View Full Version : what headlamp do you recommend for night hiking?
A lot of folks recommend doing a lot of the PCT during the dark hours. What's a good lamp for this?
Thanks!
eblanche
01-23-2016, 14:03
I recently got a Zebralights h32fw which uses the cr123 as my steripen. Goes to something ridiculous like 450 lumen in brightest but has numerous different settings and light output and can be customized as well. Admittedly not as comfortable as Petzl lights that I've tried. I have a tikka xp2 with the core battery as well and is nice as I can charge it with USB but not nearly as bright.
A lot of folks recommend doing a lot of the PCT during the dark hours.
Why? Seems it would be difficult to enjoy expansive vistas in the dark. What would be the advantage?
The battery cost for a headlamp becomes an important factor if you are going to be using it in a mission critical role on a regular basis. Depending on how dark the night, you could be more greatly inconvenienced by loss of function. A spare lamp would be good. The Petzil E+LITE is a good lightweight backup, using a cr2032 lithium battery. My E+LITE is still on the first battery because I have not used it a great deal. Lithium batteries have very long shelf life. Finding CR2032s is more difficult than finding AAAs.
On the AT in Georgia, I did some night hiking at the end of several days in November, using a Black Diamond Spot as my primary light. It functions well and uses the AAA batteries that are available almost everywhere. The only issue I had with the Spot was that it was found to be switched on inside of my hip belt pocket - even after I had activated the security feature. To engage and disengage the security feature, you have to press the power button for six seconds. Pressure from other pocket contents can last a lot longer than six seconds. I learned to place it more carefully in a portion of the pocket where it would not be activated.
A lamp with AA batteries would have much longer battery life, probably at lower battery cost per hour use and would be heavier.
Having the ability to vary the brightness is very useful. You can get buy with less light than most lamps produce at maximum brightness with a fresh set of batteries. Sometimes, it is very helpful to have a very high intensity light if you are looking for a shelter on a side trail in the dark. I had a bit of difficulty seeing Low Gap Shelter until I was pretty close to it. They don't paint them white.
A lot of folks recommend doing a lot of the PCT during the dark hours.
Why? Seems it would be difficult to enjoy expansive vistas in the dark. What would be the advantage?
They're hiking in the southern cal. Desert. Very hot days, and water is often scarce. So, the idea is to avoid hiking during the hear of the day, so requiring less water.
I recently got a Zebralights h32fw which uses the cr123 as my steripen. Goes to something ridiculous like 450 lumen in brightest but has numerous different settings and light output and can be customized as well. Admittedly not as comfortable as Petzl lights that I've tried. I have a tikka xp2 with the core battery as well and is nice as I can charge it with USB but not nearly as bright.
I'm losing you a little on the stripes comment; do you mean you can use this headlamp also as a steripen? WOW!
I'm looking into this because a lot of this trail is on very narrow, rocky, mountainous terrain with steep drops. If I'm going to be hiking this at night I want a REALLY good lamp!
Not quite as concerned about battery cost as I am in making sure I can see well enough to hike safely. I don't think I'd be comfortable with the petzyl e-lite. I'll take a look at the black Diamond. .
eblanche
01-23-2016, 15:30
I'm losing you a little on the stripes comment; do you mean you can use this headlamp also as a steripen? WOW!
haha no. lol Both my headlamp and steripen opti use the same cr123 batteries.
I'm losing you a little on the stripes comment; do you mean you can use this headlamp also as a steripen? WOW!
haha no. lol Both my headlamp and steripen opti use the same cr123 batteries.
Ah! Got it! :)
Puddlefish
01-23-2016, 16:22
They're hiking in the southern cal. Desert. Very hot days, and water is often scarce. So, the idea is to avoid hiking during the hear of the day, so requiring less water.
I'm reminded of the Sam Kinison world hunger routine where he rants about "get out of the desert!"
Sarcasm the elf
01-23-2016, 16:40
I night hike a good amount with a Black Diamond Spot. It's been very good to me.
I don't know enough about other brands to tell you if it is better or worse than other options on the market.
bigcranky
01-23-2016, 16:53
My Black Diamond just up and died one night on our last hike. So I replaced it with a Zebralight that takes 1 AA battery. (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F8UHMDK) One AA lithium lasts a long time, costs less than three AAA batteries, and I can carry a replacement that doesn't weigh much. AA batteries are easy to find anywhere in the world. I lost the red lamp feature of the Spot, but the very low brightness setting on the Zebralight is so low that it works well for getting up in the middle of the night, and the brightest setting is fine for night hiking.
