Dual-fuel
Also called hybrid power, dual power headlamp
A lamp that runs on either its rechargeable pack or standard disposable batteries.
Rechargeable lamps are cheaper to run, brighter for their weight and better for the environment. They are also useless once flat if you are three days into a trip with no power. Disposable AAA cells are heavier and dimmer, and you can buy them at any gas station.
A dual-fuel lamp takes either. Run the rechargeable pack normally, and carry a set of AAAs as insurance for cold weather, long trips and the night you forgot to charge it.
Cold is the underrated reason to care. Lithium packs lose a large fraction of their capacity below freezing, and being able to drop in fresh lithium primary cells at 10 degrees is a real advantage.
The mechanism is usually a removable rechargeable pack shaped like a battery caddy, so the housing takes either. That does add a little bulk, and dual-fuel lamps tend to be slightly heavier than pure rechargeables of the same output.
Keep a spare set of AAAs in the pack all season. They weigh almost nothing and they will eventually save a trip.
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