Black Diamond ReVolt

This headlamp is bright, light, and easy to use. You have the choice of either using NiMH batteries or alkaline. The rechargeable batteries are proprietary, so you must use Black Diamond branded NiMH batteries. The proprietary batteries lost my rating 1/2 star.

A good headlamp is a must have in your kit. Nothing worse than taking more on a hike than you expected, reaching in your bag and finding your lamp is dead.

I bought this headlamp because I wanted the ability to use rechargeable batteries on longer treks with a power source to charge. I loved that I could carry a set or two of alkaline batteries as backup, but could simply charge these with a USB and power source (only USB is included).

It also has a lock that on the switch buttons. Hold it down to lock it and then you won't reach into your bag and grab it, only to find your gear bumped the button, lit the lamp and burnt the batteries.

This lights up the trail and if there are animals or reflectors in the distance, this headlamp will reflect them as far as about a quarter mile away! That will give you a heads up detecting those pesky bears and wolves staring you down further up the trail! You can hold the button down and decrease the brightness to match your use on a sliding scale to save batteries and get just the right amount of light for the job. You can dim it all the way down to 4 lumens! When you hold down the button it starts getting dimmer. Release and repress to begin getting brighter. That easy.

I have a pretty small head and this could get tight enough not to slide around on my forehead, yet easily enlarged for over a helmet. Certainly may not work for a small child but adults should be fine from pin head to Sasquatch with no worries!

If you are buying this because you want to depend on it's recharging capabilities, it charges in about four and a half hours, So you can hook it to your solar charger on your pack and, depending on the charger get a charge. OR you can toss some alkaline batteries in the pack for backup. Probably a good idea to do so. You get a good amount of time on charge depending on how you use it. I set it on bright and left it and it went out while I wasn't home, but at least had 45 hours on it nonstop.

Additional Pros:

• Night vision low light
• Durable
• Well designed button placement
• Quiet operation (tent mates appreciate most)
• Trickle Charges when fully charged if left plugged in
• Lock feature helps keep it from accidentally turning on if bumped in the pack.
• Fully variable brightness feature

Additional Cons

• Only 90 Lumens if using the rechargeable batteries

******Edit 3/14*******

I just want to add that i have just used this lamp after months without charging. (I had a backup but wanted to see if it had any juice at all after lying around say....5 months.) Amazingly it worked! I had it blasting out until the sun came up (2 hours) and no sign of failing! 

Don't depend on it, but it was a surprise that it was fully functional!

A solid, well-built performer that eliminates adding batteries to your shopping list.

I've had my ReVolt for about three years and after relatively heavy use it still operates perfectly in a wide range of conditions. Having had a fair number of headlamps the ReVolt is the one I'll go back to again.

The ability to recharge with a USB cable before a trip via my computer, a wall socket (no included adapter), or in the car on the way to the trailhead is a feature I won't ever give up. I still carry AAA's as an emergency backup but knowing that my light is always fully charged from the word go is fantastic.

Outside of the ability to recharge, the ReVolt is full of useful functions. Two main settings (High / Low) with the ability to dim the light (super useful and a battery saver), a red light, an emergency strobe and a locking on/off switch so you don't need to worry about it turning on accidentally in your pack.

The light itself offers three points of adjustment depending on the need, a large button that makes cycling through easy (even with gloves), and a power meter so you can gauge the life of your batteries.

That kind of functionality does come with what some might see as a downside and that's a beam that doesn't travel quite as far or shine as brightly as some other offerings. But at 130 lumens it's still way more than enough light for most every need. I've never felt hindered in any way. I've had it down to about 5 degrees and in heavy snow and rain (with a hood) and it hasn't faltered.

My only real complaint is that in the high mode it produces a soft, yellow spot light in the center of the beam. This was a bit distracting to me and it might be to others. It's most noticeable in the snow. I don't like it but I've gotten used to it and isn't reason enough for me to not purchase another ReVolt.

The big bonus is not having to buy batteries and, just as importantly, not having to throw batteries away. The ReVolt will pay for itself and keep some toxins out of the environment in the process.

Whether I'm overnighting or taking longer trips with a battery or solar panel, the ReVolt has given me more peace of mind than any headlamp I've owned. You can buy this one with confidence.

Exceptional headlamp. I take this headlamp with me everywhere from climbing, to camping to working on my vehicle.

Exceptional headlamp. I take this headlamp with me everywhere from climbing, to camping to working on my vehicle. It's very bright and I enjoy using rechargeable batteries as I know I always leave the house with a full charge (can also use regular AAA batteries).

The red light and "lock" function work well.

The single button is a pain to use at first, but once you understand how it works it's fine. Very minor drawback.

It's slightly more expensive than regular headlamps, but all the features make up for it.

I would highly recommend this product.

Lightweight, compact, very versatile, a must-have for hiking, camping, or even late night walks in this heat.

WE just bought a pair each for our camping trip, first trip together, we loved them! These were very light for our heads, compact, loved the different play modes for the light. I see that the money we paid is well worth it for a reliable and bright headlamp! 

I know these headlamps will withstand the test of time. We will be using them for late night walks in the country, camping, off roading with our bikes, etc.

Awesome headlamp, many people say it's the best. Used it on hiking trips at night and it worked better than most out there.

Very long lasting batteries, light is brighter when using regular AAA, but there's no significant difference.

Good comfort and many light options, useful to save hours of run time.

Only downside is that the lamp is a bit heavy and slides down the head sometimes.