Gear Heads - Flash Lights

When the lights go out, you’ll need some way to see in the dark. A head-mounted flashlight is best, as you don’t want to carry a flashlight in your hand to head to the bathroom or to read in bed. We found out the hard way that it pays to have a strong light. Trying to save on weight, my wife and I brought two Petzel emergency head lamps, powered only by a tiny lithium battery. While they did save on weight and were fine for reading in bed, when a unknown wild animal stalked our camp on the Continental Divide Trail, neither of our head lamps were strong enough to see what it was. Unfortunately, while Kirk had a traditional head lamp, the batteries weren’t strong enough to light anything but the animals hungry eyes. So, always make sure your batteries are charged and you have an ample supply for the entire duration of your trip. I always keep at least one spare pair as it is all too easy to fall asleep with your light on, draining the majority of your batteries in

This is the one I use now. I steer away from lights that don't use standard batteries. I want to be able to replace them wherever I go. It's available from REI.

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