Head Lamps, Flashlights and Photons

[chai guy]

Indeed, night hiking is something that everyone has to do on the PCT, either because you're avoiding the heat of the desert or you just need to make those miles.

What do you use to light the way?


I took a Coast LED flash light, it was super bright and the battery life was decent, but the beam was too narrow.

Next time I'll take the Tikka Xp http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/petzl_tikka_xp.htm

I think it's important to have a bright, workable light solution when hiking the PCT as sometimes you just have to night hike.

[Ender]

I used a Princeton Tech Aurora...

http://www.princetontec.com/products/index.php?id=3&type=0&use=1

It was more than enough for all my needs, including night hiking. And the low setting was great for reading at night and conserving batteries.

I will say though that as long as the moon is out, you often don't even need a headlamp to see. When I climbed Whitney we started at 2am and didn't even bother to turn on our headlamps... the moon was more than bright enough to see the trail.

[footslogger]

I've never found that I needed any more than the 3 LED Tikka from Petzl. Great life with AAA Lithiums. I might even downsize (probabl not a correct term here) to the 2 LED model to save on battery cosumption

[Mags]

Indeed, night hiking is something that everyone has to do on the PCT,


Darn it! I must have done something wrong. I did not night hike once. :)

I did get up early, hike to 11ish and "siesta",hike to just about twilight. FWIW, I did the PCT in about 4.5 mos (mind you, that and a buck.... :D)

All depends on your hiking style, but I was not the only who did NOT night hike.

As for my light of choice. I used an orange photon II on the PCT (and CDT) with a mini-mag light (no relation to me) head strap.

For you oz weenies, the total wt is .875 oz.

Good enough to write by..and for emergency night time use.

If you decide to night hike, then something else is probably warranted.

YMMV.

[Mags]

I've never found that I needed any more than the 3 LED Tikka from Petzl.

That's my "workhorse" headlamp. Light enough where I keep it in my daypack for emergencies and is my "all around" use headlamp. If I know I am going to be night hiking/skiing/running (at least once a month), then that's the one I take.

Have had the same one for ~5 yrs now.

There are brighter ones now...but "if ain't broke, why fix it" seems to be my S.O.P. at times. :)

[Mags]

I will say though that as long as the moon is out, you often don't even need a headlamp to see.

Ain't that the truth! I did a full moon ski..well 28 days ago (Full moon tonight!), and it was extremely bright. The snow glowed and illuminated the way.

I was supposed to do a full moon ski again tonight..but I think the predicted -8F temps are scaring people away. :eek:

[chai guy]

I did not night hike once.

Really?? Dang, I can't tell you the number of times I got up before the sun, or had continue after it went down to make my miles for various reasons. I did rather enjoy my mid day naps which often put me way behind schedule, so that maybe the reason for my nocturnal adventures being more frequent than average.

At any rate, having the brightest light possible, for me, is something important.

[AlohaTink]

Showing my age here...night blindness comes natural and I would be afraid of a mis-step. Although a full moon is like a headlamp shining thru the silnylon so night hiking appeals to me such not to my body:D

We use the Princeton Tec Aurora and the Petzl Tikka and for ER I have a Photon as well...my hubby loves his Coast lights

I just got this new Princeton Tec "Just in Case" weighs 15 grams with batteries
...it reminds me of something from Star Trek or Star Wars...you can hook it on your headlamp or backpack just about anywhere.

[Magnet_]

I used a petzyl tikka plus. It was fine, I liked it more than the princeton tec aurora i used to use. Don't have much more to add on that...

If anyone is curious about the new petzyl tactikka plus lamps, i just got one and was quite impressed by how amazingly brighter it is than the the tikka plus. I think the low setting was about as bright as the bright setting on the old tikka. (note that while both had new batteries, the tikka had cheapos) The low setting on the tactikka had a bit of a strobe effect (i assume to prolong battery life) and at first i thought it might make me sick. The light also seems to be a cooler (bluer?) light. I bought it because i was tired of trying to pop my red lens in and out of the lamp. The tacktikka has the red lens built in. Simply flip it up. That's nice... :rolleyes: Of course there are other lamps that have red built in as well. I'm just to lazy to find them.

[girlscout]

i used a cheapo 5-LED petzl clone from some asian supplier on the web... it cost like $5.99 or something, and i was amazed it lasted me the whole trip. oh, except in washington it proved to be not-so-waterproof, and it got short-circuited such that the flash mode rate sped way up to strobe-light speed! pretty awesomely useless, except for late night raves in my tarptent!! :p

[Ender]

I just got this new Princeton Tec "Just in Case" weighs 15 grams with batteries
...it reminds me of something from Star Trek or Star Wars...you can hook it on your headlamp or backpack just about anywhere.

Do you mean the PT Impulse? That little built in clip in kinda nifty.

[AlohaTink]

I don't think it is the same... I forgot to mention it is waterproof and cheap right now at Sierra /rading Post
It is really tiny but larger than a Photon...that photo shows it on the clip.
here is the link

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/,98785_Princeton-Tec-Pilot-LED-Light-Waterproof.html?cm_mmc=PaidPlacement-_-Google-_-WFROG7-_-Princeton_Tec_Pilot_LED_Light_-_Waterproof