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Bought a $9 headlamp for a trip in the Catskills and it died at mile 2, so I finally looked up what the numbers on the box mean
I grabbed a cheap headlamp at a gas station outside Phoenicia last month because I forgot mine at home. Two miles into a night hike it went from bright to a dim orange dot in about 20 minutes, and I had to finish using my phone. When I got back I actually read the box and saw it said 3000 lumens with no runtime listed anywhere. Turns out that number is usually the max burst mode that only lasts like 30 seconds before it steps down. The real spec you want is regulated output, which means it holds a steady brightness instead of fading as the battery drains. Now I check for that word on the packaging before I buy anything. Does anyone have a budget light that actually holds its output for more than an hour?
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the_parker26d ago
My Black Diamond Spot held steady all through a four hour night hike on three AAA batteries.
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