Princeton Tec Apex LED Headlamp - 2010

Comments about Princeton Tec Apex LED Headlamp - 2010:

Among the many reviews that REI's haphazard website maintenance recently erased were several comments about the fragility of this lamp's wiring. I haven't used it enough to comment on durability in general but I can observe that there are compromises in any design and one worth noting here is that the battery pack and lamp housing are each substantial and connected by a hefty cable. The result is there is no way to fold this without protruding cable insertion points. Pressure on them will certainly damage the internal wiring and, eventually, the cable itself. Also, think of violins that last centuries while cellos rarely do. Why? Because violins have less mass. When violins bang against doorjambs their inertia is slight. This is a honker of a headlamp which you will hardly notice on your head but it will definitely notice every hard knock in your pack. Headlamps deserve cases, preferably hard shell cases; this headlamp demands one. I don't mean to quarrel with people who broke theirs early but this seems studly and extremely thoughtfully built. If it's jammed loose in a pack, though, or naked in an outside pocket, or even stored loose in a drawer I have little sympathy.

Here's the scoop: it's a penetrating spot beam that burns batteries. Alternatively it's a broad flood that saves batteries. It packs a load of power (4AAs) and tells you when that is running low (tiny colored blinker). That's important because the regulated power supply means you'll be flirting with darkness before the beam dims appreciably. Basically, you lose the searchlight setting, it drops to normal spotlight, then quits. The beam flashes briefly to warn you when that is getting close but keeps up the light output until it's exhausted. There is no screwing-around-camp brightness. You could use it for that but a 2-AAA headlamp will perform at least as well. This is for seeing where you are going long before you get there (or if you're flying, like on skis, at least some time before you get there) in order to make decisions. The 200 lumens REI lists is nonsense. Princeton Tec itself claims 130 lumens, even for the fabulous 8-cell version (not available here), but I assure you it puts out light. There are 4 settings plus a strobe and the least of them is as bright as most people have ever had on their heads. The strobe is not a gimmick, it will guide in helicopters. Best feature is perhaps that the buttons for spot and flood LEDs are separate, making finding the preferred setting quick and easy. They overrule each other, you can't burn all LEDs at once, but that's necessary to keep the heat reasonable.

There are other bright lights. I bought Princeton Tec because they are serious about sealing. I haven't dunked this unit yet but older incandescent Princeton Tec lights have been submerged beyond their rated capacity and emerged dry. Again, you have to take some responsibility and treat your O-rings like they are delicate threads of softness, because they are, but Princeton Tec knows water.

Another version of this lamp, that REI.com seems to have lost altogether in the past few days (although it's sold only online) uses 2 CR123 lithium batteries. That's a good choice for weight savings and cold temperatures but can't match this one's burn time. This one will take lithium and even NiMH AAs but lasts longest with alkalines.

So, pass on this for general backpacking and ordinary night hikes. Half the price and weight is sufficient. Definitely avoid it if you're a dope about shining it in people's eyes. For moving fast in the open, search and rescue, picking out an unmarked path, *on the water* and perhaps caving (not my thing), or for summoning batman it's the cat's pajamas. I'd give it all the stars if it had a single weak red LED with a separate switch for arm's length chores. It's available with colored LEDs but all 4 Ultrabrites at once, which are best white for their primary purpose: banishing dark for several strides ahead.

Comments about Princeton Tec Apex LED Headlamp - 2010:

This light works well for certain applications, such as hiking, camping, alpine, etc. It is a little on the heavy side due to the four batteries in the pack. It is fairly bright and has a nice adjustable beam.

However, for my application, which is caving, this light is not the best choice. The battery pack does flood after repeated submersion even in very shallow water. My biggest complaint is the durability of the light overall. I own three of these and every one of them has failed underground. Something about the way the light is wired to the battery pack is not adequate and eventually the light will turn off intermittently. This has happened with all of Apex lights I own. You can get by using this light for recreational caving, but it is not your best option for project caving or multi-day trips.

