Small, light and easily snapped onto a headsweat hat…that is what I am looking for. Thoughts?
Black diamond spot
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princeton tec fuel or remix
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BD spot is perfect for urban & light trail running. gets me through the whole winter on one battery change.
most lumens for the money. spot, flood, blinking, & red. it doesn’t move around when running & doesn’t bug me at all.
It’s not the super best light in the world, so if you are running crazy technical trails or being chased by panthers, it might not be the best, but otherwise, it’s great.
I just got this one from black diamond and like it (http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/shop/mountain/lighting/sprinter-headlamp-2011/)
its rechargeable, bright when fully charged and easy to wear.
I had to get a good a light after I tripped on an early morning run and fell on my ass.
I have the BD Spot (75 lumens) and don’t find it bright enough. I’d probably upgrade to the Storm (100 lumens); a bit heavier, but still quite wearable and bright.
i have this one too. it’s good for night/trails in the winter. and it has a flashing red light on the back. i don’t notice it at all once it’s on.
Someone recommended using Knuckle Lights, and said they were better than a headlamp. Anyone use these?
x2 on knucklelights. My wife uses them every morning. Nice and bright with a flood beam. Also nice to shine them where you want as to make sure cars see you.
i have this one too. it’s good for night/trails in the winter. and it has a flashing red light on the back. i don’t notice it at all once it’s on.
X3 for BD Sprinter. Steady/flash front with multiple brightness settings, LED in back adds safety but can be turned off if you wish, and rechargeable which is nice. IMHO the “best” compromise between brightness, battery life, function, form factor and visibility to motorists. Somewhat expensive at $79 list but I believe worth it, and you can find it for around $60 online.
Technique-wise, I use flash in reduced visibility weather conditions or around dusk to ensure I’m seen, then switch to steady once I genuinely need to see where I’m stepping. I personally don’t like the strobe effect at night, but I find that oncoming traffic doesn’t always notice the steady light so I just nod my head towards them a few times which snags attention and I generally get a wider berth.
I’ve been using the PETZL MYO RXP and I have to say it beats any other headlamp I’ve ever used!
I mainly do night trail running (technical trails).
Great battery life, the unit is light enough that it doesn’t bother me one bit (battery pack is mounted back of head), I can still fit a hat on with the headlamp, I typically leave it on the 140lumens setting but works fine on the regulated setting. The best part is the fact I can flip the reflective lens up and down real easy allowing me to see everything in front of me instead of just a focused circle that is only good for seeing long distance. switch back and forth easily.
The operating button is a tad bit on the small side, but not impossible to operate. Also when the len is flipped down I get a tad bit of light in my eyes which is annoying if the lamp itself is tilted far down. I would definitely buy this lamp again.
This is what I bought. About as bright as the NiteRider 300 lumens if not brighter.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/130577273987?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
Was just talked into the Petzl Tikka XP^2 over the BD Spot by the guy at my LOS (Outdoor) tonight… More/better lighting options, including strobe and a diffuser to get rid of the “halo” when reading (if you camp). Petzl also makes a rechargable battery where the light won’t fade as the battery gets weaker. Didn’t drop the extra $40 for it, but would be useful if you plan on using a lot. Even a built-in whistle for emergencies. 88 Grams.
Not sure about clip for a Headsweat, but lots of accessory options… I’m sure there is a way.
It does depend on the speed you’re running.
If you’re running sub 7:30/mile, forget about anything <100 lumens, which includes nearly all the AAA strap headlamps out there from Tikka, PrincetonTec, etc.
Folks on BT rave about these, but they’re often running like 11 min/mile. Heck, even at 9min/mile, it’s hard enough to see where you’re going with these. You can do it, but it’s not enjoyable in the slightest.
A relatively inexpensive but excellent solution that’s been tried and tested is the Fenix L2D 2 X AA flashlight with a Jakstrap or other downward pointing headstrap. 180 lumens legit, for about 80 minutes. Piece of cake to change the batteries, so carry 2 extra ones if you’re going longer. The only catch is that you really should use rechargeables with this bad boy because it’ll burn through the set of batteries within that time - that’s actually a GOOD thing, though. Faster runners should avoid any light that uses small AA or smaller batteries and claims to have like ‘40+ hours’ of battery life. You don’t get anything for free - that battery life means much, much lower light levels. (You can turn the Fenix down or completely off with an easy click - do it all the time when going through lit areas or passing other folks head on.)
You can run 5 minute miles with this thing and still be completely fine. It actually makes night running fairly enjoyable (for me), since you can actually see where the heck you’re going even when going fast.
Black diamond “Sprinter”. Has a strong front light and blinking red light in the back. Also it is rechargeable.
I got a headlamp for Christmas. 100 lumens. I am thinking it will be enough. I don’t run less than 7:30s, and have been running so far this winter with no illumination without any issues (city and neighborhood settings). I just wanted the headlamp to give me some extra light for avoiding sidwalk cracks and so I can be seen.
Folks on BT rave about these, but they’re often running like 11 min/mile.
This thread must have attracted a bunch of folks from BT.
http://www.rei.com/product/791313/petzl-tikka-xp-2-led-headlamp
I use this one al the rime when running Ragnar, etc.
Bob
The “BEST” running headlamp is the Princeton Tec Apex Pro. Its super bright (over 200 lumens), regulated, waterproof, lightweight, and has a 3rd “over the top” strap so it wont slip on your head. I invested in some rechargeable CR123 Li-Ion batteries. Standard Li-Ions are way too expensive. I get about an hour on “high” with it, which I typically reserve for technical singletrack.
The Princeton Tec Apex is the exact same light with 4 AA’s- a bit heavier but much longer run time.
With aftermarket LEDs (cree XP-G) and some tinkering these can get a lot brighter still.
The only headlamp that comes close is the Petzl Myo series. What I don’t like about them is they don’t have a 3rd overhead strap unless you want to carry the battery pack in your pocket. The light slips down as you run (unless you wear it over a ball cap). Only the RXP is regulated.
I personally think 150+ Lumens is clutch if you run on icy paths/trails or off road. If you run on dry flat trails you can get away with much less.
If you’re running sub 7:30/mile, forget about anything <100 lumens, which includes nearly all the AAA strap headlamps out there from Tikka, PrincetonTec, etc. Folks on BT rave about these, but they’re often running like 11 min/mile. Heck, even at 9min/mile, it’s hard enough to see where you’re going with these. You can do it, but it’s not enjoyable in the slightest.
I’m one of those lame BTers who is quite happy with his 75 lumens Black Diamond Spot headlamps.
Works fine for me at ~6:30/mile.