[Loves to ride]

Hi,

Since it's dark so early and I can only pick the paddocks after work, I've been thinking it's time to get one of those LED headlamps as I'm not great at handling a flashlight, wheelbarrow and pitchfork.

Any recommendations for a good LED headlamp that isn't too heavy, could be used for picking the paddocks as well as walking the horses at night and has a reasonably distance light?

Any other niceties I should look for?

Thanks in advance!

[Cherry]

My husband works at a department store--he brought home a tan baseball cap with a series of three LED lights in the brim, it cost around $12.00! It's the coolest thing--has a low beam and high beam!!!!

I was also at the local farm store and saw some old guy rummaging around a bin of cheap tools (every farm store and hardware store seems to have these)--he was pulling out these small LED lights with a clamp on it that you could attach to the brim of a hat or wherever (I think they were $3.00 ).

Those are some other things to think about rather than an LED headlamp. I thought I wanted a headlamp at one time but I have a small head and probably wouldn't be able to get one small enough to fit me....

Good luck!

[seabreeze]

I bought one of the baseball caps with the lights in the brim for my dad for Christmas last year--he LOVES it! It's amazingly bright. I got it from LL Bean for $19.95.

[magnolia73]

http://www.gearzone.com/Princeton-Te...84-14910-1.htm

I have this one. It has 3 settings, pivots, and has an adjustable elastic strap. You could easily muck out with the light it provides. It doesn't scare my horses or her barn mates.

[birdsong]

http://us-parks.altrec.com/outdoors/petzl/lights/

I have the one with the retractable band and use it a lot!!

[furlong47]

http://us-parks.altrec.com/outdoors/petzl/lights/

I have the one with the retractable band and use it a lot!!

I also have a Petzl headlamp, the Petzl Tikka. I use it for night orienteering and since I can see well enough to navigate the woods at night with it, I'm sure it would work fine for picking a paddock.

[regeventer]

I went to Lowe's (or Home Depot) and got one there with an elasticized headband - AWESOME for evening chores. I just realized I am constantly shining it in my horses' eyes all the time!

[Loves to ride]

Wow guys, thanks for the great and quick responses!

I never thought of a baseball camp with lights in it. Great idea!
I'll have to look at that and the headlamps that folks recommended.

COTH is awesome!

[Frank B]

Try Cabelas and Bass Pro Shops. They have a wide selection. Once you enter their website, do a search on "head lamp".

Battery life on the inexpensive units is limited. The better ones will state battery life and what type of cells are required.

[smilton]

I just order a dozen off ebay for $30. I keep leaving them places and this way there is always on available. They are the greatest thing ever for chores as I can carry a bucket of grain in one hand and hay in the other. When I accidently set off the strobe setting it freaks the horses out a little.

[Runinonjoy]

Petzl makes great headlamps- durable and extremely long-lasting. If you get their Zipka model (with the retractable band) as someone mentioned earlier, be careful when you take it off-- if you just pull from the front your hair will get stuck and it HURTS! Guess how I know...

[greysandbays]

I've got those little clip-on-the-baseball cap thingies. Mine have FIVE LED lights and the switch lets you light up all five, or just three. Also has an all-lights-blinking setting that I've not found a use for.

I paid $3 for them at a Family Dollar store. Batteries I get five for ninety-nine cents at the unclaimed freight outfit, so I don't care that the batteries only last a month.

There was another model at the unclaimed freight place for the same price that had one light that was red. This one had a sturdier clip and a top on-off switch for the hat brim, but I didn't like the red light thing since it took away one regular light.

[DVM2003]

I really like the Pelican VersaBright...not the Versabright II. I used to use it for my floats, but have since upgraded to a super fancy, hip battery pack, much more bright and $$$ model (that is no where near as durable).

The versa birght comes with an elastic headband and the light hangs between your eyes - at the top of your nose. It takes some getting used to, but the light is always where you are looking.

http://www.wisementrading.com/flashlights/pelican.htm

They're pretty cheap about $20. And mine stood up to daily hard (few hrs/day)use for 1 year before the lamp blew and I upgraded.

Check it out.

Cathy

[chai]

My sister gave mr. chai a baseball hat from LLBean with LED lamps embedded in the brim. It is great, except that the horses were terrified of it at first. I have to admit, I laughed at the dork factor when mr. chai put it on the first time and turned on the lights, but the darn thing works really well.

[Kementari]

I like the Petzls, too. I actually have two headlamps - a cheap LL Bean LED one for just walking around (my job often involves walking around in the woods in the dark ) and a nice Petzl (I can't remember the model) for when I'm doing things that really need light (like, say, changing a car battery at 10 pm... ). The more expensive models, IME, throw far more LIGHT than the cheaper ones, even it they're only a couple of bulbs vs five or more. (Plus, as noted, the batteries last longer, and even if that's not an expense issue, I still care about the environment!) But I like my cheap one because if I set it down somewhere and a kid yoinks it, I'm not going to be terribly upset.