www.petzl.com; 6 ounces
When you run a 200-mile relay race from the Appalachian Mountains through the Potomac River Valley and down to the nation’s capital, seeing is essential.  And when I ran the DC leg of the Ragnar Relay, my best companion (other than my teammates) was undeniably the MYO RXP headlamp.  Whether on the dark side mountain cutbacks, through park trails, or in the throws of suburbia, footing can get rough during the wee hours of the night, and the lightweight headlamp illuminated the scene like a head-mounted Kleig light. The powerful light capacity ranges across 10 power levels, from a relatively dim eight lumens up to an intense 160 lumens.  After virtually blinding my teammate at the first handoff, I quickly familiarized myself with the manual before my next run.  Thankfully, adjusting levels is a breeze, and you can customize three light-illumination levels. It even offers an SOS strobe mode in case you need to go there (thankfully, I didn’t).  There is also a convenient button for a quick boost of light.  The angle of the lamp is easily adjustable, allowing anywhere from a straightforward focused beam to a downward flood beam, especially handy for trickier terrain.  Another cool feature? Regulated lighting, which enables a consistent beam without dimming until you get really low on the juice.  Not to worry, the maximum battery life is a notable 95 hours, and there is a color-coded battery life indicator so you should have plenty of notice—but it was still a comfort. Lots of potential wrong turns over those 200 miles…
-Pawan Bhatia