Regular wear headlamp for outdoor activities in the winter

Dodosaur

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Sep 5, 2018
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Winter is coming and in order to avoid seasonal boredom I want to try to keep doing my outdoor hobbies with a good headlamp. I also want this to double as a camping/backpacking/hiking headlamp.

TLDR:
  • Will be on head for extended periods of time so I prefer for it to not be too heavy
  • Needs a rechargeable power source, flexible on the type, but it also needs to be able to take easy-to-carry and obtain backup power sources (e.g. AA, AAA, C-cell)
  • Needs to be able to illuminate up to 50 yards to a level where I can easily identify anything within those 50 yards, and have a wide and bright enough throw that I can easily identify anything at least 15 yards to the left and right
  • Strongly prefer a battery life of over an hour while meeting those illumination requirements, but am willing to live with having to change out the battery
  • $100 budget, but am willing to flex if it meets more of my preferences (more preferences in the details below)


1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?

Online or in-person, doesn't matter. Located in NorCal.


2) Budget: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest! :)

Up to $100.


3) Format:

I prefer a self-contained headlamp but am willing to consider ones with external power sources.


4) Size:

Not sure how to described headlamp sizes, but it's going to be worn for long periods of time so I need it to not be too heavy.


5) Emitter/Light source:

LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)


6) Manufacturer:

I want to buy a light from a large/traditional manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.


7) What power source do you want to use?

Short answer: NiMH in AA format
Long answer: I want something rechargeable as I'm going to be using this regularly, but I also want it to be able to take AA/AAA/C batteries so I can carry backups for backpacking and hiking. I know NiMH, being AA format, is the obvious answer here, but I'm also willing to consider other power sources with AA/AAA/C converters/adapters.


7a) If you have selected a rechargeable option

It'd be cool to be able to recharge directly from the headlamp, but I don't care that much.


8) How much genuine out the front (OTF) light do you want/need? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is not a happy experience).

I want to illuminate my entire backyard or a campsite (150-300 lumens).
I want to illuminate an entire field, the neighbor's front yard several houses down, impress my friends and neighbors, etc. (300-700 lumens).



9) Flood vs Throw: Flood covers an area, Throw reaches out to a distance.

All Flood: I am doing "arms length" tasks like reading and campsite cooking.
Wide Flood: I want a defined flood area for semi-close tasks like after-dark campsite tasks or working on a car.

It'd be nice to have something that can also adjust to Narrow Flood or Wide Throw, but this needs to have a Wide Flood/All Flood. I'm an archer and need a beam wide enough to be able to ensure the range is safe before each shot.


9a) Distance: How far away will you typically need to see with this light (check all that apply)
30-50 yards/meters (I have a big backyard)
50-150 yards/meters (I live in a very rural area/farm with wide open spaces)


10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum continuous output).

90-120 minutes (Runtime is moderately important, but still not critical)
3 hours + (I critically need this light to run on max for extended periods in between battery changes/charges).


11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.

Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box).


12) Switch Size, Type, and location (choose all that apply):

I don't care.
I don't know.


13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.

I want multiple light levels.


14)Material/Finish/Coating

I don't know.


15) Water resistance

IPX7 (Waterproof to 1 meter/30min)
IPX8 (Submersible to greater than 1 meter for 4 hours)


16) Storage conditions

In house (temperature/climate controlled environment)
 
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iamlucky13

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 11, 2016
Messages
1,139
Your budget is plenty for a Zebralight H53Fw or H53Fc. The former has very slightly higher output, and the latter has slightly better color rendition. They're one of the favorite brands around here for overall features and quality.

Peak output is around 300 lumens for less than an hour, but they can do around 50 lumens for 8 hours, which I find plenty for even fairly detailed arm's length tasks, and a good level for hiking.

Other 1xAA headlamps that are well-liked around here include the Armytek Tiara, Thrunite TH20, and Manker E03H. If you like a simpler user interface, the Fenix HL23 or HL50 should be good options.

You can't get much more output or runtime at a given level without having a larger, heavier multi-cell headlamp, or going with a lithium-ion powered headlamp. The bigger headlamps usually have a third strap over the top of the head to provide better comfort for long term wearing. Let us know if you do need options that provide more output or runtime before swapping batteries.
 

Dodosaur

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Sep 5, 2018
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Your budget is plenty for a Zebralight H53Fw or H53Fc. The former has very slightly higher output, and the latter has slightly better color rendition. They're one of the favorite brands around here for overall features and quality.

Peak output is around 300 lumens for less than an hour, but they can do around 50 lumens for 8 hours, which I find plenty for even fairly detailed arm's length tasks, and a good level for hiking.

Other 1xAA headlamps that are well-liked around here include the Armytek Tiara, Thrunite TH20, and Manker E03H. If you like a simpler user interface, the Fenix HL23 or HL50 should be good options.

