Petzl ACTIK CORE Headlamp

Power & Energy

Rechargeable 650-lumen headlamp

The Petzl ACTIK CORE is a rechargeable headlamp that can also run on standard AAA batteries, so you have a backup if the rechargeable pack is empty.

Petzl calls this its hybrid concept: the same lamp takes the rechargeable CORE pack or regular AAA batteries. The CORE pack charges from a wall plug, car or power station through USB-C.

Key specs (from Petzl)

• Rechargeable CORE battery (1,250 mAh) included; also runs on three AAA batteries.
• USB-C charging, about 3.5 hours.
• Weight: about 88 g.
• IPX4 weather resistant (rain and splashes, not submersion).
• Petzl lists multiple brightness levels with burn times on its product page.

Who it is for

Anyone who needs hands-free light: outages, car trouble, camping and night chores.

Who should pick something else

If you want a light for a whole room, a lantern is better. For heavy rain or submersion, pick a lamp with a higher waterproof rating.

How it fits a prep plan

A headlamp is one of the most-used items in any outage. One per person is a good rule.

Plan light per person, not per household. Headlamps keep hands free for cooking, first aid and moving around in the dark, and a mix of rechargeable and standard batteries means you are never stuck with only one way to power them.

• 72-hour kit builder to plan around your own numbers.

What to check before you buy

• Check the brightness modes on Petzl's page against how you plan to use it.
• Stock AAA batteries as a backup.
• Get one per person in the household.

Simple care tips

• Keep spare AAA batteries with it.
• Charge the CORE battery every few months.
• Store it where you can find it in the dark.

Read more

• Power outage emergency kit: what gets used

Key Features

• 650 lumens
• Rechargeable
• Compact headlamp

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