Got a Head For Lights? The 2CLight Solar Cap
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 01.24.08
Remember those silly faux pith safari helmets with the weeny solar panel driving an ineffective fan? Well, the 2CLight might’ve finally found a more functional way to bring photovoltaics to headwear.
Spend the day in the great outdoors, working or recreating, protecting your noggin from the thermonuclear glare of dear old Sol, all the while charging the integrated nickel metal hydride battery, via a flexible solar panel on the caps brim. When the sun dips below the horizon you press a switch under the same brim and Sol’s captured energy is still with you, beaming out via a couple of bright light emitting diode (LED) bulbs.
The 2CLight went through three years of research and development to become commercial and it sounds like it will be highly useful to all manner of outdoors sports enthusiasts and field workers. Contrary to the action photo above the LEDs are designed to angle down and shine about 2 metres ahead of you for effective night walking, and not blind companions when you look them in the face.
The award winning design comes from New Zealand, but with limited international distribution at this stage, they're selling the caps on line for about $35 USD. Three basic styles are on offer, and there is also a winterised version with fake fur ear flaps.
The switch mechanism, and so on, all sound like they’re well thought through. If we have any misgivings it might be that the caps crown is made of either plain old cotton or polyester and the built-in battery will give up the ghost in about three years. Maybe when the 2CLight is a hot selling global phenomena they can justify moving to organic cotton, hemp or recycled polyester, as well as a replaceable battery. ::2CLight, via Mr Gadget.
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"Tired of bad tasting flashlights?" was the line for a flashlight you strap on your head like a miner's light.
I saw someone last summer with one from Sears. It totally blew me away with the little LEDs. You could not distinguish it from a regular cap.
This is the thing if you need to do some work at night on equipment and you can't carry a flashlight or holding one is unwieldy.
vsk
I don't know:
If you spend much time recreating or working in the bush, then you'll probably know how easy it is to lose a cap...
You'll also know how often, on hot days, you'll grab that bill to remove the cap and wipe off your sweat, or swat away the flies. Can the solar panel take that kind of abuse?
And what about rain? Dirt?
Oh, and they look really dorky. (Unlike headlamps, of course)
I think this design is too clever by half.
This isnt exactly new. I got my father and bro-in-law one of these last year some time. Not the same brand but yeah. Ran me around $15 or so from Home Depot/Lowes..
3 years in development and they end up with a product that already exists. That's interesting.
Personally, this style of hat is one of the most useless. It does not protect one from the sun, does not add warmth and does not pack flat very well.
When the hat wears out, then what? Throw out the baby with the bath water? Yikes. I'll keep a headlamp with rechargeable batteries in my bag.
I'd hate for you to be kept in the dark...
so wanted to respond and say that we now supply a strap with clips either end to keep your potentially life saving 2C Solar Light Cap attached incase it gets knocked off whilst roughing it in the bush, or blown off during vigourous activities, like power boating across the Pacific .... for the rest of this month we ship a free strap with your product, just for the asking ( a $9.95 value ! )
Also please take a closer look - this is a serious headlight - being solar powered it pays for itself after a few days use, compared to the non waterproof type found at Depot/Lowes, and is multi functional, dimmable, SOS mode - a light thats always with you rated to IP66 (dirt&rain proof! ).
We will follow this model with hat styles requested by our distributors - legionaires for sun protection.etc....stay tuned folks, and stay in the light - 2C Solar Light !