Surefire Saint Minimus Headlamp

Comments about Surefire Saint Minimus Headlamp:

I've used several headlamps and this is by far the best. First, I really like the ability to adjust from 0 to 100 lumens. Most headlamps give you 2, maybe 3 different brightness levels. Also, it's great that it has an SOS distress beacon that switches on separately from the adjustment knob. I like that there is not a big battery pack with a cable at the back of my head, too. Initially I was only going to give this 4 stars, as I found the angle adjustment frustrating, because when I'd try to angle the light upward the battery cap would unscrew. However, once you've adjusted the beam angle up and down a few times, it loosens up and as long as the battery cap is on tight it will not unscrew. All in all, this is a fantastic light!

Comments about Surefire Saint Minimus Headlamp:

I'm an avid hiker and photographer. Many times I start or finish hikes in the dark and use this headlamp to find my way in the woods.

It's incredibly sturdy, bright, easy and simple to use and reliable.

I can't think of anything I don't like about it except for the fact that I wish all surefire flashlights had continuous power control from 0 lumens to their max like this does. I love that feature.

Comments about Surefire Saint Minimus Headlamp:

After using inexpensive led lights clipped on the brim of my hat for nightly farm chores as well as for doing preflights on the helicopter I fly, I finally decided I needed a light I could easily aim as well as adjust the brightness. I looked at Petzl lights and others but failed to find anyting that really stood out.

When I got the email ad from SureFire for the St. Minimus, my curiosity was piqued. I own a SureFire A2L which is a great light. The St. Minimus is made in much the same fashion, with a machined aluminum body that will aim up or down infinitely as well as adjust brightness from very dim to extremely bright. You can read the numbers in the spec sheet but the light is bright enough for me to use when carting horse manure from the barn, up the trail, into the woods where we store it. I can turn it up and see details several hundred feet away - well enough to avoid the occasional skunk or deer. When preflighting the helicopter, it keeps both my hands free to open cowlings or hold onto hand holds while peering into compartments. The light goes where I point my head. It really makes checking out a transmission compartment on top of a Bell 412 or an EC 135 a lot easier.

I am still not completely sold on the CR-123A batteries. I wish I had the capability of using rechargeable NiMH batteries. If I had gone with the Minimus with the larger battery pack, that would have been an option. But the added weight and harnessing were not things I wanted. So far, the battery life with the 123 seems to be pretty good but I will have to use the light longer to really know.

If you want a bombproof, versatile, functional headlamp that should last as long as you want to use a headlamp, the St. Minimus sure looks like it is at the head of the pack. It's not cheap. But like most things SureFire, it is beautifully made and thoughtfully executed.