There are a lot of different headlamps out there, but some of the most exciting ones now combine new LED lights along with standard halogen or xenon bulbs. If you just want a light for camp chores and some night time reading then a small LED only headlamp like the Princeton Tec Aurora is a great choice. The Aurora weighs only 2.6 oz and will put out 50-200 hours of light off of 3 AAA batteries.

If you’re really weight conscious, then carrying only a Photon II light might be a good option. Depending on the color selected, they last a long time and weigh almost nothing.

Personally, I wanted something more powerful than just an LED headlamp, so I looked into the many combo headlamps out there. I chose the Rayovak 3 in 1 headlamp primarily because of its low weight (4.5 oz w/ batteries) and because of its many light output options (1 krypton bulb, 1 white LED, or 2 red LEDs). As far as I know, it’s available only at Walmart, but at $13 its definitely worth tracking down.

Other heavier and more expensive options include:

• Petzl MYO 5 8.4oz $70 5 LED/1xenon Has low, med, and high settings and adjustable focus
• Princeton Tec Yukon 8oz $39 3LED/1xenon Has adjustable focus
• Black Diamond Gemini 7oz $39 2LED/1 xenon