You can't get much more output or runtime at a given level without having a larger, heavier multi-cell headlamp, or going with a lithium-ion powered headlamp. The bigger headlamps usually have a third strap over the top of the head to provide better comfort for long term wearing. Let us know if you do need options that provide more output or runtime before swapping batteries.
Thanks for the recommendation. I probably do need a bit more runtime at decently high lumens.
My main hobby is archery, which is normally done outdoors, and in the winter I'll probably be doing it at twilight hours or maybe even in the dark on some days. The backstop is 50-60 yards away from where you stand, and I need to be able to illuminate up to that distance, as well as wide enough to account for a bad shot, to be able to practice safely. Normally I practice an hour and a half to two hours in a single session, but during the winter I'm probably going to drop this to an hour or so. I want to do this without switching out batteries in the middle, but I can live with that if I have to.

I'm okay with a lithium-ion setup, as long as there's some way for it to take AA/AAA/C batteries as well in a pinch (I've seen some companies include converters for them). I'll even stretch by budget a bit over $100 if I can find something that fits those requirements.

EDIT: How are converters/adapters for 3x AA to 18650? Reliable or not?
 
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LeanBurn

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Feb 3, 2010
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Location
Alberta
With a headlamp you will have the bow assembly very close in proximity to your face/headlamp. This could potentially cast large shadows ahead of you and play with your accuracy etc. Have you tried a headlamp to see how it interacts with the gear?

What about a wrist mounted light? The light would be mounted in front of the bow assembly allowing full illumination to the target and surrounding.
 

iamlucky13

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 11, 2016
Messages
1,139
My main hobby is archery, which is normally done outdoors, and in the winter I'll probably be doing it at twilight hours or maybe even in the dark on some days. The backstop is 50-60 yards away from where you stand, and I need to be able to illuminate up to that distance, as well as wide enough to account for a bad shot, to be able to practice safely. Normally I practice an hour and a half to two hours in a single session, but during the winter I'm probably going to drop this to an hour or so. I want to do this without switching out batteries in the middle, but I can live with that if I have to.

I'm okay with a lithium-ion setup, as long as there's some way for it to take AA/AAA/C batteries as well in a pinch (I've seen some companies include converters for them). I'll even stretch by budget a bit over $100 if I can find something that fits those requirements.

EDIT: How are converters/adapters for 3x AA to 18650? Reliable or not?

For your use, I'm inclined to suggest a relatively low output, floody headlamp for helping handle your bow, etc, plus a flashlight with moderately throwy beam you can mount on a tripod or otherwise set up aimed at the target area from a distance.

If the headlamp is bright enough to have a good view of the targets 50-60 yards away, it will be way too bright at your bow, as Leanburn observed, and headlamps often aren't designed for distance illumination anyways.

3xAAA to 18650 adapters are usually seen with very cheap lights. They're too fat for most of the better 18650-powered lights. I also tend to stick with recommending lights that can use NiMH batteries for recommendations to most people, because lithium-ion batteries merit learning some basic safety precautions, since over-charging, over-discharging, and poorly made cells can all be a concern with lithium ion. The precautions aren't onerous, but I assume most people don't care to learn them.

A potentially good pairing for your use is the Thrunite TH20 headlamp (1xAA), and Thrunite Archer 2 flashlight (2xAA). For even more flashlight power, there is the Thrunite TN4A (4xAA), but it might have a slightly tighter beam than you want for seeing where bad shots go.

If you want to dip your toes into the lithium-ion powered world, the Thrunite TC12 or the Thrunite Neutron 2C simplify battery management for you since they have a built-in USB charging function.

The reason I mention Thrunite so much is not because they are the best in any specific way, but because I think they offer a good balance of features, quality, and price for a wide variety of users, and should fit your budget.

An interesting feature of the TH20 headlamp that might be useful is instead of typical high, medium, and low modes, it has a smooth ramping user interface so you can really fine-tune the brightness. I could see this helping get just the right illumination on your sights to match what the flashlight is putting on your target. The Neutron has this feature, too.
 

Dodosaur

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Sep 5, 2018
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Being too bright on my bow is a good point. I have used a headlamp with a bow before but it was during dusk so there was a lot more ambient light.

I can get a picatinny rail mount that fits over my stabilizer (the counterweight thing that a lot of people have on their bows), then attach a flashlight mount or weapons light on that for shooting, then use a headlamp for picking arrows and other miscellaneous tasks. Would the Thrunite Archer 2 be good for attaching like that, and can it run for the better part of an hour without changing out batteries (using NiMH)? (I have a newly obtained Zanflare F2 but its tail switch is defective and I'm within the return window, I might replace it with the Thrunite as I like the controls better on it.) If so, I'll probably get one of those along with a Zebralight or that TH20 you recommended.
 

iamlucky13

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Oct 11, 2016
Messages
1,139
The Thrunite Archer will have a broader beam than the Zanflare, but because it has higher lumen output, still reach about as far.

It should run at max output for around 1.5 hours on rechargeable batteries.

A picatinny mount seems like it should work, but I don't know exactly what's available in those mounts.
 

Dodosaur

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Joined
Sep 5, 2018
Messages
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The Thrunite Archer will have a broader beam than the Zanflare, but because it has higher lumen output, still reach about as far.

It should run at max output for around 1.5 hours on rechargeable batteries.

A picatinny mount seems like it should work, but I don't know exactly what's available in those mounts.
Usually it can take a 1 inch diameter light mount. There's not a whole lot of lights that fit that, but I think a common one is the MagLite XL series. The XL50 looks like something I can get behind. But it might actually be better to go with a flashlight mounted on a tripod instead.
 
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