Night Hike

LEDBE
f22shift

f22shift

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 4, 2007
Messages
2,025
Location
Singapore, NY,SH,BJ
so i have a night hike coming up this saturday. it's my first. i have been hiking in the daylight and i have been camping at night but i can imagine this being a different beast.

what equipment?
i was thinking a low output headlamp for close up distance. to see what i'm stepping around and to not blind others. some hands free action that i can leave on full time.
and a general med throw to see where i'm going.
and those florescent snap sticks as low light marker of myself and the wifey.

i was trying to think keep it light since this is a hike so i want to bring just what i really need. the hike leader wants a minimum 2 liter per person which will mean i'm carrying 4 liters(refer to wifey) :eek:

distance?
also something to consider is if we are in a single file hiking, is there even a purpose for anything other than just a headlamp? would i just need to see a couple feet ahead of me to the guy in front of me?

courtesy?
another to thing to consider. i am going to be with other ppl i have never met. i can imagine not many of them being flasholics. should i stay within the 40-80 lumen realm like the store bought flashlights? although the flasholic in me wants to use a p7 at full output, i don't think it will be courteous and ruin the eyes of others.

conditions
i think it's a full moon that night. should be moderate tree coverage. not trailblazing, it should be on a known path. 2-3 hr hike with roasting marshmellows at a lake.

any input? i would like to lower the learning curve with other ppl's experiences. :sssh:
 
When night hiking, especially with a full moon, the best way is with no light. But this means everyone needs to be no light, or it won't work, ruins night vision and all.

After that i like my zebralight, it's all flood, which is very nice for just walking along.

And if you don't wanna spend much money, wal mart carries a rayovac 1xaa headlamp that's not too bright, but very nice for something like this.

Stick with low on your head, and maybe a bright something in your pocket just in case something happens.
 
I like using a Tikka headlamp and a floody hand held in the 20-40 lumen range. I have been using my Arc6 on level 3. A quick transition to high beam is a plus. Being able to reprogram the output levels on the fly is very useful. I like single celled handhelds so I can carry more reloads.

If its a casual hike (less than 2 hours) I strap on my M6 w/MN15 LA too for those WTF moments or more truthfully, too show off.
 
I take my son out on night hikes in the warm summer months. Its nothing too intense, but its a lot of fun looking for critters, bats and deer out in the dark.

Gerber Tempo - Small, long running, close range flood, ~7 regulated lumens for ~5-6 hours.

My son mans the Lowes task force, he likes its beamy-throwey output. He doesn't like many of my lights because they get too warm in the hand, so hes comfortable with the Lowes.

Surefire 6P hosting a Solarforce R2-M, Low is around 50 Lumens, high is around ~160L, Medium is somewhere in between. Its a good all around light. I bring backup cells and a DX6090 as backup.

Its hard to beat the color/tint of a good incan so I also bring an M2 in my pack with a surefire P60.

The one thing you don't want to do, is bring a one-trick pony type of light thats a retina-scorching Lumen monster. There are going to be times (more often than not) where you'll want to preserve your night vision and gently illuminate the ground in front of you. A full moon with night dilated vision can be surprisingly bright. I only really use my 100+L lights to throw out a beam across a field or far down-path.

Since you are hiking with others, I am sure they would appreciate their night vision remaining in-tact too.
 
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I'll echo what others have said about keeping your fellow hikers in mind with your light choice and use. If hiking by yourself or just with your wife, carry whatever you want that you think might be useful.

When I go hiking at night, I use as little light as possible, instead I try to use my night-adjusted eyes as much as possible. I'd avoid headlamps in mixed company unless you make sure to keep it aimed low and never take a chance on looking up and blinding a fellow hiker. You mentioned keeping it to 40-80 lumens, I'd say that is way too much for 95% of the use as you described your hike. Think more like 4-8 lumens. It would be nice to have 3 or 4 different lights along (including a low-powered red LED) of varying brightnesses, but hopefully you won't need anything more than 10-20 lumens at the most. My most used lights on night hikes with others are usually an ARC AAA and a 1st gen SF L1 (usually on low).

