The two most important metrics to consider when purchasing a flashlight are batteries and lumens.
Batteries: There are two large categories of both flashlights and headlamps: rechargeable ones and those with batteries. The difference is how you recharge them. AA or AAA batteries are easy to find and can be changed quickly. When your light goes out in the dark, you’ll see the genius of separate batteries. That being said, rechargeable lights can be charged with the same power bank you’re charging your devices on, and today, with USB-C, many lights can be recharged in under an hour.
I used to rely on the battery option, and I still recommend headlamps or flashlights with removable batteries for many situations (your emergency kit, for example), but I must say that I’ve come to terms with the convenience of an everyday charging port. . Bring flashlights or camping headlamps. Personally, I base myself on a Nitecore NU25 for most situations except long backpacking trips where I carry my Petzl Tikka and extra set of batteries.
Lumens: Flashlight and headlight companies like to make a big deal about lumens, which measure the brightness of a flashlight, but the truth is, you don’t always want more lumens. We didn’t test a single flashlight or headlamp that wasn’t bright enough. Here you will find lights of all types, from 300 lumen spotlights to 1000 lumens that will temporarily blind you if you look at them. For most uses, this is a good range: 300 to 1000 lumens. For something like reading in your tent at night, you’ll need much less light, but any good headlamp will have a variety of brightness levels, usually with a low power mode which is more like 40 to 60 lumens, which is about what you want. reading. Also, look for a strobe mode that emits pulses of light. The strobe function is good for rescue situations since the flash is more noticeable than the steady light.
The light source of most flashlights and headlamps today is LEDs. While many traditional light bulbs still exist, the relationship between light output and energy use of LEDs is hard to beat.
