Headlamps .. who uses them? I need a new one!

[creskol]

Does anybody here use headlamps? I am looking for the brightest, and most durable headlamp on the market. My 6000 Lumen one finally bit the dust! I would welcome your input based on your experiences and preferences. Thanks!

 

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[Charlie P. (NY)]

6,000 Lumens! What, do you cook with it?

I really, really like my Fenix HP25R headlamp. It uses a 18650 rechargeable Lithium cell. I have other flashlights that use these so I have three I rotate around. You can also recharge it from a USB port (handy).

I use it about nightly when putting our chickens in and dong a barn/coop once arond, and for hunting (cleaning and dragging a deer shot at twilight can be three hours after sunset getting out f the woods).

Two separate LED bulbs, metal housing(!), I get 40 hours on the low (30 lumen) floodlight setting (and it goes up to a 1,000 lumen "turbo" but only for an hour total - and it gets HOT). It also has a seperate red LED for very low-light situations and that goes for four days continual. IPX-6 waterproof.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Unless I'm scuttling under a building, or trying to tip toe across boulders across a creek on a zero moon night, etc..., I never use headlamps, for normal outdoor night hunting.

Better just to let your eyes adjust to the moon and star light (preferably on a night with half moon or better). Because the moment you start using headlamps, is the moment your pupils become adjust to *just* that beam of light. You become blind to all else around you.

There's enough moon and starlight to see to avoid bushes, trees, etc... And I just have a penlight flashlight on a lanyard, that only gets turned on if I need to see the date on a coin or something.

 

[creskol]

I use it a lot for seeing off in the distance and very seldom use it for a work light. When I see those green eyes following me it the woods, I want to see who they belong to!

 

[Carl-NC]

I do a lot of backpacking and use Black Diamond. I like the red light feature for unobtrusive night illumination.

 

[controlfreq]

Don't remember the lumin count but Milwakee makes a rechargeable I found in HomeDepot. Not cheap but a very bright light. The battery is also replacable.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Do some research on the 18650 batteries.
Any light I buy in the future will be powered with an 18650

https://www.reddit.com/r/flashlight/wiki/18650

I’m typically not detecting at night to hide, so I opt for a balance between brightness and battery life.
I have turned on a few COB LED headlamps at REI and was impressed with the even light they throw.
Definitely good for lighting a large area up...say to look out for rattlesnakes during the summer.

 

[Knut dirtfisk]

Nightcore concept 1. If you wear a ball cap it clips to the bill 1800 lumens 18650 rechargeable battery. Best light I've ever owned.

 

[searching 4]

I never bought any higher priced headlamps , the cheap ones seem to work out ok for me, but then that's just me. current one is a harbor freight light

 

[kingskid1611]

I use one and just go to the local hardware store or Lowes and they have multiple cheap ones. I really haven't had to have the expensive ones yet.....

 

[ARC]

I only use one during the following activities...

1. Attending a rock concert. (as to see musicians better)
2. Attending a pirate convention when an eye patch is unavailable.
3. Attending a U.F.O convention to help identify unidentifiable objects.
4. Attending a mining convention so I "fit in".
5. Attending an orgy so I do not miss anything.

:P

 

[ARC]

Oh... I almost forgot...

At movie theaters... damn cant see crap around me.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

I have recently been using a penlight attached to my baseball cap.
I like that better than a headlamp, because it lives in my vest pocket and I have it every time I need it.
Problem is, it takes two AAA lithium batteries. It’s not that bright and doesn’t last very long.

I’m liking the idea of the single 18650 lightweight Nightcore flashlight. I’m just not into all the special button sequences
necessary to change modes.

 

[creskol]

Now, I have to choose between these two:

 

[ARC]

What.. no one liked my post ?

I worked a whole 2 minutes on that.

Sheesh. :P

 

[creskol]

What.. no one liked my post ?

I worked a whole 2 minutes on that.

Sheesh. :P

I particularly like the orgy possibilities!

 

[Megalodon]

We occasionally go fossil hunting at night and have tried a few different headlamps. For cheap brightness, we like the rechargeable Cree 1600LM LED headlamps. Better are the headlamps used for mountain biking at night, but those come with handlebar hardware and have to be modified for a cap. I think those are a bit overkill - unless you need to illuminate something miles away, and cost about $600. The Cree are cheap - my last two bought on ebay were less than $23 total for both. Only issue with using headlamps is they attract lots of insects when there is no breeze!

 

[Megalodon]

In addition to attracting insects, headlamps used when wading in shallow water will attract fish. Last time we were out, I felt a fish bump my bare leg and was surprised to see a snakehead about 6 to 8 pounds attracted to the light. They are delicious, but we had guests (also using spare Cree headlamps) and killing the snakehead would have been a bloody mess, with a long beach hike back.

 

[eyemustdigtreasure]

Now, I have to choose between these two:

I (was) going to respond to your thread, but decided not to....(HEY, Wait...I'm 'sponding NOW...!)
Oh well, you've made your decision, but Cost and Practicality should be decieding factors.
1. You've chosen two multiple headlighting units, that are for high power floodlight - way enough
to film a video,
or headlight DEER hunting !
but short use time, then have to change-out batteries. VERY Exspensive, too...!

I use Princeton Tec HL-D with three AA-batteries; three-level dimming, and flashing Mode,
for each - flood and spot beam Modes.
It has three little LED bulbs,
and One 3-Watt LED bulb.

Very easy on batteries, when you dim-down, to a light level, that is perfect for the occasion,
and never use the brighter bulb, unless I need to route-find, up a rock face - in the caves I explore....
It has a deeply concave reflector that will give you a hot spot in the white flood light, and a warm,
yellow BRIGHT Light, for the Spot.
Yes, it is water-resistant

 

[RGINN]

Lots of folks use those, but I never did cause in the back of my mind I'm always thinkin 'If they shoot, they will aim at the light'. The main reason is because where I grew up they attracted every bug in that part of the country, so they weren't practical.