Why a headlamp?
Even in mundane day-to-day situations, it is handy to have a light source no matter where you live. Have you ever needed to change a tire or perform other auto maintenance without a good shop light, for example? It can also be wise to have a light when jogging or taking a walk along a road to be more visible to automobile drivers. When hiking or camping, a light is especially necessary. If you live in an urban environment, you probably don't really understand how dark night can get in the countryside.
While a flashlight is useful, it tends to occupy a hand that may be needed for holding a dog's leash, turning a wrench, or preventing branches from hitting your face. A headlamp means light can always shine where you look, and both hands are free.
Black Diamond Cosmo 350
The front panel hinges sideways to access the battery compartment.
I bought this headlamp at Cabela's. These are high-grade Chinesium pitched as quality gear, and the brand has a decent reputation as far as I know.
Cost: $35 USD
Maximum brightness: 350 lumens
Water resistance: IPX8
Weight: approximately 3 ounces with 3 AAA batteries installed.
Other features: red LED option, strobe option, both LEDs can be dimmed, and settings can be locked
Notes: Included 3 AAA Duracell OEM batteries of unknown quality made in China, and can also use Black Diamond lithium battery packs instead.
Energizer LED Headlamp Pro
The back panel hinges open after tilting down and releasing the big clip.
This was an Amazon purchase in a two-pack. They feel like a lower grade of Chinesium, but the price is right and they should be quite serviceable.
Cost: $22 USD ($11 each)
Maximum brightness: 260 lumens
Water resistance: IPX4
Weight: approximately 3 ounces with 3 AAA batteries installed.
Other features: red, high, low, spot high, spot low, wide high, and wide low
Notes: Included 6 Energizer Max AAA batteries made in Singapore, 3 for each lamp.
Streamlight Pro-Tac 1L-1AA
The tailcap screws off, and is protected by a gasket.
Yes, this is a flashlight. I bought one as my EDC light when my ProTac 2L died following hard use for many years. However, the first one had a dead tailcap switch after only a year of use. I sent both lights in for warranty replacement, and this is the new one they sent me. These are made in the USA.
Cost: $35-40 USD on Amazon, Cabela's, or local sporting goods and shooting sports retailers
Water resistance: IPX7
Weight: less than 3 ounces with either 1 CR123A or 1 AA battery (alkaline or lithium) installed
Other features: programmable, includes basic nylon belt pouch, 1 Streamlight CR123A battery, and 1 Energizer Max AA battery. Both batteries were made in the USA.
Pros and Cons
Both headlamps have elastic headbands that feel reasonably secure, and both can be attached to a backpack chest strap of similar width. Both also tilt, with the Black Diamond using basic friction, and the Energizer clicking into plasticky detents.
The Energizer lamp has a better wide beam, and its battery door is easier to open, but it is physically bulkier and less water resistant. It is more than bright enough for basic tasks, and I think the wider beam would be more useful in a camping environment. At a third of the cost of the others, this is a viable option. I haven't given it a long-term test yet to verify its real-world durability. I remain unsure how irritating it would be to use regularly when needing to cycle through most of the lighting options in order, but it starts with red, so that is good for nighttime use.
The Black Diamond headlamp feels better put together and better engineered. It seems less likely to fail during an emergency situation. This is, however, still a purely subjective initial impression, not yet borne out by real-world testing either. I like the way it can be set to remember a specific setting each time it is turned on instead of cycling through the options.
At about the same price point as the Black Diamond, the Streamlight is a viable alternative. It has an S-shaped pocket clip which can hold it on a baseball cap bill in a pinch, so it can step up as a headlamp if you wear the right hat. After everything I said about the advantages of a headlamp, don't forget that a good flashlight offers its own advantages, too. This particular light also lets me keep my batteries consolidated across my emergency gear instead of adding yet another item to my logistics, since alkaline and lithium AA batteries substitute for the CR123A. I am a bit leery of long-term reliability after the first one died, but such things do happen, and warranty support was good.
I'm no expert, just an enthusiastic amateur. What headlamps or flashlights do you prefer for camping, everyday carry, or emergency kits? How do you balance budget, anticipated durability, and feature concerns? Please add your comments.
Camp stoves
Compasses
Camp saws
I picked up a three-pack of these at Costco when they were selling for 3/$12 in store (on sale) and they turned out to be a great value. Even came with their own Duracell AAs. https://www.costco.com/duracell-575-lumens-cob-headlamp-3-pack.product.100894411.html
In addition to having a nice spotlight and red light which is typical for multifunction headlamps these days, they have a very useful broad floodlight mode and a UV light mode which was unexpected but a nice addition. Some criticisms are the controls are a little unintuitive and slow to use. The buttons would be hard to manipulate with gloves on. Also the headband isn't the most comfortable. Another moderate downside is it's bulky so it's not easy to just shove into a pocket when not in use.
I'm not sure about long-term durability but for the price these things were an excellent buy. I should have picked up another pack or two just to hand out to friends like candy.
As for flashlights I take when I'm getting out there, my main go-to flashlight is a Surefire G2X Pro but it's bulky so it's not always good unless I have a lot of pockets. My go-to headlamp is a Petzl Tactikka. Not the brightest out there but I like that one for its comfort and intuitive controls/function. And I have a Streamlight Microstream USB for a pocket light, which also has the same hat clip as its bigger brothers.
Yup. Lots of options out there these days. I still have a couple older incandescent headlamps, but they were heavy and bulky. It was time for an LED upgrade for sure.
!PIZZA
I only buy Petzl head lamps but I have been using them since the early 90s when I started rock climbing. I think they were the first ones to make them aside from the mining headlamps that were used for years. The LED transition helped immensely and I would love to see them go to LiPo capabilities.
Been shopping for a new headlamp for a while, but there are so many options. I've seen that Black Diamond; looks good. Judging by my Black Diamond backpack, their headlamps should be good as well -- problem is that brands are importing stuff from China and just sticking their name on it. Guess I'll have to buy and test
If a company has good quality control, the only issue with Chinese manufacture is potential humanitarian concerns. If a company slacks on QC, their reputation may be on the line. But maybe they don't care.
Like the college outdoors activity coordinator said, buy the best kit you can afford, get out there, and upgrade as needed over time. The important thing is to get started!
That's my thought as well. I don't think any of these famous brands would put their name into something that isn't good. One brand that's been super awesome is Naturehike.
Actually, these are essentials too! I wanted to buy some stuffs that are handy. Like these you showed to us!
I hope my excessive spending helps you buy more wisely!
I wrote about mine a little while back (LedLenser) so won't rehash it.
We're spoiled for choice these days with some excellent value for money available. I tend to look for CREE LED's where possible and have found the in some of the cheaper variants which generally means decent light and a reasonable lifespan.
I have headlamps all over the place, in my vehicles, go-bags, hunting and culling kits and generally just hanging about - I tend to leave the old ones on a hook in various locations for when I beed. The hands-free benefit is so handy. :)
survival mode activated
I love anything torchy and this reminds me that my old headlamp gave up the ghost a while ago and I really should look to getting a replacement
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