Headlamp?

“I need to buy a headlamp for Mrs. Rabbitman. She doesn't want a heavy one like I have. Any suggestions?”

“I use a 2 cell, AAA, mini-mag light with a ink pen clip on it and clip it to my ball cap for a headlamp. Very light. Works!”

“The Petzl Tikka. I bought one for myself and liked it so much that I also bought one for my son.”

“Lightweight headlamp...
Petzl Tekka!!!!!!!!!
$34.95 ....but I love it.”

“Just bought a Petzl Tikka - great price at Campmor. Next month I'll be getting the PT and Black Diamond models, so I can do a little comparing. Tikka is so light you don't even know it's on, but I am concerned about it's use in wet and/or cold situations.”

“I'm concerned about water damage to the Tikka as well. I thought about sealing the seams but that would still leave a problem with the switch area. I think I will just put a zip lock bag around it when it is raining. Any other ideas?”

“Coleman makes a 2 AA model that's pretty light and waterproof and only $10. Pick one up and see how she likes it. If she doesn't like it, you're only out a ten spot. I've been using one for a few months now and no problems.”

“I have the Princeton Tec solo. It's very well built, shines a bright lite, and is lightweight. I've seen them selling fairly cheaply lately.

If I were buying today, I'd have to think about Princeton Tec's LED headlamp. Petzl hasn't got as good reviews as Princeton Tec in the past but I haven't seen anything on the Tikka. It sure looks cool.”

“Tikka, I got it and love it. If it's Raining I'll be inside my tent so I ain't worried about that question of it's weather proofness much at all.”

“Led-Lite any of them. On overnites you will not need any extra batteries and blubs last forever. LED”

“How about that. I just got a Petzel Tikka today because it looked so cool. I asked the salesperson if there was a place I could try it out and we went into the back.

3 ounces and lasts 150 hours. You barely notice you are wearing it.

I'll let you know how it went after this weekend.”

“Ok guys I'm a caver. We love lights :)
Anyway, I have a strong disliking for Petzl products 'cause the are not very robust. They leak and just poorly made.
This is just their lights. I like their climbing gear. Now Princeton tec is pretty good stuff.
I also agree with the others about the LED.
I have the Princeton in LED and love it.
It isn't that great in caves (needs more LED's) but can't be beat for reading and other hands free type situations.”

“Have to agree with Jimi. My PT Solo seems to be much better quality than my Petzl Zoom. Got the Tikka 'cause it was readily available, and I knew I'd be getting the PT and BD lights anyway. Now the problem is which set of gear gets which light. BPing, forest fire, structure fire, and trail maintenance bags each need a light. Half the time I don't know which bag's got what gear in it.”

“I go the same as BS. Mini Mag light and a little velcro loop under the side of my ball cap. Works like a charm and beats holding it in your mouth.”

“I had the Princeton Tec Solo before either the Matrix or the Tikka came out. Before the Tikka came out, I got the Matrix insert for the Princeton Solo light. It's pretty bombproof, but at 5.5 ounces with batteries, it's a couple of ounces heavier than the Tikka. The Princeton Matrix is waterproof. I could hike in or out at night in a downpour and not have to worry about the Matrix. If I were to do it again today, it would be a tough decision between the Matrix and the Tikka....bombproof vs. 2.5 ounces lighter.”

“i have the tikka, and love it.

when it rains, i just wear it under the brim of my cap. it's so light that it stays in place.”

“Get the Tikka. No problem in the rain. Also, when it does get drenched, just open it up and let it dry out. Can't beat it! Happy trails.”

“The Pelican L1 is 1/3 the weight of the Tikka and last over 100 hours. I have both and the L1 is almost as bright as the Tikka. They advertise in Backpacker Mag.”

“I tried my tikka out this weekend and love it. It is great for backpacking. Two other people at our camp also had them.

Rad - thanks for the tip about the hat.”

“Maglite + Ductape. Can't beat it”

“This is some pretty good input. I have the Petzl [non-Tikka] and get pretty annoyed with the ring pattern the light produces. If you're going non-LED, I wouldn't advise that one.”

“Campmor is selling PT Solo headlamps with 'slight headband imperfections' for $19.97. That's about 30% off. I got one and I'll be darned if I can figure out what or where the imperfection is.

Now I gotta figure out how to justify spending $40 on a PT Matrix. "I know I've got four headlamps, but I don't have an LED lamp..."”

“Which headlamp would you recommend for nighttime climbing? I have been warned away from the LED models for my Mt. Rainier climb, but I am still "in the dark" as to which is best suited. Must fit on a climbing helmet, illuminate enough to keep me from killing myself, work well in the cold and have long battery life. Would be nice if it were light enough to haul along on subsequent backpacking adventures. Anybody?”

