UKC

I ould like to get some advice about head lamps. I spend a good bit of time walking in the hills and mountains, Often at night. I also cycle quite a bit in the evening and night, and walk the dog early morning and evening times. With the days getting shorter and the dark evenings getting longer it has made me think about getting a decent headlamp.

Whilst doing my research I drawn up a shortlist:
Petzl myo rxp
BD ICON
Princeton Tec Apex
LED LENser h7r

Could you give me your opinions and recommendations on my list? And are there any other headlamps you think I should consider

In reply to goldmember: You should perhaps consider the Alpkit Gamma, if only because it's way cheaper then any of the others you've listed and nearly as good. I like the red LED on the battery pack, so you can have a rear light when you're out walking at night(!) If (and I'm not in any way suggesting that this is the case) it turns out not to be quite as robust as the more expesive brands, you can buy a replacement and still have spent less.

I'm sure the ones you have listed are very nice as well, though.

In reply to goldmember:

Just received my alpkit gamma today. Have to say I am very impressed. Comes with good quality duracell batteries. Very bright and the multiple modes are excellent for a torch of this price. The rear red led is also a nice touch.Seems well built just not sure yet how it will deal with wet weather and general abuse. So far the only use it has had is walking the dog round the local quarry.

I am very impressed with all the alpkit gear I have bought so far. Definitely worth a look, buy one and if you don't like it I will take it off your hands

In reply to goldmember: The lenser lamps are well regarded. I’ve used the cheap (about£5) Cree lamps from China via ‘bay for many nights and think that they are literally brilliant.

In reply to Billy the fish: Is that a headtorch or a torch-torch? Any chance of a link to a similar one?

In reply to goldmember:
Only got the Lenser H7R last week. Great torch. Easy to use: adjust beam brightness or focus (wide to narrow beam).Drawback: no red light. Otherwise, great.

Try something like 200651047441. The design, spec and price change week by week so it’s similar but not the same as the ones I bought.In reply to Steve John B:

In reply to Martin W: what is the throw beam like on the gamma?

In reply to goldmember:

I own and use a Myo RXP, after seeing the Alpkit Gamma recommended on here I got a few bought for Duke of Edinburgh use. The Gamma is 12.50 quid, the Myo RXP is about 60 quid.

Very impressed with the Gamma, no it isn't as good as my Myo RXP. At a guess I would say it has about 80% of the throw of the RXP both on fresh batteries, which is amazing value for money and they stood the use of duke of edinburgh kids for a year so they can't be that bad. Not had them out in horrendous conditions though so can't comment on rain penetration etc.

The Myo RXP is regulated though, so doesn't drop off power as fast, takes lithium (more powerful/better in cold), rechargeable and normal alkaline batteries.

In short, if you want that edge the more expensive ones have over the Gamma, then get a Myo RXP or the like, if your just after a pretty decent head torch for night use then get the Gamma. Hell if you get the Myo RXP you could just throw the extra money in and get a Gamma as backup!

Hope that helps

Craig.

I’ve used the cheap (about£5) Cree lamps from China via ‘bay for many nights and think that they are literally brilliant.
I agree with you there a few quid for them and they give out fantastic light better than most other more expensive lamps ive tried

In reply to Billy the fish:

Cheers Billy

In reply to Billy the fish: order one too!

In reply to goldmember:

Call me a master of irrelevance, but I think that 'headlamps' is an Americanism, and moreover that we need to do what we can to get people away from the insidious influence, which I sense subterraneously here, of 'flashlight'. (Stupid word. Do they flash? They do not.)

So we should be using the perfectly good word 'torch'.

HEADTORCH HEADTORCH HEADTORCH!

In reply to Tim Chappell: A torch is a fire source- Do we set fire to them?
Perhaps frontal cranium external illumination ?

In reply to Tim Chappell:


Or alternatively suggest you get over it.

It's a two way street you know: http://britishisms.wordpress.com/

In reply to TobyA:

I don't actually mind if people go wholesale American... what I object to is the unthinking use of language...

No, that doesn't mean I think the OP wasn't thinking.

Don't mind me. Just wool-gathering. Saturday morning, you know.

In reply to TobyA:

Thanks for the link. Splendid.

In reply to goldmember:
I second the Gamma, seems very nice so far. I don't think a £60 torch can be almost 4 times better.

In reply to goldmember: You could compare the specifications of the lamps side by side at: http://www.tribevine.com/products?open=true&ids=10325,10323,3206,10322&... ...unfortunately there's currently only review, and that's about BD Icon, which is rated as 3/5.

In reply to goldmember:

I had a Petzl Myo (think it was an XP not RXP) for around 6 years, it was reliable during this period and was used loads. The light output was not amazing but better than most of the other headtorches you could get at the time.

The Myo suddenly died about a year ago, due to a dodgy connection. I could have got it repaired, but instead I got an LED Lensor H7, which I've been using since then.

The H7 seems to have great battery life and gives off an exceptional amount of light- more than my old petzl. Its also smaller and lighter and I can use it for off-road running with no issues. It has so far survived one alps trip, one dolomites trip, and a scottish winter season. Brilliant headtorch, my one issue is that I hope it lasts.

In reply to goldmember: Petzl Myo RXP beats any hands down ..... ALpkit gamma is a good cheap alternative

In reply to goldmember: Fenix HP11 (277 lumens. IPX6) or HP20 (230 lumens, IPX8) (if you prefer a separate battery pack.) £40 or £50 on ebay, unbeatable for the money