Princeton Tec Eos Headlamp - 2007 BCS

VERY IMPORTANT: MAKE SURE THE GASKET IS SEATED WITHIN THE BATTERY HOUSING BEFORE YOU TEST HOW WATERPROOF THIS HEADLAMP IS. the gasket on mine was not seated in the proper place when i got it out of the box. could have led to disaster. but, considering that the batteries do not come in a ready position, i would expect everyone would pay attention to this. COMES WITH BATTERIES!...now the real review...i like it. you dont have to flip through all the settings to turn the thing off. just hold the button down a bit longer than you would to turn it on, and it shuts off no matter which setting you are in. each setting is noticeably different, unlike some of the junk i have bough in the past. the action button sits well below the profile of the light housing, so, in my experience you dont have to worry about it switching to the on position in your pack. i would be worried about being able to compress the low profile button with big gloves or mittens, but i havent tried it so i cannot comment definitively. this is not at bright as my black diamond spot and does not have as many settings, but it is bright enough. because it does not have as many settings is why i bring it along everytime. its a great camp light. still bright enough to hike, but with the easy shut off, you wont blind the other people at your campsite. it works well in that it has not yet failed on me. not the brightest light, not the most versatile considering the setting options, but its a great addition to the SPOT. Got both of the headlamps mentioned in this review for less than $25 each off SAC. great buy at that price!!! much better than the energizer crap (seriously...junk) i bought when starting out. considering the highest retail priced headlamp i own (not what i paid but MSRP) is $100, i would rate this around 5 on a 10 scale. hence, good stuff.

I bought this a while ago and have since ordered a few of the high output lights so this has been used as my wife's backup. Never had any issues with this light, burn time is excellent. Delivers a bright light in a lightweight package.

MADE IN THE USA!

This light is compact with simple construction and is easy to use. Mine was stolen out of my truck (along with my osprey pack full of gear) ouch! I will be buying another. I never had a problem with the first one, and I like that the button is recessed so that it will not turn on in your pack. I also have the apex pro (larger and heavier, but brighter) and am very pleased with both.

As an early adopter of headlamps, I have used dozens of models over the years. The EOS is currently my favorite. I even prefer it over the newer Tikka XP that I bought. I do a lot of outdoor activity at night (only time I seem to be able to fit it in the schedule) and I also enjoy night hiking. This lamp is very reliable and durable. On high power it will really light the trail and allows me to spot cairns and blazes in the distance. Most of the time, low power is all I use until the batteries get low, then medium works well. Pros: relatively light, reliable, powerful, long run-time. Cons: button sometimes hard to push with gloves on; lacks diffusion filter for better close-up usability.

Have this one and a Yukon HL but I use this the most. It's pretty small comfortable and very bright, the dimmer settings are nice feature. It seams to be pretty good with batteries to. Princeton Tecs customer is also top notch.

I love the simplicity and durability of this light. It has a simple design, not worried about it getting wet and is easily operable with gloves on. The only downside would be that it starts off on the brightest setting. I also have the princeton tec pilot red led that goes nicely on the headband.

This is a great multi-purpose headlamp. It is sturdy and can handle some water and dust. It is fairly comfortable to wear and is not nearly as bulky as the Apex. The only complaint I have is that the light tends to be focused in a single beam. Many of the multi-LED headlamps have a better short range dispersed light with greater battery life, however this light has a much better range on it, so it depends on what you want the light for.

Huge difference from the Princeton Tec Fuel Headlamp in light output but overall construction is very similar. We were pleased w/ the Fuel except for the light brightness and now we are really pleased! Only negative is that I wish the whole light angle adjustment mechanism was tighter so that the light angle doesn't slip when running.

Can't beat Made in USA and at an affordable price!

Great product recommendation by Backcountry.com.

This light does it all for me.
The flash setting is great when running at night. Drives see me coming. The fit and finish is excellent.
The tilt setting is positive and no slipping.

Very direct, bright, white beam. Lightweight and comfortable. Too many settings for my liking (I would be happier with bright-dim-blink). I will replace with another EOS if it ever wears out. I had a great experience with PT customer svc when I was deployed overseas and will stick with them, thanks PT.

