Headlamps

Hi guys & girls, I'm pretty new to the site, but I really like it. Helped me alot with my planning for the Sentinel to Cathedral peak hike.

Ok back to topic. I'm interested in buying a Fenix HP10 headlamp.

www.fenixtactical.com/fenix-hp10.html

Anyone use it or any other suggestions for decent headlamps?

I currently own a Petzl Tikka plus & a Petzl Myo XP which isn't bad, but I'm looking for something stronger.

Thanx

Jacques

Thanx for the welcome & the reply.

Not really (gonna be )using it for something special, but I would like to have a strong flash light when I need it. You never know when you might need serious light. I love my Petzls, but they lack "distance" when needed.

It might even come in handy on the farm too..?

Hello JacquesBuys,

Have you bought a lamp yet? My experience is that 70% of the time beam distance is limited by moisture in the air, so having a stronger light may only allow you to see more moist particles in the night. For climbing and hiking purposes I have tried hard to think about when you'll need a stronger light than the myo XP. Maybe if you are doing some route-finding up a sheer cliff, when it may be a good thing to stay put for the night anyway...

On a serious note, where there may at times be benefits to having a strong beam with good distance (spotting nocturnal animals etc), IMHO this is usually offset by the penalty of shorter batterylife/increase in weight due to the heavy battery pack.

If you like a lot of light you should also have a look at the Coleman dual fuel lamps, runs of petrol and cast a light that make other campers in the campsite get up for breakfast, but impractical for hiking. For camping it is very economical though.

Let us know when you've made a decision and about your experience.

I am wanting to find a headlamp that really works in the real world. Said headlamp must still provide a use-able output after 10 hours of use. i.e. after 10 hours of use you can see a good 20-30m ahead

The manufacturers websites give a maximum strength and also the battery life until light strength reaches approximately 1 candlelight. But, nothing about what happens in between.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

I have a Petzl Tikka Plus and Black Diamond Spot both work well and could fit your needs. The BD lamp is brighter and has lower settings for in the tent needs including red lighting to preserve your night vision and batteries.

Chat to the guys at Drifters if you want more specific comparisons to other models or makes. They stock Led Lenser too. Hope this helps?

Thanks, I will try them.

The difficulty I am having is that I can WALK fine with 2-5m of visibility. I do the Blouberg approach at night with my headlamp (a BD Icon, I think) on the dim setting even with well used batteries with no problem. As soon as I want to start RUNNING though, if I am on a path, still okay. But, with no path if you have < 20m vision ahead, I keep running into bushes, rocks or cliffs that I would have avoided if you could see a slight way ahead. In short, I go double the distance and eventually just walk because it is more efficient.

Now, the BD headlamp I have can see 60 - 200m on a new set of batteries, but after a few hours continuous use on the bright setting, it is dim enough to be on the dim setting anyway. I get around this at the moment by using dim setting as a default, and switching over to bright for a few moments here and there if really needed. I am sure though there must be something better though, hence this post

I second the above recommendations. My Petzl Tikka is much better value than my LED Lenser and the battery easily lasts for 3 days - I do change them before every hike whether they are flat or not. My Lenser gives better light but at the expense of battery (and the unit cost a lot more and is slightly heavier). My go to headlamp is always the Petzl.

I've done an 8km trail run with my Petzl and didn't find it that great either as it was a bit dim so I'm not sure what to suggest. I have noticed quite a few new models coming out so chat to the guys at Drifters to see if anything stands out. Andrew at the Sandton shop is a mannic trail runner and he might be able to suggest something - their number is 011 7839200

PS. You are crazy though! The last time I ran at night was in the army...

Drifters have some funky headlamps indeed. The new range of Petzl headlamps might be just what I want. They stay bright for 12 hours and then dip off down to the usual "just light enough to pass the test" level. The R+ is especially funky in that the light adjusts automatically to how closer/far away you are looking, an in theory will give a really great battery life. I will look further online for reviews, but this seems the way to go.

Thanks guys!