Best headlamp for conditions I run at night

[P220C]

Although I don't run, I own a modified P4 Princeton Tec Apex that I absolutely love and would suggest that you consider the Apex Extreme

With the remote battery pack, you won't have the battery pack on your head, and with 8AA's you'll have plenty of run time. If I needed to 'justify' a new headlight, I'd likely purchase this one even knowing I'd need to install the P4. Don't bother looking for specs on the Princeton Tec website, its way out dated.
http://www.brightguy.com/products/Princeton_Tec_APEX_Extreme.php#
Only $79.95 from brightguy!

This gets my vote. Be sure to do a quick check on runtime on high per cost of battery to make sure it works for you.

I use the 2x 123 version of this headlamp, as I mentioned earlier in the post. Only runtime of mine prevented me from recommending it to you.

You will like (but check cost per hour on high first)

 

[Blue72]

Some of the above hadlamps that have been mentioned look way to bulky or heavy for running.

I know when I run I like things small, light and extremely secure.

If you find a decent headlamp for running let me know that is light and does not fall out of adjustment from the pounding. let me know

 

[ifor powell]

Running off road and on potentialy uneven trails or off the path all together you need plenty of light to be able to do a good speed. The weight of course matters but unless you are doing ultra distance you will go quicker with a bright heavy light then a light dimmer one. And even for ultra distance if you could pick up spair batteries I would go for more light.

If I was buying and cash was not an problem then I would probobly go for the petzel ultra. It was a lot better than I expected when I saw one with a good mix of spill and throw. If I was more cash constrained then to be honest a modded Apex is probobly as good as anything although a bit heavy. For somthing lighter weight but with less output there is plenty of choice in the 100-125 lumen range personaly I have a new Back Diamond Spot for the sub 100g option.

In practice when out running in the dark training I use my home made 2 Cree light with a spot and diffuse optic for a good mix of throw and spill. If I am night Orienteering then its my 6 Cree homemade.

Things may change with things like the new MC-E but the headlamp manufactures are a bit slow on the uptake of new stuff and most of them can not do a metal housing which will be essential for somthing like that to keep it cool.

Ifor

 

[cy]

almost all the headlamps posted in this thread... don't put out enough light in washed out conditions. most would be marginal in pitch dark let alone in washed out lighting.

trail running would have similar requirements to riding a mountain bike at night. most any of the bike lights with headband/external battery pack will do the job. one may need to wear a lightweight bike helmet...

HID would be the best, but most any quality bike light, similar to Niterider will work fine.

 

[hopkins]

here's a link to a clip of some serious night runners. (Its not jogging, its running!)
...and if you guessed its in Sweden you're right. You've never seem this many
super powerful headlamps in action . It's simply beautiful!!!
http://en.petzl.com/petzl/LampesNews?News=218

 

[etc]

I too have a habit of exercising or running late at night, when things are cool, there is no traffic, etc.

I would probably take the Apex,the P4 moded one rules...

On the other hand, given run time not being primary, I would probably take something cheaper and lighter with AAA cells.

 

[mulder89]

www.ayup.com.au
http://www.ayup.com.au/usa-shop-kits.html
http://www.ayup.com.au/usa-shop-lights.html

 

[JohnB]

Take a look at the Command 20 tactical from FoxFury

Lightweight, bright wide angle peripheral headlamp.
We have had goo luck with them

http://www.liotec.com/store/FoxFury-Command.htm

Good luck
John

 

[snwg00]

Hopkins>>Have not been in here for a wile but it's funny to see that you found the clips from 10-mila. I was one of the guys running that first leg. It is the largest relay race in the world for orienteering. Petzl was the head sponsor this year, trying to make their way into the Swedish market for orienteering. Competing with Mila, Lupine, and Silva. 10-mila was my last competition with halogen light. I used a 10w/20w Silva halogen light witch was the most ordinary headlight for almost 30 years in orienteering until recently. There was a 20w limit that lost it´s sense when the HID and LED-lights started to come.
But standing there, feeling that your light was broken compared with the monsterlight wasn't so funny. So after that I decided to get myself a better headlamp. Today I'm a happy owner of an iBlaast II from New Zeeland. http://www.nightlightning.co.nz/
With a 2600mAh Li-Ion battery from Batteryspace it gives me 3 hour of maximum light (800 lumen), for about 400 USD.

