Black Diamond Headlamps

by Dan Trew.

From headlamps to lightweight soft shells, the new spring items we just received from Black Diamond help you get through your next adventure in complete confidence. We’ll start our look at Black Diamond Headlamps offered this season with their top-of-the-line gear: the Cosmo, Spot, Storm, and ReVolt.

Black Diamond Headlamp

Black Diamond Cosmo Headlamp

The updated The Black Diamond Equipment Cosmo Headlamp now offers an impressive 70 lumens while still being powered by a measly 3 AAA batteries. The Cosmo also sports features that make it a clutch addition to a camping arsenal. The ability to have 3 distinct sets of LED adjustments for very different applications and lightings make the Cosmo a near steal at this price. The one DoublePower LED is the main beam that gives you 70 lumens of porcupine-spotting power; this is the setting you want when on the move. Meanwhile, the two SinglePower LEDs provide illumination up close and personal for deciphering maps at night, setting up your sleeping bag, or some night time literature consumption. The final light setting, the red LED, throws out light without reducing your night vision and is perfect for those times where you want to count every star in the Milky Way, without tripping over a log or your buddy. The Cosmo is encased in an IPX 4 rated enclosure, protecting it against early spring showers or that sudden snow storm on your next cross-country skiing trip.

 

Black Diamond Headlamp

Black Diamond Spot Headlamp

The Black Diamond Equipment Spot Headlamp is a step above the Cosmo. It has a similar feature set with a bright main beam, dual proximity lights and a red mode, but at nearly double the brightness with 130 lumens. All that power might be too much to deal with precision tasks like cooking or reading, so Black Diamond included two SinglePower proximity LEDs to lighten up the immediate area. To keep your eyes adjusted for that full moon hike there are also two red LEDs placed inside the lamp to give you a little extra illumination without sacrificing your night eyes. The Spot provides the same level of waterproofing as the Cosmo, ranking at IPX 4 to keep everything running even as you get pummeled with rain or snow.

 

 

Black Diamond Headlamp

Black Diamond Storm Headlamp

Rounding out the line of updated headlamps is the Black Diamond Equipment Storm Headlamp. Upgraded to a brilliant 160 lumens, the Storm is nearly as bright as the high-end Icon. TheStorm has also pulled in a good bit of additional technology to fill out its portfolio. The new PowerTap system uses a buttonless sensor to detect your finger taping on the side. With one tap, the lamp shoots the brightness up to its full power, and with a second tap, brings the lighting back down to the last setting. This feature is perfect for those times when you just need the superbright light for a moment to find a trail marker or that black-handle knife you just dropped. The red light night vision preserving mode is still present in this model as well as the complement of two proximity lights. The thing that earns the Storm its name is its waterproofing. The IPX 7 rating means that the head lamp can be submerged for 30 minutes under 1 meter of water before its seals are susceptible to leakage. The Storm is also one of the few headlamps that is regulated to insure consistent beam brightness over the life of the batteries.

Black Diamond Headlamp

Black Diamond ReVolt Headlamp

If the ability to recharge your headlamp and not use disposable batteries is your goal then the new The Black Diamond Equipment ReVolt Headlamp is Black Diamond’s answer for you. With a similar feature set to the Spot, the ReVolt is a great all-around headlamp with the added option of rechargeable batteries. The ReVolt produces different amounts of light depending on which batteries are used.  The standard alkaline batteries provide 110 lumens, while rechargeable batteries produce 90 lumens. The rechargeable batteries included with the headlamp are also able to be recharged inside the headlamp via the USB port on the side. However, only the Black Diamond provided batteries are recognized by the headlamp to protect the headlamp (if there were alkaline batteries inside and the headlamp was plugged in, the ReVolt might just become the bolt). Even with all the fancy recharging circuitry, the ReVolt is still rated at an IPX 4 waterproofing, so you can recharge your batteries on a misty morning and not have to worry.

Throughout the Black Diamond line of headlamps there are a couple callout to waterproofness. The IPX rating system is a good starting point, but it is possible to go beyond the rating and still have a functioning headlamp. The headlamps will be survive most water abuses that can be thrown at them, provided that you remove the batteries and allow them to dry completely before returning them to service.

Come into Appalachian Outdoors today to check out any one of our Black Diamond headlamps or to talk to a sales employee for more information.

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