Same decision boat as above and not wanting to create another similar thread:
Ive been Petzl fan for years, and always have a Petzl e+lite in my backpack. That thing is amazing as a contingency.
On overnight hikes I carry a generic chinese LED super bright torch powered by an 18650 cell and have a few spare as I’m invested in the 18650 system hence Zartek is appealing, but bulky and heavy.
Im now looking to replace my Petzl Tikka - the very old one from pre 2000 apparently 50 lumens on the short extra mode. I loved the slide across Red filter.
For me the most important things are:
- Red light
- Replaceable battery option
- Durability
- Simplicity
Ive narrowed it down to:
- R1299 Petzl Actik 450
- R1199 LED Lenser MH7 or MH8
- R1099 Black Diamond storm 400
- R 750 Zartek 432
They all seem to be super bright, much brighter than my existing one, and are USB rechargeable and can take batteries (3xAAA or 2xAA or Zartek’s 18650’s)
My current dilemna:
- With the Petzl e+Lite as a back up, is the replacement head torch sufficient to replace my Super bright Cree LED torch?
- Should I be looking at a less powerful head torch for longer run times on battery?
- I use a power bank to recharge my Garmin and mobile phone (and planned replacement camera) so the USB rechargeable option is appealing to my system, but is there value in it or is it just an expensive unnecessary
I think the Zartek is out as its too bulky.
The Petzl Actik 450 is good value for money with the rechargeable compared to the 350 and is simple to use. I am frustrated that the tikka mounting accessories I already have are not compatible.
The LED Lenser seems complicated to operate with one button, but the zoom light feature is the most appealing.
The Black Diamond Ive never considered and didn’t spend much time looking at, seemed like multiple button presses like the LED without the zooming feature.
Any advice from you guys out there? at the moment Im steering down the LED Lenser route…
oh hang whilst googling specs, I see on Cape Union Mart right now they have the MH7 marked down to R699.
huh - I guess that was easy!