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northfacejmb
Dec 4, 2006, 3:19 AM
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What do ya'll think are the best headlamps? I'm looking for something that is relatively light, water resistent, bright, and pretty good batery life.
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jeremy11
Dec 4, 2006, 3:32 AM
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1 watt led headlamps are bright and good on batteries in their lower settings, but watch out as they can have a narrow beam which is annoying - like the Princetontec EOS which I used to use - good but very narrow. Now I use the Petzl Tikka XP which adds a beam diffuser for either a wide all purpose beam or a narrow spotlight beam, plus a boost button for 50% more than max power for up to 20 seconds. all for about 3oz!! works great so far. BD Spot is comparable, but has 3 regular leds along with the 1 watt led to provide the wide beam. either should be great.
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labrat14
Dec 4, 2006, 5:47 AM
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Petzel Myo XP LED
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phugganut
Dec 4, 2006, 5:52 AM
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If you're looking for something small & light to take on a climb the then Petzl Zipka is hard to beat. It is super tiny and super light and still bright. If you are primarily looking for something to use around camp then there are probably better alternatives, but if you want something to keep in your pocket on a long MP then IMHO it is the best by far. HTH.
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camerona91
Dec 4, 2006, 6:08 AM
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I have a Petzl Tikka XP. It does the trick. The battery lasts a long time and the diffuser lens works well. For something a bit lighter then Tikka might be better. Or the zip line one.
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styleboy
Dec 4, 2006, 7:08 AM
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I own the petzl tikka plus and it is a great lamp. a 4 led lamp that lasts over 100hours when on 'maximum' which has a range of 32m. over 150 hours on minimum and still great range of 15m..
My new favorite is the black diamond icon. It has a bright 3watt and superbright leds. You wont find a brighter 3watt that comes close to the battery life of this puppy.. The 3watt lasts 70hours on high, and has a range of 80m!.. Awesome lamp.
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saltamonte
Dec 4, 2006, 1:57 PM
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I would say i am a bit of a head lamp conosuer but i haven't bought any in the last 3 years which means i am perhaps outdated. my only comment about the tikka (i have one) is that for climbing and hiking, it will be ideal and very light however if you are wanting to illuminate a significant distance away for example while you look for the next rappell station, or to shine the beam far ahead of you the tikka doesn't do that well (perhaps the xp does but i have not tested it.) my favorite for that purpose is the black diamond zenix it bulkier but still very comfortable. and has a super long lasting setting like the tika but also a powerful beam (that still lasts longer than most) I found zenix to be the best choice available (but that was 3 years ago)
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echo
Dec 4, 2006, 7:27 PM
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I have a Tikka Plus which has been nothing less than fantastic. The only complaint that i have had is that its a bit too bright on its lowest setting when walking around the campsite at night.
Princeton Tech is now making a 4 led lamp that is extremely similar to the Tikka Plus. It has all of the same features, including the ratcheting swivel action of the Tikka. This is one of the main features that Petzl has been utilizing for quite some time that other manufacturers seemed to ignore. I think that its a bit cheaper, yet a tad heavier than the Petzl. So, IMO the Petzl is the way to go.
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epic_ed
Dec 4, 2006, 8:03 PM
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Headlamps? Oh yeah -- gadget junkie here. I have upward of 50 of these things around the house from the last 10 years or so. My suggestion is it depends on what how you plan to use it. My current overall favorite is the Petzl Tikka XP, followed closely by the BD Spot. I have a BD Spot for every Camelbak in the house (5 of 'em). The XP is a little brighter on it's highest setting and I like the diffuser that broadens the light pattern. The draw back is it burns through batteries quicker than the Spot. I like the Spot because it allows you to use the headlamp on a very low setting which conserves battery life. IMO, the best headlamps out there -- bang for the buck -- allow you to have the best of both worlds. Low power lighting for extended use, and a powerful beam that will light up the night if necessary.
For regular multi-pitch climbing where I might need a headlamp to finish the climb or route-find my way back to the packs, I think the Tikka XP is the best bet. But I refuse to head up the wall without a robust, proven headlamp that will produce a long-trowing halogen beam. I have a couple of Petzl Myolite 3's and this is my prefered lamp if I'm doing a wall.
Best lightweight headlamp/emergency/backup headlamp, IMO is the Petzl Tikka Plus. Bright enough to find the trail, good on battery conservation, and very compact without being too spartan (I hate the wire headband on the Zipka's).
DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT buy a BD Ion. These things are as worthless as tits on a fish. I you have one and are counting on it as your "backup" headlamp you will be completely screwed if you ever have to put it into action. At best, even with a new battery, you will be able to read part of a topo map. The light gets dimmer as the battery drains and within the first hour the initial output is about cut in 1/2. You'd be better off with a jar of fireflies. Not to mention the battery is not a common type, making it hard to find and expensive to replace. If you get one for Christmas, give it to a small child as a toy. Don't trust your life to one.
Ed
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macherry
Dec 4, 2006, 9:27 PM
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ed thanks for the feedback. I was looking at getting a spot. I have several ions...got cheap ass on sale, but i don't trust 'em for much more than emergency lights for my car and for searching for gear under my steps. Other than that, i've got an old petzl.
