Solar Powered Headlamp from Everlite
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.12.07
I always look forward to getting the new Mountain Equipment Co-op catalogue; they are a remarkable member-run organization, believing in ethical sourcing, product sustainability, offering PVC free alternatives and recycling polyester clothing into Eco-circle fibre. Of course, the catalogue is printed on Earth-Cote paper with vegetable inks. Every issue has more green products than the last.
One neat new idea is the Everlite solar headlamp; it has 5 LEDs and runs all night on a seven hour charge. No more worries about falling asleep with the Petzl on and running out of batteries. You can use the solar panel to charge other devices like your iPod or Blackberry, for that true away-from-it-all camping experience. ::Everlite via ::MEC Justin covered another Everlite product here.
Another handy use for a soal charger on the trail is the digital camera. A somewhat power-hungry device, if you are on a multi-day trip, just charge up the batteries rather than carry extra. Oh yeah, the GPS and too!
If it works, it will be great. We have bought everlites before and were disappointed in how short a lifespan they seem to have. The LEDS burnt out rather quickly. Mailing them back for repair and/or replacement is a real hassle from out here in the middle of the ocean, not to mention costly. We live off-grid, in a somewhat remote area in Hawaii, and really needed these lites to be better than they were. Hopefully they have gotten better and the headlamp will be a good thing to have.
I like the idea, and want to support solar products, so I hope these are truly better made than previous products.