Petzl Actik Core
600 lumens, hybrid — rechargeable core or AAAs
The hybrid design is the honest compromise: charge it off your bank most nights, drop in AAAs when the solar has failed for three days — you pay more than either single-format lamp costs.
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Do not buy this if: A short low-altitude trek. This is a two-format solution to a two-week problem.
Not every route needs it. These are the ones where our guides would put it on your list.
Everything else we recommend in headlamps, including the ones we think suit a different trekker.
Best overallBlack Diamond Spot 400
Bright enough for a pre-dawn pass and simple enough to fix in the dark with cold hands — it runs on AAAs, which is heavier than a rechargeable and is exactly why we recommend it.
Best backupBlack Diamond Astro 300
Cheap and light enough that carrying two lamps stops being an argument — the beam is flat and the strap is thin, so it is a backup and not a main lamp.
