BackpackGearTest.org Review - /reviews/Lighting/Headlamps - LED/Princeton Tec Yukon HL/Michael Doughty/Initial Report

Name: Michael 'woebegone' Doughty
Age: 44
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 9" / 1.8 m
Weight: 160 lb / 72.5 kg
City, State, Country: Arlington, VA. U.S.A.
Email address: woebegone03@hotmail.com
Date: January 22, 2004
My backpacking experience: I have been backpacking since I joined the Cub Scouts at the age of ten. That's thirty-four years! I've hiked year round in the Texas Hill Country, the Bavarian Alps, the Mid-Atlantic-States, the Sierra-Nevada, Oregon, and the Olympic and Cascade ranges in Washington State. In 2001 I thru-hiked the 2,168-mile Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine in 158 days. I am a recent convert to a lightweight hiking style. My summer base weight now hovers near 10 lb / 4.5 kg.

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.

First Impressions

The UPS man delivered a package from Princeton Tec a few days ago. I was pleased to note that my request that the package not be left on my front porch was honored. Inside the shipping carton I found a very colorful display package extolling the virtues of the Yukon HL. Inside the display package was a plastic blister pack containing the headlamp, a Princeton Tec Product Guide describing other PT products, and a Yukon HL Hybrid LED operating and maintenance instruction sheet covering switch operation, battery instalation, battery case o-ring maintenance, PT's return policy and Full Lifetime Warranty. I was also pleased to find three Duracell Alkaline AA batteries were included with the headlamp.

The Yukon HL Headlamp consists of a 3" X 3" X 1" (7.6 X 7.6 X 2.5 cm) plastic battery case that sits behind my head connected by a system of 1" (2.5cm) wide elastic straps and adjustment buckles to the actual lamp unit which measures 2.5" X 1.75" (6.3 X 4.4 cm). A power cable runs along the right side head strap and is held to the head strap by two plastic clips. The head straps, one encircling my head and one running over the top of my head, have a wide adjustment range. My size 7 1/2 head fits towards the large end of this range. I discovered that the headlamp will not fit over my bicycle helmet, but could be adjusted down to fit my five-year-old neighbor.

I at first thought that there was a problem with the clip that holds the battery case closed; it was difficult to open but a bit of persistence finally got it open. There seems to be little chance of it coming open accidentally even if dropped. The battery case has a rubber o-ring around its circumference but the headlamp is described by an icon on the box as "water resistant" rather than waterproof. The three AA batteries slipped into their respective slots easily and the case closed with a distinctive sharp snap. I feel confident that I can perform this function in any conditions including in the dark.

The lamp unit contains three high-output, 5 - millimeter LEDs arranged in a triangular fashion around a slightly larger 1 - Watt central LED. The crystal and reflector are held in place behind a threaded bezel which I at first thought was used to focus the light beam, but unthreading the bezel has no effect on the light. Moisture is prevented from entering the lamp housing by a rubber o-ring. The lamp housing adjusts up and down on a hinge but the hinge pin was loose out of the box. It requires a Philips head screwdriver smaller than one found on my Swiss Army Knife. Once I get it tightened up I'll watch for loosening over time. I'd hate to need to carry a special tool just for this purpose.

I found that the on / off switch is difficult for me to locate by touch alone, and that the button must be pressed very firmly, with an audible "click", to get it to function. It's easiest for me to use my fingertip / nail to press the button. I don't think I'll need worry about the lamp coming on unintentionally in my pack. Click the button once and the three high output LEDs will come on, clicking again returns the lamp to darkness. Click a third time and the 1 - watt flame-thrower will come on. Another click and I was again in the dark. Clicking again repeats the sequence. I'm not sure that I like this arrangement. First because of the brief moment of darkness between light settings, then for the need to cycle past one setting to get to the desired setting. Maybe I'll get used to it.

The low light setting is quite adequate for most needs around camp and is bright enough for reading by its pleasant soft glow. I really like the quality of the light in the low setting! The high beam on the other hand is quite harsh and only useful in my estimation for trail hiking. I have only made a short night hike down a local, and very familiar trail near my jobsite, and could find my way easily on the well marked trail. Future outings will determine if it is adequate for unfamiliar terrain or off trail bushwhacking.

I have been using the headlamp on my construction site as a work light while in the dark and cramped confines of the house's basement. My co-workers have requested that I only use it on the low light setting to prevent possibly blinding them, but they are eager to borrow it when it's needed. The headlamp is comfortable to wear and does not feel especially heavy on my head, but the battery pack is padded only by the elastic strap that runs under it next to my head, and feels hard. I like to prop my head up against something to read, but the battery pack at the base of my skull is very uncomfortable when I try this.

Future Testing Plans

I am planning a four-day hike along the Appalachian Trail between Front Royal, Virginia and Harpers Ferry, West Virginia in two weeks; this includes the infamous "roller coaster" area with pointless ups and downs (PUDS). The paucity of daylight at this time of year guarentees good headlamp testing opportunities. I'll try to wait for dark to set up my campsite and cook my dinner. The elevations in this area are generally between 1,000' - 3,000' (304 - 914 m) with temperatures between 0° - 30° F (-17° to -1° C). The Appalachian Trail is well marked with white blazes and I will attempt to do some night hiking, weather permitting.

My move to Seattle has been delayed by a month by job concerns but should occur sometime at the end of February. I'll switch to lithium batteries for those tests and will be doing lots of snowshoeing and backcountry skiing in the Cascades and Olympics. Elevations here will range between 3,000' - 6,000' (914 - 1828 m) and will probably involve sub zero temperatures (< -17 C)

While the Yukon HL Hybrid will probably not find it's way into my lightweight backpacking kit, I am, so far, very impressed by this little gem.

Reviews > Lighting > Headlamps - LED > Princeton Tec Yukon HL > Michael Doughty > Initial Report

Reviews > Lighting > Headlamps - LED > Princeton Tec Yukon HL > Michael Doughty > Initial Report