Best headlamp under $50?

(4) AA batteries in a headlamp providing nice bright light is always welcome in my book when you're climbing 50+ ft runout sections of slab at Suicide Rocks or like areas. I don't think I've ever picked up my bulky headlamp and thought to myself " Damn this is heavy I'd rather save a few grams and run out of light on my climbs."
I'll side with Bear Breeder on this one. He usually has good factual advice IMO. Keep it coming man your responses have answered a lot of my questions. Thanks for not being the average MP troll.

bearbreeder wrote: Hey there ray I didnt realize that you were so weak that you couldnt carry my 18650 headlamp up ... You DO realize that a single 18650 bat weights the same as 4 AAA eneloops ... Or 2 AAs ... Miso sowwy dats 2 HEEVY fur ya =P Oh and its nice that your little XP2 lasts for "20 hours" at basically the lowest setting My "heavy" 18650 last for 30 hours regulated at 50+ lm, u know the MAX output of yr xp2 heres one of my partners with a petzl XP ... note that its my RXP which is lighting him up, his XP was exceptionally lacking in comparison ... he has since went out and bought/used a 18650 lamp for alpine and multi since you dont climb at night anyways ... let me show you the difference between the RXP and the HL55 ... 215 vs 900 lm ... on a full 30m pitch ... the extra brightness is useful for finding those pesky rap anchors ... something youve never had to do at night since you dont climb anyways ... needless to say the XP2 doesnt even show up in the pics above .... i didnt bother its absolutely hilarious that yr whinning about basically 30-50 extra grams when yr the one dragging up 80+g benchmade knives ... ;)

XP2 Core weighs about half of your set up and I get aver 20 hours of continuous burn time. The light can use AAA but I have the Core rechargeable unit that weighs less. That isn't just weight either, the 18650 is a large/bulky battery. I'm not married to the light, there just hasn't been much better to come along since the Core. I have handhelds that put out over 1000lm max, most of the time I'm good with about 65lm for climbing purposes. If you only ever climb walk-ups where your biggest obstacle is locating rap chains I guess bulky lights are for you.

I can always tell when I'm on the right track by the length of your responses and how many ripped off charts you post.

Seems like these last few posts are deeper than grams and lumens.. which one of ya'll bagged the others ole lady??

My money is on the breeder... Those charts turn me on!

Ray Pinpillage wrote: XP2 Core weighs about half of your set up and I get aver 20 hours of continuous burn time. The light can use AAA but I have the Core rechargeable unit that weighs less. That isn't just weight either, the 18650 is a large/bulky battery. I'm not married to the light, there just hasn't been much better to come along since the Core. I have handhelds that put out over 1000lm max, most of the time I'm good with about 65lm for climbing purposes. If you only ever climb walk-ups where your biggest obstacle is locating rap chains I guess bulky lights are for you. I can always tell when I'm on the right track by the length of your responses and how many ripped off charts you post.

actually no ...

the 18650, which if you actually used you would realized weights ~45-50g yet provides 4 times the energy of the core bat which weights 30g .... so with an extra 15-20g you have ~4 times the runtime at the same level

oh dear are you blind? ... ill repost this just for you again

Hl55, rxp, tikka

as you can see the RIGHT 18650 headlamp is little "bulkier" than your little XP2

a "regular" 3-4 AAA headlamp weights roughly 85-115 grams all in with NiMH bats .... single 18650 headlamps can be had in the 120-140g range all in (zebralight, fenix without the top strap) ...

and thats providing over 5-10 times the lumens, and 3-4 times the stored energy (and runtimes)

so all that bragging youre going off on about "20 hours on low" ... a 18650 lamp will output the same lm for 100+ hours (in my case 150 hrs)

we all know you dont climb at night ... you obviously dont do routefinding by headlamp ..

and yes finding rap chains at night and descents at night can be an issue ... which you would know if you ever night climbed, which you dont

the hilarious part is that ive owened the xp2 and core bat for many years ... and so have my partners ...

we all went out and bought 18650, or at the very least the RXP (which btw is just as bulky and almost as heavy) headlamps when we experienced the difference night climbing

its hilarious that i know how wrong you are when you keep whinning about how yr 50 LM headlamp with the same energy as 3 AAA is da bomb for something you never do

even the 15 dollah walmart ozark trail 150 lm headlamp blows yours out of the water now .... i once had a partner pull those out

;)

just for you ...

