Know your gear

Look ma, NO hands!

In the time of hands-free and remote control mechanism we live in, it makes sense that this trend would also establish itself in outdoor lighting equipment. In fact, it is completely logical: if you need to light up a subject or area, it is usually because you need to DO something where there is no light. So, if you can light up the dark area and at the same time have your hands free for the task you have to perform, you would achieve two goals with one shot.

People working in confined spaces with little light, such as installers of airconditioning and electricians working in ceilings, have long been users of headlamps. But, recently the lighting trend in the outdoor market has also shifted towards headlamps. In fact, according to the Backpacking Light Magazine, headlamps are the number one outdoor specialty item bought by US consumers during summer. This trend seems to have established itself in SA as well.

Due to the growing popularity of headlights, there are literally dozens of brands and products available, which leads to the next problem: how to choose a light.

Applications

It is first of all necessary to determine exactly what the light is going to be used for, and, if this is known, where, i.e. in what circumstances. There are many applications for headlamps:

Hiking/backpacking: The user will need to see at least 30 metres ahead, although the terrain may sometimes require a longer beam. He will usually be carrying hiking equipment and will not want the battery pack to interfere with the top of his backpack. He may also not always have both hands free for frequent adjustments of the lamp. Since both LED’s and and halogen lamps have advantages for hiking, a hybrid is probably the best solution.

Cycling: The cyclist is going to be moving fast and can easily ‘catch up’ with a too short beam. The broad, deep throw of at least 50 m of a halogen lamp is therefore required, which means that he will carry more weight (batteries) in order not to sacrifice safety.

Running: For running, a shorter throw of 10 – 15 m is probably fine. The jerky movement of the head while running would however mean that a lamp with the batteries in the casing could bounce and move forward. A hybrid lamp would probably be more useful in this case.

Adventure racing: This multi-sport event (it could encompass mountain biking, trail running, kloofing, climbing, abseiling and paddling) during which it could be necessary to read a map, requires versatility, or more than one lamp. The lamp would also have to be completely weather resistant. Weight and bulk then becomes an issue.

Caving: A maximum throw, extreme waterproofing and a good battery life are the main requirements for caving. Once again a hybrid seems to be the solution.

Camping/braaiing: The ideal lamp would have a built-in burn detector or sing a wake-up song in case you fall asleep in your chair, but since that is not available, the main requirement is a short to medium throw strong enough to see whether that chop is ready, or for reading in your tent. The headlamp would almost certainly not be the only or the main source of lighting, which means that it need not be top of the range (and expensive).

Back-up : In most circumstances it is wise to have a back-up ready. This does not have to be a lamp of equivalent strength or features. Something smaller, lightweight and durable is the logical choice.

According to suppliers who are experienced users of headlights, a retailer should advise customers on the following aspects when choosing a headlight:

1: The headlamp design


The lamp should feel comfortable, but the wearer should also consider that a lamp that sits too close to the head can cause an annoying glare in the eyes. This is especially important for users wearing glasses.

Depending on the circumstances in which the lamp will be used, water and weather resistance is another factor to consider.

2: The type of lamp

There are three categories of head lamps:

Standard: i.e. halogen (gas), incandescent bulbs or xenon bulbs that have a longer, brighter beam or throw, but shorter life. Halogen lights can, for instance, have a beam reach of up to 175m, while the LED’s reach 65 metres. The beams of halogen lights are also brighter than LED lights, but constant improvement in the LED technology is closing the gap.

LED (Iight emitting diodes) come in hyper- bright or regular, depending on whether you want a a shorter beam, or longer life. LED lights have a broader, more diffused beam than halogens, which have a much narower focus, unless the light is lensed.

Hybrid: a combination of LED and halogen, seem to offer the best beam intensity, but there are disadvantages, such as weight.

3: The battery life of the lamp

This is where the LED’s kick the halogens out of the bus. A LED light with three AA batteries can give you 500 or more hours of lighting, depending on the mode (low, medium or high) at which you use it.

A halogen light will only have a burn time of 3 to 10 hours.

4: Functional burn time

The output from some lights follow a hyperbolic curve. It will start with a strong, long throw, but start declining after a period (this differs from lamp to lamp) and not really be functional for the full advertised time.

Other lamps shine at a constant brightness for a certain period of time and then warn you that the batteries are starting to go down.

The customer should be informed about the actual burn time in order to decide how much he wants to see and for how long.

5: The weight of the lamp

The LED’s also have a clear advantage in this regard. Some of the LED lamps weigh as little as 23 g. The more and the bigger the batteries, the longer/stronger the light, but the more the light will weigh. Weight should therefore be considered in conjunction with how the batteries are housed.

6: The battery pack

In the smaller lamps the batteries are stored in the casing of the lamp unit itself, which adds to its weight and can cause the lamp to slip forward. However, some lights have separate, detachable battery packs which are not attached to this unit.

This makes the light less cumbersome and more flexible, but the cable attaching the light to the pack, usually mounted at the back of the head, can become a hindrance in some circumstances.

Temperature has a distinct influence on battery life. Batteries die quicker in cold. Batteries housed in the same casing as the bulbs benefit from the heat given of f from the bulbs (halogens more so than LED’s). Separate battery packs can be carried close to the body and have the body heat lengthen its life.

7: Adjustability of the light

Both LED and halogen lights come in various configurations of adjustability in terms of emergency modes, brightness modes, hybrid adjustability, swivel, tilt switch mechanism or bulb replacement. Although a clear advantage, it has also been said that this feature on many lights is also its weak spot as the mechanism often becomes faulty. Therefore, inform the customer about the relevant guarantee.

8: The size of the light

LED ‘bulbs’ are much smaller than conventional bulbs. Up to 7 LED’s can be housed in a light that is smaller than a squash ball. If size is important, the design of the strap will most probably also be crucial.

9: The strap

All headlamps have at least one adjustable headstrap. These come in different sizes and some allow for the possibility of wearing it over a helmet. Some lamps also have a top strap, which fits over the centre of the user’s head, and keeps the light from slipping forward, thereby keeping it stable.

10: The switch

Switches — push buttons, slide switches and twist switches — are especially important in the case of lights with different mode settings. Customers should try it with gloves on as it is often necessary to change modes while in motion, or when wearing gloves. It is important for left-handed people to be able to reach the switch easily with their left hands, and vice versa. Switches that can accidentally be turned on in a backpack, resulting in flat batteries, can cause a nasty surprise in a crisis.

11: Cost of the lamps

In the majority of cases the customer’s budget will be the deciding factor in the lamp he chooses. He will, for instance, have to work out a compromise between power output, weight and battery life.

A general rule of thumb is that more normally costs more. This also applies to special features like waterproofing and emergency modes.

The customer should know that the weaker LED’s don’t blow, but the stronger halogens do — which means that a customer would have to carry spares if he chooses the option of the brigther light and longer throw of a halogen.

12: General

Lamps can come with built-in locator lights (low intensity flashing) and different kinds of reflectors. They can also have a red or green beam, which is convenient if a leader needs to convey direction to people following some distance behind.

LED’s are considered to be more environmentally friendly, as the batteries have a much longer life (average 10 000hrs) and do not tend to get thrown away in the veld.

The initial purchase price of LED lamps can be more expensive than halogen, but they are generally cheaper to run. They are usually not replaceable.