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As above, what sort of power would I need in a head torch for night trail running? No leaping over boulders or anything, just unlit footpaths and bridleways.
So far I have always run during the day but as my son has football practice a couple of evenings a week so I figured it might be a good chance to explore the woods and footpaths behind the football ground rather than stand around getting cold.
I ran with my Halfords 1600 bike light last week but I'd prefer to have the light on my head rather than in my hand. Most running head torches I've seen are 150 to 250 lumens so I guess that's OK? Seems a bit low coming from MTB lights but I appreciate I will be moving a lot slower when running.
If you run at 40mph maybe 2500 lumens?
If you run at 4mph maybe 250 lumens, flood?
At 6mph I'll guess at 400 lumens max?
I don't run, but can happily ride off road at around 400/600 lumens on a spot beam.
Currently use a Petzl Tikka which is fine on medium & high modes (think 200 & 300 ish).
May be lower lumens as it's a couple of years old.
Been faultless and replaced a lost Tikka that i'd been using for a few years prior.
IIRC my older LED Lenser H7 is 140 lumens and is just fine. TBH I rarely use it on max as most of the trails I use are quite wide forest roads. I only switch it up if it's narrower singletrack. That being the case, 150-250 lumens seems ideal, especially when you are trying to balance run-time, lumens and battery weight on your bonce.
Most running head torches I’ve seen are 150 to 250 lumens so I guess that’s OK? Seems a bit low coming from MTB lights but I appreciate I will be moving a lot slower when running
I have a Petzl Nao which from memory can do up to 500 lumens. The only time I have ever used that full amount is on open moorland, stood still looking which way the path goes. For actual running I probably used half that ie 250 lumens and thats proper fell running. If I was mountain running I would probably have it on full just to be safe.
The new Petzl Nao RL looks like it has a better light pattern than the older models.
IMO go for a head torch. Chest ones are ok for footpaths, but as soon as you go up and down and twisty trails they are apparently useless.
Enough to spot the dogs' eggs?
Dunno TBH, but I'd consider one of those chest-mounted lights, like wot Decathlon do...
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/browse/c0-sports/c1-running/c3-running-lights-and-head-torches/_/N-18zd6s8
I bought a cheapo chest light - just to try out the concept. It's OK on wider/straighter tracks and you really can't feel the weight of it.
It's not so good on windy stuff and it's frustrating when you look off to one side and realise that you have to twist your whole body to see anything. It's can also be a bit of a faff if you're wearing a jacket and want to unzip a little. Wouldn't be comfortable with a backpack of any sort either.
OTOH if you run in company then you're a lot less likely to blind them when talking before/after the run as the light will be pointing down at the ground.
Thanks for the feedback, I just ordered a Petzl Tikka.
I've got a Petzl Iko which is a 350 lumen running headtorch and I've never really needed more.
If anyone is thinking of getting one, it's OK, but isn't really any better than a more normal headtorch and doesn't fold down so well
Bugger all. An old Petzl Zoom with a 4.5v non halogen was always good enough around the hills.
In retrospect, Petzl Zoom’s we’re shit, just not as shit as no light, which in practise was their main selling point.
On the basis of this thread I bought a Petzl Actik earlier today, which is brilliant. Excellent beam pattern for running and plenty of light.
Sadly I am also a stumbling old buffoon, currently nursing a swollen ankle, but up to that point crisp nighttime running was the best thing ever! I might stay out of the actual woods in future...
Mrs B received one of these for her birthday for plodding around the streets, she's delighted with it
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/run-light-250-aw19-running-light-black/_/R-p-312549?mc=8573980
I’ve also got a Petzl Nao, mostly for trail runs through footy forest singletrack. It’s perfect for that, but a bit too bright for the poorly lit road/pavement to/from the forest. Large knob makes it easy to turn down though, even with gloves on. You can have the battery attached to the head strap or use an extension thingummy which will allow you to clip it onto your waistband. This means less weight bouncing around on your head which is good. It was quite expensive but will probably do me for 5+ years (already had it 3 years)
This has just turned up on my Flipboard feed, and may be of interest. Plenty bright enough for trail running and as a bike headlight, good water resistance, and a decent price.
https://www.advnture.com/reviews/lifesystems-intensity-280
I use a Nitecore NU20 with NU05/6 light on the rear of the headband Both usb rechargeable and bright enough for unlit paths/bridleways etc
I’ve seen are 150 to 250 lumens so I guess that’s OK? Seems a bit low coming from MTB lights but I appreciate I will be moving a lot slower when running.
I'd think so if it's genuine lumens and not exagerated like you get with some of the cheap stuff.
I've a cat-eye 500lm bike light and it's plenty bright enough that I don't need to use it on full power on pitch black canal paths.
More power means faster battery drain too, so I'd certainly not go above 500lm (~250/300 will likley be totally fine assuming it's a quality product).
I have a tiny little petzl bindi which is supposed to be 200L, it’s fine for early morning pre dawn runs (which aren’t that early at the moment) on fairly easy trails. I think I’d want something brighter if I was running on anything more technical though. I like the fact it weighs hardly anything and doesn’t bounce around on my head then I can stash it away in a pocket when it’s light enough to see.
For me it depends mostly on the surface - on smooth, flat stuff like disused rail trails, I can manage with something like a Petzl Bindi, which is niminally 200 lumens. On rougher moorland/mountain trails I prefer as much light as possible, have a last generation Nao, which is great, like running in a big pool of light.
I also prefer something with a bit of a wide, flood-type beam or a mixed spot/flood than a spot, not so much for seeing where I'm going, but for balance - running in a big pool of light seems to help, I think, by giving you a bigger frame of reference. Silva does some neat, smaller running torches with a mixed flood.spot beam that I think work really well.
Personally I'd avoid stuff from brands that I've never heard of , in favour of someone I know has decent form for quality. I also don't like complicated stuff as it breaks. I like the simple petzls, but I tihnk my faourite is an old style Silva Trail Runner - cheap, simple, very reliable, enough light to run or climb at night, decent strap, big button, not too heavy, no fancy modes, green/red battery indicator plus you can easily split the cable so you never find the batteries flattened accidentally.
To update this, the Petzl Tikka arrived and I gave it a test run yesterday. I had it on the 2nd brightest setting most of the run with a couple of short spells on max when it was rooty and uneven. Torch was perfect, my running fitness less so!