Ozark Trail LED Mini-Headlamp Review- Ultra Light, Ultra Cheap but is it Ultra Junk?

    I can't help it. I'm always looking for cheap gear that outperforms the cost. Even though experience has taught me that higher quality gear is usually worth the extra money. It doesn't matter..I"m willing to waste a lot of money and time in pursuit of saving a little money. 

   How about a headlamp that weighs about 1 oz and costs less than $5?  While strolling through my local walmart, I noticed this little gem. I couldn't resist.

Also available online:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Generic-20126-Ozark-Trail-Mini-Headlamp-20-Lumens/42424424

    So here it is. 2 little LEDs, a simple switch with two positions - on and off, no angle adjustment and a lightweight, adjustable stretchy headband. Less than 1 oz with no batteries, and 1.1 oz with both batteries loaded. So far I really like this little thing. In fact, I should just stop the review right here and declare this the greatest deal ever. 

    1.1 oz total. Good luck beating that number. That is seriously light. To save extra weight, remove the headband and superglue the lamp to your forehead. This has the added advantage of making it much harder to loose. Added tip- Put the glue on the battery door, that way you can unscrew the light when not hiking, and you'll only have a little plastic circle on your forehead when not in use. You object "Hey...that's stupid...I'd look like a moron!" To which I reply "Yes, and it's practical and cost you almost nothing. Look around,there are plenty of folks with freakish, impractical body modifications...and they paid hundreds or thousands to get them." So skip the nose ring...and glue the battery door of your headlamp to your forehead...save money and weight. 

      Or, if you're one of those heavy battery carrying lemmings, you could just use one of these standard Black Diamond headlamps with 3 huge AAA batteries. 3.2 oz for one of these. (Don't worry, I bought it at the REI Attic Sale...don't start thinking I'm not cheap)

     So there we have it, 1.1 oz for the Ozark Trail headlamp and 3.2 oz for the Black Diamond Headlamp. Clear win for Wal-Mart. Of course, one of you guys might point out that the Ozark Trail lamp is rated for 20 lumens, whereas the Black Diamond is good for up to 130 lumens. To which I reply...it's dark out...the big advantage is 20 Lumens over 0 lumens.

     I suppose the only thing to do is to put them both to the test. If the Ozark Trail Headlamp is sufficient for hiking a trail I've never hiked, then who cares if the Black Diamond is technically brighter.

   Test #1 - Hiking in Daylight

     

   Perhaps no headlamp is even needed. We hiked up to Weaverton Cliffs above Harpers Ferry with no issue. Granted, it was the middle of the afternoon, but there was functionally no difference between the two headlamps during the daytime. 

   As we did this hike on Thanksgiving, we cooked up the traditional General Tso's Chicken with rice, and a few other appetizers. Headlamps were not needed. 

    Sunset was around 4:45, which meant that it got dark before we were back down to the cars. Both headlamps performed terribly, we couldn't see a thing. Careful analysis identified the performance of the headlamps on the trail was impacted by their being left in the car. Either headlamp would have been a dramatic improvement over hiking with no light. But we made it down, and learned a valuable lesson about...um...staying home on the couch for Thanksgiving?

Lesson Learned:  Bring a headlamp.Even if you are hiking in the daytime. All 6 of us could have had an Ozark Trail headlamp on our head for the price of the Black Diamond. If you need a bunch of functional headlamps for a group, and don't want to drop a few hundred dollars...go to Wal-Mart...$5 a headlamp is great. Oh...and don't leave it in the car. 

Test #2 - Hike 18 miles in the dark on mostly unfamiliar trail. 

     Since the initial test was hampered by, um...not bringing the headlamps, I ran a second test. For this test, i was dropped in Penmar on the MD/PA border of the AT, and hiked to the Cowell Shelter, 10 miles south. The next day, I hiked from the Cowell Shelter to the Crampton Gap Shelter, where I left my car, 20 miles total, 8 of them in the dark. 18 miles of headlamp based hiking. The first day, on a section of trail I'd never hiked. 

