Headlamp comparisons...

[woppa]

Looking for some opinions on headlamps from some of you seasoned vets. I am primarily looking at the Fenix HL21 vs the Petzyl Tikka XP2.

Heres what I can gather from researching but not actually using the headlamps.

Petzyl pros - IPX4 rating, has a red light, better diffuser, integrated emergency whistle, much longer run times, however uses 3 AAA batteries. Two modes. High and low. SOS mode.

Fenix pros - Single AA battery but shorter run times. No red light, crappy diffuser, Higher lumens and beam distance. IPX8 rating. Three modes, high, medium and low. SOS mode.

So I am very split on which to choose out of these two, which both come in at about 40 dollars.
The petzyl has a red light and it kind of looks like the regular white light is a nicer kind of light compared to the fenix, which looks like it is a very washed out white beam, but it is much brighter than the petzyl, and this is only from what I can gather from youtube reviews.

Advice? Suggestions? Thanks.

[Gershon]

In my opinion, which flashlight you use depends on your camping habits. For middle of the night trips outside, a small one does just fine. Unless you are planning to pack and unpack a lot of things, a small one also does well.

I use a little solar powered flashlight I found for $7.00 at an airport. It has 2 led's and works just fine. But I tend to go to bed early and wake just as it starts to get light.

For hiking at night, I don't use a flashlight. Once my eyes adjust, I can see better without one. I spent 2 weeks in survival school bushwacking at night without a light and it isn't too difficult.

If I were planning to cook a lot at night, I'd probably like a headlamp. But usually, the most I make is coffee or hot chocolate at night.

For just starting out, I'd suggest this be one of your cheap items until you decide what you really want to spend a lot of money on. If you have kids, I would let each one have a small flashlight.