Hanlie Booyens did the Munga Race at the end of 2015. She bought some of Extreme Lights’ products for this amazing adventure. Here is her feedback on the products she used:
The inaugural MUNGA has come and gone…….in its wake it left many a broken body including mine! However, not even the MUNGA could make a dent in my lighting solutions.
Thanks to an array of products from Extreme lights the dark Karoo nights became a joy-filled refuge from the scorching days where distances ridden passed with swiftness and relative ease in excellently lit paths.
This is a short review of the lights I used:
MAIN LIGHT: XP3
Light quality – The low setting provided more than enough light for most of the road conditions we encountered. I only used the medium setting to make sure I missed a few scorpions that unsettled my nerves.
Battery life – This was one of the most important consideration when choosing lights for the Munga as you needed to have something that could last an entire night and some more. On the low setting, the battery gave me over 35 hours! I only charged it once at an aid station and it did not let me down for 4 nights.
Clamp – The last thing you need under such testing conditions is a light that keeps coming loose. Not a worry with the XP3. The quick release clamp mount works brilliantly and with a bit of isolation tape on the handlebar as extra precaution, it did not move.
Battery pack – The soft neoprene pouch with its Velcro strap makes for a tight fit and even after 4 days non-stop there were no scratch marks on the frame.
Overall this light it the best I’ve used by a mile – great light quality and excellent battery life in a well-made package.
HEAD LIGHT: XPh3A
The plan was to only use the headlight as a backup for the main light and in case of repairs of the bike or digging out some snack from my backpack. However, during the first night I realized that by keeping the XPh3A on the low setting I could follow my GPS without using the GPS backlight saving tons of battery power on the GPS.
Light quality – Being use to a Petzl Tikka this light outshone it by a mile.
Fit – At only 85 grams light including 3 triple A batteries you hardly notice it’s there.
Price – The light is so well prized I bought 2!
Extreme lights also make a nice tail light that has great visibility. Unfortunately, mine got stuck on a setting and I could only switch it off by removing the batteries. I’m sure Extreme Light will gladly replace it.
So in short:
Brilliant light quality with excellent battery life in well-crafted bodies at very competitive prices. And yes I bought mine so this is not a thanks for the freebie review!