1. Tested During Adventures: Fenix HM65R-T v2.0 Review
Introduction
Welcome, adventurers! I am very excited about this new subsection of the website. It is time for the very first gear and expedition review on podzimekexplores.com. During a recent poll asking what should come next to the site, gear and expedition reviews took first place!
The Philosophy
Let’s get one thing straight from the start: you won’t find reviews here based on unpacking gear in a cozy living room or browsing a gear expo. The gear I talk about is taken deep into the wild and beaten to the core. We are talking temperatures dropping to -16°C, multi-day pushes, and expeditions that sometimes exceed 150 hours. I push it to the limit so you can safely pick the right gear for your own adventures.
First up is a ultrarunning game-changer from my main sponsor, Fenix: the HM65R-T v2.0.
Built for the Extremes
This is the flagship model in Fenix’s trail running series, and it embodies their slogan: “Lighting for extremes.” When you are on a dark, isolated trail, you need enough power. This lamp delivers with 1600 lumens and a 170-meter max beam distance.
One of my favorite features is the dual-light setup: it features both standard white light and warm white light.
Why this matters: If you’ve ever been caught in a total whiteout, you know standard white light just bounces off the snow and blinds you. During our Triglav 270km run in Slovenia, we hit a snowstorm, and being able to instantly switch to the warm white beam could be very helpful in such environments.
This dual-beam setup is going to be my primary support for the Full Winter Spine Race on the Pennine Way, where storms and whiteouts are more common than you think.
Real-World Battery Life vs. “Fancy” Competitors
The battery life is built for true ultra-endurance. You get a solid 24 hours of runtime in the standard trail running mode, and you can easily toggle the intensity on the go. If you drop it down to the 5-lumen Eco mode, it can theoretically last for 300 hours.
Obviously, as ultrarunners navigating high-alpine terrain, we need a higher, safer output than 5 lumens. But Fenix solves this perfectly. Instead of built-in, non-removable batteries or “fancy” proprietary charging packs that look cool in a catalog but freeze and fail in the wild, Fenix uses swappable batteries.
For the Spine Race, my setup is simple and foolproof:
I carry pre-charged spare batteries inside my jacket, right against my body to keep them warm.
When a battery drains, I pop it out and slide a warm, fresh one right in.
No cables, no complicated extra steps.
Field Notes from the Pandurensteig
We tested this exact Fenix setup during a 66-hour push on the Pandurensteig. Temperatures plummeted to between -13°C and -16°C. The conditions were hard—our water bottles, our food, and even our shoes froze solid. In fact, the cold was so intense that my plastic running goggles literally snapped and broke.
Magnesium vs. Plastic: No Contest
That brings me to the construction. While my plastic goggles shattered in the freezing cold, the Fenix headlamp didn’t blink. It’s made from a high-quality magnesium alloy. It is very lightweight, but unlike the plastic bodies used by most competitors, magnesium doesn’t become brittle and snap when the temperature plummets.
If the Fit is Right
Finally, let’s talk about the fit. There is nothing more annoying than a top-heavy headlamp bouncing around, ruining your depth perception on a technical trail.
The HM65R-T v2.0 features a two-way adjustable headband that locks down tight, comfortably, and securely. Even on steep, technical traverses, the lamp stays perfectly centered and locked to your head. No bouncing, no shifting—just a steady, reliable beam exactly where you are looking. And in case you do slip, an emergency whistle is built directly into the headband within easy reach. It is also highly reflective which enhances safety features.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a headlamp that won’t quit when the weather turns to survival mode, this is it.
Disclaimer: Fenix is my main sponsor, but this gear has been rigorously tested in conditions that don’t care about sponsorships. I trust it on the trails.
Available here: https://fenixstore.de/Fenix-HM65R-T-V20-Trailrunning-Stirnlampe
