Average Rating: 
Rating:  - I can see clearly now the mice have gone...
The Petzl Tikka came to my rescue last year when I had a little trouble with rodents in our basement. My girlfriend and I lost our pet mouse one saturday night, when it slipped out of her hand. A few weeks later we heard a lot of scrabbling coming from under the stairs and decided the little fellow must have found a friend and started a family. Hence the need for some powerful lighting that would still allow me to keep both hands free!We purchased a Petzl Tikka and were initially very suprised by the comfort and ease with which the item could be fitted. It sat snugly on my head and remained there despite some quite violent movement on my part. Even when swinging a spade above my head the Tikka stayed firmly in place. And as for the quality of the light I can only say that it is superb. The beam was clear and sharp enough to light every corner of our very large basement. Its power at close range was such that the mice were transfixed like rabbits in headlights which helped my task no end. In fact we even tested it on a camping trip this fall, and the beam was visible even when I was stood on top of a hill around a mile away! In short if you are looking for a lamp which is practical and extremely durable then I can do no more than recommend the Tikka.
Rating: - A Very Useful Light
I've owned a Tikka for about two years, often using it several times a day. It has been used as an auxilliary light for bike riding, for doing car repair and working on appliances, for map reading in the car and even for reading for hours. Batteries last for many hours and will give useful light even when very run down (although light output does get reduced). The light pattern is very broad, making the light most useful for close work but it still puts out enough light to see a fair distance. After two years of rough use, the switch got hard to work but working in some silicone grease eased the action. Also, it is important to close the case carefully after replacing batteries, being sure to fully engage the the hinge hooks before closing.
The elastic headband has held up well and is very secure while still allowing some angle adjustment.
Lots of long lasting light in a small, durable package.
Rating:  - Outstanding compact headlamp
This is a great little headlamp that throws out quite a powerful beam, and has a very soft, comfortable head strap. It works well as an after-dark navigational light or as a working-around-the-campsite light. It's a tiny bit too bright for me to use comfortably as a reading light, but that may just be my thing. It's a darned compact size, and according to their literature, can give up to an amazing 150 hours of light with its three AAA batteries. The comfy adjustable strap holds the lamp in place, and there's a bit of cushy padding so that it doesn't hurt your forehead. Very functional, nothing really horribly wrong with it.That said, however, there are some things I don't like about it. While the angle of the beam is a good one, it's not adjustable like the Black Diamond Ion is (however, it is more comfortable to wear than the Ion.) This is my main complaint, though; the batteries are a bit tricky to get changed, and there is often not a good, solid contact with the batteries and the terminals, which leads to a slightly flickering light, which I find really irritating. There are also smaller lamps to be had now, and when every inch of space is a consideration, that's important. However, that 150-hour burn time is hard to beat! But really, the Tikka is a perfectly fine piece of equipment, and it does its job well. The folks at Backpacker magazine just loved it, so it's obviously got some good things going for it.
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