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Talus. 
Delsolation is my destination
Group: Members
Posts: 1894
Joined: Aug. 2006
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Posted on: Nov. 01 2012, 7:55 pm |
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I need a good headlamp for night trailrunning. I need to be able to throw a spot far enough ahead to see roots, rocks etc. at running speed. A hybrid with flood and spots would probably be ideal. Battery life is not really an issue.
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“Mountains are not Stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are the cathedrals where I practice my religion.”
― Anatoli Boukreev
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Gabby
Group: Members
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Joined: Jun. 2006
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Posted on: Nov. 01 2012, 8:37 pm |
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The "Betty", from what I can gather on the site, is 540g!?! Isn't that, like, 18 ounces? (It appears to have a "battery pack", which I assume is most of the weight.)
I have no idea if this is "reasonable" or not, but 2600 lumens seems like a runway light to me. (I can only suppose that nogods is being just a wee bit sarcastic here...)
For me, something like the BD Spot or Storm would be sufficient for running. (Nothing special about BD - there are a lot of makes out there with lamps in this performance range)
BD Spot/Storm: Press the button, you got "spot". Press the button, it's off, then press the button again, and you got "flood"...and so on. It also has a double red LED light that you reach by pressing the same button for 6 seconds. Supposedly, it has a "flash mode" as well, but my take on that is that you have to be really lucky to get to it. Two quick presses of the button is supposed to reach this mode, but it seems to be more difficult than my old, tired fingers can manage, except by accident.
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"I wouldn't even know how to begin to find the 'peyote lady', even if I thought it was possible in this incarnation...I'm completely tripped out on everyday life."
"By the way: where am I?"
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| Post Number: 4
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TrailTramper
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Joined: Sep. 2009
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Posted on: Nov. 01 2012, 8:47 pm |
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I swear by the Coleman headlamps sold at Walmart for $20 or $25. I find a flashlight plus a headlamp---75 to 115 lumens each---works well for biking at about 10 mph, so I think one of these headlamps would be sufficient for running.
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| Post Number: 5
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Gabby
Group: Members
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Joined: Jun. 2006
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Posted on: Nov. 01 2012, 8:53 pm |
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I don't find the "Eveready specials" at WalMart and the hardware store to be strong enough for moving more than at a walking pace.
Also, it occurred to me that, based on my experience walking through rocky terrain a few months ago in the middle of the night, that it would almost be better to have some lighting system for running that was "off axis" in relation to your head/eyes. When your eyes are virtually inline with the lighting, you don't see shadows as well, and details are not all that obvious in many circumstances. Walking/climbing/scrambling in talus and moderate-sized rocks, I found that I often had to take the headlamp off and hold it out to one side to see subtle shapes - but that might just be me.
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"I wouldn't even know how to begin to find the 'peyote lady', even if I thought it was possible in this incarnation...I'm completely tripped out on everyday life."
"By the way: where am I?"
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| Post Number: 6
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| Post Number: 7
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Gabby
Group: Members
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Posted on: Nov. 01 2012, 9:36 pm |
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QUOTE Have you tried the Colemans I'm referring to? No, I haven't. I guess I read right past the name, and assumed "Eveready". Sorry. I know what "assume" does, I just forget.
I find the lower lumen lights entirely adequate, since I don't, like my wife, suffer from problems with "night vision". But we both have the BD headlamps, mostly because she does have "night vision" problems. She's fallen from missteps in the dark a number of times, as recently as the last couple of weeks. Mine (my missteps) seem to be restricted to mud and those %&$%&% painted curbs that they're so fond of around here. Those curbs get slippery in the rain, and I find myself avoiding any painted ones while out running, even when it's dry.
I only noticed the "perspective blindness" issue (is that what it's called?) when I was attempting to take a shortcut to a camping spot that lay over a granite ridge that I attempted to traverse in the dark. (I arrived at the trailhead around 9:30 PM.) I don't know how important that would be to a runner on a fairly level surface, but cracks in the concrete walks, and sunken manhole covers, abound in my neck of the woods - all traps for the unwary, though I'm familiar with most of them around my neighborhood by now.
P.S.: Still don't know if nogods was joking, or if that "Betty" headlamp is really 18 oz...
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"I wouldn't even know how to begin to find the 'peyote lady', even if I thought it was possible in this incarnation...I'm completely tripped out on everyday life."
"By the way: where am I?"
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Trinity
Group: Members
Posts: 238
Joined: Feb. 2004
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Posted on: Nov. 01 2012, 9:51 pm |
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I run with a Petzl Tikka xp, which serves my needs very well. My wife runs with a Princeton Tec Byte, which is less light, but works very well for her. It's also a lot less expensive. She does a lot more night trailrunning than I do, and has done very well with this light.
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| Post Number: 11
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Mechrock
Mechrock
Group: Members
Posts: 101
Joined: Apr. 2012
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Posted on: Nov. 02 2012, 11:54 am |
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I just got a H51w from Zebralight. Really high quality light. I like that the interface is easy to use and it only uses one AA battery.
