4 oz.
500
Rechargeable
About as bombproof as it gets.
Battery drains fairly quickly in turbo mode.
For pursuits like alpine climbing at high altitudes, mountaineering at high altitudes as well as Backcountry rescues, you’ll require the right headlamp to stand up to a lot of abuse. Fenix’s HM50R meets the criteria perfectly. It is tough with a fully aluminum casing, strong with a max output of 500-lumens and beam length of about 220 feet. It’s also waterproof and dust-proof that has an IP68 rating that means it’s capable of being submerged for 2-meters of water in up to 30 minutes. The rest of the design is similarly well-designed and includes one side switch which makes it simple to switch between different options (the headlamp is equipped with four levels of output) as well as a reflective headband and compatibility with cold-resistant batteries.
There aren’t many who require the high-end features or the ultra-tough construction However, the good news is that Fenix is priced reasonably for the performance and output you can expect to get. It is possible to upgrade to a higher-end model, such as the HL60R above however, it will cost you another $14 and add a larger design. Remember that for all headlamps with high power that you should only select the most bright setting when you need to. With the Fenix’s high-lumen “turbo” mode can drain the battery in less than 2.5 hours, whereas the lower settings span between 10 hours and 4 days (and for longer with battery CR123A).