Bulletheads east, 4th pitch 5.10c, squamish chief

bearbreeder wrote: actually no ... the 18650, which if you actually used you would realized weights ~45-50g yet provides 4 times the energy of the core bat which weights 30g .... so with an extra 15-20g you have ~4 times the runtime at the same level oh dear are you blind? ... ill repost this just for you again as you can see the RIGHT 18650 headlamp is little "bulkier" than your little XP2 a "regular" 3-4 AAA headlamp weights roughly 85-115 grams all in with NiMH bats .... single 18650 headlamps can be had in the 120-140g range all in (zebralight, fenix without the top strap) ... and thats providing over 5-10 times the lumens, and 3-4 times the stored energy (and runtimes) so all that bragging youre going off on about "20 hours on low" ... a 18650 lamp will output the same lm for 100+ hours (in my case 150 hrs) we all know you dont climb at night ... you obviously dont do routefinding by headlamp .. and yes finding rap chains at night and descents at night can be an issue ... which you would know if you ever night climbed, which you dont the hilarious part is that ive owened the xp2 and core bat for many years ... and so have my partners ... we all went out and bought 18650, or at the very least the RXP (which btw is just as bulky and almost as heavy) headlamps when we experienced the difference night climbing its hilarious that i know how wrong you are when you keep whinning about how yr 50 LM headlamp with the same energy as 3 AAA is da bomb for something you never do even the 15 dollah walmart ozark trail 150 lm headlamp blows yours out of the water now .... i once had a partner pull those out ;) just for you ...

Does the light shine directly out of your giant battery or are you putting it in a headlamp? The Fenix you listed is 150g with the battery. The Tikka2 Core weighs 80gr. Pretty close to half even for Canadian math. The battery does't just weigh more, the entire headlamp does too.

How boring must it be doing laps on other people's routes that you have to climb them at night just to feel good about yourself. Bolted chains in the dark, well geez you've certainly thrown down the gauntlet. :rolleyes

dave higdon wrote:Seems like these last few posts are deeper than grams and lumens.. which one of ya'll bagged the others ole lady?? My money is on the breeder... Those charts turn me on!

Do you really think the fat little Asian kid living in the clapped out duplex is pulling ass? He'd be the first in the history of Canada.

Ray Pinpillage wrote: Does the light shine directly out of your giant battery or are you putting it in a headlamp? The Fenix you listed is 150g with the battery. The Tikka2 Core weighs 80gr. Pretty close to half even for Canadian math. The battery does't just weigh more, the entire headlamp does too. How boring must it be doing laps on other people's routes that you have to climb them at night just to feel good about yourself. Bolted chains in the dark, well geez you've certainly thrown down the gauntlet. :rolleyes

Oh dear little ray getting a bit mad there !!!

Do you own the fenix? Have u measured it on a scale WITHOUT the removable top strap?

Perhaps you cant do basic math?

Let me do it for you

900 mAh x 3.7 v = 3.3 Wh

3400 x 3.7 v = 12.6 Wh

Your little XP puts out 50 LM for 4.5 hours ... My HL55 does the same for 30 hours at 50 lm

Your max output is 50 lm, the hl55 is 900 lm

And to boot its no more expensive than what the petzl xp2 + core cost years ago even with an 18650 bat and charger

Again its absolutely HILARIOUS that you ate whining about a bit of weight when you BRAG that yiu drag up a heavy benchmade knife up climbs

Guess cutting the rope is more important than climbing at night for ta

Its also hilarious that yr whinning about me when yr the one calling folks STOOPID and you havent posted up a single pic of you climbing or even rapping at night

Such hatred from ya there, are u gonna start posting up ghey pics like the last time as you have no night climbing ones?

How boring it must be for you to attack folks on da intrawebz cause u dont even climb

;)

Heres a "repeat" for no other purpose than to make u whine a bit moah

Sentry box 12a, nightmare rock, squamish

I've had issues with multiple BD headlamps failing to work OFTEN within 1st year of use after purchase. Usually this is due to battery terminal corrosion, and can sometimes be filed off. But what a PITA!!!. I have also had this happen, headlamp failing to work while seconding a trad pitch in the dark! (Having to resort to my backup, home-depot special.)

I've never had any problems with PETZL headlamps.

but the CHARTS!!!

I like my Zebralight. I have the AA neutral white model. I run rechargable NiMH batteries since it burns through them pretty fast, especially on max mode. Solid construction (aluminum) and easy to use. I've had it turn on in my pack and have since removed the battery or slightly unscrewed the cap to prevent that. A bit more than your budget at $64 though

I think the OP got more than he bargained for on this one.... Just like most MP forums.

REI outlet of all places has BD icon on sale for 70% off after coupon. $40. Members only.

If 'climbing' means dry and moderate temps, then I'd also vote for the cheapo lamp. That part of the technology seems pretty well figured out.

When climbing means dripping water ice, canyons, or wet caves, then make sure you're at IPX7 or greater. I've borked water "resistant" lamps fairly easily.

When climbing means cold, especially starting at -10C, the above discussion of batteries is kind of irrelevant in my experience: Li or Ni in any forms are useless.

But, I am reading this because I'm in the market for a new headlamp. And got pretty excited about the idea of a 900 lumen burst lamp for route finding. (Certainly found myself lost more than once going up or down with a standard 100 lumen lamp on even 30m pitches.) So, does anyone know of a lamp with the high lumen burst feature, but a battery on a long enough cord you can keep it in your jacket for the cold? Or the burst feature that accepts alkalines? Thanks!

Oh, and I'd also up the multiple comments above about the Spot being of "spotty" quality.

