I've grown tired of holding my mini-mag light in my teeth when I need light at night and am ready to invest in a headlamp. My local REI has a small selection on clearance and I thought I'd pick one up later today.

How many lumens would be considered optimal? I'm looking at some in the 150 range. Any thoughts on preferred brands? And do these things come in water proof or rain resistant versions?

Sorry for all the questions. I tried doing a search but for some reason I can't with the version of the board that is coming up on my phone.

Thanks in advance.

I like my older Black Diamond Storm which has two white LEDs, a red LED for night vision or a spot LED that puts out 100 lumen. I use the spot very often.

Princeton Tec is what I like, have about 6 of their flashlights. But there are a lot of very good brands competing.

My Eos has been packed with me for a decade, lite weight, adjustable, rugged. Far as waterproof, I have gone swimming at nite with it (uses an o-ringed housing). It has 105 L on bright, cast enough for nite hiking, almost always use the low setting as that supplies plenty.

I choose by battery type (and like Lithium AAA batteries for swap-ability, long life), ruggedness, adjustment, size and weight. Last is total power because too bright a beam actually hinders my nite vision (ability to see outside the illumination cone), just enough is better than a lot.

butthead

I've always used my hat with built in LEDs. I like that it is not all that bright so it doesn't completely ruin my night vision, but it is enough to get to the john and load up for hunting. In some cases less is more, and I would rather not blind myself or others so I think something simple is best. I also use a collapsible LED camping lamp when I want to work on something. My big light is a spot light slightly larger than a fist with a handle. It is powerful and compact, but I don't use it much except for putting the food bag back up for the night and just in case I think I hear a bear. That one is more peace of mind than useful.

So for how bright of a headlamp to get. Go with either something that has multiple settings so you can dim it down or just something not as bright. You do not need that much light on a headlamp. Area lights are much more useful in those situations where you would want a brighter headlamp.

Ditto - 100 lumens is about right. I also appreciate the red option for night in camp.

I carried a Mini Mag on just one trip. I realized it was too heavy, the bulbs didn't last long and there was no good way to hold it, hands free.
I switched to a headlamp for several years but I always wear a ball cap and since headlamps and ball caps don't mix well, I moved on from there. I now use one of these about 98% of the time and use a Petzl Zipka the other 2%. The cap light goes on my hat the first night and stays there til the end of the trip. The head lamp is along in case of emergency or if the cap light fails. I have done this for the past 10 years. The batteries last about 5-8 days.

I would suggest looking for an LED headlamp with multiple brightness settings. The ones my son and I have have three settings - bright, slightly less bright and blinking (I have no idea why I'd ever use that). We probably use the "slightly less bright" option 90% of the time, simply to save on the battery. That option offers plenty of light for doing almost anything. I don't know what the lumens are.

I've used both Petzl and Princeton Tec. I prefer Princeton now - their designs seem to be more durable and user-friendly. My Petzl had a wonky switch and it flickered a lot. Also, the retractable straps on the Zipka lost their... retraction? after a while. While the light housing is roughly the same size, I will deal with the added weight and space of the more sturdy strap of the Princeton Tec.

I think pretty much any head lamp you'll find now will at least be water resistant. If you want one for swimming under water, you might have to do some more specific searching.

The strobe is for emergency signaling. A light source that is flickering at a constant interval is much more noticeable and draws the eye more than a steady light source. I can't imagine that the strobe function is of any use in normal camping conditions, unless you're having a dance-off in camp.

Princeton Tec Vizz is the closest model they have now to the one I use. It's not as small or as light as the Petzl Zipka, but it's lasted a good 10 years of moderate use for me, and I don't only use it while camping. If I'm working out in the yard at dusk or when I go out to the shed to dig some gear out of a bin, or just trying to deal with the rat's nest of cables behind my TV or my computer.

