[pct-l] Headlamps

[Bill Burge]

Picking a headlamp is defined by your intentions.

Map reading, pitching camp, striking camp, doing your journal after  
dark, finding a place to pee in the middle of the night - these can be  
accomplished with a small capacity, small battery (coin cell)  
headlight with a relatively short "throw" (lights up the "here" but  
not really the "over there").

For night hiking, you probably want more throw.  You probably won't be  
happy with a smaller lamp.  Now you're in the realm of AA's or AAA's.   
I also have wondered why there wasn't better choices without going to  
2 AA's or 3AAA's.

I bought a Zebralite.  I like it a LOT and have done some night hikes  
with it.  I have found that it's throw is a decent compromise with its  
flood capabilities.  It has good burn time on the "campsite" levels  
but only about 2 hours on a new battery.  I found little difference  
between the burn time of alkaline and lithium, but if the temps drop  
that would no longer be true.

http://www.zebralight.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=186

Before everyone starts whining about the price, I use this for other  
things as well and...  well...  I just like cool gear, especially LED  
flashlights!  (and knives, yeah! knives!  OH, and computers!  oooohhh   
computers...  CAN'T forget my JEEP!  DAng!  AND WATCHES!  LOVE  
WATCHES!!!  ;-)

BillB



On Nov 11, 2009, at 6:13 AM, Steve McAllister wrote:

> A single AA battery headlamp like the Zebralite is light and using a
> single AA battery is more cost effective in the long run.
> You can also get AA batteries almost anywhere.
>
> I never could understand why so many headlamps use 3 AAA batteries
> when one AA has about the same amount of juice. Also AAA batteries
> come in 4 packs not 3?
>
> Use lithium batteries and you will get a lot more miles on a single
> battery and they aren't as affect by the cold as other batteries.
>
> On Tue, Nov 10, 2009 at 5:28 PM, Sasha Leidman <sleidman at gmail.com>  
> wrote:
>> I was thinking about buying a headlamp for backpacking and around the
>> neigborhood, which brand/model would you guys suggest. Thanks
>>
>> --
>> Sasha Leidman
>> sleidman at gmail.com
>> _______________________________________________
>> Pct-l mailing list
>> Pct-l at backcountry.net
>> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>>
>
>
>
> -- 
> ... when your feeling blue, and you've lost all your dreams, there's
> nothing like a campfire and a can of beans!
>   -- Tom Waits
>
> http://kayakbrooklyn.blogspot.com
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-l mailing list
> Pct-l at backcountry.net
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l