For a lightweight 1xAA hiking light I think the Fenix HL21 is hard to beat. It has excellent throw for such a small headlamp, but it also comes with a flip-up diffuser. You can swap between flood and throw at the flick of a finger.
fedcas said, quote: “Fenix HL21 is way too throwy…”
Personally, the long throw is one of the reasons I love the Fenix HL21. The fact that it comes with a flip-up diffuser that turns it into a flood light is another reason. It is also strong, IPX8 2m waterproof, has three modes, 3, 47, and 97 lumins, plus mode memory, and an SOS mode.
The 2xAA Fenix HL35 with 90m FL1 beam range, sounds like a viable alternative to the HL21. Though I have never actually used a HL35. The Nitecore HA20 is another 2xAA headlamp that looks good on paper.
There are other 1xAA headlamps, most seem to be quite expensive. Here are some names.
XTAR H1 Commander
Armytek Tiara A1 Pro V2
Zebralight H52w
What ever you get, get something that has a water resistance of IPX6 or above. My recommendation is the Fenix HL21.