Headtorches?

Have a voucher for an outdoor sports shop. Bulk will be spent on ice axes for climbing, but will have a bit left over and was thinking of getting a headtorch for winter running. Price range seems huge, guess some of the ones in outdoor pursuits are high intensity ones for caving. Will be running on unlit country roads, don't want to dazzle drivers or light up the townland, but want something that won't break down like a cheap one I got for a tenner last year with some pack of batteries. What should I look for and any suggestions? Thanks.

Cabaal

If it was me I'd go for high intensity ones, sure they'll annoy some drivers but you want to be seen and you want the motorists to slow down (especially if they think a motorbike is heading towards them)

ocnoc

Bigger is better....

I got my hands on one of these bad boys....
Maybe a bit extreme for just road running

If its just roads, you'd get away with a smaller one, like these ones.

johnayo

Deleted User wrote: »

Have a voucher for an outdoor sports shop. Bulk will be spent on ice axes for climbing, but will have a bit left over and was thinking of getting a headtorch for winter running. Price range seems huge, guess some of the ones in outdoor pursuits are high intensity ones for caving. Will be running on unlit country roads, don't want to dazzle drivers or light up the townland, but want something that won't break down like a cheap one I got for a tenner last year with some pack of batteries. What should I look for and any suggestions? Thanks.

.

I have one of these. superb light.
http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=103251

Postage is a bit steep if you are only getting one item. Maybe it's available elsewhere if you look around.

BeepBeep67

I used a Petzl Tikka XP2 last winter in parks and on trails / mountains, it's mid-priced at just over €50 and readily available. It has several settings including a shield that pulls down to defuse the light, takes 3 AAA batteries and claims 80hrs battery life on full (I haven't replaced the batteries yet). You can also get a rechargable battery that allows you to change the settings. Don't think I would need anything brighter unless I was MTB'ing at speed!

Thanks for the pionters. The site I have voucher for sells Petzl alright so will look at their stuff. Think after my last experience my main concern would be water resistence. The roads I'm on are so bad that cars can't even get up to much of a speed, real one lane middle of countryside stuff. Have a flashing armband too.

Git101

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

I used a Petzl Tikka XP2 last winter in parks and on trails / mountains, it's mid-priced at just over €50 and readily available. It has several settings including a shield that pulls down to defuse the light, takes 3 AAA batteries and claims 80hrs battery life on full (I haven't replaced the batteries yet). You can also get a rechargable battery that allows you to change the settings. Don't think I would need anything brighter unless I was MTB'ing at speed!

+1

Easily adjustable and bright enough to aim at the feckers who don't dip their headlights.

RJC

Petzl Tactikka XP

Used it for about 2 or 3 years now. Excellent bit of kit and worth the money. Pretty manky colour schemes though but it's not a fashion contest, is it?

Bambaata

Also have the Tikka XP2 too. used it last winter to run in the dark in the Phoenix park. I was very happy with it.

TFBubendorfer

I'm the complete opposite here. I used to have a Petzl for about €80 and was perfectly happy until it gave up the ghost after 3 years of use.

The last 2 winters I used a €3.99 light from Aldi or Lidl and it worked just as well. I only use it to run on roads and it's perfectly fine for that. If you follow ocnoc's routes across the mountains, that's obviously different and the bigger the better in that case. But for a road runner there is no need to spend big bucks.

Rawhead

Lidl is selling them this Thursday for €4.99.