That said, the light is a decent light for the right application. Furthermore, REI and Princeton Tec will replace the light.

Comments about Princeton Tec Apex LED Headlamp - 2010:

Being on a mountain rescue team, I wanted an insanely bright headlamp for night time search missions, and this one fit the bill. The high power spot setting is a huge help when searching for a missing subject in the back country after dark. It comes in handy for both snow mobile searches where the sled's headlamp does nothing for searching the ditch next to the trail, and when on foot/skis/snowshoe searching the wilderness for a lost person. Yes, it's heavy, bulky, chews batteries like there's no tomorrow, and its very rude to use this aircraft landing light around the campfire with friends, but it's helped me save a few lives. In my situation, the pros outweigh the cons. Definitely get a smaller, "normal" headlamp for socializing with friends though. I'd call this a Task Specific headlamp.

Comments about Princeton Tec Apex LED Headlamp - 2010:

Noticeably heavy, the battery compartment is built to seal for submersion so its heavier than normal. The seal is a cheap rubber gasket that fell out and we could never put back in to work properly. So the waterproof-ness is not there. Points off for those two things.

It is bright, the 200 lumens is a great feature and its easy to switch between the 4 brightness modes. I can see my on-leash dogs 26 feet out in front of me clearly on a dark night with the lowest setting. I am really looking forward to skiing with this unit this upcoming winter.

I am undecided whether to recommend this to a friend or not. Since I bought this for the brightness I'll say yes to recommending it to a friend.

Comments about Princeton Tec Apex LED Headlamp - 2010:

After 3 years of use/abuse, my Apex has plenty of dents and dings, but it still works like a charm. I have the 80 lumen model--Princeton Tec has subsequently released 130 lumen and 200 lumen models. (You can find out which one yours is by calling [@] and giving them the 4 digit code from the white sticker on the bottom of the battery tray.)My 80 lumen model is crazy bright--I cannot even imagine what a 200 lumen bad boy would be able to do. Seriously, you could drive with that thing. The only problems I've had are cracks in the plastic where the cord meets the battery pack and light housing. This has caused the unit to no longer be waterproof, but after a phone call today, Princeton Tec gladly offered to repair the light for free.

Comments about Princeton Tec Apex LED Headlamp - 2010:

I use this light constantly for evening jogs, handyman projects, hikes and backpacking. It has a bright spotlight when you need it and long battery, even with rechargeables, if you take advantage of the dim settings which are adequate for most activities.

My only problem so far is the hinge. I was surprised when I first received the lamp that the hinge for adjusting the light angle had no positive positioning stops. It's just held in place by tension on a screw and nut that fasten together a flange that is on the headband with two on the body of the light, one coming from the main circuit board and the other coming from the heat sink shield.

I adjust the angle a lot, especially when doing handyman projects. It wasn't long before the flimsy plastic flange from the bottom of the circuit board cracked into many small pieces. That released the tension and the lamp would only point straight down to the ground.

Being the handyman type, I filed off what was left of the flange and fashioned a stout aluminum one to replace it. Maybe I could have returned the light for a replacement but why bother. Now I have a more durable light than I would have received if I had returned it.

In spite of this I gave the light four stars for all the other great features.

Comments about Princeton Tec Apex LED Headlamp - 2010:

This headlamp is always in whatever pack I'm carrying, day trips, climbing, and backpacking. I also drag it out when I'm doing "honey do" chores in dark places like under the sink or up in the attic.

I only gave it 4 stars because it's a tad heavy. But the perfomance is impressive. One early evening in the Tetons I illuminated a steep and dangerous snowfield that some latecomers were trying to ascend in the dark. I was almost a hundred yards away.

I was particularly grateful for the units performance as I skiied down through a forest on a pitch-black, moonless evening in snowfall. Since it's only water-resistant I trusted the hood of my parka to keep it dry.