HP30 and HL50, life with and without

Work Ambassador Sean S.

Wondering why I didn’t post a great photo of one of the wild, nocturnal animals of eastern Madagascar, nicely lit up in a strong headlamp beam?

That’s because, despite having been there before, my trip to Madagascar in 2016 I was again woefully under-equipped. Though this time, I stayed longer. As winter came, so did the clouds and the rain. Enough that the solar generator used for my work was incapable of charging even a few AA batteries and what energy it did had was needed elsewhere. I spent the last month or so of that trip by candlelight, sundown at 5pm. My lack of preparedness hindered my work, my ability to enjoy nature at night, and was occasionally a safety issue.

The first 2 weeks of my stay, there was another fella (fortunately also interested in reptiles and amphibians). He had good gear, including his headlamps. An HP30.

Within 2 hours of landing back home, I ordered an HL50 and, soon after, an HP30

The HL50 I keep with me at all times. It can run on 1 AA battery and is a powerful, easy to use, and resilient headlamp. I use it around camp, hiking, and when I am out looking for wildlife. Remembering what it is like to see nothing in the wake of my friend’s powerful headlamp, I often lend it to folks I am with.

My HP30. I’ve never run those two batteries out. It is exactly what I needed most but didn’t have in 2016. Long battery life. High power, wide beam. I see incredible wildlife I would otherwise not see with this thing, from big mammals to the little shine off some iridescent scales deep in a rock crevice.

I became a Fenix Ambassador because I love my Fenix products. I have gotten headlamps for my brother, coworkers, and sent links to the Fenix website to countless people. After those weeks in what felt like complete darkness, with so much limitation, I feel like everyone should be equipped with a tool that makes such a difference… to never be hindered by battery-life and lack of light.