Consider the following situations:
“Uh, that crawlspace is awfully dark. Who knows what’s lurking in there…”
“Dang, it’s 3am. I’m all cozy in my tent, but nature is calling. It’s pitch black outside! … “
“Sigh, the kids pushed another DVD under the entertainment center. Can’t quite make the DVD out in the dark underside of my mammoth entertainment center… “
“The power just went out. Guess I’ll have to sit here in the dark…”
What can save the day?
“Thank goodness for my trusty flashlight!!”
Flashlights are helpful in many dark situations. The flashlight (or torch) is a wonderful invention: a light on-the-go.
So what’s better than a flashlight?
A headlamp: a hands-free alternative to the flashlight. It’s a light that is secured in place on the head with a band. Consider the situations above with just a flashlight:
“Glad I have this flashlight in here with me. There’s that box! It’s a lot heavier than I thought…wish I had two hands to pull this thing out.”
“Ah, this flashlight makes it so much easier for me to find my way to a tree. Dang zipper! It’s stuck on something. I need two hands, but where can I put down my flashlight so I can still see what the problem is down there?”
“My head keeps blocking the light! Can’t see the DVD if the flashlight is in front of my head. Can’t find the DVD if the flashlight can’t shine where I want it. Perhaps I need a smaller head.”
“Got my flashlight and made it to the breaker without breaking a leg. This big flashlight is getting heavy. It’s too big to put in my mouth and to hold with my chin, no place to put it down… SALLY!!!!”
Now imagine each situation if you had a headlamp instead of a flashlight:
“This headlamp is great! I can see where I’m going. ACK! Mice!” *Whack* “Thank goodness I had the extra hands to bring a broom for just this reason. Mice attacks are rare, but they happen.”
“Found a good tree, this headlamp is great. DANG! Looks like my shirt’s caught in my zipper. Just a little tug here with this hand and pull there with the other hand.” *twinkle* “Ah…now back to bed.”
“Found the DVD! It was right in front of where I was looking. This headlamp provided the light where I needed it.”
“It’s like I have a light on my head. Wait! I do.” *Creak* “Didn’t think turning on a breaker would need two hands, but stranger things have happened. Glad I had my two hands free or I would have need to call Sally down here.”
Headlamps are quite useful when you need a light and two hands. They’re great for camping, night hiking, emergency situations, reading a book in the dark, getting a midnight treat without waking up the rest of the household, night fishing, changing a flat tire at midnight in the middle of nowhere, spelunking, etc. The uses of a headlamp are numerous.
Looking to spend to under $60 for headlamp for just those situations stated above or perhaps for some other reason? I recommend the following:
I love the Fenix brand. They offer high-quality, sensible products that use AA or AAA batteries.
The Fenix HL21 LED Headlamp with a CREE XP-E (R4) LED is another great LED headlamp to own. It’s lightweight and compact aluminum body is impact resistant and waterproof to IPX-8 Standard; powered by a single AA battery; multiple light modes with a maximum of 97 lumens and a minimum of 3 lumens (high, mid, low & SOS); it can run up to 53 hours on low; it throws its beam a distance of 305 feet. Retails around $50. You can get it
bladehq.com for only $30.95.
The bigger, more handsome brother of the Fenix HL21 is the Fenix HL30 LED Headlamp with a Cree XP-G (R5) LED & a Nichia red light LED is a great buy. It’s powered by two AA batteries; multiple light modes with a maximum of 200 lumens and a minimum of 4 lumens; it can run up to 140 hours on low; an accessible push button switch; and the LED is digitally regulated which helps maintain constant brightness. Retails at around $53. You can find it at
bladehq.com for only $37.95.
The LED Lenser H7 LED Headlamp (German made) is a good headlamp. It has two modes: 155 lumens on high and 2.7 lumens on low. It can throw its beam as far as 590 feet; has a maximum run time of 63 hours on low; water resistant to IPX-4 Standard; uses three AAA batteries. You can adjust the beam to whatever activity you’re doing: if you’re hiking, you want a wide beam versus if you’re putting up a tent, you want a more focused beam. It retails at $60. You can find it at
bladehq.com for only $48.95.
You can find more great deals on headlamps at bladehq.com.
