Genzod
Banned
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2017
- Messages
- 392
What do you as a runner use for a headlamp at night, and what output settings do you use to negotiate various course conditions?
I've read so many experts telling us how many lumens we need for running at night. The first opinion I came across was given by a popular YouTube blogger who said "100 lumens". The next blogger I read said "a minimum of 100-120 lumens". A decorated ultra-marathoner said she liked to use 85 lm but bumped it up to 170 when the trail got really technical. Slower runners like fastpackers thru-hiking a mountainous, national trail tend to prefer something between 50-100 lumens.
They can't be all right...right? :thinking:
Actually, they are. What they are describing is best for them given the context of their own running style, the different courses they run on, their personal preference between brightness level and rate of battery consumption and the design of the specific headlamps that they use. What you will need for night time running depends on your own personal set of variables.
I initiated this thread for sharing our experiences running with headlamps so new runners could make a more informed selection choosing a headlamp that will provide the most suitable light for their night time running needs.
So to help these new runners, my question seeks the context of your headlamp use as a runner. (Keep one headlamp in mind when answering the following suggested questions):
[*=2]How fast are you running with this lamp?
[*=2]How far ahead do you tend to look or need to see to chart a course through immediate obstacles?
[*=2]What kind of terrain are you running on in this particular instance? Is it steep, rocky, rooty, wet, muddy, sandy, narrow, winding or asphalt, wide open, and flat? Remember, a specific lamp under a specific trail description.
[*=2]What is the nature/structure of the light beam your lamp is putting out? How many lumens, flood, spot/spill, or diffused?
[*=2]What brand and model of lamp are you using in this particular instance?
[*=2]What output settings (lumens) are you using under different conditions?
[*=2]Does that amount of light in that instance seem on the marginal side, moderate middle or on high side of being enough for running?
[*=2]Is the level of light or type of beam you are describing impacted by fog, precipitation or snow cover?
There are no wrong answers here and the list isn't necessarily exhaustive. I'm interested in learning what works best for you so other people can get an idea of what might work best for them.
Some examples of helpfully formatted responses are provided below.
And please, remember to have mercy on the forum members reading here. Don't click "reply with quote" to this introduction!
You can share as many lamps/situations/conditions as you are kind enough to do. Try to focus on a specific example with a corresponding headlamp and settings (one lamp at a time) so readers can get a feel for the differences between each. If you want to share about more than one headlamp, discuss them in separate paragraphs to minimize confusion.
Fictitious Examples:
"I used Brand A model 2 (spot/spill beam geometry) on a setting of 50 lumens and fastpacked mountain trail at an average speed of 3.5 mph, and that light was just right for most situations except when the trail became very technical with turns and wet roots, then I needed 100 lumens to be more sure of my footing. I think 50 and 100 from this lamp in those situations was on the economic side of battery conservation.
"I've used Brand B model 4 (pure flood) for urban street running at a steady 9 minute mile pace on mildly hilly asphalt road. The light was very short range and not very useful at the lower outputs, but 700 lumens and above was very useful. I had enough range at 700 lm to have plenty of warning time for obstacles , and the intensity was still effective even as the occasional car with lights on approached me. The lamp shifted down after 60 minutes of use, but my nightly runs usually never last that long. I just hook the USB to my computer and it's ready for the next night's running."
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