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Reviews > Lighting > Headlamps - LED > Petzl Tikka LED Headlamp > Owner Review by Troy S. Pelzel

PETZL TIKKA LED HEADLAMP
BY TROY S. PELZEL
OWNER REVIEW
March 03, 2015

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Troy S. Pelzel
EMAIL: pelzel DOT troy AT yahoo DOT com
AGE: 45
LOCATION: Bixby, Oklahoma U.S.
GENDER: m
HEIGHT: 6' 0" (1.80 m)
WEIGHT: 192 lb (87.10 kg)

I got into backpacking about seven years ago when a friend took me to the Boston Mountains, which is part of the Ozarks in Arkansas. I hike in this area around 6 times a year. My overnight backpacking includes river crossings, steep terrain, bouldering, bushwacking as well as maintained and primitive trails. I usually carry my backpack with a tent, camp pad, and freeze dried meals, and I always carry a water purifier for clean water. I like to keep my hiking trips to under 15 miles (24 km) for the entire trip.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Manufacturer: Petzl
Year of Manufacture: 2012
Manufacturer's Website: http://www.petzl.com
MSRP: N/A
Listed Weight (with batteries): 3 oz (85 g)
Measured Weight (including batteries): 3 oz (85 g)
Other details: 3 AAA batteries
Compatible with rechargeable NI-MH batteries
4 LEDs
Max 80 Lumens at 164 ft (50 m)
Weather resistant
Adjustable, washable elastic band
Pushbutton on/off switch
Head swivels up/down
IMAGE 1
The Tikka headlamp is a swivel-mounted (vertically) single-button headlamp with an adjustable headband. It has four LED lights mounted inside a sliver reflector with three modes of lighting. The beam pattern is wide. The beam can be swiveled down for camp use and to avoid shining in other people's eyes or straight ahead for night hiking and other activities. Lighting modes include high, low, and flashing beam. Battery life expectancy is 120 hours on high and 180 hours on low. The base has a small lip to shield my eyes from the light.
IMAGE 2

FIELD USE

The Petzl Tikka headlamp has been my main go-to light source in my backpack for two full years now with approximately 65 camping nights of use as well as many nights of use in my back yard. The first time I used the Tikka was in the spring of 2013 when some friends and I went hiking on the Ozark Highlands Trail in Arkansas near the Mulberry river. We got there late at night so right out of the truck I had my lifesaving, hands-free headlamp strapped on. We camped at about 1800 ft (549 m) elevation. The temperature was mild, about 65 F (36 C) the first night but it rained about 4 in (10 cm). That is a lot of rain. Many times during the night I would have to get out of my tent in the driving rain and re-secure guy lines on my rainfly. Thankfully, the moisture had no effect on the performance of the Tikka. The next day we packed in about six miles and set up camp. I got a lot of use around camp and on the two night hikes we did. The most recent backpacking trip was on Thanksgiving weekend in 2014. I packed in to the Buffalo National River for eight miles and set up camp right next to the river. I constantly have my headlamp strapped on at night. I did a hike up to the largest single faced bluff in the Midwest to watch the sunset. Five of us had to hike back to camp with only two of us having headlamps. The Tikka shined beautifully in helping us all get back to camp safely.

SUMMARY

The Petzl Tikka headlamp is a must-have for my backpack. It is weather resistant and super bright, and useful for camping, night hiking, and grilling in the back yard. There are so many uses for this hands free lamp. The battery life is wonderful. I didn't notice any drop off of light performance until after about 12 nights of use. Going into the third year of use I love the fact that I don't have to worry about purchasing a go-to light source. I have not had my hair caught in the headband one time.

THINGS I LIKE

* Super bright
* Extended battery life
* Easily washable headband
* Water resistant
* Durable
* Easy opening battery compartment
IMAGE 3

SIGNATURE

Troy S Pelzel

This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1. Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.

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