This series is a fictional podcast show in which writer Hagiwara (who met three people, Nishioka, Yoshida, and Haruka, on #WednesdayBudouzakaRen) delves into various topics related to milestones.

The autumn leaves are starting to turn deep in the mountains. The sun sets early, but is there enough light?

Hagiwara (hereinafter, Hagi): What will you be teaching us this month?

Nishioka (hereafter, Nishi): A map and compass...

Omori (hereinafter, Haruka): Milestone! When you think of "milestone," you think of headlamps.

Yoshida (hereinafter Yoshi): Of the wide variety of inquiries we receive from customers, the most common is about headlamps.

Hagi: There are many different types, and each one is packed with features, so it can be difficult for a first-time user to choose one.

Yoshi: For those who say, "I don't know which one to choose," I sometimes explain each product's function one by one over the phone (laughs), but I thought I'd take another look at this product as part of our current product lineup, and explain the specifications and how to use it, as well as the situations in which we're aiming it to be used.

Hagi: So you have to write in a way that is easy to understand so that people will read it before making an inquiry (laughs).

Yoshi: I was thinking of replying by email with a URL saying "Please see here" (laughs).

Haruka: It's exactly like "Tell me! Milestone!"

Yoshi: In fact, to learn about the differences between the many different types of caps, we recommend reading Part 2, "Things that are worn on the same head."

・MS-i1 Endurance model

Hagi: Now, which one should we start with?

Yoshi: First of all, let's start with the MS-i1.

Haruka: It's the flagship!

Yoshi: It's advertised as an endurance model, so it's positioned as a model for long-distance running. It was developed for use in long overnight races and for mountain hikes that require constant movement all night.

Nishi: It's what's known as an ultra race, a 100km or 100 mile race.

Yoshi: Recently, there are people who don't just run but also do 100km walks, so I think this would be good for those people too.

Nishi: That might work with the MS-K1, but I think we'll talk about the MS-K1 later.

Haruka: Some people choose it for long, multi-day mountain climbing trips. It's because the battery lasts so long.

Nishi: The biggest feature of this headlamp is that it can be used for a long time, and the battery can be used as a mobile battery for smartphones.

Yoshi: When I serve customers at milestone TERADACHO, I secretly tell them how Ryo Doi uses the batteries at TJAR. First, prepare a few spare batteries. After using one overnight for your headlamp, you'll always have some left over, so use that to charge your phone during the day. On the second day, use a new battery again at night and use the remaining battery to charge your phone.

Nishi: I think everyone already knows this, but one of the features of milestone headlamps is that they are warm white. The orange light is excellent for when fog appears and has excellent light transmission.

Hagi: We learned more about differentiation from white LEDs and the incandescent color in the first episode, "milestone is a headlamp manufacturer." We talked about our history, starting with carbide lamps, the MS-F1 Trail Master developed with Mr. Doi, and the MS-i1.

Nishi: The MS-i1 has a mix of white and incandescent LEDs that light up simultaneously, creating a natural light that is useful when you're feeling a bit run down.

Hagi: The first time I saw 1,000 lumens, I was surprised at how bright it was.

Nishi: There were no four-digit numbers back then.

Yoshi: When you were developing the Trail Master, you weren't running yet, were you? It was a model you released around the time you first started trail running and began to experience and understand what it's like to run on a trail. The MS-i1 has four light intensity loops: 65, 260, 480, and 1,000 lumens, and I think that design makes it easy to use for people who run long distances.

Nishi: Specializing in trail running means you wear it on your head while running, so I think it was well-received because of the good balance of weight, lighting time, and brightness. And the price was also good.

Haruka: The Trailmaster was black and had a mechanical feel, but the MS-i1 has a rounder, softer impression.

Nishi: That was also good. The design of the belt is based on the elevation map of UTMF, and it also includes Mt. Shakushi and the Tenshi Mountains. It's been a long-selling product since its release four years ago.

Haruka: Four years is a long time for one gear.

Nishi: There are many good points and points of emphasis, but on the other hand, we sometimes receive inquiries about them.

Yoshi: The Trail Master was IPX5, but the MS-i1 is IPX4.

Hagi: What is IPX?

Haruka: It's an international standard that indicates waterproof performance. IPX8 can withstand continuous submersion. 7 is for temporary submersion. 6 is for protection from strong water jets from any direction. 5 is for water jets from any direction. 4 is for protection from water splashes.

Yoshi: It's fine if it's splashing with rain. However, in my case, I once had some issues with it working while riding during a typhoon.

Haruka: I wonder if water got in through the gaps in the buttons or something.