    

    To facilitate the comparison, I mounted both headlamps on my forehead. I forgot superglue, so I was not able to try the bandless configuration previously discussed.  

    This sign  encountered early in the hike is correct, give or take 100 miles or so. Sort of like this headlamp review. The initial parts of the hike were quite easy, the Ozark Trail lamp throws a nice, broad, glowing light. Fairly similar to the lower setting on the Black Diamond headlamp, perhaps even a bit better. 

      By the time I made it to the top of the first big climb, I had switched exclusively to the Black Diamond Headlamp in Spotlight mode. The reason was simple. While I could hike with the Ozark Trail lamp, it did not have a bright enough beam to consistently spot the next blaze on the AT. Since this section was really rocky, it was sometimes hard to tell what direction the trail was going. While I could hike with the Ozark Trail headlamp, the spotlight on the Black Diamond was much better in these circumstances. 

      Of course...when you compare the switches, the Ozark Trail is a big win. On or Off. You know exactly what it will do. The Black Diamond has 3 modes, and you can even adjust the brightness. How? One button. It's stupid to put that many functions on one button. If I wanted one button...I'd have taped an iMac to my forehead. 

     But...like a Mac...keep mashing the button and sooner or later you'll figure it out. 

  Ah....daylight. The sun has more lumens than either headlamp. My recommendation is to sleep when it's dark, and hike during the day. When it gets dark, set up the hammock...and don't bother with either headlamp. 

The Ozark Trail Headlamp worked really well for this type of section, where the footing was tricky but the direction of the trail was obvious. Of course, the sun works even better. 

   To facilitate additional headlamp testing, I decided to take a slow lunch and made some fried chicken poppers with buffalo chicken rice. Quite tasty. Then I made some instant coffee and ate a snickers bar for dessert. 

   The large tower made of stone, the other Washington Monument, was closed due to a lightning strike. Apparently they are concerned the tower could have been damaged. Um..ok...seems like they  might be overthinking this a bit, but I guess they need to pay an expert to confirm the rocks are still sticking together in a big pile. 

Taking pictures of headlamp beams with your smartphone doesnt work. Didn't stop me from trying though. 

     On the second night, I pretty much exclusively used the Black Diamond headlamp. From about 5:30 pm to 9:45 pm, I hiked with the spotlight beam. I noticed the beam started to fade, and the last two hours I was hiking on a little spot that wasn't as bright as the Ozark Trail lamp. What I liked about this was that the lamp kept going even though the batteries were shot. You can hike for many hours with reduced light when the batteries are exhausted. That's good to know, and might prompt me to skip bringing a spare set of 3 AAAs. 

Conclusion:  Ultra light, Ultra Cheap, but not Junk. I like that little headlamp. 

    Both headlamps have a role. For hiking a familiar trail, as a backup lamp, or for around camp, the Ozark Trail lamp is awesome. If you are hiking with a group (instead of alone) the Ozark Trail lamp would also be more than sufficient to follow the feet in front of you.  But if I'm ever stupid enough to intentionally hike 18 miles in the dark again (and I'm sure I am)...I'll go with the Black Diamond. I think the extra 2.1 oz (and 110 lumens) are worth it. 

BRS Ultralight Camping Gas Stove Outdoor Burner Cooking Stove 25g - Heck of a deal

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NNMF70U?refRID=CGTKVXED2Q6QKK25W901&ref_=pd_ybh_a_70


My new canister stove. 1 oz. It simmers, it blasts, it does everything in between.

$17 on Amazon, the quality is pretty good, and it seems to work as well as my higher end canister stoves. Perhaps better.

12oz canister (8oz fuel, 4oz empty canister) + 1 oz stove......that's alot of heat for the weight. And nothing beats a canister stove for convenience, Great for a quick cup of coffee, or for whatever cooking challenges I want to tackle.

Alcohol stoves are fun to mess with, Esbit is light....but I may just go with this little guy for our planned section hikes coming up.

