Personally I am a huuuge headlamp fan. A Princeton Tec EOS with lithium AAA's will provide a ton of hands-free light for only about $35 or so.

That said, do take a good look at the Fenix PD10 (twist on) or PD20 (push-button on). They are tough lights that provides a stunning amount of light when needed but last a long long time on lower levels.