JonasMR wrote: in my experience: Li or Ni in any forms are useless...Or the burst feature that accepts alkalines?

Come say what again? Alkalines are way worse than Lithium for low temps or high drain. In fact, it's probably the the crappiest battery for those applications.

I'll say Bear has a point here. While I still think it's an overkill for backup/emergency purposes, the brightness/runtime gain is enormous, bright enough for lighting up an entire boulder by itself. That Fenix now has the HL60R actually makes me want to get one: it's about the same price when factored in the included battery. But now can be directly charged via micro USB (I'm liking the Sony RX100 series cameras for the same reason: one external battery pack/charger for phone/camera/headlamp).

for emergency purposes on easy rappels/decents a single AA headlamp with a lockout or mechanical swtich (to prevent parasitic drain) and a lithium bat is the "best" ... you can use that with a single AA NiMH for recharging as well ... many quality single AA lamps easily hit 200-300 lms burst

18650 head lamps are for prolonged climbing and routefinding at night, early morning, dusk ... when you need BOTH the lumens and the runtime ... or in complex terrain or descents at night (or you can bivy at the summit/on the wall) ... or longer duration trips when the weight of AA/AAA bats are a big consideration

lithiums (not lithium ions) are what everyone uses in deep winter, they are the most resistance to the cold

some 18650 headlamps can also use 2 CR123a lithiums, making em extremely versatile in all conditions

to put it quite simply an 18650 lamp is basically a more powerful version of the myo XP or BD icon at 1/3 the battery weight for the same "energy"

they range anywhere from ~120-200 grams including bat ... once can get a separate battery case at a higher cost and weight of course

plenty are rated to IPX8 or so, and folks use em caving ... personally i like the fenix lamps for their dead simple usage

ill put up another post sometime when i have time to do a full write up on headlamps for night climbing

im busy breeding 900 lumen beahs

;)

Huh, very cool. I let a handful of terrible experiences with bad rechargable Lithium Ion batteries turn me against good disposable Lithium batteries. Completely different things turns out! Guess I've been a battery bigot. Thanks for the heads up reboot.

Guess I'll go buy me some new batteries with the new headlamp.

bearbreeder wrote:for emergency purposes on easy rappels/decents a single AA headlamp with a lockout or mechanical swtich (to prevent parasitic drain) and a lithium bat is the "best" ... you can use that with a single AA NiMH for recharging as well ... many quality single AA lamps easily hit 200-300 lms burst 18650 head lamps are for prolonged climbing and routefinding at night, early morning, dusk ... when you need BOTH the lumens and the runtime ... or in complex terrain or descents at night (or you can bivy at the summit/on the wall) ... or longer duration trips when the weight of AA/AAA bats are a big consideration lithiums (not lithium ions) are what everyone uses in deep winter, they are the most resistance to the cold some 18650 headlamps can also use 2 CR123a lithiums, making em extremely versatile in all conditions to put it quite simply an 18650 lamp is basically a more powerful version of the myo XP or BD icon at 1/3 the battery weight for the same "energy" they range anywhere from ~120-200 grams including bat ... once can get a separate battery case at a higher cost and weight of course plenty are rated to IPX8 or so, and folks use em caving ... personally i like the fenix lamps for their dead simple usage ill put up another post sometime when i have time to do a full write up on headlamps for night climbing im busy breeding 900 lumen beahs ;)

Bruh, you should run for mayor.

Ray Pinpillage wrote: Bruh, you should run for mayor.

Only when you actually post a pic of yourself climbing ... Or at the very least rapping at night

;)

Just got the Fenix HL-60R in the mail & I have to say it's pretty freaking awesome. It came to 151g on the scale including the 18650 battery but w/o the middle strap (for reference, my Princeton TEC EOS is 110g w/ alkaline, 98g w/ lithium). I paid $65 (easy to knock off $10 from list), which is more than the OP asked for, but consider it includes a big battery you can keep recharging, the cost over time is probably lower than $50 w/o batteries.

I can notice the heavier weight on the head, but it's not uncomfortable. One nice thing is it's hinged around the entire diameter of the battery housing, so it's stable wherever (180 degree adjustability) you decide to aim the light, unlike most headlamps that tend to drop down over time. You can also set it on any flattish surface & aim the light.

It's weird to have the lumen of a low beam auto headlight in the hand; I'm psyched to see how well it'll work for night bouldering & whether to take it up for NIAD.

Couple of pet peeves: 1) the battery housing end cap is easy to loss, but given the in-headlamp recharging function & battery capacity, you shouldn't need to change it in the field. 2) the USB charging circuit can only draw 500ma, which would take 4hrs to completely recharge the included battery.

I came to this thread looking for a recommendation to replace my BD spot. It is unreliable and doesn't always turn on.

I am leaving this thread with a recommendation, plus a new cultural experience, having now encountered the strange and mystifying underworld of headlamp / battery connoisseurs and deeply devoted night rappelers. Thanks MP.