Gear

looking for a decent headlight, as my trusty old petzel zoom has finally given up the ghost, after one kncok too many, so whays worth considering at the moment, just to be fussy i'd like a decent burn time and a decent amout of light at the same time.

Then get a duo light such as one from the petzel range. It switches from LED to halogen so you have a long burn time if you use the LED for local light but has the penetrating power of halogen when you need it.

Black Diamond Headlamps are worth a look, I have a vectra IQ one which is led and halogen bulbs, with different brightness settings for both.

It depends how much you want to spend and what you want the light to do. Something like a Myo XP, which will give you good long distance performance plus the option of a more diffused close-up light using a high-powered LED is great, but relatively expensive. Similar, but lighter, the new Tikka XP.

Alternatively, look at the rest of the Petzl Myo range - all but the really basic ones will give you the option of using either LEDs for close-up work and halogen for a longer beam.

The Black Diamond lights are also very good and worth checking out.

I can reccomend the Alpkit one at £5

I'll second that. £5 well spent.

Thirded! £5? Insane!

I can also recommend the Alpkit £5 light and sleeping pad... For more power the Black Diamond vectra IQ is great.

The Petzl Myo 5 is the one. I recently did ML training with a simple LED torch and could see far enough to navigate. The Myo 5 has a choice of different LED settings to fit the purpose, and a strong 90 metres halogen bulb to boot. When the batteries are nearly out the light will automatically switch to battery save mode so you will not be cought out by it suddenly dying!

As Jon mentioned, the new Myo XP is superb. It's the first LED torch I would feel confident with out on a mountain at night.
I also have a Myo 5 which is great, but a bit heavier and bulkier.
My old Zoom now lives in my toolbad for work, 11 years old and still going strong, third set of straps, tenth bulb etc...

I can second the Myo XP also, fantastic piece of kit, it can reach up to 65m as well!!

Yup, I thought I had lost my old Tikka and bought a Myo XP (admittedly for 50 euros not quid) in the Dolomites. It is a brilliant piece of kit. A head torch you can actually see with.

The black Diamond vectra IQ has a 100 mtr LED as well as closed LEDs. Having owned the Black Diamond vectra IQ and a Myo (which proved temperamental and has the most awkward battery box designed by man) I'd say the Black Diamond vectra IQ is a superior torch - only my opinion of course.

Having said that for £5 the Alpkit would get my money - I purchased it for my daughter as a toy but now for running on the roads it’s my torch of choice. I think it would also be an ideal torch in the mountains as it does kick out a lot of light for its size - no where near as much as the main LED on the Black Diamond vectra IQ but then the Black Diamond vectra IQ cost £45!

Yep, Myo XP. Usable light is excellent. Have used Arctic Zoom with Halogen bulb, Tikka and BD Ion in a variety of mountain situations (Summer/Winter/Alpine)... I'd choose the Myo XP ahead of all of them now.

Even better, it uses the same AA batteries as the rest of my electric/electronic kit -standardising the type of batteries needed.

Take out the MBNA Trail card and you get a free Petzl Myolite when you make the first purchase on the card. I am eagerly awaiting the postie any day soon.

I use a Nova Headtorch 5 watt luxeon...Lithium cell..Hell, kicks the arse out of anything else. http://www.inglesport.com/caving-lamps/nova.htm

Alpkit £5 wonder and Princeton Tec for winter use.

I wouldn't/don't use the £5alpkit anywhere except round camp/walking to the pub. my votes all go for the Myo XP as well, recently bought one with 25% off offer and i see they available via ebay (buy it now) for £40.75 inc postage. uses the same batterys as my gps, one of my cameras so i only carry spare battries of one type (AA)