Thursday, February 16, 2012

My Review of Princeton Tec Fuel 4 LED Headlamp

Originally submitted at REI

Now brighter and more powerful than before, the compact Princeton Tec Fuel 4 LED headlamp uses 4 ultrabright LEDs to blast a bright white beam of light onto your backcountry adventures.


General Use

By fastdonut from Syracuse, Utah on 2/16/2012

 

3out of 5

Pros: Lightweight, Long battery life

Cons: Fragile

Best Uses: Backpacking, Hiking, Car Camping

Describe Yourself: Avid Adventurer

Was this a gift?: No

First the good points: This is an adequate general use headlamp for the price (especially on sale). My family owns 4 and we've only broken one. We use these for camping and night hiking and they have performed well in favorable conditions. It is very lightweight and plenty bright (its 43 lumens appear brighter than others rated higher). Low setting is plenty bright for most general needs and will run forever on a set of batteries. Its easy to operate, even with gloves.
The limitations: This headlamp should not be used for more technical pursuits (ie. extreme weather, subject to being struck or dropped, water). The battery lid is fragile and when compromised renders it useless. PT does not guarantee the circuitry when using lithium batteries (used for their light weight and performance in freezing temps). Some have used lithium batteries without mishap, but you're rolling the dice with higher voltage. If you don't use lithium then don't plan on running this headlamp in temps below 32F. Also, water resistance is rated at IPX4 (resistant to splashes and quick dunks), so don't use this for water trips or extreme weather (go with IPX7 ratings).

(legalese)

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