Unkybob>> I don't know if you already have make you choice, but I have been running in the forest all my life and I know that lights like Princeton, Petzl Myo, Primus etc. will do on tracks (not for orienteering), but I will really recommend you to investigate in a better light. As I sad before, it is a cheep investigation when you can have your headlamp for many years and load the lithium batteries for about 1000 times.

 

[hopkins]

Thats great snwg00! Hope none of the 10-mila racers has had a lithium battery
'vent with flame' during the race.

 

[Jagge]

I really don't think anyone uses lithium batteris in orinteering - except in backup lights.

25manna and Jukola relays are both several times bigger than 10mila. There may be other relays too. Jukola's mass start wth 1500 headlamps makes 10mila's start of 350 runners look pretty tiny.

 

[Offroad'Bent]

Hopkins>>.
But standing there, feeling that your light was broken compared with the monsterlight wasn't so funny. So after that I decided to get myself a better headlamp. Today I'm a happy owner of an iBlaast II from New Zeeland. http://www.nightlightning.co.nz/
With a 2600mAh Li-Ion battery from Batteryspace it gives me 3 hour of maximum light (800 lumen), for about 400 USD.

I use an iBlaast with a 72.v lithium battery for adventure racing and Rogaining. (24 hour orienteering for those who wonder.)
On full power I get 3-4 hours, but I tend to run it at lower power much of the time when we're not near controls so it goes more than a full night. I have a backup pack of 8 Lithium AAs too, which I use on multi-day races when we can't recharge.

We're not doing the high-intensity orienteering that you are though.

 

[monkeyboy]

If you don't mind paying a little extra, I'd go for the Lupine tesla X which should be out sometime next month. The battery pack is interchangeable with one of the larger ones if extra runtime is required. The top head strap is necessary for running.

When I'm hill walking at night, I find that a headlamp should be accompanied by a hand flashlight. Because the flashlight is held below eye level, it shows where all the dips and potholes are which is even more important when running. Just make sure it's one that you don't mind dropping. Also when it gets foggy (does this only happen in Scotland?) you may need to switch the headlamp off or hand hold it.

 

[chris_m]

I really don't think anyone uses lithium batteris in orinteering - except in backup lights.

Maybe not if you mean primarys, however I certainly use rechargeable lithium batteries for my orienteering headtorch.

Can't say I have a problem with seeing dips and potholes with just a headlamp - quantity of lumens seems to make up for lack of shadows. The fog problem is certainly familiar though - on some cold nights, the moisture in your breath can be sufficient to cause a problem if you have to stop when struggling to find a control!

 

[Jagge]

Maybe not if you mean primarys, however I certainly use rechargeable lithium batteries for my orienteering headtorch.

Right, I was thinking of lithium primaries. I thought hopkins was thinking of primaries when writing about battery going in flames. li-ions are common, but lithium primaries only in back up lights. Sorry for that.

Last weekend I saw several of these in action:
http://www.nexnite.com/index.php?id=66
1300 lumen hid headlamp. Blueish tint, but quite nice anyway. Maybe too extreme for basic path running.

Silva comes soon with a new headlamp:
http://www.silva.se/templates/Products____474.aspx?epslanguage=EN

 

[snwg00]

I really don't think anyone uses lithium batteris in orinteering - except in backup lights.

25manna and Jukola relays are both several times bigger than 10mila. There may be other relays too. Jukola's mass start wth 1500 headlamps makes 10mila's start of 350 runners look pretty tiny.

Sorry Jagge your right! What I ment was night orienteering, but 25-manna isn´t at night and Jukola sometimes isn´t realy dark either (or do you say neither?).

 

[Stanley]

Hope I'm not too late here. Another vote for the AyUps here too. They're pretty darn bright, and I've recently had the chance to test it out for longer than a couple of hours, almost 5 hours straight, to be exact, using their 6 hour battery. Held up really well, especially in the rain as well, and brightness remained just as bright as when the batteries were fresh throughout.

Check out their beamshots page here: http://www.ayup.com.au/gallery-beamshots.html , and you can opt to add in a headband to attach the light to. Real light, especially if you're using the 3 hour battery. And if i didn't say it before, i'll say it again. They're bright!