OWNER REVIEW - Life Gear 40 lumen headlamp

Simon Arnold32male6’2”/188 cm225 lbs./102 [email protected], nc, USA
Background: I live on the southeast coast of North Carolina and frequently hike into semi remote surf locations up and down the coast, hiking through sand, sometimes very soft, sometimes very hot, sometimes cold and rainy, sometimes there is a hurricane near by. I wish I was lightweight, but I normally have a surf gear. Not as much hiking experience as most, but more than some. Being outside makes me happy.  LifeGear 40 lumen Headlamphttp://www.lifegear.com/weight: 3oz/85gMSRP:  $11.99Battery: 3 AAA (included)Lumens: 40
This headlamp is made in China, has no warranty, is water resistant, uses LED bulbs, pivots 90 degrees, and has six light modes – high and low white, red for night vision, and a red flashing mode. The batteries are changed by unscrewing a pin on the upper backing of the headlamp which reveals the three AAA batteries.

I found this headlamp for six dollars at a discount store and said why not. I’ve used it many times over the course of the past year and the batteries are still going strong. There is one button on the top of the headlamp that controls all the functions of the lamp with a single press, its super simple to use.  At 10 ft (3m), the lamp provides a diameter of light about one and a half feet (.5m) around and even at its brightest isn’t very bright. I’ve had trouble finding tent stakes in the grass at night using every mode of this headlamp. The flashing red light mode seems pointless to me. Why would you flash a color that’s harder to see at night when you’ve got a white light? I’ve put the lamp on my head upside down several times due to the design of the lamp body; also, the lamp will sometimes dip and sink on my forehead if I’m moving and bending over a lot. I’ve tried to remedy this by tightening the elastic but it was at first not comfortable and later on the elastic began to wear out like an old pair of underwear.
Summary:If I need a headlamp for walking the dog around the neighborhood at night, at 11 dollars, this is a great option. If I’m out on the trail and need to set up camp quickly in the waning light and need a wide field of vision illuminated, I would want something else on hand.
Pros1.Very cheap2. Ease of use
Cons1. Poor illumination at night2. Useless red strobe function3. Weak elastic head strap.