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Trail runners are one of the most unique. Unlike the other types, seeing is absolutely crucial. It could be the difference between making it home safe, or lost in the darkness.
Help me find out what works best for me...
By overcoming these 3 main challenges of Trail Running, you can run faster, farther and with more confidence.
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Don't Run Out of Light
Basic
In order to ensure your lights lasts long enough to "survive" your run we suggest a light with easily replaceable batteries so they can be carried along and swapped out when needed. Power, affordability and run time... We suggest the Black Diamond
See the Shadows
Shadows are a trail runners best friend. To create more, you should have a second light source or a light that doesn't mount on your head. Chest, hand or waist lights are great for creating additional illumination and a second source of shadows that your brain can use to determine trail and obsticle contour. We suggest the One80 Light, lots of light at waist height.
Basic
Keep the Night Vision
Basic
Your "Night Vision" is when your eyes adjust to being in the darkness so they can actually see better. One thing that will ruin your night vision is white light. So to combat loosing your night vision while looking at maps or through your pack. Having a headlamp with a RED Light is important. With an easily adjustable Red Light... we suggest the Petzl Tikka
Trail Challenge 1- Light
Problem- On the trail most times you only have to light of the moon to guide your way. So being stuck without a light is extremely dangerous.
Solution- In order to ensure your lights lasts long enough to "survive" your run we suggest a light with easily replaceable batteries so they can be carried along and swapped out when needed. These lights also have to be powerful enough to light your path.
Petzl Tikka
Diamond Spot
Actik Core
If you look for a light aside from the ones we suggest, be sure to compare the runtimes over 100 lumens (minimum brightness we suggest for a trail). From the thousands of hours we've spent researching lights, these are the 3 that have the best marriage of run-time, rechargability and power.
Trail Challenge 2- Contour
Problem- Unlike during the day, at night shadows are only produced by your light source. Since there isn't that 360 illumination of objects, they appear different and can be harder to navigate.
Solution- Shadows are a trail runners worst friend. 1 light source originating near the runners eyes produces almost no "visible" shadow. To fix this, you should have a second light source or a light that doesn't mount on your head. Chest, hand or waist lights are great for creating additional illumination and a second source of shadows that your brain can use to determine trail and obsticles.
One80 Light
Knuckle Lights
Nathan Zephyr
To create multiple shadows while you're running we suggest using a headlamp and a waist light or hand light. The One80 Light is designed to provide 180 degrees of light from the waist. It not only creates a second shadow angle, but also provides a wider area of light so you can see obsticles without having to turn your head to look at it.The Knuckle light also provide that 2nd angle but also allows you to have a 2nd FOCUSED beam of light, which is great for being able to point out objects of interest without turing your head to the object.
Trail Challenge 3- Night Vision
Navigation- Many times maps are used to navigate, and running at night requires your "night vision" be adapted. Once your night vision is thrown off, it can take 30 minutes for your eyes to re-adjust to the darkness.
Navigation- Night vision is when you eyes adjust to being in the darkness so they can actually see better. One thing that will ruin your night vision is white light. So to combat loosing your night vision while looking at maps or through your pack. Having a headlamp with a RED Light is important. Red light does not affect night vision but still allows you to see objects that are fairly close.
Petzl Tikka
Diamond Spot
Actik Core
Of the lights we've come across, there are only a few with decent red lights. The Petzl Tikka and Taktic both have solid and flashing red light functions. But our top pic would be the Black Diamond Sport. In combination with its other features the Infinity Adjustable red lights is great for almost any red light needs.
Other Challenge...
Other Challenge...
Tunnel vision- With almost no other light to illuminate the surrounding area, your eyes focus in on where the light is ahead of you. Over time your brain starts blocking out even the dimly lit areas of your vision, so you lose all sense of peripheral vision. As a runner this can be dangerous.
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On the trail, tunnel vision happens because you have a light that is narrowly focused at a distance that doesn't allow you to illuminate enough of the area close to you.
To fix this you can either run with a second light source that you can use to illuminate your visions edges. Or you can use a light with a wider beam of light. This will keep your brain engaged in those peripheral areas of your vision and stop it from "shutting off" to expand its focus area.
One80 Light
Knuckle Lights
Nathan Zephyr
Motion Sickness- The inner ear is the balance center of our body. It's where we "feel" up from down. Together with our eyes, that "see" up from down, they help us keep our balance. When the 2 receive conflicting information, it causes motion sickness.
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On the trail, this is caused by your eyes not being able to determine where your body is in space. Most times it's because the light you have doesn't have a wide enough beam so your eyes are continually shifting their gaze to track the light's actual location on the ground.
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To fix this you can either get a light with a wider beam. Or find a light that has less "bounce" while you run. Solving these problems will allow your eyes to track your "level" in relation to the ground more easily, thus alleviating your motion sickness.
One80 Light
Knuckle Lights
Nathan Zephyr
Comfort- You need to be focused on the trail and avoiding obstacles. So the last thing you should be worried about is the discomfort of your light. Loosing mental focus translates to loosing confidence in your step. Thus, a slower run.
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Discomfort can happen for a few reasons. Sometimes your equipment isn't the right size, sometimes it isn't properly adjusted, but sometimes no matter what you do, it'll never feel comfortable.
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To solve this problem you have to find the reason for the discomfort. Is the light moving too much while you run, or rubbing on your head? In that case having it tighter may solve the problem. Is the light too tight and causing pain? In that case choosing a different light STYLE may be the solution. If headlamps never seem to fee right, try a chest mounted light, hand lights or a waist light. They typically allow for a tighter fit while not causing increases discomfort.
One80 Light
Knuckle Lights
Nathan Zephyr
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