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The PETZL e+LITE Emergency Headlamp/ 30 Lumens
WEIGHT WITHOUT BATTERIES: 20 GRAMS (0.7 OUNCES)
CASE WEIGHT: 19 GRAMS (0.7 OUNCES)
TWO CR2032 BATTERIES: 6 GRAMS (0.2 OUNCES)
TWO WHITE LIGHTS: 30 AND 13 LUMENS
BURN TIME: 3 HOURS AND 11.5 HOURS RESPECTIVELY
ONE WHITE STROBE BEAM: 15 LUMENS WITH 95 HOURS BURN TIME
RED BEAM: CONTINOUS AND STROBE
SWITCH: LOCKING ON/OFF TO PREVENT ACCIDENTAL OPERATION
WATER RESISTANT: IPX7 (WATERPROOF TO 1 METER FOR 30 MIINUTES)
BEAM: FLOOD
MAXIMUM VIEWABLE DISTANCE (5 LUX): 4.1 FEET
We purchased all the items and were not solicited to review any item in this blog post.
The PETZL e+LITE emergency headlamp is one of the lightest headlamps available. I used the PETZL e+LITE on three of the my PCT thru hikes and it worked very well as an emergency headlamp. I only hiked at night in the desert over level terrain and with a lot of road walking. When I used the headlamp to hike a mile or two to get to camp I was forced to walk slow to avoid injury. Every time I hiked using the PETZL e+LITE at night I wished for a brighter headlamp. However, I used the PETZL e+LITE as an emergency headlamp and it did its job and that is why I kept going back to it.
Not Recommended for Night Hiking
I do not recommend the PETTZL e+LITE for planned night hiking. The 30 lumens of visible light (latest version puts out 50 lumens) is not enough to safely hike at normal hiking speeds. The idea of hiking slower and getting in lower miles to save an ounce just doesn’t make a lot of sense.
I measured lux values at different distances for the PETZL e+LITE as shown in the chart. At just six feet the lux value drops below 5 which is why this headlamp is not ideal for night hiking. It is important to have a lux value of at least 5 for safe hiking.
Recommended Lux Values
Different tasks require different levels of illumination or lux. You need more lux or illumination for more detailed work. As result detailed drawing work can require 1,000 lux while navigating a stairway at night only requires 15 lux.
The PETZL e+LITE light distribution
The light distribution of the PETZL e+LITE emergency headlamp is shown above. The illumination in lux was measured one foot away from the light. The beam width was wide which makes it nice up close but rapidly reduces the illumination as the distance from the light increases. At a distance of just one foot the beam width was over 1 foot. Because of the wide area of illumination the lux value was low. I measured the maximum lux at one foot and it was 86. As a result reading would be possible but not ideal for any length of time.
Summary
Pros
- Extremely lightweight
- Works well for occasional use
- Has a strobe light for emergency use
- Can be used in an emergency to hike at night
- Includes emergency whistle on headband
- Waterproof to 1 meter for 30 minutes
Cons
- Low illumination compared to other headlamps
- Uses more expensive CR2032 batteries
- Not compatible with rechargeable batteries
- Thin headlamp strap easily twists
- Flood beam that doesn’t illuminate at distance
- Only a 3 hour burn time on maximum setting
- Unable to recharge the battery
The PETZL e+LITE is a lightweight emergency headlamp and must be used accordingly to be useful. The PETZL e+LITE puts out a minimal amount of illumination which does not make it ideal for hiking at night. If you plan on using this headlamp for night hiking you will likely be unhappy with the performance.