Field and test information
During the four-month period covered by this Long Term Report, the Princeton Tec EOS was used in the Catskill and Adirondack Mountains of New York State, at elevations to 4500 ft (1400 m). It served as my primary source of light on numerous backpacks, day hikes (or at least those that extended into the evening hours) and one low-key caving expedition. Minimum pack load was 12 lb (5.4 kg) or so for day hikes and up to 28 lb (11.3 kg) for backpacks. The lowest temperatures experienced during this latter part of the testing period were at night, down to approximately -15 F (-26 C), and the highest temperatures were around 65 F (18 C).
Product Use and Performance
My trips while using the Princeton Tec EOS were quite diverse. I used it for winter camping in very cold temperatures (on multiple occasions), as well as under more clement conditions; for a day hike that included a descent into an ice-cave (a deep tectonic cleft that holds snow and ice well into the summer); and on numerous other backpacks and day hikes that ended up extending into twilight or night. On one recent occasion I have used it to illuminate the way for an injured hiker on a party I was leading. He had to descend a substantial mountain with a strained ankle (thereby narrowly avoiding a helicopter evacuation, though this was as much a testament to his fortitude as the lamp). He had left his in the car! On several others hikes I have used it to supplement the more meager illumination carried by others.
In short, my EOS saw extensive use and performed admirably. At least one person (to my certain knowledge) went out and bought one after I had helped light their way (they were carrying a torch and very much needed both hands free to negotiate an icy sidehill). Though I did not keep a complete log, I'd guess that I actually used the lamp for a good thirty hours (probably a low estimate), one way or another, and carried it with me for many hundreds of miles.
For backpacking use, I generally use the lowest beam setting when reading in my tent, for cooking, and a diverse range of camping tasks. I use a brighter setting for navigating camp or for setting up my tent or shelter. I'm less likely to dazzle friends with the beam on a low setting (one downside of a bright headlamp). Since much of my use was over the winter months, I used lithium AAA cells, and this certainly gave me uninterrupted and stable illumination, thanks to the voltage regulation circuitry in the lamp. With the onset of milder weather in the past few months, I could have reverted to alkaline batteries, but I have come to enjoy the superior performance of lithium cells. As this is an item of gear that's not in constant use, I feel this to be a justifiable indulgence, if indulgence it is. Lithiums are slightly lighter than alkaline batteries, too. if I'm being a gram counter!
I used the lamp on several occasions variously in rain, mist and heavy snow (sometimes more than one of these in the course of a day). Despite some earlier misgivings over the crimped gasket (see Field Report), I did not experience any problems whatsoever with moisture penetrating the headlamp. I confess that I'm satisfied with this, although I'd ideally prefer to see a gasket that's mounted in place, to avoid any potential for losing it when changing batteries.
Used on trail, I found that the lamp provides more than enough light on the intermediate setting of the three continuous modes. The highest setting was well-suited to off-trail hiking. I should say here that I generally attempt to avoid bushwhacking at night, as artificial illumination tends to disguise sudden drop-offs, and considerable care is sometimes needed to avoid mishap. Still, this lamp is up to this job, and proved it on a couple of occasions. In winter, the battery life (even with lithium cells) could be a little greater, perhaps (a trade-off against the light weight). Still, I found it adequate to all the situations I encountered, provided I was careful to use the EOS at full brightness only when necessary. I always carry spare batteries, just in case.
The stability of the lamp on my head is quite sufficient with just the single strap, provided that the tension is correctly set. If it is too tight, the band has a tendency to drift slightly (not to mention being uncomfortably constrictive). I wore it over a variety of headgear, including several of my winter hats, and found that it stayed put just fine on fleece etc., not to mention a Tilley hat (brim curled down) that I'm presently testing in this milder weather. I do regret that the lamp housing doesn't swivel beyond the horizontal, although this limitation seems increasingly standard in headlamps. On a couple of occasions I was attempting to scan trees for wildlife, and it's a minor inconvenience to have to bob one's head up and down to direct the light.
Predictably, the lamp is a bit difficult to operate in my heaviest gloves, a pair of mountaineering mitts (although, with care, it was still perfectly possible). Changing batteries really requires bare hands or liner gloves only, so in winter cold it's best to use a little forethought and perform battery changes in the tent (which, I suppose, ideally requires another lamp) or in daylight hours. I can, at a pinch, change the batteries by feel, but I'd hate to rely on this method in an emergency.
The EOS had proved robust. It's been dropped and otherwise lightly abused (though not on purpose) with no ill effects. The ratchet mechanism for directing the beam has so far worked just fine, with no loosening noted, and I've really no serious cavils at all with this excellent piece of equipment. I was slightly surprised to find that the EOS was noticeably a bit less bright than another lamp using the same Luxeon L.E.D., but I ascribe that to manufacturing variation or perhaps to the voltage regulation circuitry. In any case, it has been plenty bright enough for all the diverse uses to which it was put!
I had no occasion to use the lamp set in the flashing mode. It performs well in this manner, so far as I can tell, but this setting is not useful for me, for hiking purposes at least. Perhaps if I had been riding my road bike I would have found it helpful, but to my shame I've not been out this year. If the intent is to provide an emergency signal, a continuous directed beam is surely preferable?
Summary
The Princeton Tec Eos is a first-rate headlamp for all-season use, and was bright enough for every contingency I encountered (at least one of which was pretty critical). I found it had excellent range under most atmospheric conditions and that it was even sufficient for exploring a cave (not one of my usual pursuits, and one for which the more light, the better).
Likes
- Excellent brightness on maximum setting.
- Good level of illumination for most basic camp tasks on minimum setting.
- Adequate for trail hiking on medium setting.
- Light output is stable over time.
- Headband has comfortable, stable fit.
- Switch is generally easy to use, and proved well-nigh impossible to turn on by accident.
Dislikes
- I'd have preferred a fixed gasket in the battery compartment.
- A lamp mount that permitted 180 degree rotation would have been nice.
I thank BackpackGearTest and Princeton Tec for allowing me to test this fine headlamp (and for justifying hours of tinkering, see Field Report).
