What's good in modern flashlights/headlamps?
So I've been out of the loop on camping and, more generally, outdoorsy stuff beyond day hikes for a good couple of years now. In my absence, it seems like a large chunk of the manufacturers I used to rely on for flashlights and headlamps (Black Diamond, Petzl, Fenix, etc.) have switched over to lithium batteries, many to USB chargeable internal batteries.
That feels weird to me, coming from the era of "carry a couple of spare double and triple A's with you", since you only needed a few of one or the other to keep all your lights going, even on a longer trip. Given that everyone's doing it now, though, I'm assuming it works out fine.
Anyone have recs on what brands are good these days, what models, and how to buy to maximize the "keep all your lights going with the least backup energy sources" factor?
I'm not really an outdoorsman, but lithium batteries store much much more energy than old-school NiMH rechargable and alkaline batteries, and additionally they can be power cycled far more times with less wear. I would imagine that modern flashlights don't need you to bring spare batteries because they essentially have "spares" included already - by orders of magnitude if you are comparing bulb flashlights! Lithium seems pretty much to be the way to go for now, at least until newer generations of battery chemistry come to market at a reasonable price.
If you must have redundancy, you can always bring a power bank with you. I will warn you that you should buy one from a reputable brand because I have heard that there are many sellers who are giving completely made-up specs for their products.
I'm still using my old battery-powered headlamps, and I'll keep them until they somehow break.
When you talk about camping, are you referring to backpacking everything in and out, or are you talking about relatively accessible campsites? I have a handful of power banks that I keep (relatively) charged, and I also have a small solar panel charger. I probably wouldn't take them backpacking, but I've taken them camping, and I've also found them useful in power failures.