BMC Skills Tips: Don't Get Caught In The Dark
UKH Article: The Dark Art Of Night Navigation by Paul Lewis:
"You want to squeeze in an extra multi-pitcher on Gable Crag but it takes longer than you thought. Someone in your team sprains their ankle near the summit of Glyder Fawr and you have to snail pace it back to Ogwen Cottage. At sunset you find your path blocked by fallen rocks and the alternative route involves a 7km detour... Although good planning and solid daytime navigation are your first defence against getting caught out after dark, there are still loads of reasons why darkness can catch you out while still far from basecamp."
Here follows a selection of the latest headtorches for Autumn/Winter 2011, priced from £12.50 including P&P to £85, along with handy accessories: the Petzl CORE rechargeable battery and the Mammut Ambient Light headtorch light diffuser.
The new X-Shot Ambient Light converts the X-Shot from a torch to a diffused light.
Weight: 35g, RRP: £12.
Mammut X-Shot RRP £85
(See below)A new multi-functional headlamp designed with mountaineers in mind. Total Reflex Optic combines HiFlux LED for the spotlight with two lateral definition LEDs for the floodlight.
- 200 lumens
- Very high light values and 4 light options ensure perfect vision in every situation.
- Max battery life: 90h
- Max light range: 110m
- Weight: 95g / 150g (without/with batteries)
- Additional features include: alpine emergency signal, red rear light and battery indicator.
More info on the Mammut website.
Black Diamond Spot RRP £39.99
A full-featured, super-bright headlamp, the Spot is the light to own if you can only have one. it boasts an array of lighting modes customizable to any fast-paced activity.
- 1 DoublePower LED, 2 SinglePower white LEDs and 2 SinglePower red LEDs emit 75 lumens (max setting)
- Red night vision mode has proximity and strobe settings, and activates without cycling through the white mode.
- Sleek, low profile design uses 3 AAA batteries
- Settings include full strength in proximity and distance modes, dimming, strobe, red night vision and lock mode.
- Three-level power meter shows remaining battery life for 3 seconds after switching on headlamp.
- Protected against splashing or sprayed water from any angle (IPX 4)
More info on the Black Diamond website.
Petzl Tikka Plus2 RRP £40
The Tikka Plus 2 headtorch integrates two light sources for versatility: one white, high-output LED and one red LED. The white LED delivers an impressive 50 lumens in maximum mode and lights up to 35m. In economic mode, it can reach a burn-time of 140 hours. The red LED provides spare lighting to preserve night vision or to become a safety strobe light for biking etc.
- Three white lighting modes (maximum, economic and flashing mode)
- Two red lighting modes: continuous and strobe
- Electronic push-button switch
- Battery pack easy to open
- Light beam can be aimed
- Battery charge indicator light (comes on when the headlamp illuminates for less than 5m and there is only 50% burn-time remaining for proximity lighting)
- Compatible with lithium batteries (lighter than alkaline batteries, better performance at lower temperatures)
- Adjustable headband
More info on the Petzl website.
Petzl CORE rechargeable battery
Designed for the TIKKA 2 - ZIPKA 2 line of headlamps, the CORE battery offers an advantage over regular batteries. It is very easy to insert and can be charged via any standard USB charger: a cell phone charger, a multimedia device, cigar lighter charger, or even a solar panel, a portable energy source, a computer, etc.The CORE offers excellent performance at low temperatures, thanks to Lithium Ion Polymer technology. With the OS by Petzl software, the user can customize headlamp performance in a number of ways: for example, to adapt the lighting intensity or battery life to the type of activity.
The Alpkit Gamma £12.50 (inc P and P)
A compact, lightweight, multifunction LED headtorch. The main XPC Cree LED produces up to 88 lumens for maximum illumination, whilst to save on battery life the 5mm LED offers ample light for many night time tasks. The red and green lights offer versatility in the mountain environment for maintaining night vision and reading contours. A rear red light on the battery pack with optional strobe mode adds further functionality, ideal for added safety when walking down dark country lanes. The Gamma can also be easily mounted on handle bars or helmet for bike use.
- Instant off from any mode
- XPC Cree LED or 5mm LED modes
- Single multi operation button
- Pivotable head unit
- Emergency strobe mode
- Adjustable elastic headband
- Water resistant: tested to IPX4
- Duracell batteries included
- IPX4 Water Resistance
- The IPX4 rating means the torch has been tested for 'Ingress protection' - the torch will be fine for water splashing against the torch from any direction, the test uses 10litres of water per minute for 5 minutes. With no harmful effect to the torch.1 x XPC Cree LED (up to 88 lumens)
- 3 x 5mm LED's Red, White, Green (1.8 lumens)
- Weight: 118g with batteries
- Batteries: 3 x 1.5V AAA alkaline (included)
More info on the Alpkit website.
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