Biographical Information

Name:                        Chuck Carnes
Age:                           35
Gender:                      Male
Height:                       6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:                       175 lb (79 kg)

E-mail address:           ctcarnes1(at)yahoo(dot)com

City, State, Country:   Greenville, S.C. United States

Report Date:               March 8, 2005

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:             Princeton Tec
Model:                         EOS
Year of Manufacture:   2004
URL:                           http://www.princetontec.com
Listed Weight:            3.7 oz (105 g)
Weight as Delivered:  3.8 oz (108 g)
Bulb type:                   1 L.E.D. (1 Watt Luxeon)
MSRP:                        $38.99

Weight and Dimensions of Light

Width:                        2.4 in (61 mm)
Height:                       1.7 in (43 mm)
Thickness:                  1.6 in (40 mm)
Mfg. weight:               3.7 oz (105 gm)
Actual weight:            3.6 oz (102 gm)

Field Information

        During this first month of testing, the Princeton Tec Scout Headlamp was used in various locations. I used it on a long weekend (March 3-6) backpacking trip in the Smokey Mountains. The elevation according to my Casio altimeter was 6240 ft (158 m). The temperature at night according to my Casio thermometer was a frigid 22 F (-5 C) around 7:30. The temperature dropped to 7 F (-13 C) at around 1:35 a.m. when I had to get out of my warm sleeping bag and go visit the privy. I also used the headlamp around the house and outside of the house when doing outside chores and fumbling through my closet at 5:00 a.m. trying not to wake my wife with lamps and overhead lights.

Current Testing

The Princeton Tec EOS headlamp has come in very handy over the past month. I have used it more than my normal handheld flashlight even when I didn't need a hands free light.

Backpacking Trip:

        I used the headlamp on a lot during a long weekend trip to the Smokey Mountains. I used it while we went on a 4 mile (6 km) out and back night hiking trip to an overlook where we could view the whole city below us. There was about 18 in (45 cm) of snow on the ground which made for some difficult hiking in the dark but the Princeton Tec EOS headlamp served the purpose and I was very confident where I stepped because of the wide, bright light that it put out. While hiking with the headlamp positioned on my forehead, the headlamp never slipped or felt uncomfortable during this hike.It was very easy to adjust the declination while wearing thick gloves. The only problem that I had was turning it on and off while wearing my gloves. I was able to do it but it took some concentration to get the seam of the glove positioned on the on/off button and press it. I cooked, ate dinner, cleaned up and did a few things to get ready for bed while wearing the headlamp. I found that having the headlamp set on high was perfect for these kinds of activities around camp. The light never seemed too bright and always seemed to be pointing exactly where I needed it without any adjustment. My cousin would probably beg to differ since I keeped shining the light in his eyes when I would turn to talk to him in his sleeping bag. The low beam setting was useful when I went to bear bag my food on some cables that were provided for us in a tree near by and to make trips to the privy. It was dim enough to be able to see my way through the snow and to see if any critters might be lurking upon me. I have not found a use for the medium setting since that setting is not much different than the high setting. The blinking setting has not been used either

        Each night of the trip with the headlamp as my only light source was about the same when it came to doing things around camp. The comfort of the headlamp on my forehead and the elastic band around my head was the same in all cases. 

Around the House:

       I have used the headlamp on different occasions around the house that I would normally use a standard handheld flashlight. The headlamp comes in very handy when I have to get dressed at 5:30 a.m. for work and not disturbing the wife. Using the headlamp to check on my kids in the middle of the night without having to turn the overhead light on is also a big plus. Although it feels funny, having the headlamp on while reading in bed at home, it can act as a book light. 

Miscellaneous info:

        So far I have logged approximately 18 hours of burn time. I have not kept up with how many hours are devoted to each setting. I change settings very frequently so it is difficult to keep up with that information. So far, the headlamp has held up in the durability category. This will be covered more in my Long Term review. I have not had a reason to change the batteries in the headlamp. If at the end of the Long Term test, the batteries have not been changed, I will change them to test the ease of the process and note the outcome. The size of the headlamp is very small and can be placed in a pants pocket for ease of accessibility or placed in a coffee cup for later use. The pivoting point of the headlamp has stayed very tight with all of the adjustments it has gone through. Most of the time, the declination angle has to be adjusted with both hands. It can be loosened but risks the possibility of not staying in the position that one would set it for. I have had the light out in a lite rain and there were no affects to the brightness of the light due to water seeping in the battery compartment, or any signs of malfunctioning of the on and off switch.

Future Testing

        I will be going on several  trips to the Smokey Mountains and Pisgah National Forest through out the rest of the Winter and into the Spring and Summer. The Princeton Tec EOS will be my main light source for these trips. There will be more field testing to come for my Long Term report.  These are some questions that I had about the Princeton Tec EOS headlamp  prior to my first use . Some of these I am able to answer now and some will be answered in my Long Term Report.

The web site says that as long as the batteries have sufficient voltage, the light will remain at a constant brightness. 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? At this point in the testing period, I have not experienced any dimness due to lack of sufficient voltage.

How easy is it to change the bulb and batteries?  I have not had to change the batteries or the bulb to this point.

Do I need a tool to access the bulb and battery compartment? The EOS comes equiped with an extended flange on the slide adjustment that adjusts the size of the head band. This flange acts as a flat head screw driver to turn and open the battery compartment so that no extra tool is needed.

Does it have an extra bulb? No    If not, can I find one at most stores that carry bulbs or are they hard to find? I have not researched this since I have not needed one.

With the simple design and construction of the headlamp, how compact can it get to be placed in a backpack or pocket? It is small enough to fit in ones pocket or small area in ones backpack.

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? For me personally I can. The head band fits right under the band of the cap.

If a hat can be worn, does the brim of the hat affect the declination of the light beam? The brim of the hat does affect the light from being show above ones head. As it was for me, this was not that important.

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. The body of the headlamp is easy to adjust while on wearing it with one hand. However, tuning it on and off seemed to be a little difficult with gloves on but can still be done single handedly.

Since the headband has no over-the-head strap, will the headlamp have a tendency to slide down during walks? I have found the headlamp to stay in the position that I place it when I put it on. I not experienced any slippage or change of declination from the adjustments being loose.

How comfortable is the headlamp on the forehead for an extended length of time? I must have the sizing just right because I have not experienced any discomfort on my forhead or anywhere else on my head.

Does the headlamp feel front heavy or is it comfortable and light enough to not notice? The headlamp does not feel front heavy at all. It is very light and I do not notice it on my head most of the time.

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? I have not experienced heavy rain or dropping it in a river up to this point.

Does water get into the bulb compartment? See previous answer

Will it short out or become dim? See previous answer

If and when the headlamp is to be cleaned, how easy is it to disassemble to perform this task? I have not had to clean the inside at this point but it is very easy to remove the body of the headlamp from the elastic headband to clean behind battery compartment area.

Is there a waterproof seal that is not to be broken? I have not had to open the light bulb compart at this point.

Summary:

            Overall I have been very pleased with the Princeton Tec EOS headlamp. It stays close by me at all times when I am at home and on the trail. I constantly use it to be prepared for any test that would be useful for the Long Term review. I will continue to keep this headlamp as my only main light source for further tests. As stated in my test application, I will record and note other tests as they occur.

 

Thank you again Princeton Tec and BGT for giving me the opportunity to test this wonderful light.