A Modern Woman's Perspective On The Kingdom of God on Earth


June 5, 2012

Light Up The Night!

     This past weekend, my friend Terri (who, like me, has jumped fully onboard the "crazy train") and I went to a class on canning and preserving.  I will be featuring a post on our class later this week, but that is not the point of today's message.
     Terri and I live two hours apart, and our destination for this class was another two hours beyond her home.  So, naturally, we made our plans to be prepared in case we had some kind of emergency while on the road.  We had our BOBs, plenty of water, some food, comfortable walking shoes; and being CHL holders, a means to defend ourselves.   (In fact, this is becoming a bigger part of my consciousness these days.  Even six months ago, I would have thought that the necessity to carry all these items with me every time I left the house was still a couple of years away.  But not anymore.  It is becoming an everyday ritual.  But I digress -- back to our trip.)
     Before we left, my husband determined that we were missing one item that might come in handy.  Our class ended at 5 pm, and with a two-hour trip back home, if we encountered any kind of car trouble (or other emergency), we very well could find ourselves walking in the dark.  The less we had to carry in our hands, the easier it would be to travel and defend ourselves, if necessary.  So while carrying a flashlight was an option, it wasn't the best choice.
     So now I am a happy owner of a Petzl Tactikka XP Headlamp!  It's lightweight and compact, fitting on your ball cap; perfect for backcountry hiking and hunting --- or in our case, walking at night if we suddenly found ourselves afoot.  My husband graciously agreed to model it for you, so you can see how effective the light is.  In fact, I really love this headlamp!  It has a powerful single LED bulb, with three different light levels, plus a "boost mode", if you really need an extra blast of light to find something in the dark (casting a 164 foot beam for 20 seconds!)
     For all you techies, the 1-Watt LED bulb produces a maximum brightness of 40 Lumens.  You can regulate the length of the beam from 59 feet to a maximum of 114.8 feet, which allows you to maximize efficiency, increasing burn time from 60 hours to 120 hours.  The Petzl headlamp also has an additional setting that offers a strobe light for emergency signaling.
     The versatility of this light is amazing!  There's a hinge on the housing of the Tikka XP that enables you to aim the beam where you need it the most.  Whether you need a flood beam or a spot beam, you have it at your fingertips with the Petzl.  Besides the standard clear lens, you also get red, green and blue filtering lenses, although the red lens is best for night walking -- it's not as harsh, and it limits your visibility by others.
     The elastic headband is comfortable and adjustable, and the entire apparatus is water-resistant (Note: not "waterproof" - there is a difference).  If you get caught out in the rain, be sure to open the unit and empty the batteries to let it dry thoroughly and avoid corrosion, which is not covered by the warranty.  
     The Petzl Tactikka XP only weighs 3.35 ounces, including three AAA batteries, so it's a no-brainer to add this item to your BOB.  It's a little pricey, at around $60, but when I envisioned Terri and I fumbling with a flashlight, and even dropping one in the dark, I figured the Petzl was worth its price in convenience, portability, and user-friendliness.  It's just one more item that gives me a sense of security and peace of mind; and that is priceless!

2 Samuel 22:29     "You, LORD, are my lamp; the LORD turns my darkness into light." 

No comments:

Post a Comment