Princeton Tec Apex Headlamp

great for job and camping

This was highly rated by others and I thought I wanted rechargeable batteries, but when it arrived, I realized it was too heavy and bulky for my purposes. I didn't open it, so can't evaluate its performance. I think I'll get one of the lightweight, LED, headlamps for day hikes, backpacking and climbing.

I brought this headlamp after reading other reviews on how bright this unit is (and Sierra's great price) I ordered one up. They weren't kidding -- this thing can light it up ! The various brightness choices allow you to nicely tailor the level of light to any situation. While it is bit bulky with the battery pack, it more than makes up for it with durability and did I mention it's BRIGHT ? I plan on ordering another to keep in my toolbox for tight quarter carpentry, plumbing, repairs, etc. If you're looking for the HUMMER of headlamps -- this it.

I live in the country so this is great when taking the dogs out for a walk or skiing at night. It is great for almost any type of outdoor activity except backpacking where lighter weight is better. The 3 watt beam really puts out a good light compared to the 1 watt Yukon HL, also a Princeton Tec product. Either is a great headlamp. For overall best light I would use the lithium batteries. They last much longer and are unaffected by cold weather.

great light! i use it mostly for walking my dog at night. i live at snowshoe mountain in west virginia and we have a lot of bear activity during the summer so its good to have this light to lite up the trails around my house when walking the dog. the light i pretty bright but princeton tec makes a brighter one which i will be purchasing later today. love this little ray of sunshine!

This is new so I have not had a chance to really test it. I really like Princeton's previous offerring called the Corona, which I have had for 2 years. The Apex has a strong focused beam for distance, and a cluster for closer activities.

I'm an all around home builder and outdoor adventurist and have purchased at least 8 headlamps over the years. Though some of the lights have held up well (Petzl Duo and Myo) none have compared to the long life strap that the Apex has. Of course the different light modes are a huge bonus and the brightness is quite impressive as well. I don't know why it's so hard to get right but PT uses quality elastic on the Apex. I just bought five more for gifts and myself thinking that my original (going on 2+ years of daily use) is going to die or get lost someday. I use mine every single day and have found with 4 NiMh rechargeables it is one of the best tools in my arsenal. The switches are easy to press even if you have big fingers (unlike the Myo). The beam is consistent and does not flicker unlike some of the competitor's that must use cheaper contacts. This is the best headlamp on the market in it's class, I promise.

Great headlamp for the money.

Good all around design. It's worth every penny.

I use this headlamp for walking my dogs at night in the middle of the woods. It's bright enough to see the other critters that sometimes accompany us ( usually deer and rabbits ). The headlamp has a center beam with two brightness levels - the brightest shines a good 200 ft. The 4 smaller leds do a good job close up. I've tried a number of headlamps, and this is by far the best. Part of the reason for short battery life is that I usually set it on the brightest setting, and I do use rechargeable batteries. During an extended power outage, I used lithium batteries. One set of batteries lasted through the 8 day outage. Because of the 4 AA battery pack, the headlamp is a bit heavy. You might want to get the Apex Pro if weight is a factor ( but I think the cost of batteries would be much higher ).