I pack a second headlamp in my day hiking backpack when the days get shorter in Autumn and Winter. That might sound like unnecessary gear weight to some, but I feel it’s worth having a second headlamp handy if a hike lasts longer than expected or a hiker gets injured. I have helped injured hikers hike out after dark in winter and it can take a long, long time to get back to a trailhead.
While it is true that you could just carry extra AA and AAA batteries, I prefer using rechargeable headlamps because disposing of spent batteries is so wasteful. You can’t recharge most rechargeable headlamps while you’re using them, so the next best thing is to carry a second rechargeable headlamp with a full charge.
In spring and summer, there’s plenty of daylight, and the nights are warmer, at least at my latitude, so I only carry one headlamp because the consequences of an unexpected overnight are so much less severe. I carry a 10,000 or 20,000 mAh recharger year-round, but its primary purpose is to recharge my phone, which I use as a GPS, and access weather reports.
But when backpacking during the longer days of spring and summer, I can usually cook dinner and get all my camp chores done well before hiker midnight, when the sun goes down and I go to sleep. I don’t use my headlamp much at this time of year, so I don’t need to carry a second.
However, If my backpacking trips were more extended and required resupplies every few days for weeks on end, I could see the benefit of carrying a headlamp powered by AA or AAA batteries. The benefit of using batteries is that you wouldn’t have to find a way to recharge your charger or wait for it. Finding free outlets to recharge a charger or headlamp in town is a hassle and one best avoided if you want to get out of town and back on the trail quickly. Old-fashioned batteries might be a better option for those times when town time has lost its allure.
Related: 10 Best Rechargeable Hiking Headlamps
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