Another Budget Tarp Option- Hennessy Hammock 10x12 Tarp

So I've been getting alot of questions about tarps. While I'm a fan of the Yukon Outfitters Rainfly, it's hard to find them on sale for $20...they sell out quick on woot at that price. And as a simple diamond shaped tarp, they're really a bit smaller than I'd like for winter camping.

Here is a more expensive and heavier option for $69.99 (current Amazon.com price)



http://www.amazon.com/Hennessy-Hammock-ft-x12-Double-Wide-DOUBLE-WIDE/dp/B0094NLB8E/ref=pd_sim_236_10?ie=UTF8&refRID=0XNCE8NTDP956EKRN47T

 A few advantages to this one:

1) Much better coverage than the Yukon outfitters tarp. It should be a great winter / heavy rain tarp with the additional coverage it provides.
2) Hennessy Hammock is a good, quality brand.
3) Over a pound lighter than the Noah's Tarp 12' I mentioned in a previous thread. And while the shape of this tarp won't allow you to fully enclose the hammock like you can with the Noah's Tarp, it will still offer good coverage.
4) 12 ft ridgeline will provide good coverage on up to an 11ft long hammock. This would work really well with my 10ft long hammock, there would be plenty of room on either end to hang my backpack, etc.

Or let me put this differently, if any one has one of these...I'll happily trade my Noah's tarp for it. Over 1 pound is a big deal.

  And for the reader who is thinking "$70 for a tarp...wow...that's expensive"....I feel your pain and I agree with the sentiment. Except...it's not. Most tarps of this quality go for alot more money.

  If you're willing to spend a bit more, there are probably some good cottage vendor options that are lighter. But for a mass produced tarp that you can order through Amazon...this is a good looking option for the price.

Hot Food....Less Weight

How much does your cookset weigh? A pound? 2 pounds? How about a complete cookset that weighs less than your current pot?

  I'm still not sure I'm a big fan of "solid fuel" stoves, like the esbit stove below. But wow...they sure are light. And for that reason alone, I plan to continue playing around with it.  I used it on a hike this past Friday, and it worked quite well for the one meal and the cup of coffee I made during the trip.



So take the kit on Amazon below. Total weight, for a stove, ti pot with lid, spork and windscreen - under 4.4 oz.  Wow...that's light.  Pretty sweet setup for the price.

http://www.amazon.com/TOAKS-Ultralight-Titanium-Cook-System/dp/B00CGTWYIY/ref=pd_sbs_468_20?ie=UTF8&refRID=0288BDFHWD8T3XNM5GN3#customerReviews

Each solid fuel tablet weighs .5 oz.  I can make my morning coffee with only 1/2 a tab. On a recent trip, I cooked a rice mix with tuna completely with 1 tab. So 3 tabs will cook 2 meals and 2 cups of coffee.  And there is no empty canister weight when your fuel has been used.

So...3 tabs plus the above kit weighs less than 6 oz.  About the only lighter option is eating cold food. And..your weight drops 1/2 an ounce every time you burn a tablet.

I'm still fat, but my pack has been on a diet

So as a fat hiker, I could drop over 100 pounds off of my hiking weight just by going on a diet. Instead, I've dropped about 25#s off my pack by increasing the amount of titanium, swapping for some "cottage vendor" made gear and getting rid of a bunch of stuff I don't need.  There are some great cottage vendors out there who build better gear than the mainstream camping stuff.

If you are careful about it...it doesn't have to be super expensive to have a high quality, low weight setup.

My pack during our first Shenandoah trip was 48+ pounds.  During a hike last week, my total pack weight was 18 pounds- food and water included.  Base weight without food and water is about 8#s.

We would have had a much better time hiking SNP had I known how to pack light. A light base weight setup also allows you to carry more food, so you can be out on the trail longer.

Backpack:

I quit carrying my 5.5 pound pack that was one of my first purchases (recommended by the guy at REI) and I've switched to 2 Gossamer Gear Packs:

For Winter hiking with alot of gear I carry the G4:




http://gossamergear.com/g4-ultralight-backpack-all-bundle.html

   If you keep an eye out they run periodic sales.  The G4 is just a bit over a pound total weight. And since it doesn't have a frame, it can't handle as much weight as a beefer backpack. But think about it. If you put 25-30#s in a G4...that would be like 30-35 in a heavier pack. When your backpack is 25 pounds or less...it's gonna feel pretty good compared to 35+ pounds.

