Without giving something away, my single favourite piece of long-distance mountain climbing gear is my USB-rechargeable headlamp. I received’t be caught with out it nowadays.
However I’m all the time intrigued when one thing slightly totally different comes alongside, and that’s a very good description of the Ledlenser HF8R Signature headlamp.
Ledlenser is a German bringer of sunshine. Every kind of sunshine: headlamps, flashlights, and space lights. The corporate claims the mantle of “German engineering,” and it reveals within the fairly robotically named HF8R (R2D2, anybody?).
Ledlenser HF8R Signature Headlamp At a Look
MSRP: $169.95
Weight: 6.8 ounces
Battery: 3.7-volt, USB-rechargeable lithium-ion
Battery life: 3.5 to 90 hours
Luminosity: 20 to 2,000 lumens
Beam distance: 25 to 200 meters (roughly 80 to 650 toes)
Mud and water resistance: IP68 — translation: “mud tight” (highest score) and “under one meter for greater than half-hour” (second-highest score)
Modes: Blink, strobe, SOS; white, purple, inexperienced, blue
Charging: Magnetic cost system
Ledlenser HF8R Signature headlamp. Photograph courtesy Ledlenser.
Circumstances of Use
I’ve used the headlamp for a complete of 25 hours, at house and backpacking on the Appalachian Path.
Ledlenser HF8R Options
- Adaptive Mild Beam: automated dimming and focusing
- Digital Superior Focus System: straightforward transition from flood to identify
- Ledlenser Join App: means that you can remotely management and personalize options
- Temperature Management system: retains gentle from overheating so it will probably run brighter and longer
- Emergency gentle: mechanically activates when headlamp goes out and is on charging base
- Pink gentle: Helps to take care of night time imaginative and prescient at midnight
- Inexperienced gentle and blue gentle for recreation monitoring (or simply plain coolness, if you happen to’re me)
Kind and Match
The HF8R has a totally adjustable strap with a large, snug again. Comes with a rubber “consolation pad” for brow.
Ledlenser’s HF8R Signature headlamp has a broad, snug headstrap. Photograph courtesy Ledlenser.
Lighting Controls
All lighting modes are accessed via a single rubber-covered button atop the headlamp.
Lighting Modes
The HF8R provides a larger-than-usual variety of lighting modes. Colours embrace white and purple, in fact, but additionally blue and inexperienced (designed for looking, the latter two modes evidently assist with monitoring and making oneself much less seen to animal eyes).
Its “adaptive gentle beam” permits for automated dimming and focusing, offering a variety of brightness and modes, together with flash, strobe, and SOS. All the above could be blended and matched.
The Ledlenser HF8R Signature headlamp has 4 LED colours: white; purple; blue; and inexperienced. Clay Bonnyman Evans picture.
Hikers are usually not looking on path, however as a man who “loves all the beautiful colours” — all the time been that method — I in fact discover the inexperienced and blue modes mesmerizing, even magical, on the subject of illuminating a darkish forest surroundings. Apparently, the inexperienced gentle will cloak you from the eyes of feral hogs … so perhaps not the perfect choice in hog (or javelina?) nation.
The inexperienced and blue lights on the Ledlenser HF8R Signature headlamp are designed for night time looking and can assist spot wildlife on path. Clay Bonnyman Evans picture.
Battery Life
Right here’s one of many large upsides to the HF8R: The battery can final for as much as 90 hours, and even utilizing a mid-beam, I by no means got here near draining it over 25 hours (i.e., after I lastly recharged, it was solely “one gentle” wanting a full cost).
Vary
One other spectacular function: On full blast, the HF8R can hurl a strong cone of sunshine that extends greater than the size of two soccer fields. One night time on the AT, this reviewer ran down a gravel highway after listening to a name for assist. I used to be in a position to throw gentle far sufficient to see what the state of affairs was with out getting too shut.
Ledlenser HF8R Professionals
- Astounding luminosity
- Spectacular battery life
- A number of modes
- Three non-white lights
- Simple-to-adjust headstrap
- Adjustable tilt
- Comes with varied equipment, together with rubber consolation pad, common mounting bracket
- Utterly impervious to mud and practically so to water.
The Ledlenser HF8R Signature headlamp is simple to make use of, that includes a single management button and adjustable tilt. With a number of modes, it will probably take observe to get the hold of mode altering. Photograph courtesy Ledlenser.
Ledlenser HF8R Cons
- Weight: 6.8 ounces, extra if you happen to embrace the consolation pad. For comparability, my present headlamp is over 5 ounces lighter.
- With so many modes, it took me a number of occasions to get the hold of it. I actually wanted to learn instructions.
- With all that firepower and battery life, it’s not stunning that the HF8R Signature feels a bit heavy on the brow. I acquired used to it over time however missed the lighter presence of my present headlamp.
- Just a little expensive for some hikers’ budgets.
Takeaway
Having that form of energy and battery life would little doubt enhance confidence on a extra distant path such because the Hayduke or components of the Continental Divide Path, in addition to if you find yourself anticipating extreme climate.
Ultimately, it’s all in regards to the weight, and that’s a choice for every particular person. However an argument could be made that it’s price an additional 4 or 5 ounces (for concepts to offset that, take a look at 44 Ultralight Backpacking Suggestions That Really Make Sense for Via-Hikers by Trek editor Kelly Floro). I ought to point out, as properly, that strolling as much as a campfire sporting your blue or inexperienced gentle is unquestionably a dialog starter.
Store the Ledlenser HF8R Headlamp
Comparable Headlamps
Petzl Actik Core
MSRP: $84.95
Weight: 3.1 ounces
Brightness: 600 lumens max
Mild distance: 375 toes
Silva Free Collection
MSRP: $137 to $177
Weight: 3.1 ounces
Brightness: 1200 lumens max
Mild distance: 500 toes
Black Diamond Spot 400
MSRP: $49.95
Weight: 3 ounces
Brightness: 325 lumens max
Mild distance: 200 toes
The Ledlenser HF8R headlamp was donated for function of overview
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