@vs_shine - My opinions on appropriate night time running gear have been shaped by the local Tuesday run at Cobb's Hill. The hill is full of runners, running at various paces and in various patterns on the same hill, with occasional clueless automotive traffic. It starts at 6 PM, so during Daylight Wasting Time it's dark for the Cobb's Hill run.

At Cobb's Hill in the winter, I get to see what is and is not visible as other people wear it. Reflective gear is good in traffic, though some is better than others. Reflective strips on shoes are trash. The shoes get dusty, the strip doesn't reflect, and I wouldn't trust drivers to be looking at shoe level anyway. Reflective patches and strips that are part of running wear are wimpy. They're better than nothing, but not really adequate. Designed reflective vests and harnesses show up well in my headlamp, and in auto headlights. Some are more expensive than others, but none work any better than a simple $30 (probably cheaper online) Amphipod Xinglet. (Had to go dig mine out to read the name. I see them, I like them, but I'm not big on brand loyalty.)

Most importantly, there's always someone at Cobb's Hill demonstrating how *NOT* to dress for running in the dark. When I was wearing a wimpy 30 lumen headlamp, which is certainly good enough for other runners and drivers to see me, I came close to running into some people dressed in dark clothing with no lights and nothing reflective. Getting a headlamp recommended by a friend who runs trails (probably 75 lumens at the setting I use) helped a lot with seeing the dark runners.

I've also done some cross country practice with the club at a local park. Guess what? Reflective gear does nothing if there aren't any lights to reflect!

So . . . I'm a fan of the reflective harness, the blinking red lights front and back, and a good strong headlamp so I can see where I'm going if there are no streetlights and no car headlights. The simple, cheap blinkers that you can clip onto the harness or your waist or the strap on the headlamp work every bit as well as the more expensive stuff, and frequently better.

Light spurs are popular. These are designed to be put on the back of your shoes. Better than reflective strips on the shoes, but not terribly bright. Some runners wear them on their forearms. That gives great visibility from the side and doesn't do much for front or rear, the way most newbies wear them. Perhaps one runner in 20 that uses a light spur on their upper arm correctly positions it so I can see the blinking light from behind the runner.

Every year, there is some new twist on lighting marketed to the running community. Most of the pricey blinking red lights work no better than the cheap clip-ons, and are a waste of money. Last year I did a run while doing a demo with a handheld light; that convinced me to buy one.

Have a backup. If the battery dies on your only headlamp when you're 3 miles away from base, it can be either a scary run or a slow walk to get back. Part of what convinced me to buy that handheld was diversity; the headlamp does better at lighting up what I'm looking at, the handheld does better at pointing to places on a trail I need to see, and having both greatly reduces the nuisance if the battery dies in one of them. It has happened.

I don't know much about dog gear, but I have seen people with dogs that have blinking lights on a collar or harness. There might be some that are specifically designed for dogs, but at least one runner I saw had clipped standard runners' blinking lights to the dog collar. That probably works best with a very well trained dog.

Can't help you with the question about mace. I don't know anything about it, and my plan for mace is to run away from any girl who looks like she might spray me with something. My plan for dogs is to hope they believe in the invisible fence more than I do.

Lots of good info from @MobyCarp . I also wanted to add thta my husband bought me these LED wrist/ankle bands(amazon.com/dp/B018U2UYXW?psc=1) last year and they are great. There is also a line of LED vests and stuff called NOXGEAR. It's super cool but also very expensive.

I also currently use a headlamp to be able to see in the dark. I do not love it because it bounces a bit and sometimes doesnt stay in place. I think I am going to invest in some knuckle lights this fall.

I wear fluorescent clothing and often have a reflective harness, and I'm going to try out the light up armband I got for running my mudrun. Most folks around here are really good about watching through shoulder for living things.....one advantage of living in deer country. Folks move way over and even turn off their high beams when they see me.

Thanks for this thread. I have a reflective vest my brother let me borrow, but it's not for running and it's HOT even when the weather is cool.

I'm going to look into the lights mentioned here, but I definitely need a handheld. Something to point the light in whatever direction I need to see - we don't have street lights but I'm not worried about traffic where I run. The most common thing to run into here is skunk... fortunately, they move slow, have poor eyesight and as long as you don't surprise them, they waddle off on their own accord. My goal is to not surprise them I've been using the flashlight feature on my iPhone since I'm Pokemon-ing anyway, but I don't think that's a long term choice.

And if you ever have a skunk take up residence in your backyard like I did last year, believe it or not, ammonia soaked rags will drive them to seek a different home.... oh, the irony!

not sure if it was mentioned, but the LED slap sticks are great. You can set them to blink or stay steady. I wear one on my outside ankle and one on my wrist. Also carry a small LED flashlight that I turn on when I see a car coming.

lporter229 wrote: »

Lots of good info from @MobyCarp .
I also currently use a headlamp to be able to see in the dark. I do not love it because it bounces a bit and sometimes doesnt stay in place.

Having a Headlamp as made me improve my posture/head stability to eliminate the bounce and sway which ultimately results in a small energy saving.

I have 2 LED Headlamps Hooked to one strap. One points forward as my light, a much smaller one pointing to the rear and I have it set for RED Led's in Flash Mode so I am visible from the rear. Still need to add some small side LED Flashers on my sides to improve road crossing safety. This also gives me a 2nd headlamp in case the batteries in the one facing forward fail, allowing me an emergency exit/end to my run in a safe way.

@MobyCarp Rest and Recover good sir.

Now if it would just Quit Pouring and Blowing I could get outside for a Dash and Splash.

All the reflective items and those running clip on things that blink.
I also try to wear light colored tops, and carry protective items, too, because night time and because lots of weirdos out there.

I relate to this! I love running at night, but I moved to a shady area so I won't anymore. I miss it. You can buy cheap glow bracelets that are kind of fun to wear, not the most "professional" running gear, but they do the trick. https://www.amazon.com/Glow-Sticks-Light-up-Glowstick-Bracelets/dp/B000IZ9N78/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1496678285&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=glow+bracelets&psc=1