If you’re a fast hiker planning an extended trip or a long-distance backpacker who is committed to cutting every ounce possible from your pack, you’ll be understandably reluctant to carry a big, bulky torch. Even most high-quality headlamps have a weight penalty. But at the same time, it’s never a good idea to skimp on lumens. After all, in the back of beyond you’re likely to need plenty of illumination – unless you’re prepared to rely on moonlight alone, of course, or the power of your own night vision. With the Zipka headlamp, there’s no need to compromise. Simple and ultra-compact, it’ll emit up to 300 lumens of brightness. Yet it weighs just 66g. The minimalist self-adjusting retractable cord saves grams but adds versatility, making it easy to attach to a pack strap or a tent pole as well as your head. A phosphorescent reflector helps you find it in the dark, and the red light mode is ideal for low-key lighting. Like most of Petzl’s current compact headlamps, the Zipka is also compatible with the brand’s Core rechargeable battery, ideal for those who don’t want to rely on AAAs
| Lighting performance as defined by the ANSI/PLATO FL 1 protocol | |||||
| Lighting color | Lighting levels | Brightness | Distance | Burn time | Reserve |
| white | MAX BURN TIME | 6 lm | 10 m | 120 h | - |
| MAX STANDARD | 100 lm | 40 m | 9 h | 30 h | |
| MAX POWER | 300 lm | 65 m | 2 h | 40 h | |
| red | proximity | 2 lm | 5 m | 60 h | - |
| strobe | visible at 700 m for 400 h | ||||
Supports Eco Initiatives - The Petzl Foundation supports non-profit organizations whose role is to discover and protect biodiversity on cliffs, in caves and in mountain ranges
As a brand, Petzl was born in the darkness. Their story began with founder Fernand Petzl’s passion for caving, back in the mid-1930s. Out of that passion, Petzl started to design innovative solutions for ascending, descending, belaying and moving about underground. This included pioneering headlamps and rope safety equipment. But alpinists soon discovered that what worked below the earth also worked above it, and Petzl kit was quickly co-opted by climbers, mountaineers and skiers.
Today, Petzl remains one of the leading technical brands in all these fields, still devoted to one mission: to access the inaccessible. The product range is split into two core categories: lighting – which includes some of the world’s most advanced head torches; and verticality – highly technical equipment designed for those venturing into the world’s loftiest mountain ranges as well as the globe’s deepest, darkest places.
-V. Goodman, Verified Buyer
