PETZL Tactikka LED 300 Lumen Headlamp

The PETZYL Tactikka 300 lumen headlamp puts out enough illumination for night hiking.

What is a Lumen?

PETZL Tactikka 300 lumens

WEIGHT WITHOUT BATTERIES: 49 GRAMS (1.7 OUNCES)

THREE AAA BATTERIES: 33 GRAMS (1.2 OUNCES)

CORE RECHARGEABLE BATTERY PACK: 23 GRAMS (0.8 OUNCES)

THREE WHITE BRIGHTNESS LEVELS: 300, 100 AND 6 LUMENS

BURN TIME: 2 HOURS, 9 HOURS AND 120 HOURS RESPECTIVELY

RED LIGHTING: CONTINOUS OR STROBE

WATER RESISTANT: IPX4 (RESISTANT TO WATER SPLASHES ANY DIRECTION)

BEAM: FLOOD*

MAXIMUM VIEWABLE DISTANCE (5 LUX): 22.1 FEET

*specifications indicate a flood beam but when tested the 300 lumen beam appeared as a spot beam.

**We purchased all items and were not solicited to review any item in this blog post.

PETZL Tactikka 300 lumen headlamp

The PETZL Tactikka 300 lumen headlamp provides enough light to safely hike at night under almost all possible trail conditions. The headlamp can operate using a rechargeable PETZL CORE battery pack or three disposable AAA batteries. The white spotlight beam allows for more illumination at a greater distance.

Graph showing how the Lux value or illumination decreases exponentially with distance for the 300 lumen headlamp tested

Lux Values Measured

We measured lux values at different distances for the PETZL Tactikka (300 Lumens) using the rechargeable CORE battery pack as shown. We saw a lux value of about 25 at ten feet. As a result you can use this headlamp for night hiking.

Shows the minimum recommended lux or illumination for any given activity

Minimum Recommended Lux Values

You will need different illumination or lux levels for different tasks. In general, you will need more illumination or lux as the task requires more concentration. For example, you will need a lot of illumination or about 1,000 lux for detailed drawing work.  While navigating a stairway at night only requires about 15 lux.

PETZL Tactikka headlamp showing the Lux or illumination Distribution

Light Distribution

The light distribution of the PETZL Tactikka (300 Lumens) is shown above. The illumination in lux was measured one foot away from the light. The beam was very focused which makes good illumination at a distance possible. Because of the small area of illumination the maximum lux value was very high. The measured maximum lux at one foot was about 2500 which would provide enough illumination for detailed work.

Summary

Pros

  • Provides enough illumination to hike less groomed trails
  • Has a red LED light option and strobe
  • Uses AAA batteries or rechargeable battery pack

Cons

  • Rechargeable battery costs about $30
  • Takes about 3 hours to recharge battery pack
  • Only a 2 hour maximum burn time on maximum setting

The PETZL Tacktikka (300 Lumens) is a lightweight headlamp that provided enough illumination to hike less groomed trails at night.  If you plan on using your headlamp a lot and want to avoid buying a lot of disposable batteries this type of headlamp might be the best choice.