Headlamp for hunting

Crazytrout

Crazytrout

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
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Good Day,

We like to get into our hunting spots well before legal light and generally spend a lot of time day/night outdoors.
We have been using Petzl brand headlamps however looking to see what CGN members are using.
We like the option of different levels of brightness and looking for one that has a lot of brightness as an option.

Thank-you in advance for your options.

Regards
CT
 
I picked up a three pack of Duracell branded headlights at Costco. They are extraodrinarily bright with fresh batteries but do use the 3 AAAs up pretty quick. High beam, low beam, flood and red light options
 
savagelh said:
I've been happy with black diamond storms. Have had a couple. I really like that it can be locked off. Takes a bit to learn all of the functions though.
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Would second the black diamond. Petzl is easy to use and small/light, but are a little more limited to what they can do, kind of basic. The storm lets you adjust the brightness of each mode as well as switch colour.

blasted_saber said:
I picked up a three pack of Duracell branded headlights at Costco. They are extraodrinarily bright with fresh batteries but do use the 3 AAAs up pretty quick. High beam, low beam, flood and red light options
Click to expand...

Have a duracell as well, works well, is bright, but the one i have is kind of bulky/heavy compared to others. I haven't use it enough to comment on battery life, but very bright.
 
Been using the Petzl Tactikka over the past 15 years and 2 product generations and remain happy with it.

3 intensity settings on white + strobe, and the choice of RGB.

Ryan
 
If you're looking for the light of God I would suggest checking out Coast headlamps. I have the FL75 and It puts every headlamp I've come across to shame including black diamonds and other generic headlamps.

I get a kick out of it when I go camping, someone turns on their headlamp and then I turn on my coast and they just say "oh" lol

They have higher models above the FL75 as well. But I haven't had a chance to use them.
 
blasted_saber said:
I picked up a three pack of Duracell branded headlights at Costco. They are extraodrinarily bright with fresh batteries but do use the 3 AAAs up pretty quick. High beam, low beam, flood and red light options
Click to expand...

I just grabbed that 3 pack the other day, and modified it with a hook n loop backing. 5 light modes including "red light" waterproof and battery disconnect mode.

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IMG-20211115-100330.jpg
 
Crazytrout said:
...
We have been using Petzl brand headlamps however looking to see what CGN members are using.
We like the option of different levels of brightness and looking for one that has a lot of brightness as an option...
Click to expand...

All major manufacturers have different models with different outputs at different price points. You just need to decide how much light and what features you want.

What's the output of your current headlamps? What are you hoping a replacement will do better?

Are you hunting in super wet or super cold conditions? Do you want a red light mode (preserving night vision)?


For most of our hunting, we really don't use much light at all - Just enough to stay on a defined trail to get us to a known destination. If your hunting involves navigating unknown areas or following blood trails in the dark, then you really can't have too much light.
 
FEDGE2.0 said:
If you're looking for the light of God I would suggest checking out Coast headlamps. I have the FL75 and It puts every headlamp I've come across to shame including black diamonds and other generic headlamps. ....
Click to expand...

Cool - That looks like serious light output at that pricepoint. How do they hold up?

There are much brighter headlamps available, but of course they cost more. And it's not just lumens that matter, but how they lens it (spot vs. flood). Every lamp is a compromise, just like with rifles, optics, hunting dogs and everything else.

In terms of design and build quality, Petzl is reliably the frontrunner IMO. I've been using them for more than 20 years in severe wet/cold conditions, as have many friends and acquaintances over that time. I've tried various competitors but always come back to Petzl. They generally seem to have smarter design: Better form (low profile, less snaggy), better ergonomics (switches that work with gloves, comfy headbands), better materials, better weatherproofing and better lifespan. Not to mention intelligent choices around lamping and lensing (works well for distance and mapreading).

For a headlamp that sees lots of mileage, one of the Petzl models would be my choice. For something that gets light/occasional use, that gets replaced frequently, and that you don't have to worry about losing too much, then cheap and cheerful is perfectly fine.
 
Best headlamps these days are made by Phenix, we switch to that brand a few years ago after using al kind of different brands and models for the last 30 years(use to run dogs for a living) 24 of those years living in the Yukon where you pretty much have a headlamp strapped to your head from October to March!! The Phenix brand are really well made, extruded aluminum body, great quality LED lights, waterproof and rechargeable! They are not the cheapest money wise but they will outlast many other brand that are in the same price range!! If you think they are expensive google Lupin head lamps…..
 
alpining said:
All major manufacturers have different models with different outputs at different price points. You just need to decide how much light and what features you want.

What's the output of your current headlamps? What are you hoping a replacement will do better?

Are you hunting in super wet or super cold conditions? Do you want a red light mode (preserving night vision)?


For most of our hunting, we really don't use much light at all - Just enough to stay on a defined trail to get us to a known destination. If your hunting involves navigating unknown areas or following blood trails in the dark, then you really can't have too much light.
Click to expand...

Same here. In fact I generally have my Black Diamond head lamp set at low power as all I need is enough light to see the trail when hiking in and I don't need to have search light brightness coming out of it but its great to have that capability for when/if its needed.
Something else to keep in mind is what type of batteries your headlamp uses. I like AA batteries as my FRS radio and GPS both use those so I just bring a long a few spares and I'm covered for all my powered gear.
 
I've been using the Petzl Tactikka as well. Easy to switch between the red and white light modes, and the three power levels in white light are useful. I've got four in my family and haven't had issues with any of them.

The only other headlamp I've used (other than industrial ones in underground mines...) is an old Petzl headlamp from the 90s. What a difference switching from that to a modern LED when I got the Tactikka.
 
FEDGE2.0 said:
If you're looking for the light of God I would suggest checking out Coast headlamps. I have the FL75 and It puts every headlamp I've come across to shame including black diamonds and other generic headlamps.

I get a kick out of it when I go camping, someone turns on their headlamp and then I turn on my coast and they just say "oh" lol

They have higher models above the FL75 as well. But I haven't had a chance to use them.
Click to expand...

Your FL75 is 435 lumens, my BD Storm 400 is 400 lumens and my Olight has 2500 lumens. I'm sure its a decent headlamp but I'm not sure it qualifies as the light of God.
 
My brother showed me one he picked up at Princess Auto for $3. It chucked a lot of light, was about the same size as my Petzl, and you can buy a bucket full of them for not very much. Likely cheaper to buy new than to buy batteries.

Even the cheap junk has been getting better and better of late!

IMO, whichever one is at hand when you need it, is the best one!
 
blasted_saber said:
I picked up a three pack of Duracell branded headlights at Costco. They are extraodrinarily bright with fresh batteries but do use the 3 AAAs up pretty quick. High beam, low beam, flood and red light options
Click to expand...

I have something similar, called the Cyclops. Works well, use it for walking the dogs, working on crap that breaks in the middle of the night. Also has a strobe on it, it'll make you puke.

The three AAAs give decent life, if I were hunting, I'd carry some spares. Mine came in a two pack.

Nitro

addendum: I looked online, the Cyclops has a 210 Lumen output, Max. IMHO that is what you would want, minimum. I like the beam it throws. You do develop owl eyes, IOW, you move your head to change your view.

My wife kinda busted my chops when I bought it, a few months later she tells me it works good when she had to go outside after dark.
 
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I have both a good quality more expensive head lamp and also some super cheap ones but I always have my good head lamp in my hunting pack as I'm a little leery of the light failing me when it's sunset and I just tipped over an animal and its critical that I have light available for the gutting job and the drag back to the vehicle. The cheaper lights are certainly good these days but I have had them fail and I don't need that happening when I'm hunting.
 
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