Petzl Myo XP - any good for caving?

[SamT]

Agree with Chris. Your description of its use would hardly count as caving. I won't speculate on the cause of failure but it would seem to have little to do with caving as such.

No - his use was far less arduous/wet/tough/brutal/demanding/harsh than caving.

so you logic is not fit for waking in the rain - therefore perfectly good for regular caving use 

Beg to differ: you cite three caving trips. Your description of the MYO failure also sounds like it had got wet while in use and you had not dried it out.

MYOs with several hundred caving trips including sump dives (although the light is not supposed to be waterproof) are still going strong: the secret? - dry them out afterwards.

yer - I love having to fanny about dismantling and drying my lights out after every trip to prevent them from completly fucking up.

( oh hang on - I use a waterproof one - which means I dont have to bother with the faff)

jeez  : 

 

[Christian_Chourot]

Fair enough, you can't be bothered, but if people can, it seems that MYOs can be fit for purpose on the condition that they are dried out after use. Isn't that fair enough?

 

[graham]

Agree with Chris. Your description of its use would hardly count as caving. I won't speculate on the cause of failure but it would seem to have little to do with caving as such.

No - his use was far less arduous/wet/tough/brutal/demanding/harsh than caving.

so you logic is not fit for waking in the rain - therefore perfectly good for regular caving use 

No it means he either had a faulty one or that he mistreated it in some way. Nowt wrong with my logic.

Beg to differ: you cite three caving trips. Your description of the MYO failure also sounds like it had got wet while in use and you had not dried it out.

MYOs with several hundred caving trips including sump dives (although the light is not supposed to be waterproof) are still going strong: the secret? - dry them out afterwards.

yer - I love having to fanny about dismantling and drying my lights out after every trip to prevent them from completly fucking up.

( oh hang on - I use a waterproof one - which means I dont have to bother with the faff)

jeez   : 

If you had spent as much time as I did in dealing with filthy nasty NiFe cells, Oldhams that leaked acid all over your ropes and Speleoshitnics with the most crap contacts known to man, then having a light that just needs drying out after use - just like the rest of my kit - but has otherwise needed no maintenance, routine or otherwise, in the couple of years that I have used it - including in some quite wet French caves - is a significant change for the better.

And it didn't cost ?3,000 like a scurrilous-ion either. 

 

[Peter Burgess]

What is it with you people? A light is a personal choice. We all use what we like, or what we can afford, and usually a compromise between the two. Either you just like annoying each other, or you take it as a personal insult that someone else uses a different lamp to you. I don't give two hoots about what you use, I have no brand loyalty to defend, and wonder why it seems to bother so many of you. Its worse than listening to bikers arguing about which bike is the best/worst. Grow up. 

 

[graham]

What is it with you people? A light is a personal choice. We all use what we like, or what we can afford, and usually a compromise between the two. Either you just like annoying each other, or you take it as a personal insult that someone else uses a different lamp to you. I don't give two hoots about what you use, I have no brand loyalty to defend, and wonder why it seems to bother so many of you. Its worse than listening to bikers arguing about which bike is the best/worst. Grow up.   

Peter, you have read thread title, haven't you?  :doubt:

 

[Peter Burgess]

Yes. It seems to have turned into an unnecesary argument though, instead of a sensible discussion to address the original question. Surely all that is required is a list of pros and cons from various contributors, and preferably from those who actually have practical experience, and let those who are unsure make up their own mind. The balance of pros and cons will vary according to the particular circumstances of the person considering using this lamp.

 

[NigR]

Beg to differ: you cite three caving trips. Your description of the MYO failure also sounds like it had got wet while in use and you had not dried it out.

No, the light had not been used on ANY proper caving trips - just a couple of very short cave entrances and to shine down holes from the surface. Also, it had never got the slightest bit wet in all the time I had it - I don't enjoy walking in the rain and as I live close to the hills I can pick and choose when I go up there.

Your description of its use would hardly count as caving. I won't speculate on the cause of failure but it would seem to have little to do with caving as such.

As SamT has said, the use I subjected the light to was far less arduous than would have been the case had I taken it caving.

No it means he either had a faulty one or that he mistreated it in some way.

Yes, I may well have had a faulty one but I certainly did not mistreat the lamp in any way. I look after my kit and always have done.

I agree with Peter's statement that a lamp is a personal choice. Personally, I would not consider using the Myo XP as a primary light-source underground but if other people want to do so that is their own decision to make.

 

[SamT]

No brand loyalty from me peter, just trying to point out (again) (and again) that in my humble opinion, the Myo should not be considered for use as a caving lamp in the general scheme of things.

There are better alternatives out there.

It seems half of mendip disagrees, on the basis of, well, they are alright, if you dry them out, or dont bash em too hard, and mine's not broken (yet, only had it a year) etc etc etc.

Not saying that my lamp is better, its just water proof, and that most caves are wet.

 

[graham]

Sam both Les Williams and I have been using 'em for several years in wet caves. Les has had to do a bit of maintenance; I have had to none, zilch, either to mine or the wife's. And if you had met the wife you would know that she is very particular about having a reliable light.

As far having to dry 'em out, well I have to do that with the rest of my kit, so where's the problem?

The reason that I get annoyed by this (and thus annoy Peter in turn) is that I (and Les and Chris) are talking from experience. Sam is not.

 

[SamT]

no problem, as peters says, all down to personal choice at the end of the day. 

 

[cap n chris]

Re: Petzl Myo XP - any good for caving?

Yes. Dry them out afterwards if they get wet; don't store them for long periods with batteries left in.

 

[Peter Burgess]

No brand loyalty from me peter, just trying to point out (again) (and again) that in my humble opinion, the Myo should not be considered for use as a caving lamp in the general scheme of things.

No problem Sam. I don't think I mentioned any names actually.