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I bought the Tikka (strap version) a couple years ago, and have been using it ever since. I think the Tikka/Zipka have established themselves as trail standards for many people on many different trails. I personally like the Tikka because I shave my head and the Zipka's cord tends to irritate my scalp unlike the Tikka's which is a wider band.

The other heavyweight is the Black Diamond Ion at less than an ounce, but it's useable light is much less, and it uses coin type batteries that last less than 10hrs.

Many people have had problems with the Tikka/Zipka switch, and it can have the tendency to turn itself on in a loaded pack. Other than that it's a definite no-brainer for the trail.

:)

This head lamp is by far one of my favorites. ...
Check it out at www.petzel.com :banana

Alpine,

Are you sure about that URL?

Rain Man

Don't really like the zipka. I find the head strap irritating, even with a full head of hair. Our old tikka and my zipka both "flickered" a lot which was really annoying. They just changed the switch, and the new style works GREAT. It now has 4 LED's, three different light levels and a flash mode. It also doesn't flicker any more. I returned both the EMS given their problems, and they exchanged them out for the new tikka which I am very happy with. That's why I buy what gear I can from EMS :)

Gravity Man

It is in the same class as the Princeton tech (Aurora) head lamp but the differences are the head strap which on the zipka is better and the bulbs on the zipka are angled down so when you are talking to someone the beam is not shining into their eye balls rendering their night vision useless. :-?


The Princeton Tek Aurora has a hinge on it. It can easily be pointed down so as to not shine in anyone's eyes. The old Tikka does not, but the new Tikka Plus has a "racheting swivel head". Don't know if that is a hinge. The old Zipka does not have a hinge, nor the new "plus". They may be adjustable so that they do not shine in people's eyes. My vote is for the Aurora.

I think I give it 5 stars. I did a 100 mile section hike recently & used it every nite took spare batts never needed them and it still is burning bright.


Blue Wolf :banana

The Princeton Tek Aurora has a hinge on it. It can easily be pointed down so as to not shine in anyone's eyes. The old Tikka does not, but the new Tikka Plus has a "racheting swivel head". Don't know if that is a hinge. The old Zipka does not have a hinge, nor the new "plus". They may be adjustable so that they do not shine in people's eyes. My vote is for the Aurora.

The new tikka does have the hinge so it too can be pointed down to avoid hiker's eye's, but I find just rotating around to the side of my head works best. It also has a nice little beak added on so the light can't shine in your eyes either when pointed down. We use ours every night to read by in bed (far better illumination than a reading lamp) so they get a lot of use!

Gravity Man

No question, my new zipka is a huge improvement over the old style Petzl head lamp. Just completed a 75 section hike & used and loved the zipka every night.. Lite, bright and priced right! Hopefully, I'll get my 150 hours, but we'll see... Stumbler :jump

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with drawn post

My wife and I both use the Zipka headlamp. I've started wearing my around my neck and my wife puts hers around her wrist. Either way it still provides plenty of usuable light and never shines in someone else's eyes. We have over a 100 hours on our original batteries and haven't noticed any loss of light output yet. Highly recommend.

Thanks I fixed the url try clicking on it again. Thanks Dude! :D

muchas gracias!!!