Headlamps

It pretty much goes without saying, but brightness matters. No one wants to be stumbling around in the dark with a dim headlamp, so make sure your camping headlamp is bright enough to light up the trail or campsite even in the pitch dark of a moonless night.

Even better, your headlamp should include a range of brightness settings to save battery life. Plus, remember to think about battery life itself. A good headlamp should have plenty of battery life on a single charge or set of batteries, so you know it'll it last through your trip.

Comfort and fit are a couple other considerations, because a headlamp that doesn't fit properly or is uncomfortable can be a major distraction on a camping trip. Last but not least, things like adjustable beam angle, durability, waterproofing, and ease of use are also worth looking at when choosing your camping headlamp.

Headlamp reviews

Black Diamond Equipment Spot 400

Waterproof, with 400-lumen output, the Spot 400 integrates PowerTap technology (a button on the side that goes from max bright to dim with one push), red night-vision with both strobe and dimming modes, an integrated battery meter, and last-brightness memory. It runs on 3 AAA alkaline batteries or 1 rechargeable BD 1500 Li-ion battery and comes in a variety of colors.

Black Diamond Equipment offers a Spot 400-R Rechargeable Headlamp with an integrated rechargeable battery. The battery life didn't seem to last as long and the waterproof rating is slightly less at IP67 (will operate at least 1.0 meters underwater for 30 minutes).

The Spot 400 headlamp's LED 400-lumen output is bright enough for camping, hiking, paddling and changing a tire in the dark. The wide-angle flood light is perfect for short distances and low-fatigue lighting like reading in a tent. The adjustable spot beam is great for reading a map, not long distances, and the red light is sweet when you're trying not to disturb your tent-mate. Brightness Memory saves your last setting when you turn it off.

Battery life is fair, decent, and lasts a few days if you dim brightness to what you actually need. The PowerTap button on the side helps conserve battery life by switching between max output and dim without cycling through all the modes. The button itself is friggin annoying, however, and you'll probably blind your camp-mates unintentionally. Lock the display against accidental use when stored in your pack.

Choose non-rechargeable lithium AAA batteries if you need insane battery life or reliability down to -40°. Test your batteries in the compartment before you go. Some AAA brands don't seem to connect well with the contact heads on the + side (looking at you Costco). An integrated battery meter display shows the % of power remaining.

The Spot 400's waterproof design makes it reliable in rainy conditions and paddling on the water. With an IPX8 rating, it operates at least 1.1 meters underwater for 30 minutes. If submerged, water may enter the battery compartment, though it will still operate. Completely dry it out after use in wet conditions.

Display dimensions are 1.88D x 4W x 3H inches (5D x 10W x 7.6H cm) and with batteries, weighs 2.75 ounces (78 grams). The one-size-fits-all headband is slim and has a tendency to fray with repeated use. There's also a buckle on the inside of the headband which may dig into your head. We didn't notice it except after the tire change incident.

The instructions are small print, multi-lingual and a series of pictures. Fiddle around with the device a little. After a brief learning curve, operation is easy.

Check out Amazon.com for Black Diamond Equipment Spot 400 or Black Diamond Equipment Spot 400-R

Petzl ACTIK CORE

Water resistant, shock and vibration resistant, with 450-lumen output, the Petzl Actik Core features a rechargable hybrid battery (can run on either the CORE rechargeable battery or three AAA/LR03 batteries without an adapter), red light mode, a 50:50 Brightness-to-Burn-Time ratio (retains 50% of its original brightness halfway through the burn-time), and a remaining-battery-charge indicator when you turn the lamp off. You have a choice of colors.

The LED 450-lumen headlamp provides either a flood or mixed beam pattern. Adapt the light for proximity or distance with 3 white light levels: Max Burn Time, Standard (better power/burn time balance) and Max Power. Red light preserves night vision and prevents you from blinding your fellow campers. The headlamp strobes to signal your location in emergency situations.

