The best head torch (for country life)

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British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
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Mercia
In today's video I review a number of head torches from a Smallholding / Homesteading perspective - from the "no name" cheapy to a 2,500 lumen monster with side trips through hating "flashing" modes through rechargeable options and the utility of red lights

Not entirely Bushcraft but a lot of crossover!

 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
1,947
Mercia
Another great video, very useful as I’m considering a new head torch.
thanks for posting.
Glad it was useful! Just spent a couple of hours moving the breeding flock into new (avian flu regulation compliant) accommodation in the dark.

Good head torches are a must (Fiona has adopted the Petzl Actik as her own)
 

Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,440
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W.Sussex
I reckon we have a Jamie in the making. :)

Known on BB as a Jamie after Jamie and his Magic Torch. I’m pretty impressed with the Olight head torches, I use mine for lots of things indoors too, and Madam happily uses it for her jigsaws on a dull day. I have a couple of Alpkits that are pretty good, the Gamma being the best of them. And an Energiser that has to be cycled through all the modes from on to off via the red and other modes, which I’d give away if it wasn’t the last of the 250 lumen ones in Tesco and didn’t have a price on it. Customer service charged me a fiver for it, so it’s staying.

A note on the red light, and I’m not saying it’s true but I’ve read it a few times, is that red light does excite the eyes in the same way as white, but is usually very much dimmer (in lumens). An equivalent lumen white light wouldn’t cause the pupils to shrink and lose night capacity, and the red light shows up Army map markings effectively with less white reflection (another cause of loss of night vision).

The hens seem ok with it, I agree it’s more gentle than the cooler whites, but a neutral white is the best for colour rendition.
 
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Herman30

Native
Aug 30, 2015
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Finland
A note on the red light, and I’m not saying it’s true but I’ve read it a few times, is that red light does excite the eyes in the same way as white, but is usually very much dimmer (in lumens).
Yes, only light of a certain wavelenght (490 nm) preserves night vision.
This I have been told by someone who claims to now these things. So I can´t prove or disprove this claim.

colors-10-728.jpg
 
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Apr 8, 2009
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Ashdown Forest
An equivalent lumen white light wouldn’t cause the pupils to shrink and lose night capacity, and the red light shows up Army map markings effectively with less white reflection (another cause of loss of night vision).
I used to find that the contours (same red/brown colour on both military and civi OS maps) used to vanish with red light, so white light was exclusively used for map reading. Albeit a tiny LED torch with tape over the lense, and a pin hole in the tape. Even then it was an absolute palava to do map checks at night, stopping the whole patrol, and getting a shemagh to cover the head, map, and torch to shield it. I had to learn to push my comfort zone in terms of memorising the next few legs on the route to minimise the number of stops - all rather stressful to be fair!
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
1,947
Mercia
I reckon we have a Jamie in the making. :)

Known on BB as a Jamie after Jamie and his Magic Torch. I’m pretty impressed with the Olight head torches, I use mine for lots of things indoors too, and Madam happily uses it for her jigsaws on a dull day. I have a couple of Alpkits that are pretty good, the Gamma being the best of them. And an Energiser that has to be cycled through all the modes from on to off via the red and other modes, which I’d give away if it wasn’t the last of the 250 lumen ones in Tesco and didn’t have a price on it. Customer service charged me a fiver for it, so it’s staying.

A note on the red light, and I’m not saying it’s true but I’ve read it a few times, is that red light does excite the eyes in the same way as white, but is usually very much dimmer (in lumens). An equivalent lumen white light wouldn’t cause the pupils to shrink and lose night capacity, and the red light shows up Army map markings effectively with less white reflection (another cause of loss of night vision).

The hens seem ok with it, I agree it’s more gentle than the cooler whites, but a neutral white is the best for colour rendition.
I suspect that you nay be right about a very dim white light. I nay try the Olight in "moonlight" mode
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
1,947
Mercia
I used to find that the contours (same red/brown colour on both military and civi OS maps) used to vanish with red light, so white light was exclusively used for map reading. Albeit a tiny LED torch with tape over the lense, and a pin hole in the tape. Even then it was an absolute palava to do map checks at night, stopping the whole patrol, and getting a shemagh to cover the head, map, and torch to shield it. I had to learn to push my comfort zone in terms of memorising the next few legs on the route to minimise the number of stops - all rather stressful to be fair!
Interesting stuff! We spent ages tonight moving birds into avian flu enclosures but I suspect that us a different kind of stress
 

C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,355
2,366
Bedfordshire
Red light is also not seen by insects, so you do not attract a buzzing cloud around your head. This summer I had to clear a wasp nest from my loft and was fortunately able to use a red LED light to get close enough in the pitch dark. A little squirt of white light, even dim, and they started getting active.

Nice video :)
 

Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,440
2,862
W.Sussex
I used to find that the contours (same red/brown colour on both military and civi OS maps) used to vanish with red light, so white light was exclusively used for map reading. Albeit a tiny LED torch with tape over the lense, and a pin hole in the tape. Even then it was an absolute palava to do map checks at night, stopping the whole patrol, and getting a shemagh to cover the head, map, and torch to shield it. I had to learn to push my comfort zone in terms of memorising the next few legs on the route to minimise the number of stops - all rather stressful to be fair!
If you still have the maps and access to green light, could you see if it works better? @Herman30 has a point with the wavelength. Green light is used by the military primarily for map reading.
 

Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,440
2,862
W.Sussex
Red light is also not seen by insects, so you do not attract a buzzing cloud around your head. This summer I had to clear a wasp nest from my loft and was fortunately able to use a red LED light to get close enough in the pitch dark. A little squirt of white light, even dim, and they started getting active.

Nice video :)
That’s the UV in the white light, they respond to that like moths and insects around fluorescent tubes (high violet) at night. To wasps it’s sunshine and time to wake up. If it suddenly comes out of nowhere, then they’ll respond as they would to the nest suddenly being exposed and possibly threatened.
 
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Wildgoose

Full Member
May 15, 2012
777
429
Middlesex
Glad it was useful! Just spent a couple of hours moving the breeding flock into new (avian flu regulation compliant) accommodation in the dark.

Good head torches are a must (Fiona has adopted the Petzl Actik as her own)
I have a Petzl Tactikka + but didn’t know about the rechargeable battery pack - you may have just cost me another £26....
(I bought an Olight following your last video)
 
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British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
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Mercia
With rechargeable lights, what happens when the battery eventually fails to take a charge. Can they be replaced?

(Nice vid BR)
Some can. The Olight & Petzl in the video both use replaceable battery packs. The Petzl is a proprietary pack but can also use AAAs. The Olight uses a 21700 battery that can be bought separately.
 

Van-Wild

Full Member
Feb 17, 2018
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UK
Great video!

I use a Surefire Minimus. Runs on a single C123 battery and is super bright. White only, but the switch rotates, going from dim to uber bright, whichever you need. Had it for years, its taken a beating and still going strong.

My back up head torch is a mammut job. Runs on a single AA battery and has white low, white high, red and red flashing functions. Very small, very light.

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
 
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British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
1,947
Mercia
Great video!

I use a Surefire Minimus. Runs on a single C123 battery and is super bright. White only, but the switch rotates, going from dim to uber bright, whichever you need. Had it for years, its taken a beating and still going strong.

My back up head torch is a mammut job. Runs on a single AA battery and has white low, white high, red and red flashing functions. Very small, very light.

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
i have a couple of old pre LED surefires. Great lights.
 

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