Head Lamp Lumens (how important are they to you?)

[joncarter]

I'm looking at getting a new headlamp (the Walmart Coleman special isn't going to cut it in my book... to heavy and leaches battery life). I'm looking at lightweight options, but it appears that the lighter you go, the lower the output, but also the longer the battery life... can we cay conundrum? kə-ˈnən-drəm... it's a new word in my vocabulary... I'm trying to use it as frequently as possible.

For personal use, I've always considered the more lumens the better (more field of vision)... but I know on the trail that's not the case. What should be considered overkill in the lumens department?

I also realize that less lumens = less battery drain = less batteries packed = lighter pack. But I don't want to stub my toe on the way to the privy either...

Where do you draw the lines between weight, output, and battery life?

I've searched other threads and they always usually talk about "the best headlamp" rather than focusing on weight, output, and battery life on the trail.

[Casey & Gina]

I wanted a headlight with adjustable brightness so I could find the balance between stubbing my toe and draining the battery too fast myself. I didn't need an abundance of features and wanted a size big enough to accommodate a couple standard size batteries. I hike in minimalist shoes so seeing the rocks at night is important to me!

For me the $20 Black Diamond Gizmo worked out perfect. It takes two AAA batteries - I use lithium ones for longer life and lighter weight. Last I was on the AT, my wife and I both used them at maybe 1/4 to 1/3 of full brightness for about two hours after dark in light rain on rocky terrain, and I was very happy with this experience. The full brightness is not enough to light up your whole campsite like the noonday sun, at all (only 35 lumens), but it is perfectly enough for any reasonable purpose!

[Rain Man]

If it's dim-able, you get to set the lumens however you want.

But you might be missing a critical feature. Do you intend to use the headlamp outdoors, as in, possibly in the rain? In which case, you should look for a water-proof headlamp. IMHO. I don't understand why outdoors gear manufacturers don't make their gear weather-proof.

[MuddyWaters]

Some like lots of light.
But you really don't need much
All you need to see is the ground 5 ft in front of you
I've nighthiked extensively with 20L.

Some want a lot more to feel comfortable.

[Traveler]

If it's dim-able, you get to set the lumens however you want.

But you might be missing a critical feature. Do you intend to use the headlamp outdoors, as in, possibly in the rain? In which case, you should look for a water-proof headlamp. IMHO. I don't understand why outdoors gear manufacturers don't make their gear weather-proof.

Excellent point. I have often thought the same but I have always thought makers presume you will have some kind of head gear on (hat, hood, etc) in wet weather that would protect the device. I have not had a failure from rain on any of my devices over the years but I have seen them fail for others.

[Starchild]

Recently I have been using the Wally World $4.97 headlamp that uses 2 CR 2032 batteries. Also bought 10 batteries for them off of ebay for $3. Super light and bright enough for camp use. I could see using it on trail as it is bright enough, but not so good when others are usign brighter ones as those bright ones interfer with getting and maintaining night vision. Only wish it had a red mode, but have been looking at some direct from China models that do.

I am not sold on the ever increasing lumens, we are past that point and I would rather have smaller, lighter and longer run time.

Also a additional note about dimable headlamps, some do this by flickering the light on and off rapidly, like the flicker effect of CF lights. This caused me to feel slightly sick at times so I need to turn it on full brightness to stop this rapid strobe light effect. YM(and model)MV

For me the $20 Black Diamond Gizmo worked out perfect. It takes two AAA batteries - I use lithium ones for longer life and lighter weight.

Unless it is high drain (which I don't suspect headlamps are) or low temperature you will not see a longer run time with lithium, actually slightly shorter the alkaline as they pack every so slightly less energy per cell (2850 vs 3000mAh). Yes it will be lighter, but doing the math the cost per grams saved is really astronomical, cheaper by the oz to buy a cuban fiber tent.

See http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...same-capacity-!

[Casey & Gina]

Thanks for the info about litgium - I was under the impression they lasted longer. In any case the cost was not THAT bad and they are definitely lighter so I will start my trip with them and one set of spares. The whole reason I was insistent on getting a lamp which used standard batteries though is because once on the trail, I want to be able to get replacements at any random place - which will of course be alkaline - rather than trying to hunt down lithiums. If weight and size were really that crucial to me I would have ended up with the superlight Petzl thing or a BD Ion.

As for rain, I agree it would be nice if they were waterproof, but I use a trekking umbrella so no worries there.

[Malto]

I would first define how you primarily use your headlamp. If just for tasks around camp then I can get away with something like a black Diamond ION. If I am night hiking (which is my primary use) then a more powerful light is useful. My go to light for night hiking is a Princeton Tec Remix. (Also have a PT Fuel). Another consideration is whether you want white light only or white and red. Red light can be considerate if you are pulling out of a shelter or camping area before dawn. Another consideration is battery type. I use AAA headlamps because they last longer than smaller batteries, less expensive and interchange with other devices.

[colorado_rob]

My personal experience with lumens is that our eyes are not even close to being "linear" with brightness, meaning twice the lumens/brightness is only perceived as being a bit brighter by our eyes. I've found that for "normal" hiking (as opposed to technical climbing) that 40-50 lumens is plenty for most trails at night (for technical climbs I like 100+ lumens though). My go-to hiking headlamp is only 30 lumens, but it is also very light and dimmable (1.4 ounces with lithium batteries).

I guess I wonder about the waterproofness thing? I've hiked tons in the rain at night, never had a headlamp fail due to being soaked, but why don't they at least claim to be waterproof? I personally think this is a non-issue.

