Best headlamp for hiking under $35

[northslope]

I have an Energizer headlamp for tasks. It doesn't do the job for hiking. I have a Quark and fenix lights that I sometimes put in headbands and they work great. However, I often just want to go for a quick walk so I want to keep another headlamp handy.

It must run on AA or AAA batteries. It must not show a glare above my eyes (like my energizer does). Not too bulky. Prefer multiple modes (save energy, different cones, etc)

I'm considering the Remix or the Tikka Plus 2. Also, I'm toying with putting a Nitecore SENS AA and dedicating it to a head-strap.

 

[rje58]

I use a Black Diamond Cosmo for night hiking. It's only 70 lumens on high, but I generally find myself using it on a medium-to-low setting. I carry an EagleTac flashlight as a backup and in case I want to really light something up. I personally don't like to have an 800-lumen flamethrower on my head when hiking. I really like that it is variable - I can set the amount of light I want. And it has a wide mode, spot mode and a red LED. One strange thing is that in "spot mode" you don't get as much light as you can in "wide mode", seems like the spot mode should be the brightest, but its not.

I picked up the Cosmo new for $25 shipped. It uses 3 AAA batteries and they last a good while for me. As much as I like it, I probably would want a brighter light if I weren't carrying a much brighter flashlight as well, although there are many night hikes where I never pull out the flashlight at all - it's good to know that it's there if I want it or need it. And of course I carry an extra backup! 2 = 1 and 1 = 0.

The Black Diamond Spot and Storm headlamps offer most of the same features, but with more lumens, for slightly more $$$. Still very affordable and the Spot at least could be had for $35 or less.

 

[Street]

I use for hiking and trekking Fenix HL21, good headlamp. On high mode it lasts for 60 min, middle mode 4 hours. (regulated time with Sanyo Eneloop 2000mAh) Very good beam range - usefull for example for searching place to camp,...

 

[sam0set]

The Fenix HL21 would be the one I'd take. A light is only as good as the weakest battery, so the single-cell design makes it reliable. I've changed batteries in pitch dark holding an umbrella with my other hand; I would have failed with a multi-cell light. If I have 2 charged Eneloops in my pocket, I know that's 9 hours of light in reserve. (I almost never run my light on high.)

My one regret is that the HL21 can't be taken apart for cleaning. When I had switch trouble, I managed to fix it by squirting contact cleaner into the battery compartment and working the switch until some got sucked through the weep hole.

 

[Frank W]

HL21, quite good general use headlamp. I would take it or a zebralight over any nonpro Petzl in a heartbeat. 4+hrs on medium, IPX8 (had it in heavy rains on many occassions without problem) and mode memory (that I could live well without if it started on low everytime though). Nice general use headlamp, the flipup diffiser is pretty useful for indoors. I disliked the plastic claws that hold the light onto te base unit, but they have held up surprisingly well over the time (unlike petzls which I have many with broken hinges). I quite like the 1AA design, means it uses same cells as my brighter light and much of everything. And it's cheap, so far very dependable and more than adequate for most hiking needs.

A Zebralight might be pretty interesting as well, no direct experience with them though.

 

[Etsu]

I have an Energizer headlamp for tasks.
...
It must not show a glare above my eyes (like my energizer does).

I've got an Energizer headlamp, and yes, the glare from it is annoying. However, you can minimize this by
(1) wear it up higher on your forehead, so it's back and away from your eyes, and
(2) put a strip of black electrical tape along the bottom of the light, to shield some of that stray light.

It's not the best solution, but it is the cheapest since you already have the light.
Otherwise, I'd go with something like a 4sevens atom with the headlamp kit, although it's very floody (which may be what you like or not).