Yoshi: So, does that mean it can't be used during typhoons? Doi-chan ran the TJAR during the typhoon and had no problems. I guess you can't say it's 100% safe. There were cases where it malfunctioned during the heavy rains in the Shinetsu region, and of course there are people who can run in the Shinetsu region without any problems.

Haruka: Does this happen with other manufacturers too?

Nishi: I think so.

Hagi: That's why a spare light is a must-have item for racing, just in case something happens.

Nishi: Sometimes it's fine if you dry it out, but there are electronic circuit boards inside, so if water gets in there it can cause problems, whether it's ours or another company's.

Haruka: The top three reasons why the light won't turn on are:

1) The lock is engaged.

2) The cap is loose.

3) The battery is inserted backwards

If you think it won't light up, I'd like you to check these three things once again.

Nishi: All milestone headlamps have a locking function to prevent accidental operation. Many other manufacturers don't have this feature. This is to prevent the lamp from turning on accidentally in your backpack, and then when you try to use it, it won't turn on because there are no batteries.

Haruka: Sometimes people tell me that when they press the switch, it just flickers and doesn't light up.

Nishi: That's a sign that the phone is locked. In the case of the G series, the button lights up. You can unlock it by holding down the switch.

Nishi: The MS-i1 battery case has a double gasket to prevent water from getting in. This means you have to turn the cap a lot more times (laughs). It only turns on when you tighten it all the way to the point where it can't turn any more, so I think that's a good thing because it gives you peace of mind.

Yoshi: The most common cause is caps, since we are a hat manufacturer.

Hagi: (bitter smile)

Nishi: You say it well (laughs)

Yoshi: The reason we've made it so airtight is that the battery itself is vulnerable to water. I think most people store spare batteries in ziplock bags, but if they're left with condensation inside, they'll rust. I want people to be mindful of drying them out and not leaving them lying around.

Nishi: We've also been asked, "Do you have replacement belts?" Our belts are listed on our online site . If you contact us individually, we can also sell clips and parts.

Hagi: I didn't know they sold belts (laughs).

Haruka: We often get inquiries about the MS-LB3 battery, saying, "I can't charge it."

Yoshi: Yes, that happens. Sometimes you don't use the original cable that came with the device. You can't charge it with the iPhone's USB Type-C cable.

Haruka: The genuine cable is a cable that can not only charge but also supply power.

Yoshi: Just because it's the same Type-C port doesn't mean you can use any cable. So, if you put this genuine cable through it, it will work.

Nishi: I use this original cable to charge my smartphone with the MS-LB3 battery. This is the lightest.

・MS-J1 Route Finder

Yoshi: The MS-J1 is a sister model that can use the same battery as the MS-i1. It is also an endurance model and is a handy light called a route finder.

Hagi: In the 11th episode, "What Illuminates the Future," you talked about the field test that inspired the name.

Yoshi: The members at MoonlightGear Osaka store recommend it as a great item to use on hikes. The batteries themselves are vulnerable to water, so it's safe to carry it around as a battery case, and it doubles as a handy light, so you can lighten your load. It also makes night hikes more enjoyable.

Haruka: The instructions say the irradiation distance is about 150 meters.

Yoshi: It feels like the light jumps out more than with the MS-i1.

Nishi: By the way, do you know what this groove is for?

Yoshi: Anti-slip?

Haruka: So you can tell which way it's facing?

Hagi: Just a design?

Nishi: The correct answer is for heat dissipation. Aluminum resin conducts heat easily, so increasing the surface area allows the heat to escape. If it's set to 1000 lumens, it will generate heat. Just a little bit of trivia.

Haruka: It's also nice that you can see how much battery is left. At first the switch lights up green, then when it drops below 80% it turns yellow. When it's 20% it turns red.

・milestone x paagoworks RUSH Light 2.0

Yoshi: Next, let me introduce the MS-i1+RUSHLight 2.0. It was revamped and released in March of this year.

Hagi: The 27th episode, "Do you know who knows?" It's still fresh in your memory.

Yoshi: It's a waist light, commonly known as "Koshihikari." It's an item that works in addition to a headlamp, providing light at the waist, closer to your feet, so you can ride with peace of mind.

Haruka: The storage capacity has increased significantly since the 1.0. You can even fit a plastic bottle in the back.

Yoshi: I don't think there's any particularly new information here.

Nishi: Yes! It was when I was in the mountains, but I can't remember when that was.

Haruka: It was when we went to the Northern Alps for employee training!

Nishi: I see. I received an email from a customer asking, "Could this hole on the side be for passing a cord through?"

