Reviews > Lighting > Headlamps - LED > Petzl Tikka XP > Chuck Carnes > Initial Report

                                         Initial Report                                          

Petzl Tikka XP
Report date: September 26, 2005

Biographical Information
Name: Chuck Carnes
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Height: 6'0" (1.83 m)
Weight: 175 lbs. (79 kg)
E-mail address: ctcarnes1(at)yahoo(dot)com
City, State, Country: Greenville, S.C.  USA

Backpacking Background
I love the outdoors – I’ve spent time camping in the outdoors since I was born, and have been actively hiking and backpacking for the past ten years. I consider myself a lightweight hiker, usually carrying 20 – 30 pounds (11-13 kg) for hikes up to a week in length. I hike at an easy pace, averaging 2 mph (3 kph). I am a one-man tent camper for now until a lighter two-man tent comes along and will give me more room. I like to carry a single trekking pole when I hike to help relieve stress to my legs and knees. I like to get out on the trail as often as I can.

Product Information
Manufacturer: Petzl                                 
Year of Manufacture: 2005
URL: www.petzl.com                         
Listed Weight: Headlamp: 2.08 oz (59 g) + Batteries: 1.27 oz (36 g) = 3.35 oz (95g)     
Weight as Delivered: Headlamp: 2.0 oz (57 g) + Batteries: 1.27 oz (36 g) = 3.27 oz (95g) 
Height: 1.45 in (3.68 cm)
Width: 2.5 in (6.35 cm)
Thick: 1.75 (4.45 cm)
MSRP: Not listed on web site (Altrec Outdoors: $49.95 US)

Product Features:
(from web site)
Powerful, focused light beam with 3 lighting levels (maximum, optimum, economy) and a blinking mode, to adapt the light to the activity at hand.

Boost mode: 50 % more light than the maximum level for 20 seconds.

Wide angle lens for flood beam-like proximity lighting.

Battery life indicator (indicator light + blinking LED): warns when the batteries are approximately 70 % drained and 90 % drained.

Compact and lightweight.

Tiltable light body enables light beam to be directed where needed.

Comfortable and stable to wear: adjustable and ergonomic elastic headband.

Light distance: up to 35 m (115 ft.) (50 m (164 ft.) in boost mode).

Light duration: up to 120 h.

Delivery and Package Contents:
          The Petzl Tikka XP Headlamp showed up in a small brown box with air pillows to keep it from moving around inside the box. The Tikka and the three 'AAA' batteries were encased in a clear molded plastic container and that was sealed with card stock cardboard on the outside ready for display. In between the cardboard and the light was a colored brochure that is just like the one that is printable under 'More Information' that is found on the web site; particularly the Tikka XP section. It describes in detail the features of the headlamp.

Initial Report:
            I peeled the cardboard away from the molded plastic, opened the container and retrieved the Tikka XP Headlamp. The weight of the headlamp is surprisingly light when I held it in my hand. To look at it in the container, the headlamp looks a bit heavy to me because of its thickness. Then I thought "I don't have the batteries in it yet". This is one of the first features that I am interested in; finding out how hard it is to put the batteries in. I swiveled the back plate down and under the body of the headlamp. I then noticed a finger indention on the side of the body that allows the user to place a finger under the edge of the battery compartment lid and pry the tab over the nub to expose the battery compartment. At the picture to the right, the finger indention and the nub is shown on the side of the headlamp body. Notice the rubber gasket that completely encircles the edge of the battery compartment. This feature prevents water from entering into the battery compartment when it's raining or accidentally dropped into water. The battery compartment lid snaps on very easily and creates a good, tight seal when closed.

             Once the batteries were in place, the lid closed and the back plate swiveled back into place, the Tikka is still somewhat light for all of its features. I started looking over and inspecting the rest of the headlamp. The Tikka's power button is on top of the headlamp body. In the picture above, the power button is the yellow button on the right. The power button has four modes of different illuminations, which are set by depressing the on/off switch (or power button) a number of times until you arrive at the mode that you want. The modes are high, medium, low and slow flash.  If you want to toggle through the modes, you have to depress the button in under two seconds of each mode to get to the desired mode. If two seconds elapses before you depress the button to go to the next mode, the light will turn off when you depress the button. This feature may become very aggravating, depending on the situation. Comments on this feature will be included in my Field and Long Term reports. The yellow button on the left is the power boost mode. This can be pressed when the normal power button is on or off to give an extra boost of brightness that is brighter than the 'high' setting. When I pressed the power boost button, I expected the light to stay on when I released the button; it didn't. The user has to continuously hold the power boost button on for the light to stay in this mode. This may also come to be aggravating later on in the test period. I will comment on this issue also in my Field and Long Term reports.
            
