Don't blame it on the Sunshine, Don't blame it on the Moonlight (Black Diamond Moonlight Headtorch)

Member Name: LegendaryMrDude

Product:	Black Diamond Moonlight Headtorch
Date:	09/08/03 (594 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: (bright) Light, Light (weight)

Disadvantages: Range no good for navigation

Torches have come a long way in recent years and the development of the white Light Emitting Diode has probably played the biggest part in this. Very small, very tough, very energy efficient and surprisingly bright, they would seem to be the ideal way to generate light.

The Black Diamond Moonlight is one of the new breed of head torches that make use of LEDs which means that it is smaller and lighter than it's traditional tungsten (or halogen) bulbed counterparts. Made up of two elastic straps (one that fits around the head as a headband with the other running front-to back to stop it slipping), a bulb unit and a battery pack it weighs next to nothing (about 80g) and even with a set of three AAA batteries (which are good for between 50 - 70 hours of light!!!) it only weighs in at around 120g. The battery pack is a waterproof rubber assembly that is attached to the strap at the back of the head. The actual lamp unit, attached to the front of the head-band, houses 4 very bright (seriously, don't look directly at them - especially in the dark) LEDs in an open-faced aluminium casing which is also waterproof. The whole lamp assembly can be tilted to give the best possible illumination and the on/off button is rubberised and waterproof too.

The lack of a reflector and lens mean goes some way towards giving the Moonlight it's name. The watery blue-white light produced by the LEDs is very reminiscent of it's name-sake. In terms of illumination, it does an excellent job of lighting up the immediate area and around for a distance of up to 10metres. Perfect for pitching a tent in the dark as it leaves both hands free and floods a generous area with light. It's also excellent for use inside a tent where it can provide more then enough light for two people to read by.

Where the Moonlight isn't so strong is when you're stumbling around the side of a hill in the dark. It's here that the 10-15m range would see you in troubl
e. It would probably be OK to use as a distress signal, and I imagine it would be seen from quite a distance away as a point source of light, but it would be no use in picking your way down a dodgey bit of mountain. It simply doesn't provide a focussed enough beam of light to pick a route out over distance.

In summary then, if you want a head torch for general use around the house, campsite and country lanes then the Moonlight is perftct for the job. If you are planning trips that could see you stuck on a hillside in the dark, you would be well advised to take something with a stronger, directional beam that would help you get off the hill.

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