Compact all-in-one headtorches - those without a separate battery pack - are the preferred option for many walkers and climbers thanks to their simplicity, toughness, and easy packability. Advances in battery and LED technology mean that over the years these models have become more powerful, and offer longer burn times. For serious mountain/climbing use, look for a torch that strikes an optimum balance between brightness vs battery life, and lightness vs durability. That description pretty much sums up Silva's new Explore 5, one of the most convincing headtorches I've used to date.  

In use

We've had this model on test for the last several months, and have found it more than a match for the darkness, wet weather, rough handling and sub-zero chill of winter in the Scottish mountains. I have carried it on every hillwalking and winter climbing day this season, and frequently reached for it to get off my hill - or even finish a last few pitches of climbing - after dark.

Kicking out up to 700 lumens, and with a really useful blend of long distance beam and wide angle lighting, it's got the brightness to clearly illuminate an easy rope-length ahead on a climb (or abseil), or to pick out your path when navigating complex or hazardous ground. But a strong beam is of only temporary use if your torch can't maintain a decent output for long enough to get you home. Here again the Explore 5 does well - within reason - though you do have to consciously conserve power. 

Weight and comfort

At 116g (Silva's quoted weight is spot on) the Explore 5 is a little hefty by modern standards, but I certainly wouldn't quibble a few grams here or there for the powerful and durable torch you're getting. It's a fairly chunky unit, but agian not outrageous in size.

Its wide and easily adjusted elastic strap sits comfortably and securely, with very little bounce despite having all the weight up front (albeit a little too much if you're running - a use for which the Explore 5 arguably isn't ideal). My one gripe with the strap is that its non-slip silicone coating on the inside of the band gets noticeably hot and sweaty on a bare head. A helmet mount is provided.

Weatherproof and robust

With an IP68 rating, this unit is dust-tight and for our purposes effectively fully waterproof. The 68 rating means it's able to withstand full immersion to 1.5m for 30 minutes; this is slightly higher water resistance than you'd get with electronic products perhaps more commonly rated IP67, and though I think either would be more than sufficient for a downpour on the hills, a higher degree of protection is I suppose that bit more reassuring. No worries whatever with the weather here. 

In addition, this thing is really built to take knocks, with a robust plastic body and a generally well-made feel. Winter mountains are hard on your gear, making a solid and reliable torch an absolute essential; and so far the Explore 5 has passed this test with flying colours. Put simply, it's confidence-inspiring. The torch comes in black, blue or a cheerful industrial yellow - the latter being my preference for visibility.    

Brightness and burn time

Silva offer the following figures:

It always pays to take a manufacturer's numbers, achieved in a lab, with a pinch of real-world salt - remembering too that whatever number of lumens it can achieve when first turned on will dwindle as the battery empties. In this case, for instance, you're not going to get 700 for the full quoted time; that's a fact for all headtorches, not specific to this one.

Out on a crag or the trail, you're only going to be interested in the Explore 5's Max and Medium High modes. 

When you toggle into Max setting the torch gives a cheery flash, a handy visual indication that you're now firing on all cylinders (and may want to dial back a notch). With a fresh battery I've found the headline top output of 700 lumens absolutely floods the ground ahead, giving me easily enough forward vision for mountaineering and even mountain biking by headtorch, and while I can't verify the promised 115m range I don't think it sounds implausible. However it comes at a cost, and that is the fairly rapid draining of your battery; in my experience that 2-3 hours quoted burn time is optimistic if you remain in Max. On the plus side, it seems unaffected by cold.

For the conservation of energy I habitually run the Explore 5 on Medium High, only switching to full beam when genuinely required. On paper that 300 lumen output may not seem loads in today's world, but such is the quality of Silva's light pattern - beautifully clear, with a fantastic combination of long distance and wide angle - that this much lower output still proves more than adequate most of the time, picking out all the detail and distance I usually need for leading a pitch or navigating off-path. The advantage is a much longer battery life, an official figure of 4.5-5 hours that I can actually believe in. If you're far from home on a winter mountain at nightfall, you'll be wanting that time cushion. 

Medium Low's weedy illumination will see you fine on an easily-followed Landrover track, and you know you can carry on that way for ages; Minimum, meanwhile, is just about adequate for reading in a tent.

In addition to their amazingly clean white light modes, Silva give you Red for night vision and Orange for easier map reading; I never use either, but some people will.   

Operation

There's little more annoying out in the weather after dark than a torch that's so complicated to use that you struggle to get into the mode you need. No such issues from Silva, who in my experience tend to go for a user-oriented simplicity that puts many lighting brands to shame. The Explore 5 couldn't be easier to operate, with a single big glove-friendly button that cycles through the four pre-set modes with zero fuss or ambiguity. Other practical features are the locking function - no serious headtorch should be without one - and a full 45-degree tilting head.

Charging

The inbuilt rechargeable 2050MAh Li-Ion battery charges via USB-C. It's fairly quick to charge, and easy to keep track of how much juice you have left with a 4-level battery indicator. Some equivalent torches incorporate a slight higher capacity battery, but the Explore 5 does seem to do OK with what it has.

Summary

Tough, weatherproof and easy to operate, the Explore 5 combines a very bright beam with a good enough battery life for high-consequence uses out in the mountains. Thanks to the visual clarity of its light - one of the best I've seen - you get an impressive field of vision even on medium setting, giving you a viable option for hillwalking or climbing at a level of output that should give you hours of reliable burn time. If you're considering one of the chunkier all-in-one headtorches for hillwalking or climbing, then it should be high on your list. 

A worthy competitor to models such as the BD Storm 500R or the Distance LT1100: