Used for electronic devices, e.g., cameras, phones, headlamps, hard waterproof cases (as opposed to the soft ones ones we have a gear guide on). For many outdoor gear, dustproofing is less of a concern, so the first number is an X, meaning that protection level is not tested. If you only see 1 number (no X), then ratings for both are the same. Here's a great visual guide below.
Source: https://heatingpoint.com/advice-centre/blog/ip-ratings-guide/
Key factors
Cool zippers, new waterproofing, etc... sometimes it's easy to get lost in all the hype (over-spending happens on features). Our guide focuses on the fundamental factors you should always keep in mind (thus, this short list is similar across all items). Then only at the end do we have some questions to get you thinking about other minor features.
We highly recommend reviewing Type or Style first, where we review what you can use to address the Core function--a regular item you have at home may work! The other factors are secondary & depend strongly on the Type or Style you've picked.
While we encourage you to use regular items wherever possible, as an outdoor gear shop, we only carry outdoor-specific products
Type or Style*
We've organized the most commonly used items people use to address the Core function below, with example images, characteristics, features, etc.
Name |
Flashlight |
Headlamp |
Example qualities & features |
Example images |
|
|
Can it be used hands-free? |
|
This is a big deal! Consider doing the below in the dark (which can fall quicker that you expect outside):
- Setting up an unfamiliar tent
- Hiking on challenging terrain where you need hands for support or to use with trekking poles
- Food prep
- Going to the bathroom
|
Are there colored lighting modes? |
|
Red light is especially used outdoors to preserve night vision
|
Will it work in wet environments?
Check the device's IP rating
|
Light rain to full submersion |
Effect on secondary factors |
Price
|
$10-30 |
$20-50 |
Weight |
Up to 16oz (454g) |
Up to 8oz (227g) |
Rationale |
Less technical & more material |
More technical & less material |
Why we do/don't carry it
= we rent = we sell
|
Not specific enough for outdoor use |
Standard for most outdoor uses
|
*With lighting there are even more types: clip-on lights, bike lights, phone lights, etc. The variations are endless. We've focused on the most used types here
Price
One of life's certainties is the trade-off between price & quality. This creates an inherently unfair situation. If you save money today by buying something lower end, you'll end up replacing it more frequently, spending money & time each instance so that at the end, you probably haven't actually saved anything. On the other hand, if you decide to invest in something higher end, you'll need a lot more upfront money, and you need to be able to use the item frequently enough to make it worthwhile.
We developed our rental program to address this unfairness. We don't sell lower end items. But for our higher end items, we offer them for rent at up to 90% off retail price, generally well below the cost of buying even the cheaper option. That's a win-win!
It may seem like the price & quality trade-off is disappearing, because you can find a cheap version of almost anything for tens of dollars that still has good reviews (assuming the reviews are real). Remember 2 things:
- Many reviews are written after only a trial use, first use, or infrequent use: We've seen entire review videos of gear done at home, which is very different than actually being outdoors!
- The point of gear is to give you a good experience because you've already spent money to be on vacation from work! Don't let quality issues affect your relaxation
For gear specifically, the quality issues center around performance & durability.
For lighting, the larger issue is usually around durability. Lower end lights break more easily or are more likely to stop working after a drop or other type of impact.
Methodology notes on prices shown on this page
In addition to losing money by buying lower end products that just aren't worth it, you can also lose money by buying higher end products that also aren't worth it. Once you reach a certain tier of quality, any additional price differences are based on branding or design (check out this Louis Vuitton chalk bag [other chalk bags cost $20-50]).
For the reason above, the price data on this page for outdoor-specific gear (i.e., not household items) generally excludes
low end & high end prices. This way, you get a more accurate sense of price comparison & trends across categories (i.e., if there's a $20 version of everything, then it's hard to get a sense of trends if the ranges all start at $20).
Low end products are defined those that:
- Most professional reviewers don't mention
- Tend to be sold at mass retail (i.e., non-specialty stores)
High end products are defined those that:
- Are mainly branding driven (like the LV chalk bag; the brand isn't specialized in gear)
- Are so technical even most backcountry, off-track explorers won't really need it (we looked at a lot of consumer forums & our own expert staff for input on this)
Rule-of-thumb: when looking for decent quality, most bigger gear items (e.g., tents, sleeping bags, backpack) & key clothing (e.g., outer layers like jackets, pants, gloves & insulating mid-layers) should be at least $100; most smaller gear items (e.g., headlamps, small stoves, water filters) & clothing base layers or accessories (e.g., buffs, socks) should be at least $20
Power
Measured by lumens, the total amount of visible light emitted. We know it's pretty technical, so have examples in the table below. There really isn't a "right" answer. For example, if you're biking and are choosing a bike light, do you want to simply see the road in the dark? In this case ~200 lumens may be enough for most cities, maybe ~500 for more rural areas or on trail. Or, do you want to be seen, unequivocably, by any incoming traffic? In this case, you may want 1000+ lumens. Of course, generally when you're doing an outdoor activity, seeing in the dark is enough; you're not really concerned about being seen by traffic, and you're probably not trying to blind your friends! Still though, it's an important question to keep in mind as you make your decision. For that reason, many higher end models of flashlights & headlamps have different brightness settings.