A lot of folks recommend doing a lot of the PCT during the dark hours. What's a good lamp for this?
Thanks!
Who are the "lots of folks"? Have they actually hiked the trail or are they hyped up over the unknown. I averaged well over 30 mod on full days and did VERY little night hiking. About the only person I know that did major night hiking was Anish for obvious reasons. I am sure there are a few others but I can assure you that 99% of the thru hikers are safely tucked away at sunset and at sunrise. I know this because I passed their tents.
nsherry61
01-23-2016, 18:35
20 lumins is plenty to hike by. Heck, much of the time on many trails you can hike by ambient light. The time you want more power is when you need to find route signs/markers off in the distance. I never use high powered lights on trail. I often use all the power I can get doing route finding off trail or on poorly marked trails. I wouldn't get too worked up about needing a powerful headlamp on well traveled trails like the AT or PCT.
A lot of folks recommend doing a lot of the PCT during the dark hours. What's a good lamp for this?
Thanks!
Who are the "lots of folks"? Have they actually hiked the trail or are they hyped up over the unknown. I averaged well over 30 mod on full days and did VERY little night hiking. About the only person I know that did major night hiking was Anish for obvious reasons. I am sure there are a few others but I can assure you that 99% of the thru hikers are safely tucked away at sunset and at sunrise. I know this because I passed their tents.
There are a bunch of youtubes out there of folks hiking before and after sunset. Redbeard is one example. Again, I'm talking about the southern sections of the PCT where the sun is hot and the water is scarce...
20 lumins is plenty to hike by. Heck, much of the time on many trails you can hike by ambient light. The time you want more power is when you need to find route signs/markers off in the distance. I never use high powered lights on trail. I often use all the power I can get doing route finding off trail or on poorly marked trails. I wouldn't get too worked up about needing a powerful headlamp on well traveled trails like the AT or PCT.
That doesn't sound like enough for me, but I think that's about what my petzyl e-lite is. I'll take it out and test it. I think I might need more light than average -- the old peepers don't work as good as they used to!
MuddyWaters
01-23-2016, 20:11
20 lumins is plenty to hike by. Heck, much of the time on many trails you can hike by ambient light. The time you want more power is when you need to find route signs/markers off in the distance. I never use high powered lights on trail. I often use all the power I can get doing route finding off trail or on poorly marked trails. I wouldn't get too worked up about needing a powerful headlamp on well traveled trails like the AT or PCT.
I night hike with 20L just fine.
I can hit 80L for a moment when I want to see better and conserve battery that way.
Heres the thing, its better lit and brighter when I use high obviously, but I really dont see any more than on 20L setting.
Some treeless places you can nighthike with no light at all just fine. In fact, a light takes away from your night vision range when there is moonlight. Its especially common in the sierra to hike with no light, with full moon, sometimes its almost like daylight once eyes are adjusted.
Wise Old Owl
01-23-2016, 20:30
I recently got a Zebralights h32fw which uses the cr123 as my steripen. Goes to something ridiculous like 450 lumen in brightest but has numerous different settings and light output and can be customized as well. Admittedly not as comfortable as Petzl lights that I've tried. I have a tikka xp2 with the core battery as well and is nice as I can charge it with USB but not nearly as bright.
Finding that battery proved to be a challenge in PA having to drive some 10+ miles when it went dead. Many small hardware stores are gone.
Sarcasm and BigCranky mentioned Black Diamond, and BigCranky, you said yours died one night. I'm watching Red Beard's PCT youtube, and he had the same thing happen to him with that brand. said it had a brand new battery.... (so, BD is out for me )!
Also, I'm glad to hear a few comments that 20 is enough, and sometimes you don't even need a light at all ...
I'm gonna put that to the test on a shakedown soon.
Sarcasm the elf
01-23-2016, 21:11
Sarcasm and BigCranky mentioned Black Diamond, and BigCranky, you said yours died one night. I'm watching Red Beard's PCT youtube, and he had the same thing happen to him with that brand. said it had a brand new battery.... (so, BD is out for me )!
Also, I'm glad to hear a few comments that 20 is enough, and sometimes you don't even need a light at all ...
I'm gonna put that to the test on a shakedown soon.
I have never had that sort of problem with mine. If you use the lockout feature you need to hold the button down for nearly 10 seconds in order to turn it on. So long as you keep it in a place that isn't likely to cause enough pressure to do this by accident then you should be fine.
Wise Old Owl
01-23-2016, 21:13
I night hike with 20L just fine.
I can hit 80L for a moment when I want to see better and conserve battery that way.
Heres the thing, its better lit and brighter when I use high obviously, but I really dont see any more than on 20L setting.
