The Petzl Strix VL is revolutionary in the headlamp world. It gives users the option of four unique color modes and can be attached to ARC rails on helmets such as Ops-Core or Team Wendy.
But one of the Strix VL’s greatest features is its ability to quickly and securely rotate 180 degrees with just a twist—easy to adjust to your exact needs, orienting the beam just where you need it. This lamp is tough, too: It can withstand a two-meter fall, temperatures as low as -30° C, is waterproof to one meter for 30 minutes, and is dust proof (IP 67).
You will need only one AA battery to make it work, and that should give you approximately 4.5 to 65 hours of light, depending on the setting. You can adjust the lamp from 0.4 to 40 lumens, giving you the ability to operate it in a tactical situation where full light isn’t authorized.
This headlamp is one item I would love to have had when I was still serving. As a TCCC operator, having access to this lamp’s different lighting modes and versatile adjustability would have been ideal, especially when working on wounded soldiers. Having the headlamp mounted to the ARC rails of your helmet keeps both your hands free to do what you have to do, too. The fact that it works down to -30° C makes it a very good piece of gear for winter warfare. Too many times, I had an inferior-quality headlamp freeze and stop working, and I was left to squint at my map and give orders in the dark.
The Petzl Strix VL is available on Amazon for $100. There is also an IR (Infrared) version available on Amazon for $145.
Here’s a video made by Petzl about the Strix series:
