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How does the Petzl e+lite perform on the trail?

T

TKM

Joined
Nov 3, 2010
Messages
252
Hi guys! I was just wondering If anyone has any experience with the Petzl e+lite?

http://www.petzl.com/en/outdoor/signal-and-elite/elite

I know it is not really a hiking light but it's one of the few that fulfills my criteria. It is waterproof (not only water resistat), impact resistant, has a long battery life and has a blinking mode, besides the price, even down here, is great (about $50).

My only concern is how bright it is an what kind of beam it throws, I mean if you guys have used it outdoors, how far could you identify an object when you aim the light at it??? I mean could you see a snake clearly at 30 ft? 50 ft?

The manufacturer says it shines up to 60 ft, and that it throws 21 lumen. However, I've been using an Energizer 4 LED headlamp that supposedly throws 28 lumens and although it does shine about 65 ft, I can't see anything clear beyond 10 ft.

I know there are better options out there, but right now money is tight and I can't have anything pricier shipped from home.
 
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I have one and it works pretty well. It's not my main light, but i have one in my kit, and used it when i did the PSK challenge. For being so small it works fairly well. I am used to my sure fire head lamp so I thought it was a little dim, but for the size, price, and versatility i would say its overall a pretty god deal. I took some pictures in my apartment with the lights off and no flash to show you the different settings. The images below are the e+light on low, high, and a reference shot showing my sure fire saint minimus. I would say from where i am standing to the door is about 25 feet.

DSC00081.jpg


Low+ E+light
DSC00077.jpg


High E+light
DSC00076.jpg


Saint Minimus
DSC00079.jpg


Hope this helps

Best,
 
I know it's a little more but if you want a light that throws a beam far and stays tight and is very bright, get this. It's the best performer I've had yet. My primary use for it is wandering the woods and waste areas at night. Batteries last a long time even in mid-winter. Read the reviews on the REI link to see how it performs.
 
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I got the E-Lite a few years ago as a backup light. I like it so much that I often use it as my main light. It is plenty bright for my uses, and battery life is great.
 
I have had mine for two years now and really like it. Battery life has far exceeded what I expected but I have not had to use it for more than 15 minutes at a time. For night time walking on streets I have put it on strobe mode and put it back in the case as a pretty good beacon. I use Zebras as my primaries, but I would recommend trying the e-lite. Pick up some spare 2032 batts as they are not as readily available as 123s or any of the A series. The whistle incorporated in the headband cinch works very well.
 
Thank you so much for your comments and suggestions guys.

Alan, I was looking for that kind of reference, thanks for the pictures.

I would really like another kind of Petzl or a Princeton Tec but down here they're incredibly overpriced and hard to find.

I'll try to get it next week and use it over the weekend.
 
where are you right now? I could pick you one up if they are cheaper and ship it to you then you just send the money via paypal when you get it. That way you can get whatever you want.
 
Thanks Alan, that's very nice of you.

I'm only two hours away from Mexico City, however most of the time having anything shipped from the States is kind of expensive (a friend tried sending me a knife a couple months ago and it was quite the hassle). The general rule is that the final cost increases about 40%.

So I think I'll give a try to the e+lite. There's a little store in here that's an official Petzl dealer, they have the e+lite for about $43-44. I think it's not that bad, last time I checked, Amazon had it for about $30 plus shipping, so $43 is not that bad.

Anyway thanks again Alan, If I can help you with anything from Mexico, let me know and I'll do my best.
 
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The cinch serves three purposes. Cinnch, whistle, and the red projection is to open and close the battery compartment. Along with the fact that it comes in it's own case with a belt loop makes it a neat package.
 
Foilist-about the whistle, the older version didn't have it. I have two, one whistle-one without.
 
Petzl's distance ratings are based on the light that a full moon would have at that distance, which is, of course, kind of silly. Count on the actual usable distance being much shorter.

Be careful that you do not get any dirt and grime into the switch mechanism of the light. Dirt has been known to cause problems with that particular product.
 
My daughter used my ~10 year old tikka plus for 2 months in south america and it the light finally broke. To replace it I ordered one of these. I hope it lasts as long as the other one did.
 
The E is all I need for a headlamp. Ive been using one for 3 years now, and many nights in the woods, 2 survival classes, many night bike adventures. Its perfect. Lightweight, plenty of light, cheap, small. PERFECT. I got to check out a few differant lamps awhile back. Zebra lights are very cool, but awkward on my head. The others were very heavy. As I said E is all I need. I love mine. Combined with my Fenix single AA light, my lighting is well taken care of.

I pack spare batteries for mine, but in 3 years Ive changed it one time. Thats cause I left it on all night by accident.
 
I've been using one (e-lite) for three years, when I'm not planning on doing any hiking at night- it's a good (and very lightweight) headlamp, but the output is very limited compared to many (albeit heavier) lamps. If weight and small size is a high priority it's tough to beat. I went to a Steripen (CR123 batteries) for water purification and picked up a Zebralight H31 (single CR123)- there is no comparison w/ the light output, I'm very comfortable hiking at night w/ it. The price for the performance is pretty good too and it's still pretty lightweight @ 2.4 oz w/ battery/band.
 
I own the E-Lite, but i dont like it for hiking. I think its light output is too weak for moving around at night in the woods. Its still a great little headlight, compact and reliable, but id prefer something more powerful. My E-Lite resides in my glove-compartment as my G2's backup and a just-in-case headlamp.

For general hiking and single overnighters i use a Petzl Tikka Plus. For winter-hiking, when it gets dark at ca. 1600 hours, i use a Princeton Tex Apex.
 
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