Dumb Runner Review: My Years-Old Black Diamond Headlamp
/I did not set out to review my years-old Black Diamond headlamp—certainly not as my very first review on Dumb Runner. But sometimes a product leaps up, grabs you by the lapels, and shakes you, demanding to be reviewed.
Hey! Relax, product! I'll review you! Jeez.
In this case, I realized I had to review this headlamp the moment my wife emerged from our basement, holding it.
"Guess what went through the wash?" she said.
I had worn the headlamp the previous evening, for a nighttime pub run, and it had wound up in the wad of damp clothes I'd shed afterward. When you wad, accidents like this are a cost of doing business.
Here's the thing, though: The thing still worked.
To underscore this, my wife clicked it on inches from my face. I was blinded—by this headlamp's awesomeness.
As noted above, this light is years old. I can't even remember when I bought it. I think it was for Hood to Coast, and I haven't run Hood to Coast for... well, years. I can't even tell what model it is; there's nothing on it except "Black Diamond," and a cryptic model number that yields nothing helpful in a Google search. Let's call it the Black Diamond Front Loader.
Its features include:
Adjustable, stretchy strap
Ratcheting bracket on light, so you can point it straight ahead or angle it downward
Big, rubbery button on top
Machine washable (line dry!)
Of course, I'm sure that Black Diamond doesn't recommend you put its headlamps through the wash. But the fact that you can inspires great confidence.
Therefore I give Black Diamond headlamps two thumbs up.