Pro tip: that $12 headlamp outshined my $70 one at Joshua Tree
I always figured cheap headlamps were junk and you had to drop real cash for anything worth carrying. Then my buddy handed me a $12 no-name lamp for a two night trip at Joshua Tree last spring. It ran all three evenings plus the walk to the pit toilet at 2am without dimming once, and the beam actually lit up the whole camp stove area. My fancy one died on the second night last year, same trip length. I swapped it into my pack for good and haven't looked back. Anyone else find a budget light that held up better than the pricey stuff?