Petzl/Black Diamond Swap

Well it is official.  Petzl can not seem to supply the AAA battery adapter for their Tikka RXP in time for the event (anticipated new delivery date some time in October).  Not a lot of help and quite disappointing.  The RXP worked great during The Salt Flats 100 and I was looking forward to using it on Grand to Grand.  How hard is it to make an injection molded piece of plastic with some connectors?  Plan B is now in effect.  It is always good to have at least a Plan B in this game!

While shopping for some odds and ends I ran across an interesting little headlamp - the Black Diamond Ion.  Here are some specifications:

2 ea AAA batteries
Up to 80 lumens (dimable too)
Swipe switch
Red LED
Strobe function
46 grams/1.6 oz (yes about half the weight of most headlamps!)
Inexpensive ($25)

Black Diamond Ion and Petzl Tikka XP2

This new Ion should not be confused with Black Diamonds original Ion that ran on a 123 type battery.

I would only consider this lamp for a backup. It is not quite sufficient enough for route finding or traveling at speed over rough terrain since there is no ability to focus the beam. The headband is quite minimalist but sufficient given its size and weight.  Burn time is acceptable so into the pack it will go.  Afterwards this will be in my trail running vest for emergencies.

Menu Adjustments

While my nutritional selections for the MDS got me by, they did need some adjustment.  Calories were acceptable but additional protein and fat would have been nice.  In order to do this I am planning on increasing the number of Slim Jim's per day and perhaps taking along a little olive oil to add into my dinners.  I am also going to diversify my nut selection from almonds only to almonds and pecans.  Pre-cooked bacon is also under consideration.

On the move food will continue to be the same (bar, gel and a waffle) but I might throw in a couple of dried apricots a day for a treat.

One other potential treat may be the addition of freeze dried ice cream.  While not very high in calories (120 per oz) it does have a fair amount of fat.  Easy to eat with no rehydration required.  Funny texture but tasty.

All this may add a couple of more ounces but I believe it will be worth it especially if the weather turns cold.  This is a possibility since the summer down here has been somewhat mild.

Let me flash you

In an earlier post I brought up the issue relating to the signal mirror requirement:

Signal mirror at least 6 cm diameter: For the MDS my signal mirror was a small one inch diameter mirror.  Most signal mirrors are not round and thus surface area comparisons are in order.  6 cm diameter equates to just under 30 square cm or 4.5 square inches.  Any mirror about 2x2 inches or larger meets this requirement.  The StarFlash signal mirror is 2x3 inches and weighs in at 0.8 oz.  the SOL Rescue Flash Signal mirror is the same size but weighs in at 0.32 oz.  Nothing major, just a little bit more weight.

Not being happy with any of the above I have continued to search for an optimized solution to the size, weight, function and cost constraints. Eventually I came across a potential answer, the Ultimate Survival Technologies StarFlash Micro Signal Mirror.

This little gem is 1.5x2.0 inches in size (only 3.0 square inches) and weighs in around 14 grams (0.5 oz).  It is unbreakable, scratch resistant and also has a aiming feature.  They can be had for around $5.  Not bad.  I plan on bringing this along (with a larger backup in case it is not acceptable at check- in due to the size requirement).