AMC Outdoors, October 2006 Sure, headlamps make you look like some sort of cyclopean beambrain. But it’s a small price to pay for the convenience of hands-free lighting, whether in camp, on the trail, or in the depths of your gear closet. Headlamp design has made a quantum leap in recent years, incorporating bulbs and battery-sipping LEDs into an overwhelming array of styles. The possibilities can be blinding, so focus on these tips instead.
Don't be Dim: Traditional headlamps use incandescent bulbs similar to what you screw into the socket at home. They cast a natural, yellow-to-white light and are bright enough to illuminate objects in the intermediate distance and beyond. Several types of bulbs exist; in ascending order of brightness, they are standard, krypton, halogen, and xenon bulbs. Though bright, incandescents have a relatively short battery life, burn out with regular use, and lose brightness as battery power ebbs. And the brighter the bulb, the faster it typically sucks juice—halogens drain batteries in only a few hours. Always carry a spare bulb and batteries for safety.
Pumped Full of LED: In the late 1990s, Petzl revolutionized the headlamp market when it introduced the Tikka, the first mass-produced headlamp to use light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. A simple form of semiconductor, LEDs are lightweight, essentially never burn out, and consume minimal power—batteries last between five and 20 times longer than with traditional bulbs. LED headlamps are ideal for camp use and provide adequate light for anything within arm’s reach, but cast an unnatural bluish light and are not as bright as most incandescents (though newer-generation “super” LEDs are closing the gap). If you are hiking at night, mountaineering before sunrise, or need to identify something in the distance (like that critter rustling at the edge of camp), LEDs may not be your best choice. Consider instead a headlamp that incorporates both LEDs and incandescents, allowing you to switch back and forth as the situation dictates.
Get Focused: When selecting a headlamp, take a close look at the swivel, on/off switch, and battery pack. Most models allow you to adjust beam direction by pivoting the light rather than your head. But evaluate the hinge closely for durability. Some are built around a tiny screw, which can loosen up and cause the light to flop down—a problem if you don’t have an equally small screwdriver on hand. For the on/off switch, check that it won’t get flipped on when jostling around inside your pack, and that it can be easily operated with gloved or mittened hands. Lastly, consider whether you want the batteries stored on your forehead or the back of your cranium. Forehead styles are generally lighter and more comfortable, but use smaller batteries and have shorter burn time. Back-of-the-head styles are bulkier but can increase burn time, especially for incandescents. Try on several for fit.
Powers Trips: Beware of ultra-tiny headlamps that use hard-to-find batteries. The hassle of tracking down fresh replacements may not be worth the few ounces you save. Winter enthusiasts need to remember that regular alkaline batteries last only 10–25 percent as long in zero-degree conditions as they do in milder weather. Lithium batteries cost more, but are unaffected by temperatures down to minus-20 Fahrenheit. Some headlamps feature a separate battery pack that you can slip inside your clothing for warmth, a good choice for longer winter trips.
Other Highlights: Most headlamps are water-resistant and impervious to even heavy rain, but paddlers may want to select a fully waterproof model that can survive a trip overboard. Cyclists might appreciate the strobe function of some headlamps, which increases their visiblity to others. And everybody gains from a battery-life indicator and current regulator, which maintains the light at a constant level as the batteries diminish.
Tips and Tricks Here’s the pitch. Camping in October means being prepared for freezing rain, sleet, or even snow. To ensure you stay dry and warm at night, follow these tent-pitching tips:
- Keep the rainfly away from the tent body at all times. If it’s touching, condensation on the underside of the fly will work its way inside the tent.
- The rainfly will sag as it gets wet and cools. Retension it periodically to keep it taut.
- Watch for drip points off the fly and apply extra seam sealer to threatened locations on the tent body. Tent corners are often significant splatter spots.
- Make sure the footprint or tarp below your tent does not extend beyond the fly or it will funnel water underneath.
- Keep guy lines as perpendicular as possible to the tent for maximum strength. At guy line attachment points, connect the fly to the poles if possible; many tents feature velcro loops to do so.
- Carry a sponge or camp towel to wipe down a wet fly before packing up in the morning.
- Matt Heid is Senior Editor of AMC Outdoors
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