For some winter hiking, and the rest of the season, I have the Gossamer Gear Rukus Climbing Pack, also called a "Day Pack."



http://gossamergear.com/the-rukus-daypack.html

  It may be called a day pack, but I can easily fit all the gear in it that I need for multiple nights on the trail. And at only 12 ounces....it's crazy light. Plus, I got it on clearance for about $40. What a steal.

  Both packs have a wonderful feature. Large stretchy pockets on the outside. I added some 1/8" shock cord to help hold things in. Those outside pockets will swallow a ton of gear, and are a great place to keep items you need to access while on the trail.

Hammock

    There are lots of good hammock choices. I have not tried most of them. I recommend browsing www.hammockforums.net for reviews, recommendations and links. Most of my experience is with cheap Yukon Outfitters hammocks purchased on sale from www.woot.com

     The large "double" hammock from Yukon periodically goes on sale for $20. It is large, a bit heavy and very comfortable. I had one tear on me during a cold, wind trip, but I think it was my fault for not clearing all the brush from underneath. Lesson learned.

     My current favorite hammock is the Yukon Outfitters Freedom v1. Woot sells them for $25..which is a screaming deal when they have them. It weighs 10.4 oz (confirmed on my scale) and is nice and wide, and long enough.

http://www.yukon-outfitters.com/products/freedom-hammock-v1

Details

• Dimensions: 119" L x 60" W
• Weight: 10.4 oz.
• Weight Capacity: 300 lbs.

    It's light, long enough, wide and well made. Hard to beat for $25.  www.hummingbirdhammocks.com has some good looking hammocks that are big and lighter...but they cost more.  Which leads me to my next theme.

Hammock Suspension

     Eno Prostraps / straps with loops. Yuck. I have a couple pair. That was a big mistake, sure, they work, but they are heavy and they even stretch more than my whoopie slings. My current favorite suspension is:

http://www.hummingbirdhammocks.com/shop/tree-straps/

$30 and they weigh 2 oz for the pair. Awesome. Coupled with my cheap Yukon Freedom v1 plus some dutchwear Titanium beaners and I'm at around 13 oz for everything I need to hang my hammock.



http://www.dutchwaregear.com/dutch-biners-pair.html

  Yep, they're made of titanium..weigh very little and work great.

Incidentally...If I were starting over knowing what I know now...I'd probably order a hammock and everything to hang it from Dutch. He has some good looking hammocks for $35.

Tarp:

    My tarp weighs 16oz and has pretty good coverage for a diamond cut tarp. It is the Yukon Outfitters tarp that is periodically offered on woot, and sells out very quickly. It goes for $20...and works great. I aspire to a better tarp...but this cheap little thing is so good I've just been saving my money instead.  I also have a 12x12 Kelty Noah's tarp which was my first tarp. Its actually a very good tarp, but at 2 1/2 pounds...a poor choice for backpacking. It was one of many reasons my pack weighed so much hiking SNP.  But for a windy, cold winter night, it's huge, and still a good choice.

Yukon Rainfly review:

http://theoutdoorreview.com/yukon-outfitters-walkabout-rain-fly/

Noah's Tarp 12 on amazon:  (great tarp for $55...just a pound too heavy)

http://www.amazon.com/Kelty-Noahs-Tarp-12-12x12-Feet/dp/B009R9FUI2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442542517&sr=8-1&keywords=noahs+tarp+12

As for cookwear, I use the Toaks 600ml titanium pot. It's small enough to be a mug, but large enough to cook a pot of ramen. Sometimes I wish I would have bought a 750ml...but really, this thing is pretty good for $28. It is good for cooking for yourself, and has just enough room for a small fuel canister and stove inside.



http://www.amazon.com/TOAKS-POT-600-Titanium-600ml-Pot/dp/B009B5E39O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442542598&sr=8-1&keywords=600ml+titanium

Stove and spoon:

   Just get something you like and light. I tried the plastic stuff and it broke. So I now prefer a titanium spork.

