How to choose a head torch light for a professional trail running competition?

Trail running has gradually become a popular sport in recent years. Cross-country races are carried out in mountainous areas. The track is ups and downs. The climb and descent are generally calculated in km. The route is dominated by natural scenery and occasionally passes through villages. Participants have to deal with complex road conditions such as gravel roads, flagstone roads, trails covered with fallen leaves, slippery plank roads, single-plank bridges, etc. Sometimes they have to wade through water or even climb when the slope is steep.

Some races start at night; some races last for dozens of hours and experience day and night; some races have to pass through low-visibility woods. At this time, if there is heavy fog, it is really difficult to walk on the mountain without head torch lights.

Regarding the equipment head torch, many runners are concerned about the battery life of the head torch lights. How long can this head torch last? Which head torch is good for cross-country competitions at different distances?

What are the factors that affect the life of head torch? To put it simply, the brightness and battery capacity affect the life of the head torch light. In addition, how to effectively improve the battery life of the head torch?

Reasonable use of brightness

Like home appliances, the brightness of the head torch also has several different gears. In the case of the same battery, the battery life will be reduced according to the increase in brightness. Each brand's headlamp has the battery life on the promotional map, which can be used as a reference when purchasing.

Why is it used as a reference? Because there is a misunderstanding here, most people will understand the battery life as the duration of the head torch under a certain brightness. In fact, according to the international flashlight measurement standard ANSI/PLATO FL 1-2019, the endurance time refers to the time when the measured head lamp starts from the initial output power (starting time after 30 seconds after the finger is turned on) to when the output power drops to 10% of the initial output value. For the duration (using new batteries), the head torch cannot be turned off or turned off halfway through. In other words, the battery life of all head torch lights on the market at present is: you turn on a certain brand of head torch, and the brightness at the beginning is 330 lumens. When it gradually dims, the process needs to be 33 lumens.

Therefore, the first suggestion on the choice of trail running head torch, don't be affected by the nominal battery life, and use the battery life curve as a reference standard. As shown in the figure below, this curve shows that 400 lumens, 200 lumens, and 70 lumens will not reduce the brightness, and the battery life can be maintained at 4, 8, 18 hours.

Secondly, through discussions with runners, everyone likes to run to the end with one brightness, especially as the headlights are as bright as they are. In fact, this is not particularly recommended, because the higher the brightness, the shorter the battery life of the head torch. Studies have shown that when going uphill, a brightness of about 100 lumens can ensure that you can see clearly under your feet, and when going downhill, a brightness of about 200 lumens can ensure that you can see clearly when you are running. The high brightness of the head torch is to make it easier for everyone to find road signs.

In combination with the above, the first suggestion to improve battery life is to use gears reasonably. Due to the slow speed uphill, the brightness of the head torch can be lowered. The downhill speed is fast, and the brightness can be relatively increased to improve battery life!

Choose the right type of trail running head torchaccording to your needs

In addition to the impact of brightness on the life of the head torch, the capacity of the battery also affects the life of the head torch. Under the same brightness conditions, the higher the battery capacity, the longer the battery life. So, what are the main batteries used in head torch lights?

At present, there are roughly three types of batteries used in head torch, 18650 batteries, 3 AAA batteries, and built-in batteries similar to mobile phones. For these three types of batteries, the battery energy storage is 18650 battery> built-in battery> AAA battery.

Simply put, it is related to battery voltage and battery capacity.

The head torch voltage of the 18650 battery and the built-in battery are both 3.7V, while the voltage of the more common AAA battery on the market is 1.5V. Moreover, the battery capacity of the 18650 battery is generally 3000 mAh, the battery capacity of the headlamp with the built-in battery is generally about 1800 mAh, and the capacity of the AAA battery is generally 1100 mAh.

Battery energy storage = voltage * battery capacity.

18650 battery energy storage is about 3.7*3000=11.1Wh

The energy storage of the built-in battery is about 3.7*1800=6.66Wh

The energy storage of 3 AAA batteries is 1.5*1100*3=4.95Wh

It can be seen from the data comparison that in terms of battery capacity, battery energy storage is 18650 battery> built-in battery> AAA battery.

Therefore, the energy storage of 18650 head torch is the highest!

How to choosehead torchfor trail running competitions of different distances?

For cross-country races at different distances, the endurance of the head torch lights is different, so it is recommended to choose the head torch for cross-country running according to the distance.

Choosing the right trail running head troch

＜50 km

Headlight battery life: Built-in battery headlight or AAA battery headlight

Related Products: Victoper V1000 head torch

50km~100km

Headlight battery life: headlight*1+AAA battery headlight or built-in battery headlight*2; or AAA battery headlight*2

Related Products: Victoper V1001 head torch / Victoper V1005 head torch

＞100km

Headlight battery life: 18650 headlight*1+AAA battery headlight*1

Related Products: Victoper V3000 head torch

＞330km

Headlight battery life: 18650 headlight*2 (including battery

Related Products: Victoper V5001 head torch / Victoper V5002 head torch

Finally, I will give you another suggestion. Human eyes will adapt to the dark environment. Therefore, in many cases, the head torch are not turned on as bright as possible. Don't turn on to the brightest at the beginning, and slowly adjust the gear from dark to higher level. Brightness, the eyes will adapt more easily. When going uphill, because the speed is slow, the brightness can be lowered, and when going downhill, the speed is fast, and the brightness can be increased appropriately. I also hope that everyone will enjoy the fun of trail running and complete the race safely!