The thing I like about the Vizz is that you can tilt the housing to properly aim the light where you need it. My Zipka wasn't able to do that... plus the cantankerous switch... the Princeton Tec wins in my book. Its brightness rating is around 200 L at its brightest, but it's got a second mode that's not as bright. Mine is old enough that it doesn't have the red option that this newer model does.

I've tried the lights that attach to the ball cap brim, but I never found one I liked or that was sturdy enough for me to rely on. Granted, I haven't done a lot of research and my evidence is limited so I'm not saying not to use them if that's what you prefer. I just don't care for them.

Wow, I had no idea that people still used something other than headlamps! You can get a pretty nice headlamp cheap these days......just make sure you carry spare batteries.

I have had several brands thru out the years of canoeing and backpacking. Right now I have a Black Diamond Storm, which is a great light as it is waterproof and puts out a lot of light. I got them after my wife and I were doing a paddle one day and we were a bit late in getting out so were paddling in the dark a bit and having to put the canoe up on the car in the dark. We had Petzel and Princeton Tec in the past and they have been good lights but were not as bright as the BD Storm. Also a nice feature of the BD Storm is that you can lock the on off button so it doesn't come on in a pack. In the past I had to reverse the batteries in the Petzels or Princeton Tecs so they would not come on in a pack or not have the batteries in them.

I got a new BD Spot and BD Storm last year... the Spot was a warranty replacement & the Storm was a clearance purchase from REI.

The Spot has a higher IPx rating than the Storm, and the Storm is supposed to be the waterproof one! :)

My first headlamp was 50 lumens and I thought that was awesome. When I got the Spot I referred to it as "The Sun" because of how much brighter it was at 75 lumens. My newest Spot is even brighter.
I try to use my lamps on flood or wide area lighting versus the bright beam, makes the batteries last longer.

Ditto the rest of the crowd on Lithium batteries & having spares along.

quote SevenofNine: "I like my older Black Diamond Storm which has two white LEDs, a red LED for night vision or a spot LED that puts out 100 lumen. I use the spot very often."

+1 This headlamp in Awesome. I own several different headlamps and I almost always grab this one first.

I had always used the lights that clipped on my hat bill and loved them, until I went on a camping trip with three other guys using good headlamps. I picked up a Black Diamond Storm last spring, the old model, on sale for $35 on Amazon. Has two different settings for white light, and a red setting. Within each of those you can adjust the brightness up and down through a range, and with a tap on the side of the light instantly go to the brightest setting when more light is needed, then back down with another tap. It's also water resistant to a shallow depth. I duck hunt, so between camping and hunting the thing has gotten a ton of use. Battery life has been pretty good as well. Best equipment upgrade I made last year.

I just looked, the older version is still available on Amazon for $34.88 in the black color. I have absolutely no reservations recommending that purchase. It should at least be in your list to research a little more.

As for batteries I use Everready rechargeable batteries. I use them in my police scanner at work and I get them to last about 16-20 hrs of constant use in a day. I have to replace them as they start losing a charge after about 2 yrs of using them every other day. They take about 8 hrs to charge. I only use the Lithium in colder temps as they are one use and expensive.

quote OldFingers57: "As for batteries I use Everready rechargeable batteries. I use them in my police scanner at work and I get them to last about 16-20 hrs of constant use in a day. I have to replace them as they start losing a charge after about 2 yrs of using them every other day. They take about 8 hrs to charge. I only use the Lithium in colder temps as they are one use and expensive. "

Ever check the difference in weight? Lithiums weigh 1/3rd less in AAA size, not a lot but it's hanging on my head. I use many Enloop rechargeables an a good LaCrosse conditioning charger, so very familiar with them, all I use at home and in my vehicle, or if I'm carting a solar setup. Just really like the long life, storage life, cold performance, and weight (makes my Garmin 62st float vs sinking with alkaline).

butthead

I have a Black Diamond Storm. Wife has a Petzl Tikka XP2.
Both excellent. The Storm is brighter, but the XP2 is actually already more than adequate.

