Long Term Report:
Princeton Tec Yukon HL Headlamp

Date: July 25th, 2004

Reviewer Information

Name: Jim Sabiston
Age: 50
Gender: Male
Height: 6' 3" (1.9 m)
Weight: 207 lb (94 kg)
Email address: JimSabis(at)aol(dot)com
State: New York
Country: USA

Backpacking Background:

I've been camping since my teens. My outdoor activities include backpacking, canoeing, sea kayaking, snowshoeing, mountaineering and cross country skiing. I have expanded my backpacking to include winter mountaineering, back country skiing and ski backpacking. I have received winter mountaineering training with Chauvin International Climbing Guides. I actively study ways to backpack lighter and more efficiently. During the summer months, my style tends toward very light, but not quite ultralight. I use a hammock or tarp for warm weather, and a small four season tent for winter trips. Most of my other gear is very changeable, as I am constantly experimenting with gear and techniques.

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Princeton Tec
Year of Manufacture: 2004
URL: http://www.princetontec.com

Manufacturer's Specifications:
Weight: 8 oz (227 g)
Light source: 4 LEDs divided as follows:
    1 Side output 1 watt focusable bulb, center mounted
    3 5mm high output bulbs
Power: 3 AA batteries (included with headlamp)
Projected battery life:
    1 watt LED bulb: 25 hours (note: the web site reports 44 hours)
    3 standard LED bulbs: 120 hours
MSRP: N/A at manufacturer's web site

The Princeton Tec Yukon HL Headlamp:

The Princeton Tec Yukon HL's signature feature is a new high output, side emitting LED (light emitting diode) element. LED technology has been used in flashlights for a number of years now, offering truly amazing advances in miniaturization and battery life. Along with these wonderful advantages came one notable shortcoming: the LEDs, while serviceable, just aren't very bright when compared to typical halogen or xenon bulbs. The Princeton Tec Yukon HL appears to herald the arrival of LED technology that can stand side by side with halogen and xenon flashlights in terms of brightness, while retaining a major advantage in battery life.

The Princeton Tec Yukon HL follows a the standard heavy-duty headlamp design concept: a circular elastic headband with the lamp assembly mounted on the front, the battery pack mounted on the rear and an additional center elastic strap connecting the lamp assembly and battery pack.

The lamp assembly is fairly small (1 5/8 in (41 mm) diameter X 2 1/8 in (54 mm) deep and consists of a mounting plate and the lamp assembly proper. The two are connected by a single bolt, allowing the lamp assembly to be aimed up or down as needed. Rotating the bezel allows the bright beam of the 1-watt center LED to be narrowed or broadened. The broader beam of the three outer LEDs cannot be adjusted. The body of the lamp assembly is made of a dark blue, translucent plastic.

Directly behind the focusing bezel and on top of the lamp assembly is the on-off switch. Pressing the rubber sealed button once (a firm push is required) turns the headlamp on. The activated beam is always the opposite of the last one used. For example, if I used the 'low beam' last, the headlamp would power up in the 'high beam' mode. If I wanted to continue using the low beam, I would have to press the on-off switch two more times to cycle into the desired mode.

For more detailed construction details and field experience, please refer to my Initial Report and Field Report.

Long Term Field Experience:

The Yukon HL has now been exposed to a wide range of temperatures and environmental conditions, not the least of which is the constant shuffling between daypacks, backpacks, fishing packs, canoes and vehicles. The cold extremes were represented by an icy, snow-filled filled winter, particularly a multi-day trip to the summit of Mt. Marcy, the tallest summit in New York State and the Adirondacks. The headlamp was exposed to temperatures as low as -17 F (27 C) and snow and winds over 40 miles (64 km) per hour. As the seasons progressed into the milder conditions of Spring and Summer, the Yukon HL has been exposed to rain and generally wet and rocky environments. The longer backpacks and canoe trips have taken place in the Catskills and the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness in the Adirondacks. Temperatures have seen highs approaching 90F (32 C).

 I have been exceptionally pleased with the over-all performance of the headlamp. It has not been affected in any noticeable way by its exposure to snow, ice, rocks, rain and even a serious dunking in a rain filled canoe. There is the odd scuff and dirty patch, but otherwise the headlamp remains in excellent condition. The lens is well protected from most bangs and knocks by the hard rubber coated lens housing and remains in perfect condition. The plastic components are typical of my experience with Princeton Tec’s tough, quality products and have proven to be rugged and reliable. All seals continue to do their job and I have found no evidence of leakage even after a hard rain and a significant dunking. The dunking occurred during a recent canoe fishing trip on Long Island’s Peconic River. The weather was unsettled and finally delivered the threatened downpour in spades, in the form of an extended deluge that reduced visibility to about fifty feet! The canoe essentially acted like a large bucket and I was soon sitting nearly 3 in (76 mm) of fresh rain water. The Yukon HL was stuffed into my lumbar pack, which I had stowed behind my seat. After the rain broke and I was able to resume paddling and fishing, I realized all my gear was floating around the bottom of the canoe. I had always wondered how waterproof my lumbar pack was and on this trip I learned it held water in much better than it kept water out! I actually had to open it up, unload it and then empty a surprisingly large volume of water out of it. To be fair, the pack was not designed to be a floatation device or a dry bag! I pulled the Yukon HL out of the mesh pouch that I keep it in and examined it. While thoroughly soaked, it was apparently unaffected by the dunking and worked fine. Later, when both the headlamp and I were drier, I checked the internals and found everything completely dry.

