What's your headlamp of choice ?

I have never been heavily invested in head lamps, but I do use them on occasion. Started with an Energizer, and still use it around camp. Next stop was a Black Diamond ReVolt. This one is overly complicated, and you need to carry the instruction manual around with you, and need a secret decoder ring to understand that. Plenty bright, at 130 lumens, but a PITA to use.
The one I wind up using the most when camping or night hiking, is the Surefire Ti Titan small CR123 light. I found a head band with a loop, that holds the little light perfectly. Band is by NiteIze. It is adjustable, so you can wear it with, or without a hat or cap, and wear it at any angle that works for you. The Surefire light is infinantly variable, from zero to 100 lumens.

 
I have a ptec that I don't like very much I've had good luck with the regular energizer
 
I have a couple Black Diamond Icon's (the older model) that I really like. I like a lot of throw and the Icon delivers.
 
jonnyt16 said:
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The Princeton Tec Remix Pro was my favourite headlamp for a while.
I put headlamps to good use and the Remix had the features, that I like.
A very good lamp IMO apart from one thing. Sadly, the lamp has a design fault - even though I use my headlamps a lot, I still take good care of them. None the less, the hinge for the battery cover on the Remix is much too fragile. I was changing the battery at some point and the cover/hinge simply broke apart.


These days I use a Zebralight H32Fw CR123 Floody Headlamp Neutral, which gives off a very nice light and is perfect for my use (hiking, food prep, camp chores, hanging a hammock etc) with the newest generation Streamlight Sidewinder Compact II as a backup.
 
I had the same problem,the hinge broke.I put a tie wrap around it to hold it together.The Princeton tec was very hard to turn on in freezing weather.At least the one I had.
 
Heard that problem a lot. How did you open it, your fingers? I just always popped it open carefully with my knife. Been fine so far.

I got a backup one and they've changed both the battery door and the on switch, which is now a bit like headlight selection in a car. Just a rotary switch which works good, although more potential for being switched on accidentally if left in a pack. It's called the Sync, and is basically the same in terms of settings, plus it has a red light.
 
I always opened the battery hinge/cover of the Remix Pro very carefully with my fingers. Seemed to me to be the best most careful way to open it. One could see at a glance how flimsy the cover design is.
 
Chignecto Woodsman said:
I got a backup one and they've changed both the battery door and the on switch, which is now a bit like headlight selection in a car. Just a rotary switch which works good, although more potential for being switched on accidentally if left in a pack. It's called the Sync, and is basically the same in terms of settings, plus it has a red light.
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The Sync is nothing like the Remix Pro (if thats what you are implying). The Sync uses triple As where as the Remix Pro uses CR123 and the Sync is a different design from the Remix Pro, which is still in lineup. The one called plain 'Remix' (no 'Pro' in the name) uses triple As as does the Sync.

The battery hinge/cover design of the Pro is inherently flawed and which simply wont take serious use. Further more mine had no o-ring and wasnt water resistant (though in the lamps defense, it didnt fail due to water ingress).

Branding the Remix Pro as a professional grade MIL SPEC headlamp is an affront. If there is one thing the Remix Pro is not (dont get me started on the 'Pro' bit) its soldier proof.

Caveat: Dont get me wrong - Princeton Tec makes nice lamps and the company has treated me well, when I broke some brackets for another Princeton Tec lamp (I have bought several lights from them) and when I needed some other parts. Communication was excellent and they very rapidly shipped me more parts than I needed.

I like their lamps a lot thus was even more disappointed, when the Remix Pro broke down. To me it was close to the perfect headlamp for my use....except for the horrid design of the fragile hinge/cover.
 
Don't think a different battery type really differentiates the headlamps... But my point was that perhaps the hinge has changed in design.
 
I've had a Petzl Tikka plus for a few years now. Truly underestimated how great headlamps were until I bought one.
All these years of missing out. :eek:
 
Chignecto Woodsman said:
Don't think a different battery type really differentiates the headlamps... But my point was that perhaps the hinge has changed in design.
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I was simply saying, that the Sync was nothing like the Remix Pro - they are two different models.

The Remix Pro hinge? Nope, sadly that doesnt look like it has changed.

If Princeton Tec changes the battery hinge/cover to a much better and more sturdy design, Ill buy a Remix Pro in a flash.

It really is a great headlamp - not heavy, not pricy, good throw, okay battery times, great user interface etc etc ...apart from the atrocious battery hinge.
 
Brisket said:
My favorite is the Streamlight Sidewinder Compact CR123 headlamp. It has a hinge for tilting, 4 intensity levels plus strobe, white and 3 colors, and is very lightweight. It's not the brightest I have but it is the most comfortable to use and packs small.
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This headlamp is a little bulky, but it's actually my choice for tactical use...yes, good'ol deployment/field requirements. I'm not a huge believer in the "tactical" red filter, but that LED option does help when unit SOPs dictate. This is really a great lamp from a versatility standpoint as well. I've used CR123, AA and even a AAA battery will work with this light. That's very advantageous if battery choices are limited.

ROCK6
 
I use head lamps a pretty fair amount. I take them hunting, but seldom hiking. Regular small flashlight for hiking. Around camp they are useful. My heaviest use is working where I am climbing around in dark places. I use the head lamps in conjunction with a LED flashlight. The headlamp gets me around for general stuff at relatively low lumens and then I use the hand held for closer inspection efforts. As far as which one goes, I tend to loose them and I buy the inexpensive one at the home centers. My latest that I use a fair amount is one that really has a useful wide angle and beam focusing adjuster. Can't remember the brand, but it is probably one of the <$100 varieties.
 
BladeScout said:
I was simply saying, that the Sync was nothing like the Remix Pro - they are two different models.

The Remix Pro hinge? Nope, sadly that doesnt look like it has changed.

If Princeton Tec changes the battery hinge/cover to a much better and more sturdy design, Ill buy a Remix Pro in a flash.

It really is a great headlamp - not heavy, not pricy, good throw, okay battery times, great user interface etc etc ...apart from the atrocious battery hinge.
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Understandable, even more of a concern in cold temps. I would like to try another brand to compare at some point.
 
slightly off the topic, but if there are any trail runners out there- I found using two lamps (one on the head, the other waist or chest high) really helps with depth perception and a lot less toeing of rocks and roots in the dark
 
mtwarden said:
slightly off the topic, but if there are any trail runners out there- I found using two lamps (one on the head, the other waist or chest high) really helps with depth perception and a lot less toeing of rocks and roots in the dark
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That's a great point, which is another reason why I like a Zebralight headlamp. The "light holder" can be removed from the headband and put on your pack's sternum strap or belt. You can also adjust the beam up or down with ease. Each good headlamp has its own advantages. I have found the Zebralight headlamps can be configured to be worn a multitude of ways. They are tiny right-angle flashlights with good water resistance.

I can put two on the same headband for running with one in front and one in back.

Although I have loved my original BD Moonlight and the many Petzl Myos, I have found that all my headlamps with external battery packs have eventually had problems because of the wiring and connections. A soldering iron and some RTV silicone can help.
 
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