Lithiums: Yep, I agree, no increase in battery life, but two advantages of Lithiums are they work better in the cold temps (like mid-30'2 and below) and they are roughly half the weight. I only use them on special occasions where weight is critical, like, say, a long AT section or thru! King Soopers (aka Kroger) often has them on sale, a 4-pack of AAA's for 5 bucks, still way more expensive than Alkalines, but a 4-pack lasts me a decent length time so I splurge and get these for special occasions, and always use them on winter hikes (where they, er, shine!).

[Pedaling Fool]

All I got to say about this...Be very careful with bright headlamps when you make a visit to your favorite tree at night when nature calls

[Starchild]

The whole reason I was insistent on getting a lamp which used standard batteries though is because once on the trail, I want to be able to get replacements at any random place

For a thru hike I would also go with a standard battery lamp, While I got a set of 2032 batteries for $0.60 though ebay (by buying 10 so $3 total), it could easily cost me in excess of $10 a set on the trail if I can get them at all.

[nsherry61]

I use a Black Diamond Ion because it is small, light, waterproof, and has both white and red lamps. It is 80 lumins max although, I almost never use it at 80 because that is way to much light for light camp duty and walking trails. I do use 80 at times when I am route-finding off trail or trying to hang a food bag at night. I would be happy, for most backpacking purposes, with a 30 lumin light. When mountaineering and rough route finding, there is no such thing as too much light.

My experience with lithium batteries is contrary to some of the speculation above. I find they typically last significantly longer (30% to 4 times) than alkaline regardless of the implications or interpretations of their technical data sheets. We used to use batteries to power instruments in a subsurface oceanographic mooring that we could only service about once every 4 months. We got about 2 months of data out of 16 AA alkaline batteries and about 3 months out of lithium. In my headlamps, where there is nowhere near the consistent draw or accurate data record, I perceive that my lithium last about twice as long as alkaline.

[colorado_rob]

... In my headlamps, where there is nowhere near the consistent draw or accurate data record, I perceive that my lithium last about twice as long as alkaline.

The only explanation for this difference in experiences is simply the device's electronics and how it draws down on the battery depending on available voltage. I suspect newer and "smarter" devices do better using Lithiums. For example, my GPS has an alkaline and a lithium battery setting and it uses power accordingly and Lithiums last about 50% longer. I do know that my headlamp (A Mammut s-lamp) definitely does not last longer with Lithiums, because I actually ran a test getting ready for a 3-week, no-resupply trip. I use them anyway sometimes to save weight.

[garlic08]

Get the right tool for the job. 99.9% of my headlamp use is in camp after dark, which is only a few hours a season. I tend to sleep at night. The other 0.1% is hiking after dark with no moon. So my headlamp is geared toward the camp job, and as long as I can see my feet while I walk, it's OK for the rest. My old Petzl Tikka with three AAA alkaline cells works great and I've changed the batteries maybe twice in twelve years.

One year I was considering a SOBO AT hike late in the season, and I started shopping around for a serious hiking headlamp, but those plans changed.

[Casey & Gina]

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I use a Black Diamond Ion because it is small, light, waterproof, and has both white and red lamps.

I have a first generation BD Ion. I love it except that it uses a weird 6V battery that is hard to find. The newer Ion uses a standard battery but I did not like the touch-sensitive control, just wanted a tactile button or switch. If you can get past the touch interface, the Ion should be a great choice!

[Feral Bill]

Given that my 300 lumen bike headlight lights up the road for a couple of hundred yards, I'd think 50 lumens would be more than enough. I use an older Black Diamond spot of unknown (to me) lumens, and it's plenty bright.

[Vegan Packer]

I have a Black Diamond ReVolt that I just bought for this season, and I love it. It takes (and comes with) rechargeable batteries, or you can use non-rechargeables. You can dim it down to what you like. Comes with a single beam, dual beam, red, and it has a locking feature to assure that you don't accidentally trigger it while it is in your pack or pocket. Most of the time, I was able to use it with the dual beams on a medium-low kind of setting, and that was fine for lighting up the trail at night (even for a group, when the others had dead batteries).

If you are using multiple battery devices (back-up or camp light, headlamp, etc.), consider which type of batteries they all take, and get something that uses a size that is common for all of them. This way, you don't have to start carrying more than one kind of battery with you on the trail. I have everything set for AAA batteries, but there are others that prefer AA size, etc.

[nsherry61]

I would also prefer a tactile switch on my BD Ion, but they don't make it that way and I haven't found any other light as light, small, waterproof, and with red and white emitters. FWIW my first Ion switch failed on me after a year (I suspect it was a known and fixed problem with an early manufacturing run) and BD had a replacement on its way to me in less than 12 hrs. Wow! Now, that was customer service!

[Beuhler]

I've used my Petzel Tikka with rechargeable Eneloops for 5-6 years now. I always bring an extra set of AAA batteries, but I've never needed them. For most in-camp tasks I keep the light on the lowest setting. However, my buddies and I usually play cards and watch the stars for hours before turning in. In which case we use the red light option. I carry a very small Zebralight SC52 flashlight that puts out about 500 lumens max on a single 14500 battery for when I really need to see something at night.

[fiddlehead]

The only time I use a headlamp is late Sept, early Oct or later in the year.
Or, if I start before April 1st (rare for me)
Otherwise: What would I need one for?
If I'm not tired enough to go to sleep at night, I haven't hiked enough that day.
(or I took too many breaks)
I carry one of those Photon II little key chain lights for finding things in the middle of the night or looking for something in my pack. (or in town)