Appalachian Trail Headlamps
A headlamp may be the most underrated piece of gear for a backpacker. Whether you are going on a camping trip, hiking, backpacking, mountain climbing, or trail running, there is likely a spot for a headlamp in your gear kit. A good headlamp will be useful long beyond the completion of an Appalachian Trail Thru-hike.
Thanks to impressive leaps in headlamp technology, there are several quality headlamps on the market and many are quite affordable. Choosing the right one in the crowded market can be confusing, so we have broken down the most popular for thru-hikers and backpackers.
Most popular headlamps for backpacking and thru-hiking the AT
| Headlamp | Lumens | Rechargeability | Weight | Price |
| Nitecore NU25 | 360 | Yes | 1 ounce | $36.95 |
| Black Diamond Spot 350 | 350 | No | 3 ounces with batteries | $29.93 |
| Petzl Actik Core | 450 | Yes | 2.65 ounces with batteries | $69.95 |
| BioLite 330 | 330 | Yes | 2.43 ounces with batteries | $59.95 |
| Petzl Tikkina | 250 | No | 3 ounces with batteries | $19.95 |
| Petzl Swift RL | 900 | Yes | 3.5 ounces | $119.95 |
| Coast FL1R | 200 | Yes | 1.1 oz | $34.99 |
Our Ultralight Pick: Nitecore NU25
Pros
- Rechargeable (no need to depend on batteries
- Lightweight and reliable
- Red light option for using around camp and in the tent
Cons
- No dimmer – only three lighting modes
The NiteCore NU25 is one of the lightest headlamps on the market weighing just under 1 ounce. We find it very bright for its small size and it’s super easy to operate. There are four brightness settings – 360, 190, 38, and 1 lumen, respectively and you can get up to 5 hours runtime at 190 lumens.
There aren’t any drawbacks to this headlamp except that it has no dimmer.
Petzl Swift RL
Pros
- Great Battery Life
- Easy positioning of the light beam
- Reactive lighting technology saves battery life
Cons
- Expensive
- Many features backpackers may not use
The Petzl Swift RL is over $100, which many may consider too much for a headlamp, but considering it is a high-end piece of equipment, it may be a good option.
The Swift RL can be positioned at any angle. The battery life is mindblowing (100 hours at the lowest brightness) and it has six different lighting options. The reactive lighting (RL) feature also adjusts brightness based on distances to objects. This really is an amazing technology that is the genesis for landing this headlamp on the list. On top of the features, the durability is incredible. You’ll get spoiled with the Petzl Swift RL headlamp. It is simply a consideration of it is worth the cost compared to the alternatives.
Black Diamond Spot 350
Pros
- Great light coverage for hiking
- Simple design with only one button
- Has all the features that a thru-hiker needs
- Durable and easily adjustable for every head size
Cons
- Short Battery Life
- Has been noted to leak water
- One button makes it hard to access all the modes
- Takes batteries (AAA)
We are quite fond of the Black Diamond Spot 350 headlamp despite a number of misleading statements on most spec sheets. It does not live up to the stated battery life and has more features than most people need. Luckily, the features you DO need are easy to reach. The Black Diamond Spot 350 is reasonably priced and it’s bound to have all the features you need for a backpacking trip or a thru-hike. Its simple design makes it a quality option for Appalachian Trail hikers.
The main drawbacks are the complex combinations required for advanced features and the non-rechargeable battery. Be prepared to go through a number of AAA batteries throughout a thru-hike.
Petzl Actik Core
Pros
- Durable and simple design
- Easy operating even with gloves
- Red light feature for using in camp
- Great light beam distance
Cons
- Expensive vs. comparable headlamps
- Poor battery endurance in high mode
The Petzl Actik Core Headlamp has several attributes we value in a headlamp – lightweight, easy to use, good performance, and durability. We also like that it’s easy to operate when wearing gloves and that a single button is needed for operation.
The high mode spot beam is very bright and can shine an impressive 90 meters down the trail which is up there with the best headlamps on the market. This headlamp doesn’t come cheap, but it’s a quality light. But overall, we recommend finding a more affordable option.
BioLite 330
Pros
- No bounce design
- Lightweight
- Good light coverage
- Red light option
Cons
- Bad battery performance
- Expensive for the offered features
We found the BioLite 330 headlamp a completely competent option for thru-hikers. It has many good features: lightweight, streamlined no-bounce design, and nice light brightness. It’s 330 lumens can reach up to 75 meters in spot mode.
The main drawback of this headlamp is the battery life which is only 3.5 hours in high mode. For limited night hiking and a traditional thru-hike, this light is more than enough, but for serious long backpacking or camping trips where there will be lots of activity after day, this headlamp will require frequent charging.
Petzl Tikkina
Pros
- Inexpensive yet still quality
- Great light distance for the price
- Compact and reliable
- Easy to use
Cons
- Less features than others on the list
- No redlight feature
- Not an ultralight headlamp
If you are looking for a budget headlamp, look no further than the Petzl Tikkina which is just below $20. It has better construction and performance than most headlamps in the same price range and the 62-meter beam is very impressive for the price.
While the Tikkina has slightly below-average flood beam optics, it’ll meet the needs of most thru-hikers and backpackers. At $20, we deem it a good bargain headlamp for thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail.
Coast FL1R
Pros
- Very lightweight
- Red light option
- Weatherproof
Cons
- Low lumens for the price
- Unimpressive battery run time
- Not great value
Comfortable, rechargeable, lightweight, and bright, the Coast FL1R has everything you need in a headlamp, although some backpackers and thru-hikers may desire more. Coast claims this headlamp is weatherproof and we found it to withstand light rain.
The main drawback is the battery life of just a couple of hours. It is not ideal for someone on a backpacking trip, but can be pulled off with a portable charger.