Lumens range |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
General usage |
|
Indoors |
|
Outdoors |
Flashlight examples |
Keychain light |
Reading light |
Standard flashlight, phone flashlight |
Tactical flashlights |
Headlamp examples |
|
Standard headlamp
(camping, backpacking)
|
Technical headlamp
(caving, spelunking, mountaineering, climbing)
|
|
|
|
|
Effect on other factors |
Price |
Less expensive |
More expensive |
Weight & Size |
Lighter & more compact |
Heavier & less compact |
Rationale |
While effect on other factors follows above trends (more power = more materials = more expensive & bigger), there is significant product variation across form factors, so we have not teased out "breakpoints" |
Why we do/don't carry it
= we rent = we sell
|
Doesn't add that much more value (you can use something non-outdoor-specific which would be much more affordable) |
Headlamps ~300 lumens are standard for most outdoor uses
|
Headlamps at 500+ lumens
|
2 other factors that people often think of as power but that are not technically measured by lumens are:
- Beam distance: how far away the light will shine
- Lighting style: how the light is spread out. Flood lights have a wide beam of output, spot lights have a narrow beam
We don't discuss the above in detail because most people do not have enough technical uses to consider them (if you're too far away to see something, just walk closer!); and because many modern lights (especially headlamps) can toggle between lighting styles; and because these factors are technically related, for example when there aren't that many lumens, the beam distance can't be very high regardless of how well the internal optics of the light are constructed, which means the light will probably not be very useful as a spot.
Energy source & usable life
Especially from a safety perspective, this is incredibly important! Some headlamps require batteries, other are USB-chargeable, and others are a hybrid of both. In our experience, USB-chargeable headlamps seem to be less reliable (not to mention dependent on having a mobile power source), so we have chosen to carry the battery-operated kind, and always recommend an extra set of batteries! Most headlamps will last at least from sunset to sunrise (10+ hours)*.
*It's always a good idea to test the usable life of electric-powered lights. Usable life is officially defined as any amount of light being emitted (which is why you see numbers like 60 hours... that means that at 60 hours, maybe you're only getting a dull glimmer!). On an easy trip, test it at the settings that you prefer (e.g., brightness level) to get prepared for more technical trips when you really don't want the light to fail!
Weight & Size (Compactness) for Backpacking
If you're thru-hiking 20+ miles (32+km) per day, every advantage counts! In this case, size refers to compactness. You can carry more gear in the same size backpack if all of it is very compact, or for more weight savings, you can get a smaller size pack.
To reduce more weight & increase compactability, manufacturers reduce the amount of material used (e.g., fewer features, thinner fabrics, etc.) and, where possible, use more technical materials to prevent performance loss. For example, ultralight fabric used in clothing has to still be waterproof. These strategies create 2 general consequences
- Lightweight gear tends to be less durable: Sometimes, light-weight gear is just thinner & so more prone to damage (even a more technical material may not fully offset the loss in durability)
- Lightweight gear tends to be more expensive: While less materials = lower cost, the more dominating effect is often that thinner materials = more technical = greater cost
For these reasons, the lighter the gear, the more you should treat it as an investment! Is the price difference worth the weight or size savings? This depends on you & your trip.
Lightweight models therefore either sacrifice lumens of light output for weight or change the form factor (e.g., thinning or sometimes completely removing the strap that goes around your head [though this latter converts the device to more of a flashlight]). Given multiple changing factors, it's hard to have an apples-to-apples comparison, instead we leave you with a few notes based on our experience:
- The thinner straps in ultralight headlamps may not be comfortable
- Experience is key to determining if a less powerful light works for you, so we recommend renting a regular headlamp once first. In fact, some ultralight hikers just use keychain flashlights for emergencies (and don't really hike at night)
- Batteries are a major source of weight; if you go with a USB-charge-only model, consider availability of charging sources on your trip
Minor features that may be important
Here, we give you a list of questions to start thinking about minor features. We hope our approach of savings these features for last gets you to more critically think about what you need & not get caught up in the hype of what's cool and over-spend your budget.
- Can the headlamp body swivel up & down?
- What other lighting features are there (e.g., strobe lighting, adjustable brightness)?