Woah, my new favorite headlamp. I wanted to grab a focused beam headlamp after hiking Fuji overnight with my Petzl Tikka--with the light fog, a more focused beam would have been the way to go on that giant scree-pile. A year later I decided to try a Black Diamond Spot, and was sorely disappointed when the ratcheting mechanism broke, straight out of the package. I traded it out for the Eos Bike (pick this up, Backcountry!), which is the Eos headlamp with additional handlebar and helmet mounts. This lightsource is my new best friend at night--on the handlebars, on my climbing helmet, or on a hike. Tight, bright beam is a joy, construction is very solid, and I am very happy. And a big plus is that it is MADE IN THE USA (hooray!) and is backed up by an in-USA lifetime warranty and an international 10 year warranty. Not going back to Petzl or Black Diamond for a while, thanks to this light. You'll be glowing like your headlamp, you'll be so happy with this one.

Yep save your money and your head by buying this light weight lamp that shines farther than any of them...you can always zip tie it together witha tika for full coverage for night skiing or riding

Took my second night ride with the Eos last night on my xc skis. I am very impressed with the performance of this light. Illuminates the trail in front of you with a nice bright white light that makes objects and obstacles from a distance easily visible. You can easily resolve signs and trail markers. Long run time on the batteries too. Very light on your head. I can't wait to test it out on some hikes next.

This is my choice headlamp when i need a longer range light. I've used all sorts of headlamps over the years and i always come back to this one. Its got alot of great features. For starters, it’s very bright and can be used while hiking in the dark. Two, its very water resistant to waterproof. Remember, this headlamp has a waterproof level 2 rating which means waterproof for a depth of up to one meter for 30 minutes. One reviewer said they had it in the water for several hours which this device is not rated to cope with so it let water in. For other water applications though such as paddling or hiking in the rain, this is perfect. Third, the different brightness levels are very useful but i do agree with another’s comments that the low setting with strong batteries is almost too bright for reading. Fourth, even though the headlamp uses three AAA batteries, its very lightweight when resting on your head. Finally, this item comes with a lifetime warranty which is nice. I sent in a 3 year old Aurora to Princeton Tec because of a cracked piece on the case and they gave me a new one for free. Bottom line is if you need lots of light in a small and lightweight package, this is a great choice. If you'd prefer a smaller, lighter unit with similar features but not as bright of a light for use around camp and for reading, I'd highly recommend the Princeton Tec Aurora which is also waterproof. Note: It looks like PT is discontinuing the Aurora to replace it with the non waterproof Fuel so get one while you still can. As of 1-15-09, the Aurora is on the Backcountry Outlet site and its on sale for $17 which is a great deal.

For its size, this headlamp has great distance. The beam is pretty focused, and the brightest setting can hold its own while moving/hiking in the dark. No other headlamp this size that I have compares in distance. However, despite its waterproof claim, I had it in my pack (which floats, so it was never deeper than a foot or so underwater) for 13 hours in a canyon, and water seeped in to short out the 'on switch' and burn out my batteries. After drying out, it was fine, but a real bummer when I actually needed it to be waterproof. Also, the light beam is not very wide, so combined with its exceptional brightness I tend to be able to see only one area of a trail/campsite and become pretty nightblind to the surroundings. Even when reading in a tent, the light seems almost too bright when on its lowest setting. But who am I to complain about a light that's too bright'? It's small and works great, bottom line.

This headlamp is just as bright as some of the lamps that require a huge battery pack on the back of your head but it is lightweight. I've also dropped this in the hot springs multiple times and it's been fine. I wouldn't call it waterproof but very close. The high mode works great as a long distance spot. The Princeton Tec Apex is the big daddy of bright headlamps with a 3 watt LED but you have to deal with the battery pack on that one. This is a perfect balance.

This headlamp is very bright and comes in a small package. It has three different setting but I only use the one. It also seems to last forever. I am still on the first batteries and I spent a couple of months using it for an hour a day.