Reviewer Information
Name: Chad Fike
Age: 33
Gender: Male
Height: 5’ 10” (1.77 m)
Weight: 150 lb (68 kg)
Email address: abnersdonkey@hotmail.com
City, State, Country: Oakland, Maryland, USA
Date: October 4, 2005
Backpacking Background: I have gone camping, usually very close to home, for over 15 years, but only started seriously backpacking about 3 years ago. I do mostly weekend trips and often take day hikes. My backpacking experience has been mostly in West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia, including parts of the Appalachian Trail. Each trip has been a learning experience about techniques and equipment. I try to balance weight, durability, and cost with my gear choices.

Product Information
Manufacturer- Petzl
Year of manufacture- 2004
Web site- www.petzl.com
Listed weight- Headlamp {including 4 AA batteries @ 100 g (3.5 oz)} = 237 g (8.5 oz)
Weight as delivered (with batteries) - 8 oz (227 g) (Using a kitchen scale)
Battery Type- 4 AA (included)
Battery Burn Time- Xenon halogen = 4hrs, 3 LED = 180 hrs
Illumination distance- Xenon halogen on spot =100 m (330 ’ ), Xenon halogen on flood = 15 m (50 ’ ), 3 LED = 5 m (16 ’ )

Product Description
The MYO 3 headlamp has dual light sources; either 3 LEDs or a 6 volt Xenon halogen bulb (they cannot both be used at the same time). The 3 LEDs have one brightness setting only. The Xenon halogen bulb can be adjusted from spot to flood. The light housing can be tilted up and down. The light turns on by turning the bezel (round light housing). First the 3 LEDs, located below the main bulb, come on. Turning the bezel further in the same direction turns off the LEDs and turns on the Xenon halogen bulb focused in a narrow spotlight. Continuing to turn the bezel widens the beam to a flood light. Turning it back to the starting position turns the lights off. If the housing is tilted all the way up, a small tab engages and keeps the bezel from turning. The headlamp has a 1 inch (2.54 cm) thick headband and top strap. The rear mounted battery case holds 4 AA batteries (included) and is about 2.5 inches (6.35 cm) square and 1 inch (2.54 cm) thick. A three year guarantee is included.

Field Information
So far I have had no problems with the light which I purchased in July 2004. It appears well made and has been durable. I have not subjected the light to any abuse, only normal use. I have used it backpacking as my primary light and carried it on numerous day hikes in case of emergencies. All of my hiking experience with the light has been under fair weather conditions. Last winter I used the light extensively cross country skiing at night. I used the light in the temperature range of around 5 F to 25 F (-15 C to -4 C). I noticed no negative affects from the cold, although I was rarely at this temperature for longer than 1.5 hours. It was often snowing heavily, but this moisture did not effect the light. I have never worn it in severe rain to test its water tightness. It is advertised as being water resistant only so I avoid drenching the light. Overall, in terms of durability, the light has given me no problems and functioned well in cold temperatures.

The main reason I wanted a dual light source was for cross country skiing at night. LEDs, both on this light and on others I have used, did not seem to provide enough light for me to feel comfortable moving quickly on narrow trails. The Xenon halogen beam worked very well on downhill runs. On flatter sections the LED beam was sufficient. Most of the time backpacking and hiking I only use the LEDs. I find this to be sufficient for most use around camp. It provides plenty of light to set up a tent in the dark and find items around the campsite. For night hiking, the LEDs provide enough light for the trail. If hiking in unfamiliar territory the longer reaching Xenon bulb may be beneficial to scan farther for landmarks, signs and markers, etc. Recently I found the Xenon bulb handy to search for higher tree limbs to hang a bear bag. Overall I am pleased with the dual lighting options of this headlamp. However, much of my use of the farther reaching Xenon halogen beam is for skiing. For strictly backpacking use I consider the Xenon halogen option more of a luxury. When I am backpacking I sometimes use a different LED-only headlamp that weighs less. There is a considerably greater weight difference between a hybrid light like this and a smaller LED-only light. Most LED-only lights do not require as many batteries. The extra battery capacity and halogen bulb housing all add bulk and weight.

I have a few criticisms of the design and operation of the headlamp. I initially found the battery case uncomfortable against the back of my head. The plastic loops that the straps go through seemed to poke me. I took some thin pieces of sticky back foam and applied them to the hard plastic case to alleviate the problem. Some factory issue cushioning or redesigning the case to make it a little more comfortable might help. Maybe the problem is just my lumpy, bony head. The rather large rear mounted battery case gets in the way if I want to lie in bed and read. Many other headlamps have batteries located in front making it much more comfortable to lay your head against a pillow without moving the battery case out of the way. I am not completely sold on the operating system of the light. Turning the bezel requires enough force that it seems to twist the whole assembly around on my head. I also always seem to turn the bezel in the wrong direction from what I want. Perhaps that is just my problem. I think I would prefer a switch to toggle between OFF-LED-BULB and then only twist the bezel to adjust from spot to flood. However, perhaps the bezel is easier to turn with heavy gloves than a small switch would be. The above mentioned items are some minor opinions about improving the light. None of these items seriously effect my use of the light.

A spare bulb is provided, located in a holder on the head strap, but I have never had to replace the original. I have never tried to verify the manufacturers burn times. When skiing in winter I use the Xenon halogen for around an hour at a time. After a few nights I have noticed some dimming. I use rechargeable batteries and keep them charged. When using mostly the LEDs in spring through fall, I have not needed to recharge the batteries.

Summary
I have been pleased with this hybrid headlamp which provides both the battery saving general lighting of an LED and the far reaching beam of a regular bulb. I use the headlamp in a variety of situations, not just backpacking, and it has always functioned reliably. However, it is heavier and larger than many LED-only headlamps. When weight is an issue and I only need a light around camp, this light sometimes stays home in favor of a smaller LED-only light.

Likes:
Durability
Reliability
3 year guarantee
Dual lighting options

Dislikes:
Method of operating light is somewhat clumsy
Weight and size
Battery case was uncomfortable against my head