Diana has bought me a new headlamp for backpacking – a Petzl e+lite.
It weighs 27g and uses 2x CR2032 lithium button cells – so this torch and a spare set batteries weigh less than the three spare AAA batteries I carried for my pervious Petzl headlamp.
The three white LEDs have two brightness settings, the brightest of which is provides enough light to walk at night by, the lower setting is good for reading a book or using in a small tent. There is a single red LED for night vision lighting – not something I think I will be using. There are two emergency strobe modes, one for the white LEDs and one for the red.
The thin headband is not elastic but sprung loaded and retracts into the headlamp when not is use. Not being elastic it is very comfortable to wear. However I have some concerns about the durability of this mechanism with extended use. Some care will need to be taken when using the headband.
click on the above image for a larger version
Although the Perzl e+lite is sold as an emergency torch it will make an excellent, very lightweight backpacking headlamp.