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

[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.

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[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.