headlamps

[huntnfmly]

I am needing to pick up a new headlamp curious what you all think about colored lights are they needed to not spook elk or are white lights fine? I have read opinions on both sides

[trophyhunt]

tagging

[bowhunterforever]

Tag

[SeaRun1]

I picked up a Princeton Tec Vizz during Springer season this year.  I actually really appreciated the red light for rigging in the dark.  Good light for the price.

SR1

[wadu1]

I use a Princeton Tec FRED and have been for 3 or 4 years, 2 levels of red and 2 of white.

[MountainWalk]

I'm not too sure about it myself. Back when I was guiding and packing mules, we always tried to use red. The stock definitely saw and noticed it, but it just didn't spook them like a regular LED. Goodness, they didn't like those. Must've been the glare to crepuscular critters.  Now that I'm stock free, red doesn't get used much, but then again, I don't use mine much for travel, just camp chores.

Funny. Couple years ago, I picked one up and it had the simmers, green,red, and blue. Maybe you could be a tree stand cop or sumthing..       

[vandeman17]

They seem to like to jump out in front of headlights. Maybe you could try that color. 

[wadu1]

I use a Princeton Tec FRED and have been for 3 or 4 years, 2 levels of red and 2 of white.

I forgot to note the FRED is a TACTICAL unit.

[CAMPMEAT]

Xtremebeam has some really, really bright headlamps compared to any out there. They come in white light only, but animals don't care and the head strap is very tight.

[coachcw]

Color does matter pick up a led that has green in it . I have a huskima  but a cheap Coleman works fine.

[Tbar]

Check out zebralights.

[fisheral87]

Petzl Tikka 2 Plus. Have only ever run these headlamps but I have owned mine for nearly six years without a hiccup. My wife's run one for about two years now, with more casual use.

No colors, put it on low. Interested to hear what ppl say regarding red, green, etc.

Al

[Okanagan]

I like the red light for use before daylight because it doesn't ruin my night vision.  Also, no question that it does not bother wild animals as much as the white, based on some calling I did before daylight, not to shoot but just to observe.  It would approach me with the red light on but retreat when I switched to white.   I have called coyotes with a white light in another state but had to keep them in the fringe of the light or they would not approach. 

Bought my son a Zebra light for Christmas.  Wow- like high beam on a car from a thumb sized head lamp.

 

[deerhunter_98520]

last year  during bear season i came around the corner and had a 4 pt bull in my headlamp and we had a stare down for 30min and he just slowly wandered off when it started getting light out...it probably just depends on the elk if they like the color or not 

[MountainWalk]

Never got the whole "ruin my night vision" thing. If you had night vision,  you wouldn't need a light.

[fisheral87]

It does make sense that a brighter light will force your eye to adjust longer than a colored or less brilliant light.

[MountainWalk]

Understood. Understand the eyes physical limitations.  I dunno. I just seldom use a light out in the field. After forty five mins of leaving camp in the dark, I see well enough to not use one. And if I do use one in a tight spot, I hold the lamp in my hand and use the lowest dimmest white light, and use my fingers to only let just a dab of light out, then back off. I try to hold the light down, and not look at it.
Like I'd said before, really only use mine for animal butchering at dark, and around camp.

Guess the habit of not using lights around stock has carried over. Its nice to not rely on one.

[Okanagan]

Never got the whole "ruin my night vision" thing. If you had night vision,  you wouldn't need a light.

I don't fully understand it but is mere reality of eyeballs.  Submarines, cockpits, control towers etc.  don't use red lights merely because of hearsay.   

It is called the Purkinje Effect.  If you need to see well enough to check a map or see details for a moment, white light scrubs the night vision which your eyes have adapted to over time, and red lights reduce that loss of night vision.  So if you want max low light vision, give your eyes time to adjust to it, and use a red light if you have to interrupt that by looking at something in detail. A copy from a partial explanation below:

Under conditions where it is desirable to have both the photopic and scotopic systems active, red lights provide a solution. Submarines are dimly lit to preserve the night vision of the crew members working there, but the control room must be lit to allow crew members to read instrument panels. By using red lights, or wearing red goggles, the cones can receive enough light to provide photopic vision (namely the high-acuity vision required for reading). The rods are not saturated by the bright red light because they are not sensitive to long-wavelength light, so the crew members remain dark adapted.[7] Similarly, airplane cockpits use red lights so pilots can read their instruments and maps while maintaining night vision to see outside the aircraft.

