Blinded By the Light
For a moment I felt like I was back at the orthodontist’s office in fourth grade. There was the cold sweat, the tunnel vision, and I swear I even heard my old elementary school friend Joey Martinez laughing in the distance. The same rush of embarrassment and resistance that overcame me when that sadistic doctor showed me my headgear for the first time came back and hit me like a ton of bricks. My boss, Kassie had plopped down two Princeton Tec headlamps on my desk and told me to give them a write up. “You really expect me to wear that?”, was all I could muster. Needless to say I wasn’t overly stoked on the proposition.
Of course, it wasn’t nearly as bad as the headgear but for that one little moment I felt a bit uncomfortable. I have never been a fan of headlamps. A few years ago when I went hiking with my dad and brother up in Northern California. We knew we would have to do some night treks and needed some lights. We went out to get some headlamps at the local outdoor shop and I tried on a few. The uncomfortable feel of the lamp on my forehead mixed with the constricting and headgear-esque grip of the elastic band made me cringe. The aesthetics of the gizmo were also less than desirable. I felt like I was that geek in 16 Candles at the school dance.
Definitely NOT a Princeton Tec
In all honestly, how goofy I felt wearing the thing made no sense considering the fact that if I was using the lamp, it would be dark, and basically unnoticeable. But still, the bad memories of Dr. Demento and my headgear were too much to over come. I ditched the idea of getting one of them and opted instead for a light that clipped on my hat. It sort of worked, barely, and by about the first mile I was regretting my decision, wholeheartedly.
So after the initial jolt I decided to give the headlamps a second shot. Well, I kind of had to, considering it is my job. The two that I was going to test out were the Princeton Tec Fuel and the Remix. Both have similar designs and at first glance they look indistinguishable, but upon closer inspection there are a few key differences.
The Fuel has a simple 4-in-a-row LED light setup that works wonders (pictured is the three light design). A single click and it’s on, multiple clicks give brighter and brighter light output and there is even a strobe/ flash mode.
Fuel by Princeton Tec
The Remix’s set up is a bit different. There are three ultrabright LED lights on one side and one large Maxbright on the other. High and low modes are available for either the Ultralights or the Maxbright. Like the Fuel, it’s just a few simple clicks to cycle through all the modes on the Remix.
Remix by Princeton Tec
Other than the lights themselves, the lamps have very similar construction. The adjustable strap is not clunky and helps the lamps to fit securely on your head without being overly noticeable. The backs of the lamps are slightly curved to ergonomically fit your head and make them really stay in place when walking or even jogging. I liked the fact the button is large and placed on the top making it very easy to press when on the move. Even little things, like replacing the batteries are designed efficiently; the plastic adjuster on the headband is designed to pop open the battery casing. Bonus! Also, the lamps are water resistant. Another bonus! Lastly, the lamps are adjustable in angle. They rotate roughly 45 degrees up and down, which gives your neck a real break if you are looking at odd angles. Triple Bonus!
Princeton Tec has designed two great headlamps, that much is now known. What I had yet to do is actually use them and see if the great design transfers into practicality. I went camping again and took the lamps out to field test them. I kept one and gave one of the lights to my brother. We put them on and sure enough, they fit perfectly. They didn’t feel clunky or overbearing either. I looked over at Steveo and the Princeton Tec headlamp didn’t look hideous on him at all . Sure, he didn’t look like George Clooney in them, but I blame genetics and Jack n’ the Box for most of that. The adjustable angle feature really worked well for me when we got to moving. I set it to face downward when hiking on tough terrain so my immediate surroundings were visible and had it facing forward for long stretches. It actually worked in the up position when we would stop and take a breather. We didn’t blind each other or have to turn the light off. The power of the lights was incredible. We tried all the settings and they all gave off good amounts of light. We kept the lamps on high most of the time and saw no issues with them at all. The batteries lasted, the lights stayed put, and we made it through some rocky areas without a single incident.
The Remix and the Fuel both proved their worth on that trip. So much so that when I came back I found myself looking for other ways to use the lamps. I tracked down my roommates incompetent deaf cat in the middle of the night in our shrubbery laden back yard, I used the lamp on low when looking though the hard to get to parts of the garage, I used the strobe when I bicycled to the store at dusk, and if I ever need to work under my car again I am totally grabbing my Princeton Tec.
So thank you, Princeton Tec. Your Remix and Fuel headlamps totally changed my mind about the whole idea of headlamps. No longer will I see them as the outdoor equivalent of headgear. No longer will I avoid wearing one like I avoid wearing leg warmers. You have shown me the light, literally as well as figuratively.