Petzl  Tikka LED Headlamp

I got this so I wouldn't have to carry a flashlight while setting up a tent in the dark if I needed to. It ended up being a good choice for me. The beam is adjustable in that there are differing brightness settings and a flash mode. The thing is bright but it doesn't give you a "spotlight." Other models and brands have that style, such as those with a 0.5 or 1W "spot LED." LEDs are great because they're efficient, don't really get hot like traditional bulbs, and don't burn out easily. If you choose this just expect that it won't give you that "spot light in the dark" effect you might have from something like a big Maglite.

If you want just a simple headlamp without all the gimmicks, this is the light. You can adjust the beam up and down by around 30 degrees, but it does no have strobe options or what not. It simply turns on and off, which is great if that is all you want. I have had it for many years and it has not failed me yet. It packs small and it works great for backpacking, camping and cycling at night. I have seen headlights that are brighter (like my black diamound one), but the other headlamps also use more batteries (2 aaa vs 3 aaa). As a female, sometimes I feel that it can ride up because of my long hair, but it does the job and will stay put if you wear your hair up or wear the lamp on a hat.

I purchased a Tikka head lamp about 2 years ago and I only got about 1 good year of use out of it before the switch on the top of the light began to malfunction. The switch is a very primitive way to complete the electrical circuit inside the unit and it tends to wear out after very light use. I would advise against this product because of this reason. I also purchased an upgraded Petzl head lamp with a on/off button (instead of the switch mentioned above) and it failed as well. Generally I'm not pleased with Petzl head lamps and I do not ever plan to purchase one again in the future.

I bought the Tikka for a 2 1/2 month course that included backpacking/mountaineering (for a solid month), climbing, sailing in B.C. (in late Nov.) and canoeing in Washington's Pesayten Wilderness and Pennisula coastline. With such a very wet and often harsh climate, I couldn't of had a better headlamp. I dropped it onto shore rocks a few times and had no problem following. The switch on, switch off device of the headlamp kept it simple and low maintenence and failure. Just buy it, keeping it simple, and be happy. I've had my headlamp for 5 years now and it still works like it's new.

Pros: This item is light and priced on the cheap side if that is what you need. Cons: Although this light will last for long periods on one set of batteries, they tend to fall out when you try to adjust light up & down (bad design). Try looking for your batteries in the dark. The light also dims making the long battery life limited in use. The on/off switch is also a hassle to operate. The switch should be a push on/off instead of the slide design. I have been thinking about replacement since purchased but only recently have I done so. Put up with it for 1 year.

This actually replaced my Petzl Zoom. I wanted something that was small without the bulk. I saw this on sale and bought it. I actually brought this up with me on Mt. Kenya and Mt. Kilimanjaro, and on the trail, it performed as expected. It wasn't all that great, but when you're simply trying to follow the heels of the person in front of you, the length of the beam isn't as important. With that said, the LED lights are very bright and the area that it did illuminate was bright as day. If you want a cheap no frills head lamp, this is the one to get!

Well, it works. That is about the best thing I can say about it. The light lasts a long time but unfortunately it gets dimmer and dimmer from the moment a new battery is installed. I much prefer a shorter battery life with even brightess (like the EOS) to a light that just gets dimmer and dimmer but lasts forever (like the Petzl). I have owned both headlamps for a couple of years and the EOS is far superior. Not to mention I have even dropped and broken my Princeton Tec diving light and they fixed it at no charge. Great company!

I've used this everywhere from cold winter trips to wicked hot summer hikes and never had an issue. The light is bright and lightweight. You'll forget it's there. Once you get used to the light being on, I sometimes talk to people with it shining on them and don't realize it until I notice they're squinting. The batteries seem like they'll never run out either. That being said, I wouldn't go anywhere without it. It's lasted through rain and snow storms. It's really just a great piece of equipment.

I bought this little ditty last minute thinking I probably would not need it. Turned out the path was heavily wooded and it came in real handy. Since then its a constant companion adn has been called to duty to explore unknown caves, and get an early start from time to time. Its battery life is so long I even use it around the house as a night time reading light. Light adjust up and down to help you see without blinding you. Great little product. Great little price.

Just got back from a trip in the Smokies, with multiple late night hikes and early mornings. Many time my compadres would ask "is your headlamp on?". Also, when adjusting the direction of the beam, the battery compartment would open almost spilling my batteries into the dark, this happened very often during the whole trip (6 days). On top of that, when it was on the light would flicker from -dim- to -very dim-. Obviously i was very displeased with this product.