User Review: Petzl TacTikka Plus

Summary

Good light output. Small, lightweight, reliable, hands-free operation.

This headlamp lives in my pack. and it's saved my butt a couple of times. It's light, reliable, and tough. The way I use it, the batteries last me a couple of years, so it's always handy when I need it and I can be sure it will work. I carry an extra set of batteries (three AAA) but I rarely need to change  them.

From going down a trail at night when unexpected delays force a late return, to setting up a tent or cooking a meal after dark, this is my standby. As with any headlamp, one of the biggest advantages is that it's hands-free, so you can move around naturally without having one hand tied up just to see where you're going.

The TacTikka offers three levels of brightness, plus a flashing function if you want to catch attention. The flipdown red filter means you can walk around outside without compromising your night vision, and using it in the tent means you won't wake up your tentmates when you get up in the middle of the night. The beam is broadly focused, so you get a fairly wide angle ahead of you.

The standard 40 lumens is enough for good progress and good illumination at a fast walking pace, and the adjustable angle means you can select a longer distance if you feel like running.

This headlamp is the military standard, and I've seen it worn on a helmet at -40° by soldiers building igloos in the dark, and in dense forest at night using just the red light. It's bright enough, even on red, to read a map in the dark.

All in all, one of those pieces of gear that you can count on, one that does what it's supposed to, and keeps on going.