Engearment

Kate Agathon

You don’t need to be an ultrarunner or a backcountry backpacker to use a powerful headlamp. If you live in or near a Dark Sky mountain community like me, you need a headlamp.

When nightfall occurs, where we live (surrounded by mountains and wildlife including moose and deer), it becomes pitch black. You cannot see five feet in front of you without the assistance of a headlamp.

Although I use a headlamp year round, winter is the season when I use a headlamp the most frequently: walking the dogs, nordic skiing or snowshoeing, or the occasional meetup with the local astronomy group.

Because some activities require reading maps or closely following tracks on a groomed path, I needed a hands free headlamp that had the appropriate light features. The basic, ultralight weight headlamp that I’d relied upon in the past was no longer useful and needed to be replaced with something more utilitarian and robust.

Designed for exploring nature at night, the Petzel Aria 2 RGB 450 Headlamp is exactly what I needed, thanks to its variety of light settings and durability.

Balancing convenience and performance, it is also the most sophisticated headlamp that I have ever owned.

First of all, its name says it all: “RGB” stands for “Red, Green, and Blue”, three of the four light settings available on the Petzel headlamp.

The stealth red light function is a lower intensity than the white light and helps to better preserve night vision without spooking wildlife who would perceive red light more as gray.

The green light function’s heightened contrast is good for details, like reading maps or instruments (there’s a reason why the military commonly uses green light at night time).

The blue light function is ideal for night vision in snowy areas, which is great for winter hut trips, and night time nordic skiing or snowshoeing.

The light functions themselves offer a number of thoughtful features that are useful for a variety of environments:

• Wide and mixed beam (wide and focused) for proximity and distance vision.

• Color lighting is continuous or strobe, depending on need.

• Three white light levels (max burn time, standard, and max power).

Once I finally figured out where to place the batteries, I appreciated the headlamp for its ease of use. A single button was all that was needed to select the level of brightness or light color.

The lighting performance itself varies, depending on the mode selected and type of batteries (AAA or CORE rechargeable) used:

• Max Burn Time White Mode: 7 lumens/100 hours

• Standard White Mode: 100 lumens/ 7 hours

• Max Power White Mode: 450 lumens/ 2 hours

• Emergency Strobe: Visible at 700 meters for 300 hours

• RGB Modes: 4 lumens/50 hours

In addition to its light functions, the durable dustproof Petzel Aria 2 RGB 450 Headlamp is fall resistant (IK07 impact resistant with falls up to 2 meters), shock resistant, and water resistant (IP67 waterproof rating).

I most recently wore the Petzel Aria 2 RGB Headlamp for Eat, Ski, and Be Merry; an evening local fundraising event for the high school nordic ski team where participants can either nordic ski or snowshoe to different refreshment stations along the Frisco Nordic course.

Although the trail has some luminaria guiding skiers along the way, I found that having the headlamp was necessary to review menu items, reference maps, and provide strategic illumination; especially on the groomed trail in some of the more remote areas of the course.

I found myself using the green and blue light functions for most tasks. I especially liked how I could customize the beams with ease.

This is the first headlamp I’ve used with so many different lighting options, and wow does it make a difference in night skiing!

Thick and comfortable, the adjustable and removable headband stayed in place and was comfortable when worn over a beanie and also without.

The housing was a bit bulky and heavier than I thought it would be. However, when you consider the technology and features put into its design and its intended purpose, it makes sense that it won’t be feather light.

European Heritage

Since the mid 1970s, the European-based Petzel has been building quality lighting products for recreationists, ski patrol, first responders, hunters, and military.

Currently, the Aria 2 RGB 450 Headlamp is one of the most robust and powerful headlamps in their lineup.

Other features:

• Hybrid concept design. You can use three AAA batteries, or use a CORE rechargeable battery (not included).

• A tilting plate can direct light up or down.

• Detachable, washable headband.

• Lock function prevents the headlamp from turning on during transit or storage.

• Battery charge indicator shows the battery level.

• Compatible with Helmet Adapt and Bike Adapt 2 mounts, so it can be placed on either a helmet or bike.

Overall Thoughts
Offering a powerful 450 lumens and weighing in at 3.7 ounces, the Petzel Aria 2 RGB Headlamp is a durable lamp for serious outdoor activity.

With its durable construction, light quality, burn time, variety of light functions, and overall ease of use, it is easy to see (no pun intended) why this is favored among hunters.

Available in two colors (Black and Camo), this is a fantastic situation specific headlamp to use for a variety of winter activities: hut trips, camping, nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and dawn patrol.

Kate Agathon

Dr. Of Stoke

Freelance writer, bicyclist, outdoor recreation enthusiast, social justice advocate, and mom to her furbabies, Sansa and Benjen.

 

A Colorado native, Kate considers the outdoors her mother ship. She brings her passion for bicycling, the environment, and issues of diversity to her writing.

Her primary outdoor recreation activities are mountain biking, road biking, nordic skiing, alpine skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, and peak bagging Colorado’s 14ers. She and her fiancé, Paul, live in Summit County with their dogs, Benjen and Sansa.

Kate earned a BA in History from Colorado State University and later an MSEd and Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Purdue University. In addition to her education, Kate’s background serving two terms on the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee and experience working for non-profits and bicycle sales well position her to bring depth and understanding to the complex changes currently taking place in the outdoor recreation industry.

The Dr. of Stoke has been part of the Engearment team since 2016.