Hagi: Yes, there really is a hole.

Nishi: The previous RUSHLight 1.0 had zippers on both sides, and the cord came out from between them. So I did the same with the 2.0, and I was taking concept photos, product photos, and model photos. Then I got that email. It was like, "Ahhhh!", like, "This is what it means to have a light bulb go off in your head!" That was when I first noticed the hole on the side.

Hagi: What? (laughs)

Yoshi: I said, "It's already set up like that, so isn't it okay?"

Nishi: Then you'd wonder what the hole was for. I think that while developing the product, Pargoworks thought it would be convenient to have a hole here, so they made it. However, I didn't hear about it, so we weren't able to communicate properly. Yoshi called the customer, but the signal was poor in the mountains, and the conversation was about to get complicated.

Haruka: When I contacted Pargo to confirm, they immediately replied, "It's a hole for passing a cord through."

Nishi: So I said, "Thank you for pointing that out. I checked with Pargo and it was the correct hole. I'm glad you pointed that out." I immediately took a new photo and replaced the photo on the website.

Hagi: That was a very helpful inquiry.

・MS-K1 Hybrid model

Nishi: And then there's the MS-K1. This is a hybrid model that can be powered by both dry batteries and dedicated rechargeable batteries. It uses the same lens as the MS-i1, but it's not as small in size because it takes three 1.5-volt AAA batteries.

Nishi: Every manufacturer makes this because it has a good balance of brightness and battery life.

Hagi: We're using less and less batteries in our daily lives.

Nishi: Compared to other models, there aren't as many of these, but I think you need one. If this one is sold out, there won't be any models that use batteries. The A series, which runs on a single battery, has sadly disappeared as well. Rechargeable models are convenient, but it would be a problem if you couldn't charge them in the event of a disaster.

Hagi: They sell batteries in mountain huts too. Having something that can be used for both is one way to avoid risk in case of an emergency.

Nishi: In the event of a disaster, you'll want to charge your smartphone, and you'll definitely need batteries. In that sense, I want to keep this model.

Yoshi: It has a strong following, including mountaineers and campers. Some people choose the G series for its lightness, though.

Haruka: It can be lit for about 8 hours in economy mode, which reduces the maximum light output to 30% of the 620 lumens. The weight is also somewhere between the MS-i1 and the G series.

Hagi: It's a model that's reasonably bright, lasts a decent amount of time, and can be used in a wide variety of ways. In episode 19, we learned that dry-cell batteries actually last longer than you might expect.

・G series MS-G2, G3, G4

Nishi: Now, the long-awaited G series. The MS-G2 is a best-seller and a long-time seller. It's been on the market for a long time. It's become an elder statesman. The reasons for its popularity are its wide-angle illumination, light weight, various lighting patterns, and dimming (stepless adjustment) function.

Hagi: We learned about the G series in episode 7, "What does G stand for?"

Nishi: When the MS-G2 was released, there weren't many lightweight lights on the market. Everyone had the PETZL E-Lite for emergencies, and it was the standard emergency light. I think it was revolutionary that something this light and small could be bright enough to be used as a main light.

Yoshi: We want to advertise how light it is, so we list the weight without the headband.

Nishi: That's right, 28 grams.

Yoshi: People still say it's about half the weight of the MS-G3 or G4. Haruka was fooled too.

Haruka: The poster in the store also said it was 28 grams. I was fooled (laughs).

Nishi: That's the weight without the band. Please understand. It has a clip, so some customers attach it to the brim of their cap or don't use a band. Of all the milestone headlamps, this is the only one that has a flashing red light. Only the G series has a steady red light. When do you use the red light?

Haruka: I use it when I'm at a campsite and the lights are too bright and I don't want to disturb the people around me.

Hagi: It's said to be good manners to turn your light red when you go to the toilet after the lights are out in a mountain hut.

Yoshi: They say fish can't see red light, and it also keeps insects away.

Nishi: It's a great way to protect against insects.

Haruka: The MS-G2 also has an SOS function that flashes red in Morse code.

Yoshi: When I'm serving customers, I'm often asked about the differences between the G series. I tell them that the MS-G2 is good for city runs with street lights, mountain passes, and other dimly lit situations. Although it has a wide angle, its beam distance is only 35 meters. If you're running fast on a trail at night, you might find it a little dark.

Hagi: You want it to be bright when going down a trail.

Yoshi: When I'm going on a night trail run, unless it's overnight, I use the white MS-G3 or the warm white MS-G4. For example, if I'm running a 50km race and it's night for the last hour or so, I need to keep a headlamp in my pack. Lighter and smaller is better. For trails like Hasetsune, where gas is sure to be released, I use the warm white MS-G4. People who walk long trails and spend a lot of time at campsites also often choose the warm white.