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My Gear list: (I'm Rocco)
https://docs.google.com/spreads....ZGJTakE
Notice I have multiple tabs at the bottom.
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| Post Number: 12
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Tigger
Woods Pouncer
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Posted on: Nov. 02 2012, 10:12 pm |
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I won't tell you what to use...
But I will recommend you run a flood light mounted to your chest (prefered) or shoulder along with a headlamp. It will help greatly with being able to see terrain and actually "read" it. A single light source doesn't help much with depth of field while hiking at night. I can only imagine what it would do to running. Also, turning your head to the side to observe something will not throw off your forward light (which will still be needed in your peripheral vision).
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If I'm going to be lost, in the woods is where I want to be...
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| Post Number: 16
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CharlesTheHammer
Group: Members
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Joined: Jan. 2011
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Posted on: Nov. 03 2012, 12:38 am |
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(Talus. @ Nov. 01 2012, 7:55 pm)
QUOTE I need a good headlamp for night trailrunning. I need to be able to throw a spot far enough ahead to see roots, rocks etc. at running speed. A hybrid with flood and spots would probably be ideal. Battery life is not really an issue.
I'd look into the Spark headlamps. Here's the Spark ST6-360CW. This has a fairly wide reflector and a Cree XP-G R5 LED, which is smaller than the XM-L, so when you combine smaller diameter LED with larger diameter reflector, you get a good thrower.
They also make many other headlamps with XM-L LED's for a more floody beam, and headlamps that have a good mix of the two.
These lights have much better, newer, more efficient LED's than just about all of the Princeton Tec and Petzl headlamps, so they dont require as many batteries and yet are much brighter and more efficient. They are tougher too....
Here's the ST6:
http://goinggear.com/flashli....mp.html
You can also get most of these models in neutral white or cool white tints. The cool white(CW) tints are typically a little brighter.
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| Post Number: 17
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CharlesTheHammer
Group: Members
Posts: 241
Joined: Jan. 2011
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Posted on: Nov. 03 2012, 12:47 am |
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I have switched from a dedicated headlamp to a headband that is designed so that you can install a 22-28mm LED flashlight into it and use that as your headlamp. I will be installing my new-ish Eagletac D25C clicky-Titanium flashlight into it. However, if you are running, this idea might not be the best, because with the headband-flashlight combo there will be 'some' tendency for the flashlight mounted into the loops to rock back and forth a little, and although its wont cause you to lose sight of the trail in front of you because the light doesnt yaw, it might be slightly annoying to feel it rolling around a little up there!
So, I'd go with the idea in my last post about the Spark headlamps.
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| Post Number: 18
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oldnolder
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Posted on: Nov. 03 2012, 10:08 am |
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I try to not run around in the dark. The idea of a headlamp and a headband with a small flashlight sounds like a good idea. Maybe even a headlamp and a lite in each hand. You can get led lites for a cpl. bucks now. If you want to try it, I have those headbands to use with the minimag lite and half a dozen small led flashlights you could borrow to see if you like it.
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| Post Number: 19
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| Post Number: 20
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CharlesTheHammer
Group: Members
Posts: 241
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Posted on: Nov. 03 2012, 2:23 pm |
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How much brightness do you want/need out of a headlamp? I have quite a few LED flashlights and 2 headlamps, and although its certainly cool to have lights that are really bright on high or 'turbo', the fact is I rarely ever actually need 200-300-600-1000-2700 lumens for most tasks......
I have a few little single AAA LED flashlights that I some times carry as a pocket light. I have 3 different models, and they all have highs between 60-100 lumens, but one opf these models has a 3 lumen low. Granted 3 lumens doesnt seem like much brightness, but I can walk around outside at night with it set at 3L, and see the ground below and in front of me just fine!
3 lumens isnt going to be good enough for trail running at night, but I also occasionally carry one of a few other LED lights, and I've found that 20-50L is good enough for running at night. In fact its more than enough. It also depends on the beam characteristics, because a really wide, floody beam will tend to dilute that 20-50L by spreading it out over a wide beam pattern.
But its best to use as little light as is necessary to be able to see your way around, because when you turn the brightness way up, you not only dramatically reduce battery life, you also temporarily reduce your night vision because your pupils have closed to compensate for the additional light, but when you turn that light off, your pupils have to re-adjust and in the mean time your night vision is shot.
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| Post Number: 21
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Talus.
Delsolation is my destination
Group: Members
Posts: 1894
Joined: Aug. 2006
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Posted on: Nov. 03 2012, 3:20 pm |
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I'll have to try with the BD that I have now and see what is lacking. I've seen folks use a light around their belly for that extra definition/angle. I've also seen people use a headlamp and a handheld flashlight. I think some sort of flood and spot combo is what I'll need.
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“Mountains are not Stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are the cathedrals where I practice my religion.”
― Anatoli Boukreev
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| Post Number: 22
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Survival Skills 101 • Eat Better
