[pct-l] Headlamp recommendations

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good morning, Mulestomper,

You asked about headlamps, which presupposes that’s what you will buy.  I
don’t use a headlamp so I’ll let others offer opinions, but for people who
want illumination rather than specifically a headlamp I will describe my
method.

I use a tiny single-LED pinch-light called the Photon Freedom.  It weighs
0.3 ounce rather than the 3-6 ounces of most headlamps, and is typically
about 30% of the cost.  Some unsophisticated pinch-lights can be had for $1
or less.

LED pinch-lights are not as bright as the larger, multiple-LED headlamps,
but my objective is to live within the night rather than push back the
darkness.  90% of my light usage is when I’m in my sleeping bag writing my
journal notes and examining the maps for the next day’s march.  Doing that,
I snug the light’s cord around my head and let it hang at my forehead
similar to a headlamp.

The little pinch-light is so small that I sleep with its cord around my
neck so it’s always close at hand.

I like the Photon Freedom because it has an infinitely-adjustable light
level feature, and I can turn it well down to provide just the amount of
light for close-up reading.  Most full-feature headlamps can be turned down
from high, multi-LED illumination to just one LED, but for me that is still
far too dazzling.

Many are available in a variety of light colors but, while I’ve tried most
of them, I prefer white-light.  Other colors, such as red or blue have
their advantages, but when looking at topographic maps, white is the only
one that allows all the map colors to be seen.

At night if I have to get out of the sack to irrigate a bush the tiny light
is just right for a dark night, but I don’t sleep in a tent and many nights
are so bright in the mountains that no light is necessary at all.

For use on the trail, in the rare event that I hike at night, the
pinch-light will sufficiently illuminate about 10-15 feet of trail, which
is all I want.  I don’t need to illuminate the far side of the canyon.  When
hiking with a headlamp, users typically leave them on their head but I much
prefer to keep the light – any light – in my hand with my pole grip.  When
a projected light is very close to eye level that light will not create
noticeable shadows behind features such as rocks, roots, holes, etc. and
the trail appears to be rather two-dimensional. A light source that is well
offset from the eyes will create just enough marginal shadow to provide the
third dimension.  The difference in functional illumination is noticeable
and useful.  The light could as well be attached somewhere lower on my
body, but then I couldn’t as readily aim it.

The Photon Freedom is available in two styles:  One has the typical
forward-exposed LED bulb for good wide-angle illumination – that is the
most common – plus they can be had in the “covert” version that has a
small, tubular extension around the bulb to reduce the side-cast of light
and focus the light more nearly forward.  I don’t participate in covert
CIA, Special Forces, SEAL, Ranger, or Marine Force Recon operations where
side-cast light can be a problem but, even though I have both kinds, I
prefer the covert model.

The Photon Freedom also has some nifty, gee-whiz features that I never use,
features such as options for slow, medium, and high-speed strobe flashing,
and automatic S-O-S flashing.  Clever, but I hope to never have to use
those features.

Enjoy your planning,

Steel-Eye

-Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye
http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09/

On Sat, Mar 30, 2013 at 6:07 PM, Carl Umland <olhiker2 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hey fellow PCTers,
>  I've got a dividend for REI burning a hole in my pocket that I would like
> to use it on new headlamps for Skypilot and myself.
> Got any ideas for a good lightweight headlamp mostly for campsite
> activities but capable for night hiking?
> Thanks for your ideas and opinions,
> Best,
> Mulestomper
>      Another 96 gallons of water delivered to 3rd gate cache today
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