A Gizmo From My Mom

11/21/2011

My mom found a new gizmo for me. Regular readers will know that I like gizmos ... a lot. Gizmos are just those handy tools that make barn life run more smoothly. Over on the side there, scroll down a bit to see posts by topic, and you'll find a whole category devoted just to gizmos.

I wrote about the new barn not having electricity. We have battery powered lanterns, tap lights, flash lights, and even solar flash lights, but it's still pretty dark once the sun sets. My mom read about my lack of lighting and decided that the solution was one of those headlamps. I was a bit skeptical. Really?!? Yes. A headlamp? Yes. How does it stay on your head? Very well, thank you. Won't it slide down over my eyes? Nope.

I tried it out on Thursday night and couldn't believe how totally cool, awesome, helpful, fabulous that thing is! The model my mom picked out for me has two brightness levels and a third setting that emits a blueish/purplish light that doesn't interrupt your night vision. The box said it was useful for night time fly fishing as the light makes the line glow(?). Not really applicable at the barn, but hey, you never know! The lamp itself also ratchets so that the light can be aimed more forward, up, or down.

The thing that makes the headlamp so cool is that it is hands free! I know I can be a bit slow at times, but this is ridiculous. How could I have not seen the benefits of this sooner? Hands free at the barn? Insert eye roll. Of course that's a brilliant concept. Let's see, I was able to mix feed without the armpit flashlight grip. I was even able to carry both feed buckets at the same time without the aforementioned armpit flashlight grip. I was finally able to wipe down my saddle, something I do religiously after every ride, without guessing where the dust had landed.

I don't know where my mom bought this headlamp so I can't provide the usual link and average price, but I am fairly certain they are widely available so I'll let you Google the thing yourself. And if the rest of you are using one of these, please feel free to let me know how much you like yours!

Thanks, Mom!

Click on the photos for captions and larger views.

Kelly RGF link

11/21/2011 06:23:14 am

Yes! Headlamps are the best :) Grant has one that I 'borrow', and it's so handy. It only takes a couple of times before you remember not to look directly at your horse's head (and thereby blind him), too.

nowthatsatrot link

11/21/2011 09:55:21 am

How handy! (Ba dum psssh!)

This is one gizmo I always forget about until someone brings up how awesome it is... I may need to invest if I ever see one on sale!

Judy

11/21/2011 10:20:50 am

Good idea Martina! Earl and I sure love ours. We've had them for many years. You can't beat them for hands free light. We use them all the time for feeding animals after dark, bringing in firewood, camping, scouting the dark for the glow of fox eyes as they sneak around our chicken coop.....

Karen Sweaney link

11/21/2011 11:01:27 am

Kelly RGF - A lot of endurance riders use the headlamps, so I was familiar with them. Doing hundred milers, and even some winter 50 milers, requires riders to figure out a night time light source. I liked glow sticks and mini flashlights. I just couldn't see a barn application for the headlamps - until now! I am sold. :0)

Now THAT's a Trot! - I wouldn't have bought one either. It took my mom sending me one in the mail!

Judy - like I told Kelly of RGF, I just couldn't see using it at the barn. My last few barns have had lights so it wasn't such a big deal. You forget how dark it can get when there isn't some kind of light source! And you guys would know what that feels like!

Karen

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