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endercore
Dec 4, 2006, 9:36 PM
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Registered: Apr 28, 2006
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BD Zenix
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caughtinside
Dec 4, 2006, 10:19 PM
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macherry wrote: ed thanks for the feedback. I was looking at getting a spot. I have several ions...got cheap ass on sale, but i don't trust 'em for much more than emergency lights for my car and for searching for gear under my steps. Other than that, i've got an old petzl.
I just got a Spot, so far I've been impressed. But my old headlamp was the original zipka, so I'm easily impressed! 4 years of headlamp technology does wonders!
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epic_ed
Dec 5, 2006, 2:25 AM
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I have two of these -- the Spot is brighter and cheaper, less bulky, and the burn time of the three batteries lasts nearly twice as long as the two in the Zenix. My Zenix's have been relegated to other duties.
Ed
(This post was edited by epic_ed on Dec 5, 2006, 2:25 AM)
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northfacejmb
Dec 5, 2006, 6:07 AM
Post #15 of 24
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Registered: Nov 2, 2006
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ok I've narrowed it down to the petzl tikka xp and the BD spot. In your oppion which is better for all around use?
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epic_ed
Dec 5, 2006, 5:25 PM
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Depends on the intended purpose, but the Spot will be better on battery life. The Tikka XP has the ability to give a little more light ("boost" feature) in temporary bursts.
Ed
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jbarn02
Dec 5, 2006, 10:38 PM
Post #17 of 24
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Registered: Nov 9, 2006
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Hey guys is the BD Nightray or the BD Zenix IQ Headlamps any good by any chance?
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playouts1de
Dec 6, 2006, 7:46 AM
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Registered: Nov 29, 2006
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I got to play with a wide variety of lamps as an A-16er. One notable difference between the Petzl and BD lams, which no one has noted yet is the shadow cast ( which may not be a big deal to some). The BD's have a blue shadow which is very deep and contrasty. Shadows can become so deep that it effects my depth perception, even makes me a little dizzy, depending on the situation. The Petzyl light is closer to a full spectrum light and the shadows come out a little yellow, deeper than they would with a halogen, but still light enough to see within them. I used to be a BD lamp fan, untill I sold them next to the Petzl line. I own a MYO XP and will never give it up, its an amazing lamp.
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microbarn
Dec 6, 2006, 2:55 PM
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Registered: May 12, 2004
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I have used the BD helion, Petzel tikka, and Petzel MYOBELT SB5.
In my opinion, you need a lamp that is good short range for most of your activities and can go far when you need it. Long battery and bulb life are the deciding factors between those that satisfy the above criteria.
I actually don't think I am a heavy user of headlamps, but the BD headlamp was my main standby. I dropped it from under waist height ONCE and it now flicks on and off when bumped. Also, the big disadvantage with the Helion is that I often want to just use the LED setting, but I HAVE to flick past the halogen bulb setting to get there. Halogen bulb life is counted by the number of turn ons rather than total hours. So every flick on and off was shortening my bulb life. I looked at BD's website, and many of the other headlamps look similar. This makes me guess that they have the same operation. So, I would recommend you stay away from BD in general.
The tikka is great. The only bad thing is that it has a little light that blinks to let you know the battery is still good. I really don't want that light. It is especially distracting at nights when I am sleeping.
The myobelt is great too except, it seems to be a little on the heavy duty side for my usage.
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ericbeyeler
Dec 6, 2006, 5:14 PM
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epic_ed wrote: Depends on the intended purpose, but the Spot will be better on battery life. The Tikka XP has the ability to give a little more light ("boost" feature) in temporary bursts. Ed
I recently got a Spot and am impressed. I like the long battery life of some of the BD's (I own a Gemini (discontinued) and use it for caving and other potentially wet situations). The Spot has a great bright setting and several low-light settings.
Eric
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skinner
Dec 7, 2006, 2:05 PM
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Registered: Nov 1, 2004
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epic_ed wrote: Headlamps? Oh yeah -- gadget junkie here. I have upward of 50 of these things around the house from the last 10 years or so. Ed
WTF Ed .. 50?? You decorate your Christmas tree with them?
Thought I was nutz with 9 headlamps 
-Kevin
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rsmillbern
Dec 7, 2006, 2:43 PM
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Registered: Sep 29, 2005
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Hmm, I have 6 (mostly from not being able to find the one I want when packing :-) )
Petzel Myo XP LED is my favorite right now.
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skinner
Dec 7, 2006, 3:19 PM
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Registered: Nov 1, 2004
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That's how I ended up with 9 headlamps myself.
Unlike the rest of the BD and Petzl votes, I settled on the Princeton Tech Yukon HL, which I get an unbelievable burn time in LED mode, especially if I throw lithium batteries in it. I haven't figured it out because I have yet to burned out the original lithiums, which I have run for a total burn time that adds up to just over 20 days. I had trouble believing it so I loaded another Yukon with lithiums and marked the batteries with a felt pen, so I would know that they weren't changed. I haven't really had a chance to track it yet. The standard burn LED burn time on alkalines is 120 hours.
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