[nastybynature]

tag

[Lightning_Rider]

Streamlight Protac HL is hands down the best head lamp on the market as far as brightness and durability. Great for clam digging, spot lighting, setting up decoys, or whatever.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

For about 15$ this has been a good light. Wear and use it most every day at work for about three years.

[huntnphool]

Here you go. http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,168156.msg2221199.html#msg2221199

[nontypical176]

Check out noxx headlamps.  The beam is focusable and that is a feature I love.   It can be super narrow or wide.   mine has a couple things I don't like.  Loose battery pac and scrolling through the light brightness settings.  But it's super bright and the adjustable beam width feature is too cool. 3 AA batteries though. 

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I buy the stupid camo hat with built in LED's at Walmart.  the LED's are under the brim, so as long as I am looking where I am walking...I never forget my damn hat, and have a flashlight in my pack.

[whtbuck]

if you shoot an animal and need a light to track BLOOD.I find LED lights are garbage.I use a regular light,if that makes any sense.all them fancy lights are cool if you are doing other things.Tracking Blood in the dark after misplaced shot or long drop down a canyon or whatever shows up ten times more than LED

[Jharristealth]

I run a cree t6 XML  headlamp that uses the twin 18650 batteries commonly found in the modded nicotine vape boxes.  The thing is brighter then any other headlamp I've ever seen. Maybe not the best for tracking on a blood trail, but works awesome for riding the bike in total darkness. Has multiple brightness settings ,focus, and a SOS function as well. These are a fraction of the cost of the big name lamps. The key is to toss the Chinese batteries that typically come with them and upgrade to true panasonic 18650s. Battery life is around 5 hours on brightest setting. Also nice to have a rechargeable unit that you don't have to spend a fortune on batteries.

[gilroym]

I took advise from a friend and purchased the $6.99 head lamp from amazon. Its really bright, has read light and is cheap. Not sure of the brand but we compared it to the head lamps issued in Iraq and they beat out in brightness. Only down fall is the case is plastic but they are nice we used them for Ape cave and I take them every where now.

http://www.amazon.com/Lighting-Headlamp-Brightness-Headlamps-Batteries/dp/B005FEGYJC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438868651&sr=8-1&keywords=head+lamp

[nastybynature]

I run a cree t6 XML  headlamp that uses the twin 18650 batteries commonly found in the modded nicotine vape boxes.  The thing is brighter then any other headlamp I've ever seen. Maybe not the best for tracking on a blood trail, but works awesome for riding the bike in total darkness. Has multiple brightness settings ,focus, and a SOS function as well. These are a fraction of the cost of the big name lamps. The key is to toss the Chinese batteries that typically come with them and upgrade to true panasonic 18650s. Battery life is around 5 hours on brightest setting. Also nice to have a rechargeable unit that you don't have to spend a fortune on batteries.

You won't find a brighter light for the money. I have been using this http://amzn.to/1MSvYHB for my EDC flashlight for 2 years now and it is super bright and bullet proof. I bought the XML headlamp for my Son-In-Law when he was doing roadside assistance and he loved it! These things are the Morakniv of flashlights IMHO. 

[ctwiggs1]

Never got the whole "ruin my night vision" thing. If you had night vision,  you wouldn't need a light.

Go outside at night when it's pitch black and play with a red light and a white light.  You'll notice the recovery time from a red light is significantly less. 

Also, red lights are dimmer and harder to see at a distance, making you less likely to be spotted by animals/people/people animals.

[TwoShot]

Bought a light from China 1000 lumens for about 20 bucks with rechargeable battery and put it on my bike with a red lens. Let's you see where you're going and doesn't scare the animals like when I used without the red lens.

[huntnfmly]

Thanks for all the replys.I just picked up a black diamond icon.320 lumens 75hrs run  time on high.lookd like a pretty solid light

[USMC86]

Love my Surefire.  Has a red filter plastic filter that snaps on and off.  Best of both worlds for me.