David,
The best solution depends on when and how far North you tour. It also depends on whether you plan to use hotels, campgrounds or camp in the wild.
In June, July and even early August, there is so much daylight in the North that you will hardly need any headlight for riding. So the best headlight is one that's good for camp too. On the other hand, if you ride later or along the Southern tear, you will get 12-13 hours of sunlight per day and may be tempted to ride at night.
What light? Forget rechargeables unless you use motels. The typical rechargeable battery looses power over time so if you recharge it at home and use it two weeks later, it will almost be dead. And headlights with halogen bulbs will cost you a fortune in batteries.
My first option for any kind of nighttime riding is a generator. But my second option is the current crop of LED headlights. Two are very good:
- Cateye EL500. The brightest, with a very narrow spot, is good for the road, providing you don't do high-speed descents. Its beam is a bit narrowish for paths or twisty roads and is a bit bulky for handlight. Some people have complained about the bracket.
- Planet Bike 1W Led Superspot. Beam a little too wide, typical of MR-11 bulbs. So it is not that good to light your way in the dark, but it is a very good be-seen headlight. It is also very sturdy, seems water-resistant (I soaked mine a few times in heavy rains) and is a good light at camp, for repairs, etc.
In both cases, a set of 4 AA batteries last 15-20 hours, vs a mere 2-3 hours for a halogen-based headlight, so it's decent for touring.
As for taillights, if you plan to ride at night on the roads, I would suggest you install two or three of them in a cluster. Two benefits:
- it "makes" a larger taillight, which is visible from further away;
- if one taillight stops working, you are still covered.
I also install a large automotive red reflector (2.25 x 4.5 in -- legal requirement) and an amber one. The amber is usually legal as long as it supplements red (think of Ford ******* that had them), and is visible from further away.