Name:                            Russell Curry
Age:                           58
Height:                           6'0" (1.83 m)
Weight:                        182 lbs (83 kg)
Email:                      mrqcace@yahoo.com
City, State, Country:       Orange, Texas, USA

Backpacking Background:

My hiking experiences began in the 1960s. My travels include hikes in Europe, the Mediterranean, Canada, Alaska, and most Eastern and Western states in a variety of terrain. I hike in all seasons, in temperatures as low as 5 F (-15 C) to as high as 110 F (43 C), in rain, shine and snow and from desert to forest to mountain. My pack weights vary from 25 lbs (11 kg) to 10 lbs (5 kg).

Product Identification:

Item: Micro Hat Lamp Model Cruizer 10
Manufacturer: Seattle Sports
Website: http://www.seattlesportsco.com
Year of Manufacturer: 2005
Warranty: 90 day limited warranty to repair or replace unit, at manufacturer's choice, and only to original purchaser.
MSRP: $7.95

Product Description:

The Seattle Sports LedHedz Model 10 Cruizer is a "micro hat lamp" that is designed to clip onto my hat, shirt or jacket zipper or any other convenient place that will accommodate the clip on the back of the light. It can be adapted to work on my hat, key chain, and jacket as a zipper pull, car visor, and other situations. For a more detailed description of this light, please see my Initial Review.

Usage:

I have carried this light with me on my car key since the first day I received it. I used it as an emergency light on a 5 day cruise, and carried it with me on a 5 day backpacking trip to the Yucatan. I also used in for two local hikes of 3 days each.

Field Testing:

I have used this little light on 3 hikes and a cruise, not to mention carrying it around everyday on my key chain. Temperatures have varied from a low of 55 F (13 C) to a high of 98 F (37 C). Humidity has varied from 50 to 100%. Elevations have ranged from sea level to 800 ft, (244 m).

I have found the LedHedz micro light to be a handy little lamp for quick use in a variety of conditions. My first field use was on a 2 night local hike on a local trail in a national park. The lowest temperature was 55 F (13 C), the highest was 70 F (21 C). The light worked fine for me as long as I wore it on my Tilley hat around camp, or when I used it to scrounge for gear after dark in my tent. It provided enough light for me to look through my gear, check my fasteners, adjust my guy lines, etc. It was not so bright as to blind me when used in the closed tent. While it did provide enough light for me to make a brief nighttime excursion, I found that I preferred to be wearing my normal headlight. The reason is that in cooler temperatures, I sleep in a balaclava, or else I convert the balaclava into a beanie. I was unable to adapt the Ledhedz to fasten onto my balaclava. Also, I prefer to be hands free when it comes to my nighttime excursions and having to carry a light is inconvenient. I had difficulty reading with the Ledhedz at night, due to the way the light projects. I found the light to work great in the early morning to prepare coffee. I am a very early riser, always before first light, and as long as I had my hat on with the light, I found it better than my headlight. It projected plenty of light to see to cook and do other type morning chores, locate clothing for the day, pack up unneeded items, etc.

I found the light great for small chores, whether it be inside my tent, for just a peek outside my tent door at night to check on strange sounds, to locate dropped items at night while in the theater, to change a battery in a camera at a darkened recital, and other type similar situations. I used it to make my way out of a darkened movie theater, so as not to miss a step. The light is bright enough and projects enough to see a few feet ahead of where I am stepping, but is not so bright as to upset fellow travelers, hikers or campers.

The light has held up to being handled every day and the button has not shown any signs of wear. I have not had to replace the batteries. I have not had an opportunity to wear the light in fog or damp conditions. So far though, in my area of high humidity, the light has worked very well for most of the chores I have used it for.

Long Term Testing:

I will continue to carry this light with me during my winter outings. It is small and light enough to adapt to my style of ultra light backpacking. I find it especially useful for chores while inside my tent, for a quick emergency light and for all of those little emergencies when I need to quickly produce a small beam. My testing will further determine how well the batteries hold up, how well the button performs over repeated use and how well the lamp holds up in cooler, wetter weather.

Russell Curry

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Field Report

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