Petzl TIKKA XP Headlamp

            Owner Review

            September 11, 2006

 

About me

 

Name:  Jeff Hayes

Age:  25

Gender:  Male

Height:  6’1” (185 cm)

Weight:  193 lb (87 kg)

Email:  jef (at) unc (dot) edu

City, State, Country:  Chapel Hill, North Carolina, U.S.

Occupation:  Full-time graduate student (Environmental Sciences)

 

I have been car camping on my own for about 5 years and backpacking for 6 months..  Being a student means that I am on a pretty strict budget, so I mostly shop at sales and keep my eye out for durable items that will prevent me from buying them again.  I will choose high durability and value over low weight almost every time.  Most hikes are in North Carolina and Virginia, so I have a range of temperatures and weather conditions for which to buy. 

 

Product Information

 

Manufacturer:  Petzl

Year of Manufacture:  2006

Website:  http://www.petzl.com

Light source:  Single 1-watt LED

Specifications:

  Weight, listed:  59 g (lamp and headband) + 36 g (3 AAA-sized batteries) = 95 g (total)

  Weight, measured:  59.1 g (lamp and headband) + 35.5 g (batteries) = 94.6 g (total)

  Listed battery life and light distance at various power settings, provided by Petzl.com:

                   

MSRP:  Not available.

Usage:  4 months 

 

Product description:

 

The TIKKA XP is an LED-based compact headlamp from Petzl, a major manufacturer of such devices.  It’s powered by 3 AAA-sized batteries, which are included in the package.  The TIKKA XP makes use of a sliding refractory lens filter to alter the single LED’s light output.  By sliding the filter over the LED, it changes the light output from a semi-focused beam to a wide-angle flood.  A single, adjustable elastic headband is provided.  The TIKKA XP lamp assembly pivots from horizontal downwards about 45 degrees to aim the light and to keep it from shining in a hiking partner’s face.

 

The lamp itself functions in 4 set modes:  Maximum, Optimum, Economic, and Strobe.  There is also a separate Boost button that will increase the light to an even greater brightness for up to 20 seconds, if the button continues to be pressed.  The battery life and light distances for each setting are listed in the table under “Specifications” above.  On the side of the headlamp is a blinking light that changes from green to orange to red as the battery charge slowly drains.  Petzl claims that the headlamp is water-resistant, and the headlamp comes with a 3-year guarantee.

 

Usage

 

This headlamp has been used on a week-long outing and several overnight trips.  I also use the TIKKA XP around the house occasionally, when I’m in the dark crawlspace or working under the sink.  The light is still going strong and the battery indicator is still green.  All of my usage has been in North Carolina and Virginia, where temperatures ranged from 50 F to 80 F (10 C – 27 C).  My headlamp received double duty, since my partner’s headlamp was incandescent and we didn’t want to carry extra batteries, so it saw constant usage for 4-5 hours at a time.  It was used in very light, misty rain for short periods (5-10 minutes at a time) with no apparent problems.

 

What I was looking for

 

-         LED-based, for longer battery-life

-         Lightweight, so I didn’t have to carry it and so it didn’t bother my head

-         Single strap, because having the second strap over my head annoys me

-         Self-contained, so I didn’t have to worry about wires and battery packs everywhere

-         Wide-angled beam, because I use my headlamp mostly for around-the-camp activities

 

Performance

 

The TIKKA XP has performed flawlessly in every way.  The light output is very impressive for an LED.  I haven’t needed to use the headlamp on any setting other than Economical, with the occasional Boost here and there.  The Boost button works without the lamp already on, which makes it nice for when I’m in the tent in the dark and just can’t quite find my trowel by feel.  The battery cover appears well sealed, and although it’s not easily removable it doesn’t need to be.  The pivoting head holds tightly in place, so it doesn’t droop.  The difference in light output between wide-angle and focused modes is much more pronounced than I would have thought.  The rubberized buttons on the TIKKA XP are moderately difficult to depress, in that it wouldn’t be very easy to accidentally turn the lamp on in my pack.  They are recessed into a small depression on the top of the headlamp, which helps tremendously in this respect.

 

Summary

 

All in all, I am very happy with the Petzl TIKKA XP.  I didn’t have to make any compromises in the feature set that I was looking for, which is unusual for me.  The TIKKA XP is a quality product and well worth its reasonable price.