Headlamp
Sometimes, when it’s dark outside, you just have to keep both hands free - maybe you’re cooking over a campfire, skiing at night, or exploring caves with your friends. So where do you put your flashlight? On your head, of course!
Buying a headlamp
Thanks to an adjustable elastic strap that circles the crown, a headlamp is worn on the forehead. They’re great for all sorts of outdoor activities. If you find yourself cycling in poor visibility, or walking late on the trail, a good headlamp lets you see your way while leaving your hands free to grip handlebars or steady yourself on rough terrain.
There are two types of headlamps on the market: those that use a conventional incandescent light bulb (of the halogen type, or with a gas like xenon or krypton), and those that use LEDs (or light-emitting diodes).
Although headlamps featuring conventional bulbs have long dominated the market, LED styles are gaining ground fast. It’s not hard to see why. LED types are lighter and more compact, and don’t mind extreme temperatures or rough handling. Furthermore, they provide long-lasting light and battery life (up to 150 hours), last up to 100,000 hours before burning out and use much less energy. Light-emitting diodes turn 90 percent of the energy they use into light and just 10 percent into heat. Conventional bulbs can only manage a ratio of 80 and 20 percent.
The main advantage of headlamps equipped with incandescent bulbs is the intensity, greater power and wider range of their light, which make them preferable for the kinds of activities that demand a really strong light source, such as caving, trekking high in the mountains, skiing, jogging and so on. LED types are ideal for most other situations. Although its slightly blue-tinted light cannot penetrate the darkness quite as far, it more than gets the job done.
Keep in mind that some headlamps combine both these lighting methods, so you can be sure of getting the best possible view, whatever the circumstance might be. They allow you to use a conventional bulb when you need really high-powered light, and an LED type in settings where intensity is less critical.
Generally speaking, LED headlamps use three to five small diodes, or a single large one, in which case they are sometimes equipped with a retractable diffuser so you can switch between long-range spot and area lighting, depending on your needs.
LED headlamps normally offer three levels of brightness, plus a flasher mode (great for cyclists) and, sometimes, a booster mode that can supply as much as 50 percent more light for a short period of time.
One last thing to consider when shopping for a headlamp: the battery case is usually incorporated in the lamp, but some extra-powerful models put the case on the back of the head for better weight distribution.
Use
Always carry extra batteries with you and, if you have a headlamp that uses a conventional bulb, pack a replacement bulb as well.
Use alkaline batteries—they last longer. Lithium batteries can be used with conventional bulbs, but they aren’t recommended for some types of LED headlamps because they can overheat the diodes and damage them.
To extend the life of your batteries, always use the lowest level of light needed to get the job done, especially in cold weather, which usually reduces battery performance.
Maintenance
If you don’t plan on using your headlamp for an extended period, be sure to remove its batteries in order to avoid any damage from leakage.
And remember not to throw batteries in the garbage! Instead, take them to the nearest battery-recycling centre.