Headlamps are a Glorious Thing

Have you ever had to fix a car at night?  What about reading a map in the dark?  Or setting up a tent in the dark when you got to camp a little later than you thought you would?  Or going out to check on the chickens or feed the horse after dark?  Or just going for a jog before daybreak?  You’ve got your flashlight in one hand and you’re trying to do everything else with the other hand.  Or you’ve had to enlist a friend to hold your light while you do the work and that light is never quite pointed where you want it.  Well, there’s a solution for that problem.  It’s a headlamp.

I love headlamps.  A headlamp is worn on your head instead of being carried in your hand. This leaves both hands free to do whatever needs done and keeps your light pointed where you’re looking!  It’s like magic.  Good magic.

I will admit to being a flashlight addict here, and headlamps are one of my favorite ways to light my path.  We have a headlamp in the house for every member of the family.  They make great gifts for the kids (the headlamp on the left is my daughter’s).  Our kids are supposed to keep their headlamps hanging on their bedposts, but they don’t always stay there–they are kids after all.  They use them for reading and playing and take them on camp outs and car trips.  Super handy.  Or un-handy as the case may be. ;)

When you’re shopping for a headlamp, there are a few things to consider.  One is battery location.  Our kids’ have the batteries right in the front at the light, but mine and sweet husband’s have the light in front wired around the head strap to a battery pack in back.  We get more light that way as there is room for a more powerful battery load.  And it balances the weight of the light, which isn’t really important on the kids’ lights since they run off one AAA battery and it doesn’t weigh much.

Because of the added weight of the more powerful light and battery pack, mine has a top strap on the head to keep the whole contraption from falling down over your eyes which would not be helpful!  The top strap also helps distribute the weight of the light over your whole head.  I’ve never thought my light weighed too much, but if you’re looking for light-weight emergency packing, you’ll probably want to stick with the smaller headlamps without the extended battery pack.

Another consideration is the battery type.  You can get headlamps that take button type batteries which would make them small and light, but they’ll be harder to get replacement batteries for.  I’ve stuck with AA and AAA as they’re our “standard” batteries around here.  We have rechargeable batteries in both those sizes, so it works well for us to have tools that use either AA or AAA batteries.

A third consideration is lamp type which will greatly affect battery life.  LED lights will make your batteries last longer, but may not be as bright as a Xenon or Krypton bulb.  Weigh your needs here.  Some headlamps come with both LED and another bulb type so you can alternate which you are using with the activity you’re doing.  A few come with colored lights (to preserve night vision or something like that).  Mine has a white light and a green light–the kids really love to use mine with the green light going–it’s high entertainment value.  Most headlamps also have different light settings–high power, low power, and strobe, so you can set your light to what you need.

And of course, the prices vary greatly.  You can get a headlamp as low as $5 or $6 on up to, well,  a lot of money.  We’ve stuck with the in-between price range.  Hubby’s was the most expensive of ours at around $50, but he loves it and it gives off more light than any of our other headlamps, so moving pipe in the field at night is no problem.

So, consider your needs in a headlamp and add one (or more) to your preparedness gear (or your “to buy” list).  They’re great for your survival kit or as a gift also.  You’ll enjoy the freedom of movement and availability of light that a headlamp offers.

Keep preparing!
Angela