Like others have mentioned, I wouldn't get a really bright one for general camp use. All those lumens are overkill unless you plan to race at night and they eat up batteries. A soft diffuse light is more useful for general use and will give longer battery life. I'm still using my Princeton Tech that I've had for years. That said, I don't use one very much on camping trips - basically I try to use it as little as possible and save my night vision. I usually have camp chores like dinner done before dark. I sometimes read a little in the tent before sleep, but not much. I've never had to use my spare batteries, even on a long trip. Waterproof would be nice, but mine's not and I don't see it as really essential for general use. YMMV

Seeing you are asking; I am not fond of red glow or blue(black light?) because my brain just thinks in terms of OFF and ON. I have a tendency to remove it from my head thinking it's off when it's not.

This is pretty close to the Petzl that I have. 3 settings of brightness makes it easier to read under different light conditions. Works fairly well and didn't break the bank. I'm sure that there are better ones out there though.

I use a headlamp for not just camping, but for tracking game when hunting. I ran across the Zebralight H600 F and really like it. It has four main modes (and sub modes off of that).

High: 1038 Lumens/630 Lumens/335 Lumens

Medium: 65 lumens/30 lumens/11 lumens

low: 3.5 lumens/.4 lumens/.06 lumens

beacon strobe

For hunting and tracking a blood trail I use the high modes. For in the BWCa I would probably use the medium mode.

Also detachs for use as a flashlight.

Zebralight H600 F MKII Headlamp, Frosted Lens

green light,no joke. I was given a headlamp that has a green bulb along with red and a very bright white one.the green works great for reading as the white is way to bright.
the instructions said green was for map reading.

Petal zipka plus 2, 100 lumens at highest setting and we rarely use that in camp. It's more important to have low settings so as not to blind your friends when doing stuff together after dark. The red led is great to find something at night without ruining night vision.

I used to use petzl headlamps exclusively and had a couple XP + 2 with the rechargeable lithium batteries and they were great, but I had a canyoneering trip that required something more waterproof so I ended up buying a Fenix hl60r and I have to say it's an amazing light. It goes to about 1000 lumens, but I rarely use it at anything over the "low/mid" settings, it has a more natural color to it than regular LEDs, and it's fully waterproofed with an all-aluminum housing (It will probably outlast me).

I use my headlamps for early morning runs on an almost daily basis so the rechargeable 18650 battery is a big benefit for me, but unless you use it a lot it's probably overkill and too expensive.

I've had the same Petzl for many years. It's my go-to camping light, plus I keep it in my tool bag to use when I'm working in dim light situations (under the sink, etc.). No idea how many lumens, and don't think it matters much: I usually use it on low when outdoors, because that's plenty bright.

Someone earlier in the thread asked about the flashing feature -- I run/walk on country roads in the early morning hours. I turn on the flasher whenever a car approaches, because I feel like it attracts more attention than a steady light.

Dave

I have a Black Diamond and Princeton Tec and like them both. Pretty sure Princeton is made in usa.

Super bright is not a liability, as long as it has a dimming feature AND you can directly switch on-off at that dimmed (and chosen color) setting. BD Storm has all three colors, dimming, flashing, spot, wide angle, and who-knows-what-all that I may never even use.

I prefer higher lumens (>250) in the event have have to portage in the dark. I highly recommend the Black Diamond Storm it has 250 lumens of power with both red and green night-vision modes and is water resistant. Your tent mates will certainly appreciate the night vision modes if you get up in the middle of the night.

I did some checking on what I think I have: Petzl Tikka 2. From what I find, its bright beam may be 40 lumens and I feel like it is plenty bright. As others have said, I use 'low' beam setting far more often. If I were to purchase another headlamp today, I would look for one with the red light option to use while fishing, etc.....way less effect on your night vision when you turn it off. The green light sounded interesting too, but I have not been around a lamp that had that option.