Hopefully a simple question - pardon my ignorance.

We'll be making an attempt on Rainier via the Emmons route in late July (unguided.) I'm debating whether to bring my BD LED headlamp (1 focused + 4 flood LEDs) or my Princeton Tec Halogen headlamp.

How important is pure piercing/distance power of halogen versus the flood and up close brightness of LED? (Specifically for routefinding on the Emmons.)

I'm leaning toward the Halogen, but please tell me if this is a dumb idea.

Thanks,

Mike

You are over-thinking this. Use the lamp you like most. I think you will be fine either way. You could just as well climb it with this.

LED's have much better battery life. Halogens suck batteries.

Bring the LED lamp. It should be fine.

If you want the best of both worlds, buy a Mammut Lucido TX1. (an LED with a spot beam mode that is as good as a halogen.)

Perfect! Thanks for the quick replies. Sorry for overthinking it...I get a bit analytical and crazy at about T-minus-four-weeks. Especially if the route is unfamiliar to me.

Kai wrote:
Bring the LED lamp. It should be fine.

I was on that route last July. LED lamp will do.

Bring both!! You never known when one will burn out. I bring two on every night climb. The extra four ounces never gave me problems. Besides who says one of your friends wont have problems with their headlamp. I have had that happen a number of times.

EastKing wrote:Bring both!! You never known when one will burn out. I bring two on every night climb. The extra four ounces never gave me problems. Besides who says one of your friends wont have problems with their headlamp. I have had that happen a number of times.

ditto

bird wrote:ditto

Yup. But double-check both of them before you pack them.

On a sunset hike last Friday, only two of four headlamps in our party worked (mine was one of the working ones), so the descent was a little slow. Because little LED headlamps are so brutally reliable and the batteries last so long, I find that people don't check them when they pack them, and then they're surprised when they don't work.

I second the Mammut Lucido...I climbed Emmons three days ago with that exact headlamp and it was perfect. Cheap and plenty of light for the route.