The rechargeable hybrid CORE battery option gives you flexibility and practicality on longer trips where you're not near a charger. Plus, you reduce the need for disposable batteries. The headlamp includes a rechargeable 1250 mAh CORE battery and is compatible with 3 AAA alkaline, lithium or Ni-MH rechargeable batteries. The type B micro USB port is fiddly to open for recharging.

Battery life can be a complete dud out of the box, dead one month later for no apparent reason, slow death with each battery recharge, or good to go every time with no issues. We've experienced all four, even using the Lock feature to prevent usage while in our packs. The Standard light setting (100 lumens) nets you about 8 hours of light. Max power (450 lumens) nets you about 2 hours - with a 3 hour recharge needed. Calculate your recharging needs before you go!

A single button selects brightness or light color by cycling through settings. The dang button is hard to press in the dark or when wearing gloves. If you have the headlamp on a low light setting and want to make it brighter, pressing the switch turns the light off. You're left in the dark momentarily while you turn it on and cycle through the settings. It's a little unnerving at first. You want more light and you get complete darkness instead.

Display dimensions are 5D x 4.8W x 2H inches (13D x 12W x 5H cm) and weighs 2.6 ounces (75 grams). The reflective headband is detachable, washable, and symmetrical for easy adjustment. It's comfortable to wear for extended periods. Separately-sold mounting accessories allow you to attach the lamp to a helmet or bicycle.

The instructions are pictographs, so take a minute to play with Petzl's Actik Core headlamp out of the box.

More deets on Amazon.com

Princeton Tec Vizz

Waterproof, with 420-lumen output in the old model and 550 in the new, the Princeton Tec Vizz headlamp has battery life at 90 hours, red light as the first setting, and the translucent switch acts as a low battery indicator. The Vizz comes in different capacities (Tactical, Industrial, Outdoors) with slightly different run-times and lumen output. We review the Outdoor 420-lumen here. Limited color option(s) available.

The LED 420-lumen headlamp has 4 modes: Spot High, Spot Low, Flood High, Red High. Max Bright creates a powerful spot beam for long-throw illumination, 2 white Ultrabright LEDs deliver a flood beam, and 2 red Ultrabright LEDs handle close-range lighting. One click turns on red mode first, double press gives full brightness (spot beam), and triple press gives low brightness (flood beam). No toggling through all the levels to turn on red mode.

Using 3 AAA alkaline or lithium batteries (or rechargeable), Flood High (30 lumens) gives you approximately 90 hours of light. Regulated circuitry delivers consistent light output on this setting and the Red High setting. Spot Low (150 lumens) gives you about 40 hours of light. More than enough for a few weeks camping trip! Extend battery life by locking the Vizz when not in use. A few have mentioned the batteries are dead out the box, so test yours before you go - or swap them out.

The display case has a IPX7 waterproof rating. The headlamp will operate in water down to 3.2 feet (1 meter) for up to 30 minutes. The headlamp is durable and capable of withstanding outdoor weather, knocks, bumps and scrapes. If you have trouble opening and closing the battery compartment, you may find it less waterproof in a downpour.

The on/off, mode selection and dimming features are easy to use. My partner had a finicky unit and needed two hands to operate the simple button - and that was without gloves.

Display dimensions are 8L x 4.25W x 2.5H inches (20L x 11W x 6H cm), and the headlamp weighs 3.2 ounces (92 grams). The 1-inch (2.5 cm) headband has adjustable straps and is comfortable for moderate time use. Pop it over your baseball cap so the lamp rests on the hat brim if you're using the Vizz for extended periods of time.

The Princeton Tec Vizz is a solid, waterproof headlamp that is bright enough without being too bright, and boasts a great run-time. It's easy to use.

Take a look on Amazon.com:
Princeton Tec Vizz - Outdoors 420-lumen
Princeton Tec Vizz - Tactical 550-lumen
Princeton Tek Vizz - Industrial 420-lumen