Review by Tony Lourens
RRP: R1099
www.rammountain.co.za
Another headlamp, I hear you say, brighter and more efficient than one that came out last month? Surely not? Well yes and no. Yes, the new redesigned Storm is brighter and more efficient than yesterday’s model, but no, it is not just another headlamp. In fact, the Storm has way too many improvements and great features to be just an upgrade. It really is a totally different animal to the previous one.
For starters, (before we even get to its main function – light) let’s look at the construction of the lamp: The housing is completely sealed from dust and water (IP67), making it submersible in up to one metre of water for 30 minutes, which means that no rainstorm or blizzard, no mater how vicious, will knock your headlamp out. And if you capsize while night kayaking, your light will carry on shining, even if you don’t.
The soft comfy pad where it sits against your forehead is also a nice touch, but what I really love is the latch closure for the battery housing. I’m sure I speak for all when I say how finicky and downright difficult and painful it is to open most headlamp battery housings, particularly when it is cold. Well the latch closure on the Storm is a revelation – simple to operate, it secures the lid, ensuring total protection from the elements.
Okay, now the lighting. Well, packed with 250 lumens of muscle, the Storm will throw a beam of light for 80 metres when on full power. And on this strength it will carry you for 20 hours. That means two or three nights of bright light, which should take care of most unplanned bivvies on a route or mountain trek. Of course, on less bright options, your burn time can go up to 250 hours, which is ample for extended climbing and camping trips.
Besides coming with such a powerful beam, the Storm also comes with some really ingenious features. When you press the ON switch, the light only comes on at approximately 50%, which is a great energy saver and more than enough for most applications. If you want the extra power boost, then you have to either hold down the ON switch, or use the tap function on the side. If you want to reduce the power, then either double click the ON switch, which will bring the small side light on, or hold down the ON switch which will dim the main light. The red and green light functions are also great for night vision, and not blinding people opposite you when eating or working around the camp site.
The Storm is a great advancement in headlamp technology and a definite contender if you are in the headlamp market.
Specifications
Lumens: 250
Weight with Batteries: 110 grams
Max distance: 80 metres
Max burn time: 150 hours
IPX rating: 67
Temps: -17 ˚C to 43 ˚C
LED Type: 1 QuadPower, 2 DoublePower
Batteries: 4 AAA (included)
