As a dogsledder who races in the Midwest, Canada, and Alaska, I go through a lot of headlamps. I carry spares in my sled and parka, but their lifespans tend to be short: they either run through their built-in battery too quickly, or get brittle and break in the cold. Even in the summer, when I mush at night and in the early morning so my dogs don’t overheat, most off-the-shelf models are flimsy enough to make me nervous. (My summer go-to? A Petzl NAO from 2013 that a guy on eBay welded an extra battery pack onto for a hundred bucks.) High-end headlamp systems built for deep cold, like Lupine’s 5,400 lumen Betty and hefty battery packs, cost over $1000 and can weigh over a pound. And it’s not unheard-of for a high-powered headlamp to run so hot, even in subzero temperatures, that it lights a parka ruff on fire.

BioLite’s HeadLamp 800 Pro, which comes in at just under a hundred bucks, bridges the gap between consumer pocket-sized headlamps and pro-level equipment. At first glance, it’s a sleek, modern-looking high-powered headlamp, much like BioLite’s prior model, the 800. While the old model enabled pass-through charging—an option to charge the headlamp’s 300 mAh lithium-ion battery with an external battery pack while using it—the 800 Pro goes a step farther: its three-foot-long “Run Forever” cable allows users to bypass the headlamp’s battery completely and run directly off an external power bank, which you can tuck into your pocket to keep it warm—and thus functional—even in extreme cold. It’s not the only recreational headlamp with that capability, but the 800 Pro is the best I’ve tried.

I tested it with BioLite’s Charge 40 PD Powerbank, which has 10,000 mAh, but you can use one of your own, too. With the built-in battery, the 800 Pro advertises a maximum runtime of 150 hours on low power—although this lowest setting, which is an extremely faint five lumens, will hardly be useful for most activities. I need enough light to illuminate past my lead dog, so I used the 500-lumen high setting, which—without the power bank—net me a bit over two hours in constant mode; with the power bank, I got another five. (Though it’s marketed as 800 lumen, that highest setting is only available in burst mode, for 30 seconds at a time.) As a bonus, being able to plug into external power without turning off the light made things significantly easier and safer on a moving dogsled. 

The headlamp’s single strap is stretchy without feeling flimsy, and expands to fit around a bike helmet, with a rear red light for added visibility. At 5.3 ounces, it felt quite comfortable; I could wear it for hours without getting a headache. With its low tilt range, it’s best for activities that mostly involve looking straight ahead, rather than watching the ground. The IPX4-rated weatherproof case holds up well in the rain—I even dunked it in water with no ill-effects, although it’s not designed for submersion. If your canoe flips, you’ll probably still be able to find your camp that night.

The 800 Pro is no expedition light—it lacks the sky-high lumens and hard-wearing durability—but overall it’s an excellent, economical option for outdoors-folk who want a versatile, powerful headlamp they can use year-round. It’s also perfect for people who plan to be outside for a long time without a chance to recharge, since you can bring as many power banks as you need. You may not be mushing in thirty-below temps, but for winter activities, the 800 Pro is a great go-to.