Product Information

Manufacturer: Princeton Tec
Manufacturers website: www.princetontec.com
Model: Yukon HL Hybrid LED
Date manufactured: 2003
Power source: Three (3) AA batteries
Advertised burn time: 25 - 120 hours
Listed weight: (with batteries 8 oz  / 227 g)
Verified weight with 3 AA Duracell alkaline batteries: 8 oz (227 g)
The Princeton Tec website does not provide pricing information.

I've been packing the Princeton Tec Yukon HL along on short backpacking trips along the Appalachian Trail in Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland and on snowshoeing trips in the Washington State Cascades as well as using it as a work light on my construction job, now finished. The headlamp has served admirably and has shined brightly throughout the test period. It has survived multiple (unplanned) ten-foot drop tests onto a concrete floor, escaped unfazed from two days and nights of torrential rain, been buried and almost lost in three feet of wet snow and has been submerged in an ice cold stream without letting any water into either the lamp housing or battery case.

 The first round of battery burn time tests with Duracell Alkaline batteries is complete and compares favorably with manufacturer claims. At 53° F (12° C), the constant temperature in the basement of my house, the high bean burned 38 hours before blinking out. The low light setting burned for 105 hours. I was under the impression that with modern circuitry the LEDs would burn at a constant brightness throughout its life, then brink out suddenly when the batteries were exhausted. While I have yet to witness the final fade-to-black, I note that exchanging old batteries for new in the middle of the cycle will result in a noticeably brighter light output. The light output does fade slowly over time.

 To test the burn times, I placed fresh batteries in the headlamp, set in on a shelf on the low light setting and checked the lamp every hour until the it went dark. The test was then repeated on the high light setting.  Burn time testing using lithium batteries is underway and will be complete in time for my Final Report.

 The Philips head screw that secures the headlamp angle adjustment was loose upon arrival, is smaller than anything that I have on my Swiss Army Knife, and required that I purchase a tool at the hardware store in order to tighten it. The screw refuses to remain tight and the lamp assembly is soon flopping uselessly about, requiring that it be retightened often. I would suggest to Princeton Tec that they should develop a maintenance-free system here or use a fastener that can be tightened with a tool that hikers are likely to have with them; a standard sized screwdriver or better yet the edge of a coin. As it is I must carry a special tool just for this purpose and have no other use for it. This adds an unnecessary 2 oz. to my pack weight.

 I was somewhat baffled when I tried to focus the beam on the headlamp without noticeable results. Upon disassembly, I noted that there was no spring behind the lamp reflector to hold it against the threaded adjustment bezel. This was apparently a quality control oversight and a call to Princeton Tec was all that was required to get the missing part shipped to me. After installing the missing spring I was rather unimpressed with the results and found anything but the sharpest focus setting to be less than useful.

 On overnight backpacking trips I find that the low light setting is more than adequate for campsite chores and rarely have need of the high light setting. I did have the opportunity to do some night hiking on the A.T. back in January. I stopped at an overlook to watch the sunset and then proceeded on after dark the remaining three miles to my campsite. The white blazes on the trail showed up well even on the low light setting and I needed to switch to the high light setting only rarely to negotiate trickier sections of trail. I did somehow miss the blue-blazed side trail marker to my campsite and hiked on a good half-mile before realizing my mistake. I hesitate to blame my error on the Yukon HL and attribute it instead to inattention on my part. The Appalachian Trail is well marked all along its length and is a very familiar trail to me. I would not feel comfortable night hiking in unfamiliar areas or over rougher terrain using the Yukon HL as my only light source.

 I like to be able to prop my head up against a tree or the wall of a trail shelter at night to read or write in my journal. The behind-the-head battery pack makes this very uncomfortable. I am still having trouble locating the on / off switch by touch alone. Thick winter gloves make this even more difficult. I have discovered no usable way to hang the headlamp from the inside of my shelter. The lithium batteries seem unaffected by sub-freezing temperatures.

Thoughts on Headlamp Brightness

and Battery Burn Times

 With advances in technology there seems to be a trend toward brighter and brighter backcountry light sources and longer and longer battery burn times. While I can see an advantage in this on very long, unsupported expeditions, most backpacking trips are limited by how much food and other supplies one is able to carry on ones back; usually seven to ten days at a time at most. Headlamps with battery lifetimes of up to 120 hours are impressive, but seem like overkill to me. If one will need to resupply in ten days anyway, why not include batteries in ones resupply package? Do we really need an 8 oz. / 40 hour flame-thrower when a 3 oz. / 10 hour light will serve most of our needs? Downsizing the Yukon HL to AAA batteries would lighten the headlamp considerably. Moving the resulting smaller battery pack to the front would make it much more comfortable. Reducing the burn time by half would still be more than sufficient for my needs

Testing Continues