to see the value in a quality headlamp.
www.tohellandback.net |
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marsrover
Gender: Male
Exploring is for hipsters!
| | Re: headlamp recommendations?
<Reply # 12 on 2/15/2012 8:19 PM >
| | | | I have a rayovac sportsman xtreme and it's amazingly good. On full power I get about 1.5-2 hrs of light. Runs of a single AA battery so it's easy to have a spare. Only gripe is the blue tracking light should have been replaced with a white low power LED. (but that's a mod I'll take care of soon)
So i'm just pokeing around, are you gona do anything about it. |
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bRokEnCHaRacTer
Location: Vienna, Old Europe
bRokEnVIEW.net
| | | Re: headlamp recommendations?
<Reply # 13 on 2/15/2012 9:04 PM >
| | | | I can also recommend the Princeton Tec Apex. I have it since 2008, it worked without any failures.
[last edit 2/15/2012 9:05 PM by bRokEnCHaRacTer - edited 1 times]
brokenview.net (Everything) | brokenview.org (Portfolio) |
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KingJalopy
Location: Tulsa, OK
Gender: Male
I love manholes
| |  | Re: headlamp recommendations?
<Reply # 14 on 2/15/2012 9:11 PM >
| | | | Posted by terapr0
spend enough time underground and you'll really begin to see the value in a quality headlamp.
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Truth.
Drains, drains, drains, drains, drains. |
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Lackluster Lake Lurker
Location: MSP
Gender: Male
Lurking in the Shadows at a Location Near You
| | Re: headlamp recommendations?
<Reply # 15 on 2/15/2012 10:06 PM >
| | | | Black Diamond Storm. Several of us here in MSP have them now. 100 lumens and waterproof with a decent life on the x3 AAA.
Give me poo or give me death. From Antwerp to MSP if it's underground you'll find me there |
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SuchundFind
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Gender: Male
| | Re: headlamp recommendations?
<Reply # 16 on 2/17/2012 5:15 PM >
| | | | Posted by bRokEnCHaRacTer
I can also recommend the Princeton Tec Apex. I have it since 2008, it worked without any failures.
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I got the extreme version of it
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