Silva headtorch

A cleverly designed headtorch that mixes great form and function, is this an ideal lamp for walkers?

Silva’s Trail Runner Free H headtorch might have been conceived for running (the clue’s in the name) but in truth its appeal is far broader. After all, some of the key requirements for runners – light weight, reliably robust, powerful and adaptable illumination – apply to almost any user of headtorches, and particularly to hill and mountain walkers.

Before we go any further it’s worth mentioning the things that are missing here, just in case they turn out to be deal breakers. Firstly, there’s no night-vision maintaining red light, so if this is something you really want in a headtorch (and ask yourself honestly, how often do you really use it?) the Trail Runner Free isn’t for you. It’s IPX5 rated, meaning it’s robustly water resistant, but not waterproof like some IPX7 rated torches. And finally, it doesn’t have any fancy auto-adjusting wizardry, just three manual power levels and a flashing option.

But with those omissions aside (and they’re only omissions if they’re features you’d use), the Silva

Trail Runner Free H still offers some great features...