Help picking a headlamp

[Bluto]

Thank you all for the suggestions. I really didn't factor weight so much but after reading around and wearing my el-cheap-o home depot headlamp for a few hours I definitely felt the weight aspect. I went ahead and ordered the nitecore NU43. The NU50 I was originally considering is about an ounce heavier with a very minimal difference in performance. 11 hours vs 10 hours for an extra ounce isn't really worth it and even with the thermal stepdown the runtime is a worthwhile tradeoff. Will try it out and go from there.

Thanks again!

Thought I'd drop a quick update... thanks to Amazon I had this thing the next day. At first glance, it's really nice but there is one flaw that is a deal killer...

The "turbo" mode lasts for a couple of minutes and then steps down but the other modes, including high, are really impressive. Honestly I was expecting a lot of stepping down but it maintains the high level for at least the 5 hours I left it on and only used half the battery life. I'm sure medium and low would be equally impressive. I also really like the extra wide headband and the ratcheting system they use to angle the light. Really solid on the head without noticing the weight. Super comfortable. I could easily wear this all night and not complain.

The only drawback is that it has this stupid proximity sensor that automatically lowers the output significantly when you have something directly in front of you. I used the headset to switch some cables behind a wall mounted TV and it constantly dimmed right when I needed the most light. There is no way to disable this "feature". It doesn't matter what level you are currently using it in when it dims. Turbo, high, medium; all dim to low. I could it as a benefit if it were smarter. For example not blinding someone on your team if you inadvertently stare them in the face or when you switch from hiking to reading a map, but it's too inconsistent and slow to work like that in real life.

That being said, it's going back and the search continues. I have the Black Diamond Storm 500-R on order and will see how that one goes...

[ChattanoogaPhil]

First thing is what are you using it for?

I have quite a few headlamps, and for the most part I would recommend a Petzl, as the just work well. But I have a $12 Energizer headlamp I use for hunting that's been dunked in the water I don't know how many times and it still works fine. It's awesome even though it's only got some 300 lumens, but when you're using it you're really only illuminating what's within maybe 15 feet of you, otherwise I have a actual flashlight that I use for anything further.
I have a PrincetonTec 78 lumen light that I have in my tactical kit that has a red lens window ensuring that I cannot ND white light with it, and that's all I really need for patrol based movements.

https://www.amazon.com/Petzl-Compact...8&sr=1-12&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000RLJZX0...roduct_details

https://www.amazon.com/Energizer-Mid...1zcF9hdGY&th=1

As long as it works for the intended purpose... that's what matters.

While Bluto is away with his trial and error headlamp search I thought I'd kill a couple minutes and waste some bandwidth.

I use a headlamp and hat light for walking the dog in the early AM. Navigating outside stairs to the shop in the PM, and working on guns. No high-speed low-drag tactical ops. Surefire Sidekick (1oz) on the ball cap works quite well. MUCH prefer it to a headlamp strapped to my skull. It's been reliable for years... on third cap now. During winter the Streamlight strap around a knit beanie is fine. Honestly, for my intended use there's nothing I've seen in this thread that I'd prefer to have than my Sidekick cap. I can already hear the M4C groans and chuckles.

Cheers.

[Hank6046]

As long as it works for the intended purpose... that's what matters.

While Bluto is away with his trial and error headlamp search I thought I'd kill a couple minutes and waste some bandwidth.

I use a headlamp and hat light for walking the dog in the early AM. Navigating outside stairs to the shop in the PM, and working on guns. No high-speed low-drag tactical ops. Surefire Sidekick (1oz) on the ball cap works quite well. MUCH prefer it to a headlamp strapped to my skull. It's been reliable for years... on third cap now. During winter the Streamlight strap around a knit beanie is fine. Honestly, for my intended use there's nothing I've seen in this thread that I'd prefer to have than my Sidekick cap. I can already hear the M4C groans and chuckles.

Cheers.

I appreciate your honesty. I don't understand the people who want all the lumens of a F350 light bar strapped to their head (this is not a weapon light and should not be judged by the same criteria), I get the reliability part for sure, but a headlamp to me is so I can see things in my work space and have my hands free. I use them all the time when hunting and camping and I like something fairly reliable and handy. If your talking tactical the name of the game is signature reduction, so I just like a Red lens model preferably, with anything I think the KISS method is sometimes ignored with accessories, and the new "Instagram Hotness" is what people want

[DoubleW]

PETZL

[Uncas47]

^ This ^

[DoubleW]

I dropped a PETZL from a tree stand once in the dark. After I got down I couldn’t find it so I just left. I went back to that stand almost a year later to the day, found it, and it still worked, same batteries and all. A year of cold, heat, rain and snow.

[CrowCommand]

Not to pee in your Cheerios, but I have had Coast lights fail. Granted, I believe it was purchased at ChinaMart….but I was pretty disappointed.

[titsonritz]

I use a headlamp and hat light for walking the dog in the early AM. Navigating outside stairs to the shop in the PM, and working on guns. No high-speed low-drag tactical ops. Surefire Sidekick (1oz) on the ball cap works quite well. MUCH prefer it to a headlamp strapped to my skull. It's been reliable for years... on third cap now. During winter the Streamlight strap around a knit beanie is fine. Honestly, for my intended use there's nothing I've seen in this thread that I'd prefer to have than my Sidekick cap. I can already hear the M4C groans and chuckles.

Cheers.

I miss my Sidekicks, had a couple of them… killed then both with no replacement available.

[ubet]

I’ve had really good luck with these headlamps. I have the 1250 lumen one, batteries, has red and green. What I like is that I can adjust the throw through three different settings, narrow to wide with just a twist. It’s not tacticool but I use them 4 nights a week and they last. https://coastportland.com/collections/headlamps

I have some “fancy” black diamond rechargeable thing that I use when I fly, and it’s “ok” for that. It can’t touch the coast for power though. The bd is lighter and smaller but the interface isn’t as easy and it doesn’t have the power. I’ve used the coast 4 nights a week from -45f to 110f and they’ve just worked, rain snow, jet fuel, deice fluid, dropped, thrown into lockers, not cared about one bit, they’ve just worked.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Inkslinger]

I’ve been using the Fenix HM50R for backpacking. I like that you can adjust it up or down unlike some others where they have a top and bottom to the lamp. I can take it off the band and use it as a flashlight and it can also be clipped on my gear. Rechargeable, multiple brightness settings, and red light.