Advantages of Headlights for Camping

First of all, as expected, the main feature of a headlight is to provide necessary lighting while leaving your hands completely free and at your disposal to do whatever you planned on doing. Plus, it illuminates the area where your head is turned, thus providing a focus of illumination in the same direction as your eyes. And, lastly, when using high-quality headlights for camping you will not see any shadows or dead spots, regardless of the area you need to explore. They are powerful enough to brighten the space completely and come with a high level of light intensity.

Make Sure that You Invest in the Best Possible Option

1.  Light Performance or Intensity of Light

This feature is also known as lighting power, as it entails the amount of light that is being emitted in all directions when the headlight is used. This power output is measured in lumens and it is supposed to be one of the first things you check before deciding on a model. Remember, the greater the number of lumens, the greater the illumination the product will provide. But, that doesn’t make the following features any less important.

2.  Light Beam or Cone of Light

The light beam actually shows how the power of light is actually distributed and whether the source of light is wider or more concentrated. Here are the types you need to familiarize yourself with:

• Wide – The light source in headlights for camping with wide beam that offers a broad field of illumination, making it an ideal type for close work or when you need to see a wide field up close;
• Focused – In this case the light source illuminates a great distance with excellent level of precision;
• Mixed – This is a combination of the previous two types, offering both wide and concentrated illumination options.

3.  Brightness Levels or Headlight Modes

Most headlamps for camping come with at least high and low modes of operation. However, there are other models that do offer more modes that can additionally make your trip much easier and less stressful. You can find a model that comes with a strobe (or flash) mode whose main purpose is to act as an emergency blinker. Next, there is the low mode that most headlights have, and you can use this for simple camp chores and short hikes around the campsite.

Next comes medium (mid) level of brightness that is a bit brighter then low mode which simply offers people more choices. High (max) level is ideal when you need more light, and lastly, the boost (zoom) mode is the most rare one and it provides an extra-intense beam for short look-around sessions. Be mindful that this mode drains out the batteries, so you are advised to use it in emergency situations only.

The post Camp the Right Way: Choose Proper Headlights for a Safer Trip appeared first on Ways To.

You might think that a headlamp is just a regular flashlight strapped to your head, but I like to think of it as your third eye since it provides perception that is beyond your ordinary sight. Whether you are out for an adventure in the wild, walking your dog on the local trail, or just fixing up your car late at night, a headlamp can come in really handy. The most obvious advantage of having a lamp strapped to your head is that you keep your hands free while lighting your way in the dark, but it also has to be comfortable since you might be wearing it for hours at a time, provided that the battery can last long enough.

So, before you go on and duct tape a flashlight on your head, which is without a doubt the cheapest option, you might want to consider some of the features that make hiking headlamps an elegant and functional piece of equipment that is essential to every outdoor kit.

One of the features that is most often talked about in the flashlight community is the light output which is expressed in lumens. You definitely want a headlamp that is powerful enough, but you also want it to have a longer battery life, also know as run time. This brings me to the lighting modes which directly affect the run time of the headlamp. You want to be able to switch between different modes such as red, low, medium, high, or extra high, depending on the situation, and you want to be able to do that fast and easy which means the interface is also an important factor. Since hiking headlamps are mostly used outdoors it should be durable and waterproof or at least water-resistant. And last but not least, you want all the features mentioned above in a compact light-weight package with an ergonomic design which you can comfortably wear on your head.

There is a wide range of hiking headlamps models on the market with different features, designs, quality, and prices, coming from well-established brands like Armytek, Led Lenser, JETBeam, Nitecore, Olight, TruNite, and so on. However, my personal favourite and also the model I am currently using is the Fenix HL60R 950 lumen rechargeable dual light LED headlamp. It weights at only 121g and delivers an output of 950 lumens at turbo mode, with a beam reaching up to 116m. It has a rechargeable 18650 Li-ion battery which provides up to 100 hours of run time depending on the mode and a Micro USB port for charging. It is equipped with a neutral white CREE LED for better colour rendering and an easy to use side switch with 5 output modes including a red light mode. It has an aluminum housing and an IPX-8 waterproof classification. The housing is curved in order to fit comfortably on your forehead and the extra top head strap will provide additional support. Overall this is a great hiking headlamp perfect for exploring the backcountry.

The post Headlamps: The Outdoorsy Guide to Your Hiking Third Eye appeared first on Ways To.