I have the Petzl Tikka XP and think it is great. It is with me whenever I go hiking and camping but I also take a Surefire G2 as well for the longer throw.

Maybe the Princeton Tech Apex can combine the two. I just got mine in the mail today and will likely test it out on my next camping trip during Labor Day weekend. So far, from a size and weight standpoint (and comfort too), I like my normal combo better.

For EDC, I carry a Fenix L0P or P1D CE, depending on what I think I will be doing.

Good luck on your choice.

I guess that I should mention that I also have an old Petzl Duo, the one before LED's, with two bulbs, one for close up battery saving use, and long distance juice eater. Uses four AA's, and is a lot larger and heaver than most headlamps seen today (altho they still make an upgraded LED version). I have my eyes on the Petzl Adapt system, just haven't popped for one yet...

The Zipka+ uses AAA, has 4 LEDs, and is very pocketable.

i believe in overkill.

got caught w/o a bright light after dark. would have hiked out had i had light. now i do.

petzl's advertising used to say this headlamp "owns the night." my experience, it does.

5 leds - 3 levels of brightness.
1 xenon.

batts in belt holder.

newer models have "aa" batts.

mine is older model w/4 c(?) d (?) cell batts.

heavy, but as i said, i beliebe in overkill.

good luck.

I have one. Along with half a dozen other Petzl's. Their quality is the reason why Petzel is the benchmark standard. The E+ is too fragile for continuous use. It's a superb emergency head torch. Which is what I purchased it for.

One point: For most practical purposes forget about needing to see more than 10-20 meters away. Ease of use, reliability, run time and battery availability are the most important considerations.

I have one of Doug's recommended eQ lights (http://dougritter.com/dr_eq.htm) and I use it almost daily on my bike rides. I also have one in my BOB. The specs and battery life are decent. It wears well and its hard to beat the price of $14 and supporting this forum's foundation. ;^)

Good luck.

Cheers,
~Logan.

I would have to say that the Petzel Myo XP is an excellent headlamp, extremely bright, well designed, you hardly notice the batteries on the back of your head.

+1 on the Princton Tech EOS. Great light, small, powerful, good battery life.

Agree, plus another for me: multi-level brightness. Many tasks when backpacking/camping are close-up — cooking, reading, map-reading, fiddling with equipment — where softer light might be desirable (bringing with it the added advantage of extending battery life).

Dan

A headlamp is a great idea, I recently purchased the Petzl Tactikka (4 LED's plus red filter built-in) and have been impressed with it.

For 20 years I have carried a Mini-mag (LED converted for the past 3 years) and still do now. I use a Nite-ize headband for it but have not found it as good as a dedicated headlamp. The biggest difficulty I found with the Mini-Mag was the bulbs burning out at the worst times, if this happens in the black dark you need a second light to change the bulb.

I blew a bulb walking in to a deer hunting stand early one morning, I had to wait for near dawn to change the bulb as I did not have a second light. Therefore I missed the first (best) 1/2 hour of the hunt, since then I carry a mini-LED on my key ring.

I have many times held a Mini-mag in my mouth while doing a job requiring both hands, this is very hard on your teeth and you could choke on it. I have since put a Nite-ize neoprene sleeve on the Mini-mag to help with the problem (also makes it less cold in your hand) but a real headlamp is a much better solution.

Mike