Ultra Runners

1

Black Diamond Storm (Read 633 times)

TeaOlive


old woman w/hobby

    Any one use this / have thoughts on this head lamp?

     

    mta:  oops, should have put this in gears and wears.

    steph  

     

     

      Any one use this / have thoughts on this head lamp?

       

      mta:  oops, should have put this in gears and wears.

       

      I have the BD Spot and I'm pretty happy with it.  Cheaper and weighs less.

       

      Recently got a fenix handheld and love it as a back up and supplemental light.  It's super bright, and it's tiny (fits in key pocket).


      Imminent Catastrophe

        Another BD Spot user. Great light, very bright and good battery life. The only drawback is that it's a little too "spot"--IOW too small a beam for trailrunning. Small, focused beam. I fixed that by putting a couple layers of Scotch satin finish tape over the lens. It spread the beam out a bit but didn't dim it. So now it's excellent!

        "Able to function despite imminent catastrophe"

         "To obtain the air that angels breathe you must come to Tahoe"--Mark Twain

        "The most common question from potential entrants is 'I do not know if I can do this' to which I usually answer, 'that's the whole point'.--Paul Charteris, Tarawera Ultramarathon RD.

         

        √ Javelina Jundred Jalloween 2015

        Cruel Jewel 50 mile May 2016

        Western States 100 June 2016

        xor


          I have:

           

          1. A fenix LD20 handheld.  My favorite light by far.

           

          2. A Princeton "Remix" headlamp.  I got it at a sports authority or something.  It is cool because it has a super bright led plus the option of red leds.  Battery life is good.  The problem, aside from the fact that headlamps give awful depth perception, is that after about six hours on my head, it starts to hurt.  Fine in summer, not fine in winter.

           

          3. So, just this week, I got a Black Diamond "sprinter" headlamp. I bought it because it has a rechargeable battery pack and it has an extra over-the-head strap that I figured would help with the whole squeezin-my-melon thing and my six hour threshhold.

           

          EXCEPT...

           

          Well, I think I have the sprinter's band as big as it will go and it is way tight on my head.  Six hours?  No, it makes my head hurt after about 5 minutes.  Ugh.  I'm pretty sure I can't make it bigger.

           

          Damn fat head.

           

            I also have the BD Sprinter (and if L Train reads this thread he'll be annoyed because I've babbled one or two (or fifty) times too many about how great it is, but oh well.). I also have a truly giant melon, but I've never had the tightness issue, even in the winter when I've got it on over a beanie cap. I don't use the over-the-head strap, fwiw. I'm not familiar with the Storm model, but I'd highly recommend Black Diamond as a brand based on my experience. Bright as the sun, nice wide beam, suitably lightweight, just all good.

             

            L Train would want you to know that I got it on Amazon, btw. And no, I am not a corporate shill for either company.

            A list of my PRs in a misguided attempt to impress people that do not care.

            TeaOlive


            old woman w/hobby

              Thanks one and all!

               

              I did end up getting the Storm.  The deciding factor was the water proof/resist.

               

              I have killed two Garmins and one IPod in the recent past with my sweat so, thought it the best way to go.

               

              MTA:  I'm not really looking forward to running in the dark regardless. 

              steph  

               

               


              Kalsarikännit

                The Black Diamond Sprinter came up pretty inexpensive on Steep and Cheap.  I checked it out, and loved the idea that it was rechargeable, but it says that it is only good for six hours.  That isn't going to work during a long race or if I'm backpacking.  I previously had the BD Cosmo.  Comfortable and long battery life, but the light was pretty weak.  I bought the BD Spot.  The first time I used it was at the Ozark 100. I thought the battery life would be the same as the Cosmo.  It isn't.  So, in the middle of the night I ended up kicking myself because I brought no backup batteries, and it was impossible to find my way forward in oak forests with dispersed trees and no clear trail (because everything is covered in leaves) without a light source.  I ended up spending a hour or two behind a runner and his pacer (who was leading and route finding in violation of the rules, but I wasn't going to say anything at that point) who were at a sloooow walk.  Now the Spot has had enough.  It broke while I was out in the Alleghenies, leaving me stranded at night.  Time to move on.  It appears that many runners have Petzl's.  Maybe it is time to give one of those a try.

