LED Headlamps Organization

The Petzl Myo XP LED headlamp is a fantastic all-around headlamp. Of the lamps I have now it’s the most like my first one but it’s better in a few key areas. It has three lighting levels that you toggle through with the main button and a 20 second boost setting that gives you extra bright light when you need it. I use this one all the time when I go camping and my cousin, who’s the crazy rock climber/spelunker, uses the same one when he goes climbing in the Tetons. I actually bought the Myo after going to a very tame cave with him near Bear Lake, Idaho. He had his cool Petzl headlamp and I had my weenie one and I saw how much better his was. I bought it the next week I think. Hopefully he’ll let me tag along on one of his trips next time I go up to Utah so I can try out the light in severe conditions.

The Petzl Myo also has a battery indicator which is really cool. I can’t tell you how many times I would go to use my old headlamp and have it either run out of batteries completely or just fade significantly on a bike ride or while camping. According to Petzl the Myo is supposed to run for 180 hours on the lowest setting. I really can’t corroborate that because I’m always switching it around to the different modes. The batteries do seem to last a long time though.

This headlamp is also very light. It’s just over 6 ounces. When I first tried it on I remember thinking how light and well balanced it was. Because the batteries are located in the back they balance the weight of the lamp in front. It also has a plastic flip up beam diffuser that spreads out and softens the light. If you’re doing something up close or detailed work this can be nice.

Also, when you first look at the buttons they seem kind of small and odd shaped. There is actually a reason for this. If you rotate the light to the top position the buttons are blocked by the light housing. It’s kind of like a safety lock to make sure it doesn’t turn on in your pocket or bag.

The only thing I don’t dig about the thing is the battery compartment. It seems kind of flimsy. It’s made of a flexible plastic and folds over in a way to make the unit weatherproof and light weight. But it doesn’t appear to be very strong. I haven’t had any problems with it yet but I can imagine the thing tearing pretty easily.