I am a gram weenie... I want the lightest out there to get the job done minimally. My concerns are occasionally needing to hike on well established trails at night and foraging for twigs in the snow during the long night hours to feed a minimalist wood stove. Temps will be low of -10F, generally around 0F at night for a low.
Beam:
Is Normal an option? I'll be in camp feeding a wood stove twigs all night and then occasionally hiking at night, but on a well established trail (no bushwhacking). I need to see my feet and a little ways down the trail.
Battery Type:
In order of preference:
Single AAA (maybe 2 x AAA?)
Single AA
Battery Placement:
Front/on the headlamp.
Beam tint & artifacts:
Whatever gives me the longest batt life and best lumens combo.
Brightness (lumens)
I feel like I must have moonlight mode, but perhaps not if I already have the woodstove working and throwing off some light. Here is my stove (but please note, there is no pot on there, that will significantly limit the light output to grab sticks from my pile and add to the stove): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvlpmm9MaFQ
Maybe I need just a few lumen in low mode to forage for twigs around camp at night to feed to the stove and forgo the moonlight mode? (for reference, in 3 season backpacking I use a photon freedom microlight around camp with no troubles at all, but I don't have to find sticks as I carry a different stove for 3-season) I don't read in camp or do anything else special. Turn on the light to go to bathroom, turn on the light to find sticks. ~Maybe~ I'll need the light on while cooking/melting snow if light output from wood fire is not enough.
Runtime & Regulation:
I need the ability to hike at night in the cold (will use lithium batteries) at times for a few hours if the sun sets too quickly. I suppose in an emergency need the ability to hike out in the dead of the night. My trips are 3-4 days in the winter. I want a regulated light and ideally would have a 1 x AAA headlamp and a backup AAA battery for when the regulated output falls off the cliff.
Headband Attachment & Comfort:
I will have a light headlamp such that it only needs one band around my head, not up and over my head. I generally set the headlamp angle to hike and leave it, or set it at a different angle for around camp and leave it. I'm interested in some tiny flashlight's features, but wonder if there is an ultralight (home made?) headband to affix them to the temple area of my head and how that will work out when wearing a big fluffy down balaclava while in camp.
User Interface:
Would be nice to have it remember where I set it's output last, but not a deal breaker.
Price & Reliability:
I'm open to anything...though this sucker better be IPX8 or IPX4.
Currently have researched:
Zebralight H501 (too floody for when hiking? Not low enough setting?)
Maratac/ITP A3 EOS AA and AAA (homemade headband needed? Is there a kit out there? Do I need moonlight?)
iTP H01 (heavy headband for AAA. Do I need moonlight?)
Quark X AA2 (Do I need XM-L CREE? Nice run time in Moonlight...needed?)
Help! My GF is going to kick me off the laptop because I sit here researching on this website too much!
Beam:
Is Normal an option? I'll be in camp feeding a wood stove twigs all night and then occasionally hiking at night, but on a well established trail (no bushwhacking). I need to see my feet and a little ways down the trail.
Battery Type:
In order of preference:
Single AAA (maybe 2 x AAA?)
Single AA
Battery Placement:
Front/on the headlamp.
Beam tint & artifacts:
Whatever gives me the longest batt life and best lumens combo.
Brightness (lumens)
I feel like I must have moonlight mode, but perhaps not if I already have the woodstove working and throwing off some light. Here is my stove (but please note, there is no pot on there, that will significantly limit the light output to grab sticks from my pile and add to the stove): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvlpmm9MaFQ
Maybe I need just a few lumen in low mode to forage for twigs around camp at night to feed to the stove and forgo the moonlight mode? (for reference, in 3 season backpacking I use a photon freedom microlight around camp with no troubles at all, but I don't have to find sticks as I carry a different stove for 3-season) I don't read in camp or do anything else special. Turn on the light to go to bathroom, turn on the light to find sticks. ~Maybe~ I'll need the light on while cooking/melting snow if light output from wood fire is not enough.
Runtime & Regulation:
I need the ability to hike at night in the cold (will use lithium batteries) at times for a few hours if the sun sets too quickly. I suppose in an emergency need the ability to hike out in the dead of the night. My trips are 3-4 days in the winter. I want a regulated light and ideally would have a 1 x AAA headlamp and a backup AAA battery for when the regulated output falls off the cliff.
Headband Attachment & Comfort:
I will have a light headlamp such that it only needs one band around my head, not up and over my head. I generally set the headlamp angle to hike and leave it, or set it at a different angle for around camp and leave it. I'm interested in some tiny flashlight's features, but wonder if there is an ultralight (home made?) headband to affix them to the temple area of my head and how that will work out when wearing a big fluffy down balaclava while in camp.
User Interface:
Would be nice to have it remember where I set it's output last, but not a deal breaker.
Price & Reliability:
I'm open to anything...though this sucker better be IPX8 or IPX4.
Currently have researched:
Zebralight H501 (too floody for when hiking? Not low enough setting?)
Maratac/ITP A3 EOS AA and AAA (homemade headband needed? Is there a kit out there? Do I need moonlight?)
iTP H01 (heavy headband for AAA. Do I need moonlight?)
Quark X AA2 (Do I need XM-L CREE? Nice run time in Moonlight...needed?)
Help! My GF is going to kick me off the laptop because I sit here researching on this website too much!