Zipka

I'm not one to sit around and split hairs over gear. That being said, this may be the coolest piece of new gear I've ever seen. I certainly can't shut up about the Zipka whenever I use it.

This headlamp is pretty bright; bright enough for everything but night climbing. The battery is supposed to last for something like 30 hours at minimal brightness. Certainly as a light, this is as good as the crummy PrincetonTec Vor Tec. But the Zipka fits into a tiny pocket and is incredibly comfortable.

You might think that the string would squeeze your head, but it doesn't seem to. I did an 8-mile night run with this guy, and amazingly it a) didn't hurt my head (I almost forgot I had it on) and b) stayed attached very securely (never had to adjust it).

The extra $20 spent on the Zipka would be very well spent, in my opinion.

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Update: The Zipka performed pretty well on a cross-country night hike, but the light was a bit weak and diffuse. Still, it's a hell of a lot better than no headlamp, and its tiny size ensures that it will always end up in my pack. If you plan to do any serious night scrambling, you'll probably want a focusable lamp.

I have a Tikka, and agree that this thing is tops. Bright and light, I have several times carried it for hours on my hat after turning it off because I couldn't feel it and forgot about it up there.

I've had a Tikka for over a year, and it is perfect. Light, compact, well built, and the batteries really do last for ages. I've used it for caving, camoing, hiking at night, and onsighted several trad routes at night with it.

The only restriction I can see is if you do lots of night climbing, especially with difficult route finding, a stronger lamp with a halogen bulb, would be useful. Otherwise, this is very close to perfect gear.

This is a great little headlamp. I really like the zip cord because vanishes from your head like no big strap can. It is also more durable than I thought it would be and mine shows no wear. The light that this produces is awesome for camp tasks. It illuminates everything that I need to see verywell and makes doing things like cooking in the dark very easy.



It does have some problems however. My zipka (and some of my friend's ones) have started to flicker a little intermitently. Very annoying. Also, the foam on that holds it to your forehead started to come off on mine but it hasn't changed in about 3 months so i'm not worried.

I used one of these guys all summer, and yes, they last and fit your head well. I had a lot of trouble with the connections going bad, and on some night hikes, the light would randomly cut out. I'd have to take it off, open it up, and clean it out. Kind of scary when you are being stalked by a mountain lion.

Great for nothing more than a backup emergency light or camp light.



The zip system is not very secure and can't be relied on in actualy climbing conditions. It tended to slide around on my head and required constant adjustment.



The three LEDs put out adequate light for slow walking and camp duties but are useless for route finding or navigation.