Some treeless places you can nighthike with no light at all just fine. In fact, a light takes away from your night vision range when there is moonlight. Its especially common in the sierra to hike with no light, with full moon, sometimes its almost like daylight once eyes are adjusted.
Well yea and then you hit 55 years of age and you wish you 80 on all the time... nothing lasts forever. I still hike by the full moon... Go on an Owl Watch.
MuddyWaters
01-23-2016, 21:13
Sarcasm and BigCranky mentioned Black Diamond, and BigCranky, you said yours died one night. I'm watching Red Beard's PCT youtube, and he had the same thing happen to him with that brand. said it had a brand new battery.... (so, BD is out for me )!
Also, I'm glad to hear a few comments that 20 is enough, and sometimes you don't even need a light at all ...
I'm gonna put that to the test on a shakedown soon.
all you generally need on a trail, is to see the trail 3-5 ft in front of you. You might want to light up the mountainside , but its not required.
nsherry61
01-23-2016, 21:21
.... (so, BD is out for me )!
I'd be reluctant to call BD "out". By and large, BD maintains good quality control and outstanding customer support. There are few companies (read probably none) with as many head lamps out there in the back-country with people's lives depending on them. Without much effort, I'm sure we could find examples of multiple problems with every brand out there, and few will be any more reliable (per light sold) than BD. Most of the bands we see people write about on this forum are pretty good. All of them have some failures.
FWIW: I had a BD headlamp switch fail on me. I logged onto a "contact us" page on their web site and asked how to process a warranty claim, even though I didn't have a receipt. Four hours later I received an email with a tracking number for the light they had already sent out to me. Can't beat that service!!
Chair-man
01-23-2016, 21:37
Outdoorgearlab tested some headlamps and it's interesting what they had to say about lumens should not be your deciding factor when picking a headlamp. Also, what they had to say about the manufactures being full of it when it come to battery life. Full article here http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Best-Headlamp
Wise Old Owl
01-23-2016, 21:40
Outdoorgearlab tested some headlamps and it's interesting what they had to say about lumens should not be your deciding factor when picking a headlamp. Also, what they had to say about the manufactures being full of it when it come to battery life. Full article here http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Best-Headlamp
Nice find Chair-man. I just picked up a store demo Storm at 1/3 off - I feel better now.
.... (so, BD is out for me )!
I'd be reluctant to call BD "out". By and large, BD maintains good quality control and outstanding customer support. There are few companies (read probably none) with as many head lamps out there in the back-country with people's lives depending on them. Without much effort, I'm sure we could find examples of multiple problems with every brand out there, and few will be any more reliable (per light sold) than BD. Most of the bands we see people write about on this forum are pretty good. All of them have some failures.
FWIW: I had a BD headlamp switch fail on me. I logged onto a "contact us" page on their web site and asked how to process a warranty claim, even though I didn't have a receipt. Four hours later I received an email with a tracking number for the light they had already sent out to me. Can't beat that service!!
Ok, this does put BD in a better light (no pun intended ). As for the cust. Support, that's great - but it's not gonna help if I'm standing on a dark narrow ledge and the light goes out...I guess, regardless of what lamp you use, a backup is a go ok d idea!
Sarcasm the elf
01-23-2016, 21:59
Ok, this does put BD in a better light (no pun intended ). As for the cust. Support, that's great - but it's not gonna help if I'm standing on a dark narrow ledge and the light goes out...I guess, regardless of what lamp you use, a backup is a go ok d idea!
Any lightweight plastic headlamp will fail under certain conditions. Actually most anything with "lightweight and plastic" in the description will fail in certain conditions. ;) I have had several lamps fail on me over the years, some cheap, some from very reputable companies, it's simply the risk you take with a light design and it is by and large worth the tradeoff. The BD headlamps are designed well for what they are and I wouldn't suggest being scared of them because you heard an anecdote about them failing. If that's the case I can tell you who I destroyed my old Petzl lamp, and others can jump in with bad stories about different manufacturers as well.
Hmm ...ok, now I think I'm sold on BD :) That outdoorgear report Chairman sent shows them rated high as well.
Vegan Packer
01-24-2016, 00:24
I was looking for something that would have a good battery life, is fairly light, and would be capable of having a sustained brightness that was significant. I ended out getting a Black Diamond ReVolt. So far, it has been completely reliable, though I can't qualify myself as a long-term user.
I certainly don't want a light that can't get really bright and then stay that way, should the need come up. For example, if I were to drop something small at night and in an area that has a lot of bushes and growth, I want a light that gives me a chance to turn up the brightness (and range) to search for it. If something happens that requires me to hike out at night, I want to do so safely.