            After placing the light on my head in its correct position, the comfort level is good so far. The tiltable body is easy to adjust with one hand and has a great range of declination. I then started trying out the different light modes and how much light illuminates from the different modes. I am very impressed with the power boost mode. I like that extra bit of illumination. After playing with the different modes, I realized that it has a wide angle lens that can be slid in front of the normal lens to give a wider and softer illumination to the light. The clear plastic flange that is in the front/middle of the headlamp (seen in the picture above) is used to slide the wide angle lens into place. The lens is easy to slide back and forth at the moment but I will monitor this easiness of this task as the test goes on. When dirt and sand gets in the lens and track area, this task may prove to be a little bit harder. The headband is not removable from the headlamp. The headband is easy to adjust but is not removable.

            So far I really like this headlamp and it functions as well as I had expected. I look forward to using it in the field.

Test Plan and Location:
            As further testing goes on, I will be looking at the light’s ability to withstand abuse and water. I will also be noting the bulb and battery life of different modes as they are used. Long term comfort of the light and the headband will also be noted. As a long term test I will see if the headlamp is durable enough to withstand the constant bumping and dropping that sometimes takes place during camp set up and take down. I will test the lamp for stability and accuracy of the beam while cutting firewood, cooking, reading, hiking and other various tasks. Site distances will be tested and noted at various settings and declination if applicable. As the batteries start decreasing in power, is the decrease in brightness quick and noticeable or is it very slow to give me time to change the batteries before I am sitting in the dark? With the battery life indicator, this shouldn't be a problem. How easy is it to change the bulb and batteries in the dark? With the simple design and construction of the headlamp, how compact can it get to be placed in a backpack or pocket?

            Comfort, to me, is very important when it comes to headlamps. I usually wear a baseball cap while hiking or at camp. Can I wear the baseball cap and the light on the headband together? If a hat can be worn, does the brim of the hat affect the declination of the light beam? I would also like to see if I am able to use one hand to operate the headlamp, such as turning it on and off and adjusting, while on the headband. Since the headband has no over-the-head strap, will the headlamp have a tendency to slide down during walks? How comfortable is the headlamp on the forehead for an extended length of time? Does the headlamp feel front heavy or is it comfortable and light enough to not notice?

            Waterproof tests will be performed in the field if cases of rain occur. If accidents of dropping the headlamp in a river or lake has not occurred by the end of the review, I will submerge the headlamp in water to test the effects if this happening in the field. Does the light still work? Does water get into the bulb compartment? Will it short out or become dim? If and when the headlamp is to be cleaned, how easy is it to disassemble to perform this task? Is there a waterproof seal that is not to be broken in the light bulb area? Can I get to the light bulb area to change it?

            I plan to take this light on several planned weekend hiking trips to the Great Smokey Mountains and the Pisgah National Forest where I will use it to the fullest to test these and other features. I will be in the field at least twice during this 4 month testing period (3 days and 2 nights at each trip which makes 4 nights). My other trips will be locally at a near by park that I visit frequently with my family. I plan to do at least 3 or 4 overnighters to this park that would make a total of about 7 or 8 nights that are planned. I sometimes do spur of the moment trips with my sons when we just get the urge to go backpacking. I would say at least 2 or 3 of those throughout the testing period. The elevation is about 6643 ft (2025 m) in the Smoky Mountains and at Pisgah, the elevation will be around 6200 ft (1890 m). The temperatures during the time of testing will be 40F to 50F (4C to 10C) during the day and 10F to 30F (-12 to -1C) at night, sometimes below zero. I will note weather conditions at the time of testing.

Thank you Petzl and BGT for giving me the opportunity to test this headlamp.

Reviews > Lighting > Headlamps - LED > Petzl Tikka XP > Chuck Carnes > Initial Report