Head Lamp

[fiveonomo]

I have had a head lamp on my to buy list as I am gathering my hiking gear. Tomorrow I am doing a very small 1 mile walk in the woods with my daughter, this will be after dark. Of course if we walk in we have to walk out.
I am gonna head to REI tomorrow to pick one up. Anyone have any recommendations? The only requirement I personally have is for their to be a red light on it. I look forward to hearing from everyone.

[FarmerChef]

I use a Petzyl Tikka Plus 2 but there are even lighter options.

[CarlZ993]

I use a Petzyl Tikka Plus 2 but there are even lighter options.
I also use this one. Great light. Regardless of which headlamp you get, I highly recommend one that also has a red light option (not just one where you cycle through all the light choices before you get to red). That way, you won't wake everyone up in a shelter when you get up during the middle of the night to go pee.

[Rocket Jones]

My first headlight was a WalMart special. Works great, doesn't cost a fortune.

[johnnybgood]

www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?79646-petzl-tikka-xp-2-led-headlamp (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?79646-petzl-tikka-xp-2-led-headlamp)

[fiveonomo]

Thanks guys!!!

[trapper]

I use a Petzyl Tikka Plus 2 but there are even lighter options.have this also love it and great battery life...you won't be disappointed

[10-K]

Any headlamp that takes AAA's and is at least 70 lumens will do the trick.

[atmilkman]

Any headlamp that takes AAA's and is at least 70 lumens will do the trick.
+1 on this. I got a Black Diamond Spot that puts out 90 and it works for me. 3 AAA's last a good bit on high.

[theinfamousj]

My first headlight was a WalMart special. Works great, doesn't cost a fortune.

Amen to this! Been using my $3 Rayovac child headlamp for several years. I make it red by putting a piece of red celophane over the light. Single LED and takes user replaceable coin batteries. Compares well with a Petzl Tika at a fraction of the cost.

Sent from my YP-GS1 using Tapatalk 2

[Starchild]

If you plan to night hike I would get one with a filter that allows a spot or flood setting. Flood is great for hiking and spot is great for seeing trail blazes and markers. Red is useful for shelter situations and low light hiking.

[Sarcasm the elf]

+1 on this. I got a Black Diamond Spot that puts out 90 and it works for me. 3 AAA's last a good bit on high.I've owned several headlamps and the Black Diamond Spot is by far my favorite. It absolutely blew away the two petzel's I've owned. If you plan to drop some decent money on a headlamp then the spot is the way to go. That said I know plenty of folks who get by just fine with the $15-$20 models that are sold at any hardware store. Just make sure they take 3AAA batteries, they seem to work the best.

[bigcranky]

I like the Spot, too. It can be set to red light for night use, and both the very bright main beam and the low-power task light can be throttled down to almost nothing when needed. Also, it can be locked off by holding the main button for ~6 seconds. That way you won't find a dead headlamp in your pack when you really need it. (Yeah, happened to me.)

[swjohnsey]

Petzl E-lite, red light, very light, waterproof, long battery life, cheap.

[Tor]

My wife and I are using Black Diamond Storms and love them.

[Drybones]

I use a Petzyl Tikka Plus 2 but there are even lighter options.

+1...I use this light because of its brightness and red light but I really like the Petzyl with the zip line for a head band, much easier to carry and for me more comfortable to wear, just not as bright, I believe it's called the Zipka???

[colorado_rob]

+1 on this. I got a Black Diamond Spot that puts out 90 and it works for me. 3 AAA's last a good bit on high. Yep, this is my favorite. I do a lot of night hiking/climbing and brighter is better, this one seems to have the most lumens for the weight.

[Tumbleweed1]

I just tested Petzl e+lite, tikka and tikka XP2 to pick one to use on my AT thru hike. I went with the petzl tikka XP2 because it offers flood and spot light, at 70 lumens to a beam distance of 68m, with a long batterey life and red mode.

[QiWiz]

My go-to favorite for 90% of my hikes is the Petzl eLite (1 ounce) for around camp and limited night hiking on well-marked trails. If you need to do more night hiking, you will need something brighter (and heavier).

[daddytwosticks]

My go-to favorite for 90% of my hikes is the Petzl eLite (1 ounce) for around camp and limited night hiking on well-marked trails. If you need to do more night hiking, you will need something brighter (and heavier). Same here. Love it. However, since my vision is really bad, I wouldn't try night hiking with this baby. :)

[johnnybgood]

Same here. Love it. However, since my vision is really bad, I wouldn't try night hiking with this baby. :)

That's where the Tikka XP-2 headlamp shines (pun intended) ;)

[greywolf1974]

save some money - engergizer comes with battery's available walmart, lowes, home depot like 10.00 the battery's last for a month - i bought a petzel once the batterys died wicked fast

[FarmerChef]

I do quite a bit of night hiking with Tikka XP Plus 2. It's plenty bright on full and ample enough on low. My only complaint as a glasses wearer is that the light floods a little too well and tends to put a glare on my glasses. Thanks to a tip from someone else a little black electrical tape wrapped along the bottom does the trick.

As far as battery life is concerned, my batteries are generally good for around a week to 10 days at a time before I absolutely must put in a fresh set. I use rechargeables fwiw.

My son uses the Energizer lamp but it requires coin cell batteries (unless they've changed the design - quite possible). I've found that coin cell batteries lose their punch much too fast for hiking. My experience with the Photon has been quite poor in that regard and I've owned and tried to use 3 for night hiking. While the batteries are light they are also expensive. I got tired of having to shell out big $$ for each hike when AAA were so much cheaper.

Again, not trying to argue for my particular model of lamp just saying what the real-world specs are like. There are other great lights out there.

[dla]

I don't have a use for a red light anymore - never did really. My favorite light is still the PrincetonTec EOS (you can get a red/green/white version if you want). Regulated, Lithium OK, waterproof, easy & positive switch. I'm still using one that my lab pup chewed up - so they're pretty tough. About $35 from brightguy.com . A bunch of different versions available, but I like the 3-level & flashing 70+lumen version the best.

[MuddyWaters]

I usually just carry a photon freedom.

If you want to serious night hike or such, its better to have the light mounted below your head, have it located on your chest or belt.
Zebralight H51 is my favorite. Take it out of the headlight holster, and use clip to clip it to belt or packstrap.

[shelb]

be a red light on it. I look forward to hearing from everyone.

Oh, if this could only be on all of them! I HATE to be the "deer in the head lamps" when people have only white lights.

[Drybones]

[QUOTE=dla;1372878]I don't have a use for a red light anymore - never did really.

If you hike with others you really need that red light to keep from blinding others and killing thier night vision, as well as waking everyone else up in a shelter when you get up at night, not to mention keeping the bugs from attacking your face.

[fiveonomo]

Thanks everyone for your input, I greatly appreciate it. I went with the Tikka XP Plus 2.

[bubonicplay]

The zipka is the best

[Sarcasm the elf]

Thanks everyone for your input, I greatly appreciate it. I went with the Tikka XP Plus 2.
I've got one of those sitting unused in a drawer. Bring it back and trade it in for a Black Diamond Spot. That single high intensity LED burns through batteries at a faster rate than other, brighter lamps that are on the market.