                I want to do it because I want to do it.  -Amelia Earhart

                 

                HoosierDaddy


                GreyBeard

                  BD ICON works awesome.  It also shows up on Steap n Cheap regularly.

                  2020

                  • Black Canyon 100k
                  • RRR
                  • Zane Grey 100k
                  • High Lonesome 100
                  • Wyoming Range 100 (?)
                  • The Bear 100
                  • Javelina Jundred (?)
                  DoppleBock


                    I run often on trails for 2-4 hours after dark (non-race) - I also really like this re-chargeable lamp.  I have another with batteries for races.  The full beam seems to last 4 hours to me ~ If I back it down to 50% (This equals most headlamps light output) it last longer.  I tend to have to at reduced light until I need to see better (Rocks and Roots) 

                     

                    The Black Diamond Sprinter came up pretty inexpensive on Steep and Cheap.  I checked it out, and loved the idea that it was rechargeable, but it says that it is only good for six hours.  That isn't going to work during a long race or if I'm backpacking.  I previously had the BD Cosmo.  Comfortable and long battery life, but the light was pretty weak.  I bought the BD Spot.  The first time I used it was at the Ozark 100. I thought the battery life would be the same as the Cosmo.  It isn't.  So, in the middle of the night I ended up kicking myself because I brought no backup batteries, and it was impossible to find my way forward in oak forests with dispersed trees and no clear trail (because everything is covered in leaves) without a light source.  I ended up spending a hour or two behind a runner and his pacer (who was leading and route finding in violation of the rules, but I wasn't going to say anything at that point) who were at a sloooow walk.  Now the Spot has had enough.  It broke while I was out in the Alleghenies, leaving me stranded at night.  Time to move on.  It appears that many runners have Petzl's.  Maybe it is time to give one of those a try.

                    Long dead ... But my stench lingers !

                     

                     

                    xor


                      Sprinter is rated for 6 hours on Bright As Fuck high, and either 42 or 64 (depending on what I read) on low.

                       

                      I'd like to tell you how it has worked out for me, but I can't wear mine without seeing stars and getting a migraine.

                       

                      TeaOlive


                      old woman w/hobby

                        Thanks one and all!

                         

                        I did end up getting the Storm.  The deciding factor was the water proof/resist.

                         

                        I have killed two Garmins and one IPod in the recent past with my sweat so, thought it the best way to go.

                         

                        MTA:  I'm not really looking forward to running in the dark regardless. 

                         

                         

                        Yes, the dark sucks!  The light wasn't as bright as I would have liked.  Though, I think that runnerclay (who was with me at that point)

                        told me that it was a bright light.  

                         

                        Anyway,  sometime just after six hours it started to get very dim.   I had extra batteries but didn't want to stop.  

                        I just wanted to get done so I kept going.  

                         

                        With a couple miles left to go a guy came up behind me with a light so bright that at first I thought that he

                        was a car (short distance on a cross road).  He ran with me most of the rest of the way in (thanks anonymous guy).

                         

                        He said that his light was a Petzl but that it was borrowed so didn't know the model.  FWIW.

                        steph  

                         

                         


                        Kalsarikännit

                          Sprinter is rated for 6 hours on Bright As Fuck high,

                           

                          Eh.  I have never had a headlamp that went higher than Moderately Goddamn Lightish.

                          I want to do it because I want to do it.  -Amelia Earhart

                           

                          xor


                            Ok.  I mentioned my Princeton Tec Remix sort of in a throwaway comment above.  I bought the thing kind of randomly in a Huntsville Alabama Sports Authority because I wanted to do some night running and had shown up... unprepared.  So I went and got what I could.  It is not a sexy light with a sexy name.

                             

                            But darned if the thing doesn't work well, and it is comfortable.

                             

                            And I realized after looking at some log stuff that it has lasted a lot longer than the dreaded 6 hours on high.  It is rated to last 28 hours on high (or 61 hours on a "high" setting with its weird red LEDs. Which I don't use.  28 hours for the typical superbright, white LED).  I don't think I got 28 hours out of my batteries, but I got way way more than 6, for sure.

                             

                            It's on the clymb right now for $24.98.  I probably paid 35.