So, I talk a lot about how much I like my Zebralight H51. Many people consider it just a headlamp, but with a couple simple changes it can be so much more… I’ll document those mods here. Also, I’d like to hear about other people’s ideas for tricks and mods for headlamps.
I recommend two simple additions to the light: a magnet and a different headband.
The magnet is simple. Get a small neodymium magnet and find a way to EDC it. I stick it inside the zipper pull on my purse. This allows you to attach the headlamp to any ferrous metal surface. With the clip attached to the headlamp, stick the magnet onto the clip and then put the whole thing onto a metal object. You then have full 180+360 degree aiming capability, by rotating the clip on the magnet (360 degrees) and rotating the headlamp in its clip (~180 degrees). Instant light wherever you need it.
The headband requires three parts: A wide, stretchy shoelace*, a piece of double-sided velcro, and a cable lock. Here’s a picture of the result:
* I recommend a wide and stretchy shoelace because it’s the most comfortable type to wear around one’s head.
This allows you to wear the light on your head, much like the original headband, but it also works as a necklace or can attach to pretty much anything with a diameter less than a foot. As a bonus, it’s smaller and lighter than the normal headband so it’s easier to EDC and doesn’t interfere with the clip.
I normally either keep my H51 clipped to the front of my purse, facing forward, for hands-free use… or wear it as a necklace so it’ll shine right in front of me with full up/down aiming freedom. Here’s how it looks on my purse:
The magnet I carry is visible here, stuck inside the D-ring on the zipper pull. The clip normally stays clipped to my purse even when the light is being used as a necklace, but I take it off the purse once in a while when I use the magnet or need to clip it elsewhere. (it clips nicely to a car’s sun visor, for reading in the passenger seat of a car)
When used as a necklace, it can easily be tucked under clothing to be less conspicuous, or even tucked into a bra so there won’t be a bump poking through a shirt. It’s then easy to reveal again whenever you need hands-free light.
I should also mention that, even without these mods, you can clip the H51 between buttons on a button-up shirt in order to use it as a torso light. This is a very convenient way for guys to use it without the necklace attachment, or for girls who wear button-up shirts. Or clip it to your shirt in addition to the necklace mod, to keep the light more steady during use.
For extended head-mounted use, I recommend using the normal headband instead because it’s more comfortable.
What headlamp tips/ideas/mods have you come up with?
