bought a couple over the last few months. lot better now than I remember from years past.

Ones I've gathered up...

Nitecore HC50 cr123 ( with red led)
Armytek Wizard Pro cr123
Fenix HL30 AAA (with red led)

I like em, handy to have for in and out of the woods.

Like the red light for settling in before light and gathering stuff after dark.


Who else prefers headlamps over flashlights?

I still have a couple of Stingers in the truck and a Fenix e25 in my pocket.

Have a number of them. Love them. Always looking for another.

I try to keep a headlamp in every vehicle and near all the outside doors as well.

depends on the situation

What's the runtime and lumens rating on the Fenix vs the Nitecore? I own flashlights from both, but I'm still trying to decide which headlamp to buy. I've got a very old Tika which is not quite bright enough for gutting a deer after dark

I agree with eh76. There are needs and opportunities for both and use both. The one I'm using most is my surefire. Infinately adjustable in brightness and offers a red lens cover.

Try processing an elk after dark with a hand held flashlight in your mouth. We did that years ago when mag lights were popular.
It isn't even conceivable now.

Been there done that

Rather have a head lamp for almost all applications. Really great for climbing or truck work.

headlamps at home, in each truck and definitely when hunting


also a photon microlight as back up


during the day, I carry a lil nebco bright light in my pocket with the clip.

it's a nice bright light with a fresh AA in it.

plus it's got the scalloped end around the glass, and it's the perfect size to keep from breaking your knuckles if someone can't be persuaded by reason and kindness.

quick flash of bright light to the eyes, followed by a sharp crack.....what's not to love?

and if the power goes out, I've got a light on me

power goes out more often than it has to be used for the former, but I've always loved gear that can perform dual uses

On my phone now so can't link to the specs. The nitecore is a brighter light than the fenix.

Rei has the nitecore for about $43 with free shipping, pretty good deal.

great when your cleaning tracks at night , checking oil in morn, rumminging in tool box.

flash lights work for other things.

norm

Headlamps of course. Why use a regular flashlight when you can keep both hands free for other tasks?

Gut a moose in the dark by yourself and you'll never again be without a headlamp!

ive got a Fenix, dont remember which model, i think the HP25, runs of 4 AA's and has two lamps(spot and flood) with 3 settings for each.....the spot on high can damn near be used for spotlighting jackrabbits, found that out at Scott's place walking back to my tent one night when i lit up a coon good enough i coulda shot it at most of 100 yards at the other end of the road

ive also got LED flashlights stashed everywhere.....never know when im going to forget my headlamp....one of these days ild like to get a good small flashlight to live in my pocket permanently...unfortunately the cheap ones turn on way to easy and kill the batteries fast.....

Headlamps, unless I need a spotlight, then I use a spot light.

My buddy got one years ago when we'd be out fishing all night in a small boat. Bragged how he could retie lures, unhook fish, and anything else, all the while keeping his hands free, and seeing what he was doing.

He couldn't understand why I wasn't using one. I might have been more positive towards having a headlamp if he'd ever shut his off when he didn't need it - and keep blinding me every time he spoke to me.

I just keep a small flashlight handy which I put in my mouth whenever I need light and both hands.

part of the reason i like the Felix ive got is i can angle it down combined with the flood bulb i dont tend to piss off those around me.....

i've been using a flease scull cap with lights built into it to hunt this year. its warm,i wear it over a baseball cap. its also very light weight. some lady at a flea market was selling them in camo or orange for 5.00 each back in the summer.

it's not so much that I 'favor' one over the other. I find that hand held lights and head lamps are both needed.
I recently picked up a Black Diamond rechargeable, that has turned out to be a great performer.
For really lighting up the place though, I like a good Surefire light.

Same here. Keep both handy if I can.

I recall climbing a tree with a mag-light held in my teeth....those were the days...

Absolutely indespensible for waterfowlhunting. Especially setting out a diver spread

Me, too. Just the once, and never again!

FC

I go with the headlamps. I haven't invested in the good high end stuff yet, but I think that day's coming. I would like to get one with adjustable brightness. Like others, the days of holding a light in my mouth to keep my hands free are done.

Headlamps and a little consideration for others is my preferred option..

I have a couple of good ones, multiple Energizers from Walmart (surprisingly good, but not light), and even the ones that clip on the bill of your cap. Kind of an addiction honestly, probably have 6-7 headlamps and as many of the clip ons - but they are dang handy and nice to have one in the truck, in the camper, by the grill, in my duck blind bag, ...! All work great for what they are needed for.

Still have many flashlights for when more light is needed, not needing my light to be hands free, etc.

