A Reliable Bright Beam

Pelican HeadsUp Headlamp

Pelican, the manufacturer of very reliable waterproof cases and flashlights, has a new headlamp called the Pelican HeadsUP Lite 2610 LED! I use their waterproof and submersible flashlights when I’m on the trail, and now for the first time I field tested the Pelican HeadsUp headlamp.

Features I really like:

Bright. The HeadsUp definitely holds it own relative to other headlamps I’ve tested, and provides a nice broad beam of bright white light.
2 modes. The HeadsUp has 2 settings: 1 click turns on one LED, and clicking again turns on all 3 LEDS. That’s a nice way to conserve battery power.
Easy to reach on/off switch – great when wearing gloves! Since I tend to be using my headlamp at night, I often am also wearing gloves. Therefore, I like headlamps with easy to press buttons, and the HeadsUp has that. It is a bright red colored button on top that I am able to easily switch on and off while wearing fleece gloves.

How bright is the Pelican HeadsUp Light? Click here for a comparison!

Good battery life.1 LED = 150 hours of battery life. 3 LED setting = 80 hours of battery life.
Light weight. The HeadsUp is pretty streamlined, so I don’t really feel it on my forehead when I use it. Some other headlamps are a bit bulkier and can flop around. The HeadsUp only weighs 3.2 ounces with 3 AAA batteries.
Already tilted. Many other headlamps enable you to tilt the light to direct the beam towards your feet or up in front of you. The HeadsUp is positioned at a 45 degree angle, so the area in front of your feet is illuminated. This is nice, but can be limiting if you plan to use it for more than hiking.
A rubber strap to grip helmets! This is the first headlamp I’ve seen that comes with 2 straps – the standard adjustable cloth strap, and also a rubber strap that grips tightly to a climbing helmet (or a hardhat). I tried it on my climbing helmet, and it was a much better fit and felt a lot more secure than just using the standard strap found on all headlamps. This is a nice option, especially for mountaineers and rockclimbers!

Features that could be added:

Red night vision setting. A few other headlamps on the market have this feature. It is nice if you’re star gazing and don’t want to ruin your night vision.
Waterproof? Pelican is well-known for their diving equipment and submersible flashlights, so I was a little surprised to see the molded rubber cover for the battery compartment. It doesn’t appear to be waterproof.

Overall I like the Pelican HeadsUp headlamp for camping and backpacking. It is a good value, and certainly a better value than some of the competition.