Most of the people are going to be out wanting to enjoy the night sky, and enjoy nature with a walk in the woods, and will not appreciate the "light polution" of a well-meaning flashaholic. I love my lights, but there is a time and place for enjoying them, and night hikes with other people is usually not one of those.
 
A zebralight on low does not seem to be bad to deal with from a few feet away even if pointed right at you. Having a little light may save you from running right into some nasty spiderwebs... Saved my kiester many times on my last nightime biking trip.
 
May I suggest a new PT EOS headlight with the Rebel l.e.d. They are on sale at REI for $30. Look for the frosted optic and a smaller l.e.d. The first shipment didn't show the increase in brightness from 25 to 50 lumens on the packaging. I've found that the settings on this headlight are just perfect. I'd estimate low at 5 lumens, medium at 20, and high at 50 lumens. The original EOS was actually about 18 on high. The beam pattern is a round hotspot (not too concentrated) with the beam as a whole in the shape of a square. It limits the light to the edges of the trail and just far enough in front of you to see where you are and where you're going. It would not spread out far enough to bother other hikers or mess up their night vision. 5 lumens is low enough to see and still preserve your night vision to a certain degree. 20 lumens is enough to comfortably hike down a trail, even an unfamiliar one. 50 lumens is bright enough to spot trail markers or find the trail.
 
My Fenix E01 AAA at 15 lumens is what my son always wants to use. It puts out a nice smooth beam. I Put a cord around one to hang around my neck. Pointed straight down like this it is good to light up directly in front of yourself.
 
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Bring along yer' Laser Pointer, also.


Comes in very handy, pointing out Stars, Planets, Constellations, etc.


(Yes, you did mention a nearly-full moon)



Please let us know how everything works out.

_
 
Scottaw and others have given good advice about needing very little or no more light than a full moon. Headlights like the Zebra and others with a very low, low, should be all that you need with the higher levels available for emergencies. As suggested, carry a brighter or multi level light to supplement or for unanticipated needs. You may be surprised how little light night adapted eye's need, depending on trail conditions.
 
I do a lot of camping with my son, and I bring a lot of lights, but I find my Milky-A2 with White Nichia CS 5mm LED's (which now puts out something like 15-20 lumens) is the best. The super-wide, long-running flood is perfect for trails, campsites, anything at night. And at night, that regulated incan is really bright and far-throwing. That being said, I also bring my M4 with Lumens Factory M3T 380 Lumen Lamp Assembly and AW 17650 cells as well as my M6 w/MN21, M3+KL2(for more super-flood effect), Milky-HDS EDC U60GT w/2cell tube, and my Rock River headlamp and my RR lantern, both with Luxeon K2 LED's. (Soon to be bringing my Milky-U2 w/ 4 Seouls and 4 12 mm reflectors as well as my Milky M6 w/ a yet-to-be-determined mod for its turbohead).:drool:
 
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My general night hiking light has become the E2E running the MN02 LA 25 lumens for 2.5 Hours. Put a F04 beam diffuser over the light and you have a broad, floody warm light source.

Roots, trees and rocks stand out better, trust me.

Of course I also bring an LED as backup for its long runtime just in case. E1B serves as my "backup" light. Oh, and the F04 diffuser works on this one as well.
 
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My last night hike, I brough along a Inova 24/7 as my headlamp and my E2D.

Only manage to use the Inova 24/7 at one short stretch of the road. The E2D was mostly for fun shining at things in the distance.
 
1 Dim 10-20Lu, floody headlamp.
2 60-70Lu handheld.
3 The brightest thing you can carry the distance and back just in case you need it.
Pack extra cells for whatever will run the longest, also just in case.
 
I've been night hiking for years and I too like a lower output headlamp for this. I really like the Rayovac 1xAA. The 1 watt is just fine when using the diffuser. Doesn't disturb others and I can flip up the cover if I need a little more distance. The red leds uncovered are great too.

I also carry a SF G2 P61 to light up the wildlife we come across.
 
what everyone said about preserving your buddies night vision makes a lot of sense......but I never get to show off my lights....I'd bring something practical, and then something for the "wow" factor. I'd rationalize it by saying I brought it just in case someone gets separated from the group....but the truth is I'd like to hear those 3 little words:

"Damn, that's bright"!!
 
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