One of my favorite tricks for shaking the crowds while hiking is to start late and return after sunset, making the trek back to the trailhead by flashlight. Works great on popular Sierra Nevada trails like the one that goes from Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe up to Eagle Lake. I always preferred a headlamp along with a medium range hand-held flashlight for occasional secondary use.
It can be a serious business, however, to have your lights go dead. After my own close call with failing batteries on a solo hike, I began carrying a third flashlight (with a fresh, fully-charged battery) for backup. Since all three lights use a common battery, I think of my backup as a waterproof battery carrier!
So that's my advice for forest hiking: carry three lights! My main hiking lights are Zebras: the H600Fd III headlamp and the SC62w hand-held. My backup is whatever I grab. Often that's a Thorfire C8s or BLF A6.
The other thing I would say is know your run times. Most small lights are only good for an hour, or so, if you run them hot. Nighttime hikes, however, can be several hours. Emergencies, such as a sprained ankle, might require more time than that. So stay to medium and low levels, and have some estimate of how long your batteries will last before you begin hiking. Test any new lights, to verify they meet your expectations.
Enjoy!