“walkingcrow, i ordered the same, a couple of years ago. there is none to see because it was a miscolored type of thread. whoo-hoo!”

“The diffused light from the LED of the tikka was quite refreshing. Admittedly, it doesn't illuminate out very far, but for general camp purposes and night hiking on normal trails it seems to be OK. It is perfect for in the tent and reading.

For specialized purposes (e.g. extreme cold and wet, difficult climbing, etc.), I would defer to the experts.

At under 3 ounces, I would consider the tikka as a backup or camp headlamp in addition to whatever else I used.”

“Kleetn...I have a Princeton Tec solo. When I climbed Shasta in '99, I used it. Fit over my helmet just fine. Threw a decent beam for the morning climb. You should be OK with that one.”

“Thanks, SARBoy!”

“I used a fairly inexpensive REI headlamp for to climb Hood this weenend, with a start in the wee hours that resulted in several hours by lamplight. My light had two AA batteries, and just didn't put out as much light at those with 4 AAs. However, I could carry many spare pairs. A nice feature is if they that have the batteries on a cord that you put in your chest pocket, to keep them warm. Another nice feature is the ability to focus the beam.”

“Idaho Bob, you are being paged on the 'Mt. Hood' thread...give us a trip report!”

“Thanks for all the info so far. I been doing a little research and came across the PETZL Zipka. Since headlamps have evolved a lot since I bought mine (they don't put candles in them anymore!) I am still a little fuzzy about the newer models. Would this be a good choice?”

“Everyone seems to think its a great little headlamp. Also check out the Black Diamond Moonlight.


Black Diamond”

“My friend has the petzel zoom and I have the PT solo. Mine came with 2 reflectors and 2 bulbs, a halogen and krypton. The halogen is bright but sucks up the battery. I really love my PT. I use it around the house constantly. The zooming reflector of the petzel looks funny to me. The beam I mean.”

“Have a very-good older style Petzl headlamp. The new Petzl Zipka LED light, however, is quite tempting. It weighs nada (2 oz. WITH batteries). I believe that only REI has it at this time (44.95). If anyone wants to buy me one, lemmee know.”

“I'm going shopping later.

Anyone do a side by side comparison between the Petzl Tikka and the Black Diamond Moonlight?

Which should I get?”

“The BD Moonlight, it rocks!

The Tikka, Zipka and Princeton-Tec Matrix are not even close with light output.”

“pekka tikka i'm gona buy it soon, its 34$. it earned 2001 backpacker mag gold award. ts like an ounce runs of of 3 AAA”

“pekka tikka i'm gona buy it soon, its 34$. it earned 2001 backpacker mag gold award. ts like an ounce runs of of 3 AAA”

“i like my tikka, too.

i like mine self contained, so the moonlight doesnt fit the bill.

all are nice, though.”

“seems like the tikka is more compact to me. I like the headband better than the extra strap on the BD. Also it looks like the batteries on the BD are attached on the back. I do not like that either. Tikka for me whenever I am in the market for one. The extra light the BD may provide is not enough to sway my vote.”

“With all due respect to my slutty friend, I would go with the Tikka.”

“da nada

To each his own....”

“And I cannot justify buying something other than the Princeton Matrix, since it works just fine. I bought that light before Tikka, Zipka or Moonlight came out.”

“Gear, you ignorant Slut!”

“Ski, that's the one I have. I bought the insert and couldn't be happeir. It was nice to be able to save a few bucks and just pay for the guts rather than the whole thing. If I had no headlamp at all though I'd go with the Tikka.”

“Being a Gear Slut, I'll try any gear out once.”

“Gotta love the Tikka, REALLY friggin' bright,2.4ounces,comfy headstrap.”

“I did the same thing, Nigal. I'm not sure which I'd buy if I had no headlamp. The Tikka is lighter, but not adjustable as far as where you want the light to shine. I guess it's positioned to be where you're most likely to need it. The Moonlight is brighter, adjustable, but heavier than the Tikka and the batteries are positioned behind the head. Oh well, the Matrix is working fine for me.”

“I've got the PT Solo with Krypton Head assembly and a Matrix Head assembly aswell. It gives me the best of both worlds.
Try putting the Matrix head assembly on a PT Vortec at ypur local camping shop (if they let you) you'll see a massive increase in light output. Dont know what it does to the LED's though.”

“Don't forget to check out www.botachtactical.com for sales... I've seen the Tikka there for $24.”

“I feel like a spoilsport but I find headlamps uncomfy and you do not get the light right where you want it. For night hiking I much prefer a hand held light and for around camp I like a small clip on light that I put on the front of my shirt so it hangs down over whatever I am looking at. For reading I either hang it from the tent or hand hold it if I am outside. I don't wear hats if I can help it.”