  As for my stove, any cheap canister stove will do. I found a good deal on a titanium stove on Sierra Trading post that has now become my primary stove.

  If I were buying a new stove, I like the looks of this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Olicamp-329015-Xcelerator-Titanium-Stove/dp/B007S3MHI0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442542858&sr=8-1&keywords=titanium+canister+stove

  It's light and the remote hose allows you to invert the fuel. Which is very helpful for winter camping, my stove acts up when temps get into the 20s or below. And since we do alot of winter hiking..that's a regular occurrence. I make due by keeping my canister warm inside my jacket.

Trekking poles

      We have used ski poles and they work quite well...durable and cheap. But I've now use Komperdell poles that collapse and work great. The cheap ones at wal-mart just didn't survive the abuse from my son.  We got them cheap on Sierra trading post.

And finally...how could i forget...my favorite item of gear:

The Incubator 0 degree


http://www.hammockgear.com/incubator-0/

   This thing is awesome. Crazy light, and feels like an electric blanket it is so warm.  I stayed warm one night in SNP when it got down to about 11 degrees.  Not cheap though. They run a 20% off sale on black Friday every year, so that is when I got mine. I'd love to have a matching Burrow 0 degree wide top quilt to complete my set. Until then I use everyone's favorite bargain down bag, the Wal-mart Ozark Trail "32 degree" down bag that weighs 1 pound 5 oz.  I got it on clearance cheap.



http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-32-Degree-Down-Mummy-Sleeping-Bag/22008955

  With that bag and my Incubator, I can go down to mid 20's without too much drama. Colder than that and I need something warmer on top.

  What is also nice about the above bag is that I can get it in a very small stuff sack. My local walmart sells the following set of dry sacks. The Ozark Trails Down bag fits in the middle sized one

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Outdoor-Recreation-Group-Set-of-3-Ultimate-Dry-Sacks/10928125

As for clothing, I suggest wearing it. Day after day. Bring a spare pair of socks, and perhaps underwear. Even a change of shirt. But think layers. Is there any reason to bring a second pair of pants? (hint: no)  If you want to take clean clothes for a walk in the woods..by all means, load up your pack. But I'll be walking past you...smelling a bit...but definitely enjoying the hike more.

Layers. Go for layers. I have a cheap compressible down vest I got at Costco for $20...it works great both as added warmth and as a pillow.  Need extra warmth? Wear your rain jacket.  Obviously, bring enough gear to stay warm when you stop. And make sure you can stay dry. But nothing more.

Poly and wool...everything should be one or both of those.

Water:

    Water is really heavy. I do not recommend bringing it with you on the hike. Ok..that's not very practical. But what you can do is make sure you drink ALOT prior to getting on the trail. If you are well hydrated when you hit the trail, that's less water you need to carry.

     But I'm guessing the reader is one of those sort of people that must drink water to maintain life. I currently flip flop between two options. I have a 100oz Camelback that I mostly like. It is nice to freeze the thing before a hike so I can drink cold water for a while. (Not always necessary on the winter hikes...lol).  Alternately, I'll carry disposable water bottles. The "Smart Water" bottles are nice and thick, but still pretty light. Nice shape too.

     For treating water, I really like the sawyer squeeze filters. They are sold cheap at wal-mart and the mini is very light. The only downside is the bags that come with it are a bit fragile. Squeeze gently or you will cause a hole.  Other than that, great setup.  I carry 2 32oz  sawyer bags with me on the trail and use them to fill my water bladder or water bottles. Sometimes I'll also carry unfiltered water in the bags and just drink from the filter as needed. You can suck right from the filter end and drink like a normal water bottle.



http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sawyer-Mini-Water-Filtration-System/29273210

   Ok, that's a quick run through of some of the themes that have gotten my pack from over 40 to under 20 pounds for a multi-day trip.  Feel free to ask any questions on things i forgot to address.