Beware the claims of manufacturers for how long the light will provide sufficient lighting. I relied heavily on the Outdoor Gear Lab real world duration number before making my choice, because I am unwilling to buy and test everything out there in order to find the "best" one.
I believe that lighting is something for which it is smart to carry a backup. Hoping that it will be unlikely that I will need to rely upon the backup, I want it to be small a light. It should have good duration. Brightness and range would be great, if it could also be in the mix, but that becomes a little more secondary in my tradeoff choices, since it is pretty unlikely to have the primary fail, and then to also need something as bright in the secondary light.
I haven't used it yet on the trail, but I got a Pak-Lite Ultra (http://www.9voltlight.com/inc/sdetail/31453/31949) for my backup light. Man, this thing is light and small! It is also surprising good with its brightness and distance range. After I test it on the trail this season, if it performs as well as it has in my quicky testing at home, I will likely get a second one, and then I will even give up my ReVolt, keeping only two Pak-Lites to cover my needs.
NY HIKER 50
01-24-2016, 01:22
I think I should put an end to all the battery talk on headlamps. Using a CR123 battery powered light is a mistake. I could never find it anywhere near a trail. The battery costs about $5.00 apiece and you better make sure you have extras. This means that if your light uses two of them that's a big outlay every time! I standardized mine around the AAA batteries and have had no regrets. I use them for almost everything I own. Get one that uses them. I will not say the name but this light uses three AAA's and kicks out 150 lumens.
NY HIKER 50
01-24-2016, 01:24
By the way, could someone please let me know where I would find a usb port to recharge a light?
Well how long do these batteries last? suppose you're planning to hike, say, 6 hours per day during nighttime hours. how many days worth of hiking should I expect to be able to get?
Sarcasm the elf
01-24-2016, 01:58
By the way, could someone please let me know where I would find a usb port to recharge a light?
http://www.amazon.com/Anker-5200mAh-bar-Sized-Compact-Portable/dp/B00P7N0320/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1453615067&sr=8-4&keywords=anker+chargers
NY HIKER 50
01-24-2016, 11:37
Call me a Luddite, but I never trusted rechargeable batteries. My laptop battery needs changing and I have had several other items with rechargeable batteries also. This technology is still not good enough for me to trust and I've gone back to the regular alkalines. I can only give the time for my flashlight:
Red lamp low: 140 hours
Red lamp high: 60 hours
White low 120 hours
White high: 45 hours
Patrickjd9
01-24-2016, 12:29
Other than a mile or two into a shelter or a known campsite, the light I recommend is the full moon--with the headlamp for backup or extra light.
As hikers, we should be thinking about working WITH outdoor conditions.
sliverstorm
01-24-2016, 12:54
Call me a Luddite, but I never trusted rechargeable batteries. My laptop battery needs changing and I have had several other items with rechargeable batteries also. This technology is still not good enough for me to trust and I've gone back to the regular alkalines.
What don't you trust about them? Capacity degrades over time after hundreds of charges, but outright failure is extremely rare... :-?
If & when rechargeable AA's and AAA's need replacement, they are no harder to swap than alkaline batteries, and only cost a few times more, perhaps $1.50/cell vs $0.25/cell, in which case after 6 charges you're at parity.
SteelCut
01-24-2016, 13:06
Since the OP is in California and started this thread in regard to the PCT, I'd thought I'd bring up this fact ... you would be surprised how illuminating even the most minimal moon is on a clear night out there. I use to live in SoCal and spent a lot of time hiking and climbing in the desert and Sierras and would frequently not even use a headlamp for pre-dawn summit attempts under a lot of moon phases. And full moons in Joshua Tree would always keep me awake as it would be so bright in a tent.
So, for those inclined to do night hiking, you don't need alot of external light in these areas except when no moon, cloudy or maybe you encounter some tree cover.
CarlZ993
01-24-2016, 14:56
My headlamp of choice is the Petzl Tikka XP. It uses 3 X AAA batteries. You can use the red light on it so you don't wake your tent-mate or shelter-mates. The extent of my night hiking? For the most part, hiking just far enough from where I'm sleeping to pee & then hiking back. Occasionally, I'll get up early & hike some prior to sunrise. That is rare. The Tikka XP fits my bill nicely.
Water Rat
01-24-2016, 16:12
The headlamp you choose should be one that works for your eyesight.
