Hi - looking for some help please! After surfing the net for a while I'm a bit confused about which head torch is best! We are overlanding in Africa for 10 months and need a good head torch for camping etc. I have been looking at Petzl and Princeton, but am not sure which make is best, or whether there is another better one. Any help anyone can give is welcome.
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 Same advice please, been thinking Princeton but guess I should invest in a regulated baby, even maybe the Myo one. So for me regulated, bright enough for night time scrambling epics and a red light would be handy, so I can keep my night vision working. Oh - and fairly light! In both ways  Mines for travelling too, so gotta save on the baggage allowence. Have no set budget yet...
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 Alpkit's headtorch is very good for very little money! (If they have them in stock!)
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I like the Tikka XP. Not regulated, but I have the earlier version and it's really good. The later one got best buy in TGO a few months ago. Tiny, powerful, compact - and a change of batteries weighs very little (3 x AAA). Enjoy the overlanding! 10 months? No - I'm not the slightest bit envious!
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 Wouldn't this question have been better placed in the Gear forum?
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 Define "best"... For general purpose use at a sensible price you have to try pretty hard to beat the Alpkit Gamma. You can easily get stuff which is "better" in terms of output, bombproofing etc., but you'll pay a lot more and probably have spent that money on something you don't actually need (so a really bright spot beam may be great for search and rescue, but putting up a tent in the dark or reading in bed it's actually better to have a dimmer, more diffuse beam). Pete.
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Guessing that you want an about camp light and general rather than night running then a wide spread is good The zebra lights are best in some ways. They only weight 50-60 gram with battery. They are regulated, they have a wide spread, top quality cree led, the lowest regulated 4 lumen level will last over 3 continuous days on a lithium. I find that suitable for reading. It has higher brightnesses 12 lumen and an 80 lumen. The 80 lumen only lasts an hour but is bloody bright. I have the H30 with a lithium battery but the H50 uses only one AA although lithium AA would be best it will use any AA and for 10 months abroad that would be best. 4 lumen regulated is nothing like the boasts of unregulated lights 16 lumen maximum will have a long useless tail of 1 lumen moonlight. If you want beam, lights for distance, I use a fenix in the zebra light headband on the side of my head.
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Thanks all for your comments. And sorry KenG I'm abit new to these forums so sorry if this is in the wrong place! We have decided on the Tikka XP in the end. Lets hope it does the job!! 80 days till the trip - very exciting!
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 I find the Princeton Tec Apex to be very good.
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I've been using the black diamond and been happy. A few years ago I had the Princeton waterproof and the little tab that holds the batteries in broke after very little time. Look at how the cover snaps on to hold the batteries. You don't want this thing breaking when you're in the field and spilling your batteries into the snow.
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 The Alpkit Gammas are in stock right now (gasp!) and only £12.50. I had one fail after a year of use (I think a few weeks of winter rain and snow finally put paid to it) but there are two others here that are still going well. One of my most useful bits of gear, for the price. Edit: Augh, a victim of a thread necromancer!
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| Edited: 21/11/10 22:07 |
Don't have any idea about it..
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Another vote for an Alpkit Gamma. Mines had lots of use in the last three years and not a minutes trouble. My wife's lasted 2 years before failing and is going to be replaced with another.
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 cant vouch for other head torches but i got the alpkit gamma, used it for hiking but mainly cycling commute to work and back and rate it very highly especially on pulse front and rear. battery lid broke on mine after 12 months rang alpkit and day after a new one arrived free of charge. 
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Have a Priceton Apex Pro and Extrme and they are very good head torches
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