I fish for striped bass in my kayak at night a lot. One of the many challenges is seeing what I am doing and what is happening when I have a fish on, especially a big fish. While headlamps are great, they still present a challenge getting them turned on during the sometimes pandemonium that ensues once I set the hook on a giant striped bass.
While browsing the Mr. Heat/Basecamp website I stumbled upon the LED Sensor Headlamp. The name alone caught my attention because it implies that the light is hands-free, but the low price made me question the quality of the item. Not that I think Mr. Heater makes low quality products, but I need a product that is bright, will last me all night (at least) during regular use, and most importantly, will hold up to regular use and abuse while saltwater fishing during damp nights. I figured $13.99 was a small investment for the possibility of a hands-free headlamp that didn't cost a gazillion bucks.
At 94 lumens, the LED Sensor Headlamp isn't the brightest headlamp on the market, but I don't need a spotlight. I need a light that will allow me to see my entire kayak, find tackle, tie hooks and lures, and get fish unhooked quickly so as to take photos and get them released.
The headlamp has an IR (Sensormatic) sensor. Move your hand within a few inches of the sensor and the lamp turns on and off. I was worried that moving around during fishing would activate the light, but that's not the case. Your hand needs to pass in front of the red LED within a few inches to activate and deactivate the headlamp. You can also manually turn the light on or off, and it has a red warning light. One great feature is the SOS function, which hopefully will never bee needed, but certainly can't hurt for someone who uses it on the water as much as I do.
The LED Sensor Headlamp has quickly become my favorite. It's plenty bright for me to use in my kayak or boat at night, isn't bulky or heavy, and turns on and off easily, and has yet to turn on accidentally. At $13.99 I consider this headlamp to be undervalued so, I'll take two!