Day 6- Escape from Snow Mountain

3/17/14- Escape from Snow Mountain

Going Home

Hiking back down the fire road to Skyline Drive. The snow was about 1 ft deep, and 2-3 ft in the drifts. 

Skyline Drive was plowed but still closed. We enjoyed a nice walk down the empty road and very pretty views along the way.

Back at Thorton Gap. We didn't come close to our 105 mile goal. Shenendoah wins this round.

 While waiting on our ride we got to visit the Shenendoah Winter Hilton. 

That's all for this trip. But we will be back. 

Day 5- Snowed In at Byrd's Nest 3 Shelter

3/17/14- Snowed In at Byrd's Nest Shelter

Cold but thankful to be out of the snow.

The college students in blue jeans decided to continue hiking today. They broke out a map and decided they would do a loop hike just down the mountain from our location. 

Eric and I spent the day hanging out in the shelter. It was still very windy, cold and the snow drifts were a few feet deep in places. Skyline Drive was closed, so it seemed like a particularly poor time to hike deeper into the park. I was really regretting not bringing good maps, they would have allowed me to choose potential "bail out" points and have some sense of how far we were from safety. Without better conditions and Skyline drive open, I did not want to hike away from Thorton Gap. 

Not many pictures from this day, I was starting to run out of phone battery life and given the need to coordinate our rescue, check weather, etc I tried to keep the phone turned off most of the day. 

Eric spent much of the day reading 'A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson. For those of you who haven't read it, it is a great read about a guy who decides to hike the Appalachian Trail and brings along a fat, out of shape friend. They don't even manage to hike half the miles, but it's a good story. Humm...I'm starting to notice some parallels here. 

Day 4- Incoming Storm- Pass Mountain Hut to Bird's Nest 3 Hut

3/16/14- Incoming Storm- Pass Mountain Hut to Bird's Nest 3 Hut

Multiple deer walked right through this area in the middle of the night while we were in the hut. The sound of large animals crunching around in the woods at night is always a bit disconcerting given the number of bears in the park. 

Pass Mountain Hut

The Thorton Gap (Panorama) Bathrooms. Running hot water, flush toilets and power outlets. It's the closest you'll get to a Hilton in SNP during the winter. I love this bathroom. I took a "bath" in the sink, charged my phone and washed and dried my socks. It was hard to leave, but Mary's Rock loomed just behind us and we had to climb it before the next Hut. 

On top of Mary's Rock. Wow...biggest climb of the trip so far. 

We decided to take a little shortcut to try to catch a spring on the way to the next hut. Due to my lack of good maps, I completely guessed wrong on the location of the spring relative to the shelter. We ended up on Skyline Drive walking south, but I suspected there would be a fire road up to the hut. Just as the storm started to blow in, we found the fire road and started climbing to the hut. 

Wind and snow blowing, a big storm coming, and someone had left a large quantity of firewood piled inside the hut. Thank you! Our first hut with a fireplace just happened to be our location when a big storm started to blow in. 

Day 3 - A Long Day - Over 15 miles

3/15/14 - A Long Day - Over 15 miles

Heading to the next hut refreshed after our extended stay at Gravel Springs Hut. 

The Shenendoah Valley and surrounding mountains provide a constant backdrop

Stumbled into Elk Wallow Wayside and baked some lunch. 

Eric watched the food while I stepped away for a moment. This is Cheesy Potatoes baked into a burned bowl shape. We ate the middle out of it. 

Over 15 miles after starting, we stumbled into the next hut. 

Day 2- Pressing on to Gravel Springs Hut

3-14-14- Pressing on to Gravel Springs Hut

I've made a horrible mistake. 

One of many scenic viewpoints along the way

We arrived around midday at the Gravel Springs Hut and decided we had come far enough. We set up camp and decided to cook some pounds out of our packs. 

He makes an excellent Campsmoke.

Au Gratin Potatoes with Dehydrated Spam and Red Pepper flakes. Yum?

Dehydrated veggies on a rice mix. 

Chocolate Chip Muffin Mix steam baked over the fire.