Headlamps are essential items for the mountaineering gear list, and a good headlamp is a must for winter mountaineering activities. Even well-planned hikes can end up taking much more time than anticipated (due to bad weather, injuries, blocked trails etc.) and to ensure that you don’t end up being stuck in nature in pitch-black darkness, it is crucial that you bring a headlamp in your backpack. A headlamp also gives you possibility for planning a trip in the dark, taking a run after sunset or simply getting an early before-sunrise start of your hiking trip.
In the market there are many different options and actually, sometimes is a bit tough to select the best possible headlamp. A mountaineering/hiking headlamp should work for a reasonable amount of time without having the batteries recharged/replaced. In addition, a headlamp for hiking, backpacking or mountaineering should provide good brightness and beam distance. Furthermore, as mountaineering/hiking is not limited to dry weather, a hiking headlamp should be waterproof or at least water-resistant. Water resistance is typically measured by the IEC standard 60529 which includes ratings from IPX1 to IPX8.
Petzl e+Lite Headlamp is an ultra-light and compact tool with only 26 grams of weight. It comes in a plastic carry case, so it is easy to store in the pack or in the pocket. It is ideal as an emergency kit or to be used as a backup headlamp.
The lamp has all the features you need. These include white and red lights, continuous as well as strobe lighting, manual lock function, two power-off positions for the selector shown in the picture above, and an emergency whistle.
This headlamp includes a swivel stand. This means you can position it at some place without the necessity to wear it, and you can direct the light in any direction.
The e+LITE headlamp is designed to work in a really wide range of external conditions, for temperatures in the range -30 to +60 °C (-22 to +140 °F).
Lighting Performance
The Petzl e+lite, is considered to be an emergency and/or a back up headlamp and therefore it can not be compared with other headlamps. Though, the quality of the light and the burn time is satisfying enough.
Of course, the user should always need to keep in mind that his is not a strong headlamp and therefore there will be a compromise between the light vs the weight of the item.
The Petzl e+lite in standard mode has 15 lm, can illuminate up to 6 meters and the battery will last for about 12 hours.
In Max power has 50 lm, can illuminate up to 10 meters and the battery will last for about 9 hours.
The Red light has 2 lm, can illuminate up to 100 meters and the battery will last for about 15 hours.
Batteries
The headlamp operates on 2 coin-size lithium CR2032 batteries. Did you know that there are rather inexpensive rechargeable batteries of this type. So this is an economical and ecological option to use with this headlamp.
The shelf-life for the batteries, when properly stored, is up to 10 years before first use. Note also that this type of battery has a constant lighting feature. This is both bad and good. They maintain the same level of brightness without becoming dimmer as they drain. But then, having no battery indicator on the headlamp, you can suddenly be without light.
In my opinion, this is an area where the e+LITE falls short. I feel it is essential that an emergency light give you prolonged performance, and the e+LITE offers acceptable performance with 9 hours on high, and 12 hours on low.
Whistle
The Petzl e+lite has an integrated whistle in the elastic headband allows the user to signal an emergency.
Description
- Ultra-compact and ultra-light emergency headlamp to always have with you
- Always ready to use, can be stored with batteries (lithium CR 2032) for 10 years
- White lighting allows you to move around easily in the dark
- For emergency situations, the powerful red LED allows you to be seen from a distance
- Locking on/off switch designed to prevent accidental operation
- Withstands extreme temperatures: -30° C to +60° C
- Waterproof to -1 meter for 30 minutes (IPX7)
Specifications
- Light output: 50 lumens
- Weight: 26 g
- Beam pattern: wide
- Energy: 2 lithium CR2032 batteries (included)
- Watertightness: IPX7 (waterproof to -1 meter for 30 minutes)
- Certification(s): CE
Olympus Mountaineering 
I also use this headlamp, although it is not my favourite. It does the job and because it is lightweight it has ended up on my packing lists. When I pack it I use it as my main lighting source (not an emergency), and so I take a couple of spare batteries as well. I seem to fumble to turn it on in the dark. It is easier for me to use a push button headlamp instead but that is because of the condition of my hands with the arthritis damage. Thanks for sharing.
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