Battery life, as expected, has proven to be exceptional, especially so when considering the brightness of the 1 watt side-emitting LED. Pre-LED headlamps that delivered this level of brightness could be expected to last 2 to 4 hours as a typical average. I have used the high setting intermittently. The longest continuous session was for a couple of hours during a winter descent in the Catskills. My approach is to generally use the low setting, saving the higher setting for moments requiring long range or a detailed view of whatever I’m doing.  As it stands, I’ve got six months of use on the headlamp and am still on the original batteries delivered with the Yukon HL. I’ve noticed no obvious reduction in the light output yet, but it is possible that any loss of brightness is so subtle that it is difficult to detect. I must confess to being tempted to using the high setting more often, as the difference is quite marked. The low setting is very serviceable for typical camp tasks and hiking at night on well graded, open trails. The high setting has proven to be a real advantage when on trails in more challenging terrain and conditions.

I have recently been using the Yukon HL in a non-backpacking related activity which bears mentioning. I occasionally ride an old 12 speed bike around town, running errands or just getting a bit of fresh air and exercise. I prefer to use secondary roads which receive less automobile traffic, but these tend to be much darker than the main thoroughfares. The Yukon HL on the high setting has proven to make a very good cycling headlamp. It can be aimed to project out well ahead and provides a smallish but very brightly lit patch where I can view the road surface with reasonable clarity before riding over it. There is enough of a halo effect around the central beam to see a wider area around the central beam, albeit without as much detail. A major advantage that the headlamp gives over a bicycle headlight, which typically is mounted on the handlebars of the bike, is the ability to view objects that are not directly in front of the bike. I had gotten tired of constantly feeding batteries into my halogen bulb cycling headlight and stopped riding at night unless it was absolutely necessary. Cycling in the dark has become a much safer exercise with the Yukon HL.

No new complaints or problems have surfaced since my Field Report. I will mention the only two minor issues I noted in that report. First, and foremost, is the lack of a stuff sack for the headlamp. I supplied a mesh stuff sack that I already had and the Yukon HL is out of it only when it is being used. The advantages are two-fold: A tidier package in my pack that does not become entangled with the rest of my gear and the stuff sack tends to offer considerable protection from scuffs and scratches. Princeton Tec should supply a stuff sack with this headlamp. Second, is the on/off switch, which is small and requires a very firm push to activate it or switch between high and low settings. Mind you, it has never activated accidentally. Given a choice between the firm switch and one that occasionally activated when bumped, I’ll take the firm switch every time. The small size of the button only proved to be a problem when wearing my heavy duty Cordura/leather mountaineering gloves, which are not known for their tactile sensitivity.

OK, there is one other item, but this remains strictly personal. I really have gotten spoiled by having a bright light available again, and I really like the option of the low beam for around camp and the high beam for those tricky nighttime trail moments. The Yukon HL much heavier than some of the lightweight headlamps on the market, and much bulkier as well, but they cannot compare with the light output. So my packing dilemma is whether to choose between light weight and serviceable lighting or a bit more weight and more lighting options! I suspect the end result of this internal debate will end something like this: I will carry one of those lightweight headlamps when packing a headlamp as an emergency backup for a dayhike which may run long and save the Yukon HL for the multi-day trips when I know I will be using a headlamp. It is just too good to leave at home.

What I Like:

1 - Quality materials and construction.
2 - That wonderful, bright, side-emitting LED bulb!
3 - Generally, ease of use.

What I Don't Like:

1 - The lack of a good storage bag.
2 - The on/off switch, while well protected from accidental activation, can be difficult to operate in deep cold, when heavier gloves are worn.

Long Term Summary:

The rugged construction and absolutely reliable operation have contributed towards making the Yukon HL my favorite headlamp. The ability to use a very functional low setting for long battery life, but having the option to brilliantly light up a tricky bit of trail, an icy pitch after sundown and having the range and power to light up a dark shoreline before sunrise when surfcasting or canoeing after hours is wonderful. Having an LED headlamp with real range is also terrific. The Yukon HL has become a permanent part of the gear that seems to find its way into my pack on every backpacking trip.

All-in-all, a nice technological advancement on the part of Princeton Tec, coupled with the sound design and quality I have come to expect from them.