Backpacker Magazine
2001 Editor's Choice
Petzl Tikka LED Headlamp
"This featherweight headlamp keeps going and going and going ...
"If your headlamp priorities include light weight, long
battery life, and convenience, look no further than the Petzl Tikka. This
minimalist light has everything we want in a headlamp and nothing we don't.
The Tikka's three LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs pack enough oomph
to illuminate a book, a pot of goulash, and just about anything else around
camp. We've used it for short night hikes, both planned (navigating a spooky,
old-growth trail in Oregon) and unplanned (searching a cactus-choked mesa
for a campsite in Arizona). The solitary head strap holds the lamp
just fine on any size noggin, and the rugged plastic housing withstands the
occasional hard knock.
"But the best thing about the Tikka
is how long it runs on three AAA batteries. Petzl claims it will go for 150
hours. My Tikka has seen about 70 hours of use without any noticeable
dropoff in brightness. Imagine: No more lugging spare batteries.
"The Tikka's stationary beam doesn't adjust up
and down, or change from pinpoint to wide-angle, but do you really need such
features? Not for most kinds of camping. The only thing that
bothered us was the battery compartment, which is difficult to open ...even
more so with cold hands. Fortunately, the batteries last so long that
you'll rarely have to change them."
--Kristin Hostetter, Contributing Editor
Backpacker Magazine, April 2001, page 80
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