It’s hard to dispute that light is important, without it we wouldn’t accomplish much, but when your out in the bush, having free hands is also very important. That’s why carrying a good headlamp can easily make a backpacking trip a more enjoyable experience. I recently got to play with a Petzl Tikka Plus 2 Headlampand I liked what I saw.
Maybe its just me being used to my cheapo headlamp that weighs a ton, but this thing feels light weight. with 3 AAA batteries it weighs in at around 83 grams. The one I’m using is green, but I have also seen it in Black. The Lamp offers 5 different lighting modes: Maximum, Economy, Blinking White, Red, and Blink Red. As you would expect each of these different lighting modes offer up different burn times. the Maximum Lighting mode is supposed to burn for 55 hours and 140 hours for Economy. the red and blinking modes were substantially higher. unfortunately I did not get to test out the accuracy of these quoted times.
Other features included on the Tikka Plus 2 are a tiltable head, adjustable strap, and the Adapt system which allows for different attachments for the headlamp such as helmet adaptor and jacket clip.
one notable thing about the Petzl lamps is the design quality and aesthetics, though these are really light weight they do not feel one bit cheap. they are also very visually pleasing in my opinion. If your in the market for a headlamp and want a quality piece of equipment with some style to it, definitely give this one a look. The Petzl Tikka plus 2 has a very attractive price at $39.95.
for more info head over to www.petzl.com
Patrick is a lover of all things adventure and photography. When he is not at home in Northeast PA, he can be found traveling with his camera and climbing. One of his most memorable experiences outdoors is his recent summit of Mount Rainier.
I use a Black Diamond, uses AA’s, great light but bulkier than this petzl. What type of batteries does the tikka take and what’s the retail price?
Thanks for catching my lack of battery and price info. it takes 3 AAA’s and the price tag is $39.95.