My current helmet uses a Rayovac head lamp purchased at Home Depot for around $12.  It’s been a good lamp, much better than the cheap head lamps I have used in the past.  It’s tough and weather proof.  The focal beam was too narrow, so I added hot glue to the lens for a diffused beam.

The backing is similar to the head lamps I’ve used in the past.  I tacked some velcro between the head lamp and helmet, with the velcro strap, it is solid.  The batteries do wear out fairly quick so I would like to modify the power source.  I was able to source a decent 3A 5V pack that is rated for 10Ah.  This should be beefy enough to handle all the power requirements of the helmet, including lighting.

The mounting of the headlamp will remain the same, no need to embed it inside the helmet.  This would not be practical and would compromise the helmet and head lamp integrity.

One other light source that I’ve been considering is EL materials.  Adafruit Industries offers a selection of these type of lights and they are highly customizable.  I’m not too sure about the inverter circuitry size, this might be a determining factor in the use of the EL materials.  Here’s a demo from them about this light source.

In addition to these lighting options, I had considered using yellow side lights.  However, these might prove to be too much clutter and work to include.  Some high end head lamps include the side lights for better visibility.  Again, the cost to include this just doesn’t seem worth it.