My problem with the headlamp I have is that it reflects off the back of my glasses. Very annoying. Have any of you tried one with an extended lens like this one? It might be slightly heavier but it would get the light out in front of my glasses and should eliminate the glare.

I prefer headlamps for most of what I do, from working in crawlspaces to walking to and from a hunt.

Where handheld lights win is in brightness, control of beam and in fitting easily into a pocket. Headlamps with all their straps and bulky battery packs don't pocket so well when you're out on the town and include a flashlight in your EDC.

The few clipon's that I have tried, were not bright enough. I miss my old coon hunting light (wheat), but the battery quit and I was not using it enough to warrant replacing it. miles

Use both....

If you haven't tried one lately, do so. In the last few years, improvements in LED's have multiplied the brightness many times over. Today's light isn't yesterdays light by a long shot.

That right there is the truth. Nowadays you can get a flashlight the size of a shotgun shell that's better than an old timey Maglight that was 3' long


Mike

No kidding, I had 3 in my pack this fall on a bull after dark by myself. Just in case...

But I carry a scorpion for other tasks that need brighter light for less time, uses for all, but I generally always have 1 or 2 headlights in my backpack at all times.

I don't have one bright enough to do blood trails with though. So I bought a coon hunters headlight for that. Just wished I could find a 6 v halogen bulb to fit it too...

Miles, those batteries are the same ( generally) as whats used in electric fence chargers...I buy replacements for my headlight or spares at the feed store all the time, generally around 15 bucks...

I have a ball cap with a built in Led in the bill. And it's surprisingly bright

I use both, like those head lamps.

My jaws ache in memory of gutting a moose in the dark in the rain in a swamp while holding a flashlight in my mouth. Ditto to those who never want to do that again! It makes a man appreciate headlamps.

In a brilliant innovation I discovered that you can hold a headlamp in your hand when a handheld light is preferred.

When walking on uneven ground, a light held in hand away from eyes makes it much easier to see bumps and dips due to throwing shadows to indicate depth, show trip roots, etc. When the light source is close to the eyes I trip and stumble more.

Ditto to having smallish LED lights stashed everywhere in dresser drawers, night stands, glove boxes, tackle boxes, tool boxes, shaving kit, brief case, etc. Also stash inexpensive knives in most such places.

Added: a headlamp has to be compact and light weight for me, no wires, separate battery packs, etc.

LED's have revolutionized lights and the price is coming down more all the time. These things sell for only $3.50 at Harbor Frt. They've very good little lights, easy on batteries, lots of light, and cheap enough to have lying around everywhere. The only drawback is that you have to use a tiny phillips screwdriver to change batteries.
It has a hook on the back and I use one for a tent light.

Wearing a headlamp with a ballcap should resolve your problem with your glasses.

Wearing a headlamp above the bill presents problems for close up stuff for those of us who wear bifocals. If I dip my head far enough to light up my hands, I'm looking through the top of my glasses, not the bottom, close-up part.

Might have to hunt it up and see if I can get it going. miles

working in a nuke plant, which is basically a concrete cave, you do not go into containment or anywhere for that matter without head lamp on your hard hat, we use petzl and Streamlight. the petzel is a nice soft yet bright flood, that i use day to day, and when im doing a weld i use the streamlight attached to my welding hood with velcro, to light up the work area so i can see it through my autodarkening hood, and a Streamlight tac2 for weld inspection. not the brightest lights out there, but they are very solid and very very reliable.

Fenix ld09

handy and runs on a single AA, 130 lumens

ANd in another discovery we found we could clamp good heat resistant hand held lights to our fire helmets for headlights too. Grins

Hardly ever use a hand held flashlight anymore. I have several diff. headlights.

nitecore hc50


turbo limited to 3 min due to heat protection

I have an AR coating on my glasses so reflections don't bother me, but I turn my hat around backward so the bill does not obscure the light at my feet.

AyUp headlamp with 700 lumens on the highest setting. It also adapts to fit on my Bike helmet or bars. rechargable and about 4 hours of light on high. I carry the small backup battery as well when night hiking etc.

Headlamp all the way. The Black Diamond Icon is my go to "bigger" headlamp. It has an external battery pack and 70m beam.

The smaller packweight one is a petzl tikka.

after using it for a week now, I give the Nitecore HC50 two thumbs up.

Works well and the light modes cover all uses.

Who uses hand-held lights while hunting?

I personally love taking away one of my two hands while hiking mountains in the dark...grin...

Love a headlamp. Have one on every morning while loading the truck

I love them too. They make me think I'm in Alaska and on TV.

For most tasks, I'll use a headlamp with white primary and secondary colored LEDs...but there is always a handheld in the truck and the pack.

I use a small handheld led that has a hat clip, absolutely love it. serves dual purpose