Nishi: Soft light creates a nice atmosphere at a campsite.

Haruka: If we compare just the brightness figures, the white MS-G3 is 420 lumens. The warm white MS-G4 is 380 lumens. I like the soft warm white light when I'm in the mountains, so I use the MS-G4. But I had a hard time deciding which one to buy. And why did you make two in the first place? The MS-G2 has two color options. Please tell me!

Hagi: That's true! I've never heard of that!

Nishi: Actually, milestone has a theory that one model and one color are the only options for headlamps. We've decided not to make them in different colors for the body. If you take other companies as an example, they'll have the same model but with different exterior colors like blue, red, or black. That's the norm, but our style is that each model has one function and one color. It's difficult for outdoor shops to have a wide range of colors. They have to stock that much inventory, and as a manufacturer we have to keep that inventory as well. Personally, I thought that wasn't quite right, so I've continued that style since the very first A series. But instead, we've released both white and warm white models.

Yoshi: So up until now, they've been released in pairs, for example, MS-A6 in white and MS-A7 in warm white, or MS-H1 in white and MS-H2 in warm white.

Haruka: I see, so that means the MS-G2, which came in both white and warm white, was actually quite rare.

Hagi: I was only familiar with MS-G2, so I'm glad to find out about it.

Haruka: What is the pattern on this MS-G2 belt?

Nishi: It's a really good design. It's easy to see on the MS-G1, but it's a little harder to see on the MS-G2 because it's monochrome.

Haruka: It has vine-like leaves.

Nishi: Up until then, we hadn't released a black model. The reason was that Fujitouki's other brand, ZEXUS, is black, so we didn't want to do it (laughs). But it was really well received, so I guess people really do like black.

Yoshi: The G2 is USB Type-B, but the G3 and G4 are Type-C. What's more, you can use them while charging.

Haruka: I thought the light output was 10% while charging.

Yoshi: We've had inquiries about the G series from people asking if we could sell just the back part. The plastic parts can break or crack. We have made it possible to purchase it online .

Haruka: For some reason, the MS-G3 and MS-G4 belts aren't available online.

Yoshi: Is that true? Oh, it's true (laughs)

Haruka: This is a rare inquiry we get, but the charging cord is plugged in from the bottom, but we've had people try to force open the top.

Nishi: There's no one like that, right?

Yoshi: I'm here. This is Haruka. I opened the top as hard as I could to charge it.

Haruka: Excuse me (laughs). I took off the button on the top switch, and now I can't put it back in. What should I do?

Nishi: Unfortunately, that's not possible. When assembling it, a rubber switch is inserted and the front and rear parts are firmly attached with ultrasound, so once they come apart, they can never be put back together.

Haruka: When charging, be sure to open the bottom part where the USB mark is. Don't even try to open the top part by mistake (laughs).

Hagi: Do you have any plans for the next model?

Nishi: Just between you and me, we're working on it. We're also developing the next headlamp. But rather than rushing it, we're going to take our time. There are still a few areas we want to improve. Maybe next year.

Yoshi: We're developing and expanding new apparel items, but we also want to cherish lighting. It's been our mainstay for a long time, and it will continue to be so in the future.

Haruka: I'd love for you to try out the items I introduced today in the milestone TERADACHO dark room and see the difference for yourself. We'll also be lighting up some smoke.

Nishi: If you currently have a product from another company that you are using, please bring it with you so we can compare the differences in brightness and lighting.

Hagi: It's rare to have the opportunity to actually try it out before you buy it.

Nishi: Well, that's all for this month. Goodbye.

Yoshi: Goodbye.

Haruka/Hagi: Goodbye.


This time, we reviewed the current lineup of headlamps and learned about frequently asked questions. Unlike apparel, headlamps have functions that cannot be understood by appearance alone, so you'll want an explanation. If you look through the past archives of the "Oshi! My" article introduced above, you'll find more in-depth content. To see the actual light, be sure to check out milestone TERADACHO.


Well, this month was the BAMBI100. Congratulations to everyone who finished. And for those who didn't finish, congratulations on covering your longest distance ever. The best part of running is beating your personal best. Everyone's physical strength, experience, training environment, time available, and cost are all different, so it's nonsense to compare yourself to others. If you've made it this far, then maybe you can make it this far next time, and you keep building on that. But that's only possible in the dark, on your own, on your own path.

So, when times get tough, let's run together. Lighting your way.


Text and composition: Ken Hagiwara