I used to have excellent night vision....then, the aging process began. While I do still have fairly good night vision it is clearly not what it once was. Some people can see just fine with a light source that does not emit much light, others need far more light. Until this past summer, I had been quite content with my older headlamp. Then I ended up doing a little unplanned night hiking (I did not want to stay near the camp group that was making a bit of noise). I had to slow waaaaay down because of rocks and roots and not wanting to break a leg. The headlamp (with fresh batteries) was no longer enough for my eyes to hike with in the dark.
Between trips, I ran out and bought a different headlamp, with greater ability to adjust the settings to meet my needs in camp and on the trail. On a whim, I night hiked the same section and it was a completely different experience.
If you have friends with headlamps, I suggest borrowing theirs and giving a short night hike a try. See what works best for you. This might save you money and a lot of headaches.
The Zebra H52w AA Headlamp is enough for me. The acid test, which it passed, was hiking solo by headlamp, on the North Country Trail, in the rain, for an entire night (9 PM till dawn). It's a long story.
eblanche
01-25-2016, 20:53
I think I should put an end to all the battery talk on headlamps. Using a CR123 battery powered light is a mistake. I could never find it anywhere near a trail. The battery costs about $5.00 apiece and you better make sure you have extras.\
www.amazon.com
$5 a piece? If that is what you would pay, fine. Your statement makes sense but that is not what I pay and I have these batteries readily available for me. People on occasion carry backup batteries as I do. I'm not sure how long you usually stay out in the woods for but cr123 battery life works plenty long enough for me... As stated, I use the cr123 version because that is what my steripen uses as well along with meeting my other needs. I do not have any other electronic devices for hiking that use triple a or double a so the logical choice, for me, is the cr123 version rather than carrying around multiple types of backup batteries.
As previously mentioned by another poster, people also now are fond of using external batteries to charge their devices. These usually use USB connections... and makes sense as can be recharged for quick outings at zero expense.
Zebralights also have other models that use different batteries.
Depends on your needs but I think Zebralights are a decent choice. With regards to BD, I am a fan of their updated lineup. One thing to consider is that with some clear plastic housings, the light can shine through and cause an annoyance/flood of light.
poolskaterx
01-28-2016, 21:38
Black Diamond Spot and an Ion for back up. At a little over 5oz with batteries for both I like redundancy of a backup light.
VITCHELO
03-11-2016, 09:51
Based on YAHOO finances, there is a new Headlamp out there http://finance.yahoo.com/news/vitchelo-v800-plus-headlamp-improves-133500462.html
ScareBear
03-11-2016, 10:54
I only hike in the dark when I have to leave camp early to make the next camp by dark. That said, you need a lamp with no less than 90 lumens. I've used BD Spot and it is a POS. Defective. Lasted one week. My brother had two that failed on him in short order. No way would I ever trust BD lights.
You can go cheap with a 20 buck Everyready lamp at Walmart. They are waterproof, shockproof and get the job done. They are a bit bulky, though. Ozark Trails also makes a 20 buck lamp at Walmart that works just fine.
Remember, the more lumens, the less battery time.
colorado_rob
03-11-2016, 11:32
Interesting, I've owned a couple of BD spots over the years, never a problem. My current bright headlamp is however a Princeton Tec Remix, 125 lumens and I replaced the strap with a much lighter one, comes in at 2.5 ounces with lithium batteries:
http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/tools/portable-work-lights/headlamps/princeton-tec-remix-headlamp?infoParam.campaignId=T9F&gclid=COzVjJ35uMsCFQqoaQodUoUNEg
Anyway, one way you can get by with fewer lumens and hence longer battery life is to hold your "head"lamp low in one hand, which will cast night big shadows on the trail making roots/rocks/whatever much easier to see than with your headlamp on your head. On your head, the headlamp is too close to your eyes, hence don't cast shadows, from you eye's perspective. Try this sometime and you'll see what I mean. Only works for those who use one hiking pole (or less). I'm a one-pole hiker. I get by with a 30 lumen, 1.5 ounce (w/1 AA) headlamp for night hiking, which I tend to do a lot of, though on fairly easy trails. But the PCT is a fairly easy trail, so there ya go.
jshannon
03-16-2016, 06:09
Love my Fenix HL21.
MtDoraDave
04-03-2016, 15:50
After encountering critters that didn't run when I yelled at them (night hiking) that I couldn't see well enough to identify about 40 feet away - I upped my headlight ante. I still use that Energizer (3 AAA) that is supposedly 100 lumens as a backup, but I got one that's 200 lumens (on high - if or when needed). It has lower power options for longer battery life, because on high power it is only rated for 6 hours. Medium power is rated for 16 hours, low is rated for 26 hours.
Section hiking, this is fine. For a through hike, I can understand needing something with more battery life.