GROUP TEST: Compact Headtorches

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 UKC/UKH Gear 31 Dec 2019
2am on the Cuillin Ridge Modern front-mounted headtorches are neat and lightweight, yet pack enough power for most needs. Here we look in depth at five alternatives across the price spectrum.

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 Tigger 01 Jan 2020
In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:

Zebralight's range might also be worth a review at some point, something like their H600W.

Mainly because it takes rechargeable 18650 batteries, is weather proof and they'll repair them for £12 + pp (even after 7 years of abuse). I'm in no way connected to their company but they've got good customer service and a solid product.

 simes303 02 Jan 2020
In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:

My headtorch was £15 from Decathlon. It's really bright and shines for around 20 hours.

It's also rechargeable.

Post edited at 09:20
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 Stone Muppet 02 Jan 2020
In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:

You should include something from Fenix in the test really

On second thoughts don't, me and my mates want to keep buying them while they're still little known and way better value than the mainstream options. What do cavers know about torches anyway

 Dave Garnett 02 Jan 2020
In reply to Stone Muppet:

> What do cavers know about torches anyway

That very thought occurred to me when I was last thinking about buying one.

But then I was in REI and picked up a Petzl Actik for a good price.  Very pleased with it. 

 top cat 02 Jan 2020
In reply to Stone Muppet:

My thoughts exactly!   Fenix has the caving market sewn up: I have four of their torches for underground and a couple for hill use..

Cavers are experts when it comes to torches and climbing up ropes , amongst other things

 TMM 02 Jan 2020
In reply to Stone Muppet:

> You should include something from Fenix in the test really

> On second thoughts don't, me and my mates want to keep buying them while they're still little known and way better value than the mainstream options. What do cavers know about torches anyway

Perhaps they declined to offer a sample for testing?

 TobyA 02 Jan 2020
In reply to simes303:

Si, we have a review of winter hardshell jackets coming up soon-ish, they nearly all ridiculously expensive, like 500 to 600 quid! So I'm warning you now because I'm a bit worried about your blood pressure.   I was also in Decathlon yesterday and noticed they had a pretty decent looking hardshell jacket for 40 quid, so maybe think about that and along with deep breathing exercises I think that might be the way to manage the shock.

Happy New Year to UKC's most consistent review thread commenter too! Hope you're enjoying it so far.

 Jiffy 02 Jan 2020
In reply to Tigger:

Agreed. I use a Zebralight H600Fc. The tint (closer to natural light) and high CRI (colour rendering index) really makes terrain like bog much clearer to distinguish. There's over 1500 lumens if you need them or can run at nearly 300 lumens for over 5 hours. For easy paths, 140 lumens runs for over 12 hours.

I also take a Emisar D1S for really far away stuff.

 Tigger 02 Jan 2020
In reply to Jiffy:

I had a look at that one when my Original H600 broke (fixed for £12) but got the H600W instead, still high CRI but slightly floodier than the H600 and I like the warmer LED for a little more contrast (to my eyes anyway). I also moved to these cells, Sanyo NCR18650GA 3350mAh - 10A, which seem to last longer than than what i was using (get a decent xtar vp2 charger for them though)

 Scouser 02 Jan 2020
In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:

Coast HL7. Also a cracking head torch. https://coastportland.com/collections/headlamps/products/hl7

 Dark-Cloud 03 Jan 2020
In reply to Scouser:

........and not compact in any shape or form, the battery pack looks like it will do nothing but get in the way being that way round.

 Timmd 03 Jan 2020
In reply to Tigger:

> Zebralight's range might also be worth a review at some point, something like their H600W.

> Mainly because it takes rechargeable 18650 batteries, is weather proof and they'll repair them for £12 + pp (even after 7 years of abuse). I'm in no way connected to their company but they've got good customer service and a solid product.

I don't go in for exclamation marks, much, but that's amazing! 

1
 simes303 04 Jan 2020
In reply to TobyA:

£600 for a jacket? The veins in my neck have just exploded!

Happy new year and stuff to you too.

Si.

 simes303 04 Jan 2020
In reply to TobyA:

Seriously though, this blows my mind. I had over five weeks in Scotland this summer. A week on Mull, a week on Lismore, a week in the Loch Awe area, some time around Loch Ken, and two weeks on Arran, and the whole trip including fuel there and back from Sheffield, ferry tickets, food, beer, several bottles of whisky, fishing permits, everything, only cost me £500. I just can't comprehend why anyone would pay £600 for a jacket.

Post edited at 19:09
 TobyA 04 Jan 2020
In reply to simes303:

I guess for some lucky people it's not actually a massive amount of money, and for others they feel its worth it if they get something that allows them to do the thing they love in difficult conditions. I definitely don't feel as scared or over-awed when out in the hills in a winter storm as I did back in the 90s when I was a student regularly winter climbing in the Highlands. It's not only because of better gear, but great shell jackets, head torches, bothy bags, belay jackets and GPS mapping on my phone, definitely make harsh weather a lot more manageable at least for me.

Of course lots of people buy technical outdoor gear that they will never use in harshest conditions it was designed for, but it helps gear improve for those who do use it to the extremes and provides some people jobs and so on.

 tmn 04 Jan 2020
In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:

> Exposure Verso Mk2 - £125

> The inbuilt 3100 mAh Lithium Ion battery of the standard torch unit charges via a USB, taking one hour from a 500mA source.

Not that it matters, but that does not quite add up.

Post edited at 23:20
 simes303 05 Jan 2020
In reply to TobyA:

Yeah, fair enough. If you've got loads of money I suppose you have to spend it on something. When I was young my parents really struggled on their income. Me and my brother had free school meals, wore homemade school uniform and other clothes, never ever went abroad on holiday etc. But despite that we had an amazing upbringing. We walked the Cotswold Way, Pennine Way, Pembroke coast, Devon and Dartmoor path, had week long backpacking holidays in Wales and the Lakes, ran the Three Peaks, The 14 3000s, loads of caving, climbing, camping all over the place, all on a super shoestring budget. I guess it rubbed off on us both. In the late 90s me and my brother had an 11 week Chamonix holiday which cost us £300 each for the entire trip including the coach there and back. (We didn't get involved in the "traditional" English climber shoplifting thing either). But we did end up incredibly fit from all the walking up and down from the valley with full packs to get to the routes we wanted to climb.

I'm looking forward to your jacket review. I promise not to moan.

Cheers, Si.

Post edited at 13:41

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