This has been discussed before but...can someone recommend a waterproof LED headlamp? Want something not necessarily for on-water use - more for in camp and loading/unloading but want to carry it in my PFD so needs to handle water. Thanks in advance, K
My immediate thought Keith is if you don't necessarily need it for on-water use then why carry it in your PFD? I have religiously carried torches around in my PFD as part of my general equipment for ages and never needed them. One now rattles around in my day hatch. That being said I always carry one if paddling at dawn/dusk or at night along with statutory nav lights. If it's for on-land use then I reckon pretty much any lightweight head torch would do. My paddling colleagues and I have been using el-cheapo knock-offs of big name brands found in boat shops and electronics stores with remarkable success. If you want to carry it in your PFD I'd suggest using a compact AA battery hand torch on a lanyard for general use as they pack better and are less bulky. I have had mixed results with Princeton Tec torches, two of which have flooded during rolling even they are rated to 500ft (both replaced under warranty but unimpressive performance for the price). IMHO Pelicans are a better product. Petzel is very cagey on the waterproofness of their products so I'd give them a swerve. There are lots of good gear to be found in dive shops now as well. The size and quality of the seals, flexibility in ways it can be mounted and one handed operation are a key features to look for. Richard Sydney, Australia.
> are less bulky. I have had mixed results with Princeton Tec > torches, two > of which have flooded during rolling even they are rated to > 500ft (both > replaced under warranty but unimpressive performance for the price). I don't know how they've improved over the years, but my experience w/ Princeton Tec lights was dismal -- the tab on the cheaply-made battery hatch snaps off, leaving the unit totally worthless. This happened to me while on a climbing trip in Australia. I encountered other people with Princeton Tec lights who experienced exactly the same failure. I was surprised/disappointed to hear Petzls aren't sufficiently waterproof. They're really good in terrestrial environments and I would have hoped they'd work in water as well. Perhaps they make some caving/spelunking units that are more appropriate than those for camping/climbing ? *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> I don't know how they've improved over the years, but my experience w/ > Princeton Tec lights was dismal -- the tab on the cheaply-made battery hatch > snaps off, leaving the unit totally worthless. This happened to me while on > a climbing trip in Australia. I encountered other people with Princeton Tec > lights who experienced exactly the same failure. I was surprised/disappointed to hear >Petzls aren't sufficiently waterproof. They're really good in terrestrial environments Must've been Princeton *headlamps* (Aurora etc), since Princeton Tec flashlights with cylindrical bodies have no hatches for the most part. Such flashlights turn on and off by rotating the reflector around the body. Should be quite waterproof, until rubber O-ring fails, or after screwing/unscrewing it many times, so the thread would wear out. On the contrary, headlamps Aurora (and Petzl, I think) have a wide hatch, even though with a rubber O-ring, but without a thread, so don't expect it to be waterproof. But, yes, they are OK for heavy rainfall or even occasional dunking shallow water. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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