I am looking for a cheap decent bright trail running light that can be strapped to my head or body for running trails at night
.
Generally I want -
Decent lumens - 100-500
Runtime 2 hours is the max I’d need at one time
Comfortable and not too heavy
Weather resistant
I just need to light up the trail in front of me so I can see any holes ,roots, snakes , bears ? Right in front of me . 25m
Any suggestions, ?
I run with a nitecore HC50 headlamp
Could be a good cheap one , any idea of lumens ?
This deff looks bright enough but wound it be too heavy ?
First one will not stay in place while running, the massive head on it will cause it to slide while running.
the second would be way to heavy, you are correct.
Alright . Do you think the second one is actually 5000 lumens ?
It would prob work as a hiking light .
And the nitecore looks great but may be out of my budget
it is definitely not 5000 lumens and that much heat would not be comfortable
but there is a Group buy for an hc50 started up last week
Group Buy nitecore hc50
Ohhhh a group buy… that may be just what i need, that is the best light after all, more or less
Crelant ch10 is a nice throwy headlamp although I have never ran with mine but the bang for buck is high
Tho they only do ~1h on max both the zebralight H52 and the new armytek tiara will give you great (well over the 2h you want) run times on their ~100-200Lm medium modes with ~500Lm on high for when to need just a little extra output. They’re both tiny single AA lights that are very light weigh (but still both able to handle the heat well) and very comfy to wear for extended periods (I wear my H52w upwards of 6 hours every day).
Either would be my recommendation especially for jogging. Even carrying a spare battery won’t add up to what one of those large budget options weigh. I only own the zebra (I’ve also owned 4 other zebralight head lamp’s at different times including one other right now) but the tiara is very high up on my wish list, I’ll probably pick one up before winter work season when I have to wear one even more than I do now.
Lots of people seem to like the HC50 style, so don’t let me totally dissuade you… however, here’s some cut/paste from an older thread:
For what it’s worth, I run regularly with a few different headlamps.
- Petzl MYO RXP, probably about 180 grams, ~150 lumens, 3-AA on the back of the head. Nice and light, well balanced, but not very bright. (It used to be bright enough, but then I got others…)
- homemade QTC variable based on Lux-RC triple xpg and easy2led housing, around 310 grams, 700 lumens, 2-18650 on the back of the head. (subtract 60g for a single battery; subtract 135g if you’re carrying a battery on the hip). It’s a little hefty at full weight but 700 lumens is good and bright for just about anything — trails, streets, whatever.
- another homemade Lux-RC triple, custom housing, 225 g, 1400 lumens, 1- 18650 on the back. (add 60g for a second battery). Stupid bright on full, so high doesn’t actually get used much (except to try to attract attention at intersections). Very comfortable with one battery; not bad with 2. (155g without a battery if you run a battery pack on the hip, and although I expected it to be unbalanced, it runs pretty well.) Funnily enough, I’ve been enjoying strobe on this one for the early dawn when I don’t actually need light in front of me, but still need to attract the attention of drivers.
Sooo, if I was to get something new today, it would be something like 500-700 lumens, battery in the back/light in the front, and weigh under 250g (8oz).
I have a black diamond storm, and I like it, it is not ideal, but it works decently for me. I don’t really like the PWM, or the tint.
Just putting in my 2 cents.
based on my budget, and some current deals i found i think i will go with the HC50, it seems be a great option, and lots of people like it. though all suggested seem good.
one question, how many lumens do you think i would need for, - dirt/clay roads, normal streets, and areas with tall grass? how many lumens are good for those conditions . lets assume there is just the moon for the trails , and maybe some street lights for the streets…
From the post above the high should work for most or all at least but what’s the best / minimum ?
Hey! TRAIL RUNNERS!!! YAY!! OK. Calm mode on. On clear trails or dark road or technical trail at walking pace, 6-8lumens is good unless I’m running in a group and the person just in front has on light colours then 3 lumens would not be blinding. At a faster pace on technical trail (trot) , 20-50 lumens are sufficient. For ‘fast’ pace on technical terrain (10 min/mile or faster, >200 lumens are ok. For gazing about, sky’s your limit…
Oh. Warm tints are much better at colour rendition and do reduce glare off of leaves a little. If holes are a real problem, a handheld light may be better. Note, you can hold a headlamp in your hand but you can’t hold a handheld light on your head…. Get a hradlamp… A top strap is necessary for me. Others may not like it.
Personally, I use a home made headlamp with Dr Jones 8x driver and 4C,XML2 on noctigon.(like 900 lumens max but, I hardly use max) I recommend zebralight, spark and wizzard. The specs of the crelant ch10 seems nice and I want to buy one to test out. I like really like it.
Before the homemade light, I successfully used a fenix hl20 moded with a warmish xpg. 1AA, max 90 lumens.
The hc50 is designed well. I however do not like that the second mode is 35lumens. 
. There is a group buy feeler thread active now. Price is decent.
Of course, your requirements may differ so take my recommendations with a pinch of salt.
Ok it looks like I will be good with the mid brightness settings on the hc 50 I run 6-730 pace usually and up to 18 miles so it should be good . Holes are only an issue when you don’t notice them … But they are just really slight dips that scare you when you step 2 inches lower than you wanted … Or little rocks or roots …
Would the 560 lumens be overkill in most runs ? In groups
Hahaha. I feel a little ‘pace envy’ atm. Lol. 560 lumens is a lot of light but, if you do hear a strange noise or maybe have to run full out to get away from something,or, light up the trail for someone with a crappy light, you’ll be happy to have it.
Lol at scary noise but true . And my friend asked if it has a f u turn off your Highbeams mode for when were on the road… I’m guessing the 560 lm will work for that to.
On road you don’t need much light. It’s smooth, no holes, rocks.Usually there is a reflective white line to keep you in place. You might want to increase output if a car is coming but otherwise, you don’t need a lot. At least that’s my experience.
You ever do an ultra?
i havent done one those yet, i currently do 5 and 8k . but i want to try one .
Spark SG3 or SG5. Small size and light weight. You can clip it to shoulder strap of hydration pack or at waist level as well.
All of these suggestions are great, and I already have the HC50. I was just wondering if there are any recommendation updates for 2016?