thank you for your thoughts
so, lets say max speed is 20mph, max distance is 20yards, and low temp is 5F (plus windchill), about how many lumens do you think that calls for and which of these two lights would you choose?:
H54Fc N:
Light Output (runtimes)
- High: H1 238Lm ( 1.3 hr) or H2 197Lm ( 1.7 hr) / 155Lm ( 2.1hrs) / 102Lm ( 3.5hrs)
- Medium: M1 55Lm ( 6.5hrs) or M2 15Lm (30.6 hrs) / 8.1Lm (2.8 days) / 2.9Lm (6.8 days)
H600Fc
Light Output (runtimes)
- High: H1 1568 Lm (PID, 2.5 hrs) or H2 980 Lm (PID, 2.9 hrs)/562 Lm (PID, 3.1 hrs)/296 Lm (5.3 hrs)
- Medium: M1 143 Lm (12.5 hrs) or M2 63 Lm (27.5 hrs)/25.7 Lm (2.7 days)/9.6 Lm (7.1 days)
The good news is that windchill doesn't affect inanimate objects (it only chills use because we sweat). So, absolute temperature is all that matters.
Anything above freezing is actually pretty much "business as usual." Things don't get weird until you're in sub-zero Fahrenheit. I've always had great luck with Eneloops in the cold (they work as normal until -4F, but I've found they seem to "warm up" with use, so if you store a light in your jacket, turn it on, it seems to be just fine once it's on). Some people like headlamps with an external power supply, as you can keep that under a hat and/or in a jacket.
Also, while I haven't done nighttime skiing, I do bicycle at night. I think my gearing maxes me out at ~35mph. I wouldn't use a floody light on my head at those speeds. I also do assorted outdoor winter adventuring, so I think I can put both experiences together with some suggestions, haha.
While I normally find the beam pattern useless and awful, the Acebeam H16 actually has a pretty good beam for moving at a clip at night; it's mostly just a very large, round hotspot. I only hung onto it to use as my night cycling headlamp. It's kind of trash with the 14500, but it's stable at the under 100 lumen outputs with an Eneloop.
With the 6500K variant, he got almost 8 hours of 50 lumens with an Eneloop pro (so, 6 hours with a white Eneloop?):
The Acebeam H16 Gray headlamp has a Cool White emitter. It is also available in a Black version with a high CRI Nichia 519A emitter.
timmcmahon.com.au
I wouldn't second the comment about not having one on top your head, but I'd add some nuance to say you're going to want two lights.
On my bike, I find a forward facing light is very helpful, but having one on your head is also almost mandatory, because you NEED to immediately have light facing where you look (thus, needing throw over flood on your head). If a hazard suddenly appears AT SPEED, you NEED the ability to see whatever you quickly look at. That's why I like a throwier headlamp. BUT, snow is reflective, so even a little light (even floody) goes a LONG way. Snow really changes the nature of floody lights. They "seem" to throw better, and you just kind of see...everything. They still don't throw, but it's interesting that the reflective nature of snow seems to make them feel floodier (and a hotspot kind of gets blinding in snow).
BUT, I do think a floody light clipped to your pocket or belt is VERY helpful, as it will have cast an even light closer to foot level, which will REALLY help with seeing changes in elevation across the ground (a single, high angle light tends to wash out shadows, and you'll crunch into a dip or hop on a bump, or...trip).
The other good news is that snow is HIGHLY REFLECTIVE, and if there is ANY moonlight, it's going to be
shockingly bright out. Depending on the phase of the moon, you might not even need a light. For anything close up in the snow, I pretty much run a headlamp at super low. Honestly, if it's like a full (or near full) moon, you might find a red headlamp to be great, as it will add SOME visibility, but mostly maintain your low light vision. Once you really adapt to that lower light level on a snowy, moonlit night, it's very pleasant.
If there's no other light around, I often run the Acebeam H16 at 30 or 100 (max) lumens on my head, with my bike mounted light also on low. Twilight and around other light sources, you'll need to maybe bump it up - but, again, snow is very reflective.
Also, another not bad idea for a headlamp (I think I remember you saying you have an H150) is to wear two, one by each ear. With the H150, you can remove the top strap, and turn the light in the holder, and it's a surprisingly awesome setup, haha. Or, run one at a time, so as the battery power goes down, you can swap to another...Heck, they're small and light enough, you could probably wear three at once, hahah.
Also, a warm CCT is nice in the snow. It tends to not be as blinding if it starts snowing, and it's MUCH softer on the eyes, since the highly reflective snow will beat your eyes up if you're running anything over 5000K.