Posted:
Fri May 14, 2010 8:52 pmby Luciano136
For biking I use a Lights and Motion Vega. It's expensive but is 200 lumens, which is really the minimum you need in complete darkness.
Posted:
Fri May 14, 2010 9:33 pmby ARosenthal
rhyang wrote:Black Diamond Spot is pretty sweet for the price as long as you don't mind an external battery pack. Takes AA batteries instead of AAAs, so it's heavier but it lasts quite a long time.
Maybe you actually have a BD Icon ?
http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en ... hting/icon
My bad, you're totally right.
I used to have the spot and like you said it worked well, but the overall power and battery life was nowhere near as good as the Icon.
Posted:
Fri May 14, 2010 10:26 pmby harryquach
Posted:
Sat May 15, 2010 10:38 pmby 96avs01
Really? Depends on one's intended usage. I would never climb in the dark with that thing. YMMV
Posted:
Mon May 17, 2010 4:30 pmby Hotoven
96avs01 wrote:Really? Depends on one's intended usage. I would never climb in the dark with that thing. YMMV
I used that sucker on Rainier! (With a a different back up one in my pack of course) It got the job done. It wasn't as bright as the others in my party, but It was good enough. I would not lead with it though, not strong enough.
Posted:
Tue May 18, 2010 3:10 pmby Hotoven
96avs01 wrote:TacoDelRio wrote:So, the Mammut TX1 seems to be the way to go for an alpinist's lamp. Now all I need are 80 clams...
Or how about
$64
Or how about 59.00, I think its the same one?
http://www.moontrail.com/mammut-lucido-tx1.php
Posted:
Tue May 18, 2010 6:13 pmby 96avs01
Hotoven wrote:96avs01 wrote:TacoDelRio wrote:So, the Mammut TX1 seems to be the way to go for an alpinist's lamp. Now all I need are 80 clams...
Or how about
$64
Or how about 59.00, I think its the same one?
http://www.moontrail.com/mammut-lucido-tx1.php
Yep, it's the right one, though the $59 doesn't include free shipping.
Posted:
Sat May 22, 2010 3:36 amby pjames
I ended up buying the Surefire Saint after trying the display model in a local knife shop. For me, it has worked out superbly. Granted, I like to use my headlamp around the house, in the yard, while working on detailed projects like soldering, in addition to outdoor adventuring.
The implementation of the on/off/brightness knob of the Saint is sublime. I love being able to dial in the exact amount of light I want quickly and easily. It is night and day (pardon the pun) compared to the multi-click system of the Black Diamond Spot I previously owned. The bomb-proof Surefire construction also keeps me from wondering if my light is going to work on any given day (went through three Spots @ REI before finding the Saint).
The battery issue is a silly one, as CR123's are relatively common, often even available at gas stations. Generally if a town is large enough to have a grocery store, a drug store, or a hardware store, you'll be able to find them if need be. Anyway, I prefer to use rechargeables. The battery box of the full Saint gives the option to use three batteries for extra long runtime (or even your precious AA's if necessary), while still allowing you the "minimus mode" for ease of casual use.
I find the beam to be superbly designed as it illuminates your entire primary field of vision, and I always have light where I want, another thing I couldn't say of the Spot, despite its' two different light sources.
In about six months of use, I've had nothing but great experiences with the Saint, and have no desire to even consider looking at other headlamps. Sure, it is expensive for a headlamp, but you definitely get what you pay for. The build quality, usability, comfort, and options are far better than my previous headlamp experiences. If you find ordinary headlamps to be failure-prone, frustrating, imprecise, or uncomfortable, it is definitely worth a look.