Night Hiking Basics

Night hiking is simple—hiking at night—but it is far more than hiking with the lights off. It is a completely different experience. You are forced to use primitive sense that seem to sharpen as the nigh progresses. You know how they say that the blind sharpen their other senses to compensate for the lack of sight? It is true, and you will experience it out on the dark trails and amongst the dark oak giants. But before you head out on your first night hike, there are some important things to bring and consider.

 

To many, it would seem that the first thing you would want on a night hike is a flashlight, but that is only partially true. Although light is needed for certain situations, you should spend the majority of the hike adapting to the blackness. The longer you have been in the dark, the more perceptive you become with your eyes, ears and sense of direction. Using a flashlight is almost like a crutch, enabling you to rely on your eyes and nothing else. Additionally, sparing use of lights creates night blindness, forcing your senses to recalibrate to the dark every time you switch off your light. In short, only use your light when it is absolutely necessary. Walking in the dark is part of the fun!

 

Some parks and reserves impose a curfew, so it is a good idea to be mindful of the rules. Don’t worry; you don’t need to follow the rules, but it is nice to know if you’ll need to be extra sneaky! If you do get stopped by someone, play stupid to the regulations, apologize and volunteer to leave immediately. Don’t talk back, as that will lead to more problems. Trust me, even if you don’t look like a criminal, it never looks good getting caught trouncing through the woods—wearing all black. Definitely rehearse an excuse before you get caught

 

Of the 10-times my Garmin GPS has saved me out in the field, 9 of them have occurred during a night hike. As the night progresses and my party becomes comfortable, we inevitably decide to wander off of the trail and traverse our own route. It sometimes ends well, but all too often we wander so far off of the path that we become entwined in thorns, tripping on vines and become completely disoriented. In these cases, the trusty Garmin GPS has saved us from camping in the thorns until daylight hits.

 

Because every true hiker wanders off the path at some point, it is especially necessary to carry a machete on night hikes through the woods. Although I admit that it often leads to frivolous fun, a $5 machete is indispensible if you’re tangled in thorns in total darkness.

 

Because many of us night hikers are also smokers, some extra though needs to be put into lighter selection. Although 99% of the time I use a blue-flame ‘torch’ lighter, they are not good in the dark, because they emit very little light. Although this is good for concealment, it is hard to ignite and smoke anything in the dark. A standard yellow flame lighter also provides enough light to see what you’re doing. I can’t tell you how many times I have burned my thumbs and eyebrows smoking with a blue-flame lighter in the dark.

 

With your lights off and your senses heightened, take a break every now and then to stop and listen. Take a few minutes to listen carefully to the environment. You are able to hear if anyone else is in the area to spoil your fun, including rangers, other hikers and animals. In short, listen and make sure you aren’t being hunted by anything!

 

When you head out on a night campaign, dressing in all-black is the way to go. Not only do you want to help create a dark atmosphere, but you want to be invisible id needed. Make sure to check your shoes and pack for reflective material. If you find any, cover it with electrical tape—which is dark, non-reflective, and will not harm your gear.

 

Although I usually don’t spend too much time on risk management, do not go night hiking alone. Having a buddy not only reassures safety in the event of an emergency, but more importantly, nigh hiking is so cool that you really want someone to experience it too! In fact, I have never been on a night hike without my brother—the “O.G.” night hiker.

With the lights off, it is difficult to see danger. Your feet, being covered by boots and socks, are much less vulnerable to injury than your hands. In the dark, it is easy to grab onto something without realizing there is a thorn, spider or poison oak in the way. But wearing gloves, on the other hand (no pun indented), gives you a layer of protection against most natural foes. If it’s hot out, at least consider some tactical-type police gloves or “bum gloves” that are fingerless.

 

As logic would have it, I have lost countless amounts of gear on night hikes. It’s not that I drop any more of mu stuff at night; it’s just that darkness makes things a thousand times harder to find! This is where tethers and caribeners are godly. Tie everything down—even your gloves don’t worry about looking that that special kid in 2nd grade, because after all, you can’t be seen.

 

Night hiking is completely different than hiking at night. When the sun goes down, even the most familiar trail feels completely new. A lot of people scoff at night hiking, but to me, its technical demands make it much more entertaining than hiking during the day. You may lose some visible scenery, but you will hear and feel more of the trail than you ever thought existed. Night hiking is a campaign full of improvisation, which only makes you a better hiker, camper, and crazy S.O.B.