4 Things to Know About Night Hikes

If you've ever stayed out too late on a hike—whether accidentally or on purpose—you already know that hiking at night is a completely different experience from hiking the same trail by day. The darkness hides familiar landmarks, rendering those you can see in totally alien terms. On a dark night, depth perception becomes a guessing game—and a whole new set of animals comes out to play.

That's part of what makes night hiking such an adventure. The familiar old trail that you've hiked dozens of times is suddenly new; it's like exploring all over again, and even a short hike can be thrilling at night. That said, it's worth taking a little time to consider what you're getting into and prepare accordingly.

The More the Merrier

Ascending Stromboli — kuhnmi/CC BY 2.0/Flickr

There's nothing quite like having a good friend—or friends—nearby to bolster your courage as you take a figurative leap into the dark unknown. That said, make sure your party still has the same number of people when you finish the hike as when you started; if anybody insists on wandering off alone (e.g. for a bathroom break), wait for them to get back before moving on. This is one case where an impromptu game of Marco Polo is not an appropriate joke.

Don't Forget a Light Source and Batteries

woman with map at a night hike — Photo (c) Henn Photography/Cultura/Getty Images

If you're night hiking under a full moon, you won't even need a headlamp—but you should always have a good light source along, just in case clouds roll in or terrain blocks you from the light. That means carrying spare batteries for the said light source because if it's going to poop out, it'll happen right when you need it most. Murphy's Law and all that.

You can carry a tiny pocket headlamp that you can use to illuminate the bigger lamp's battery pack as you swap batteries—it only adds an ounce or two, yet makes the actual changeover much easier—although of course if you're hiking in a group, you can just have someone else shine his light your way.

There Is Such a Thing As Headlamp Etiquette

Man with headlamp — Stanislaw Pytel/Getty Images

Hiking without a headlamp—when light conditions allow—is part of the fun; it's a thrill to see what your eyes can pick out of the darkness once they've had time to adjust. But if someone else in your group flips his headlamp on at a whim, it can ruin your night vision for a while—so work out the headlamp rules beforehand: Is your whole group going with, or without? Of course, safety always trumps etiquette in a pinch.

If you are using headlamps, it might be natural to look right at others in your party, especially if you're having a conversation. Doing so shines your headlamp right in their eyes, so either use your peripheral vision or tilt your headlamp down so it won't shine straight at them.

Stay Safe

Young Man Reading a Hiking Map — Tobias Richter / LOOK-foto/Getty Images

Being brave enough to go on a night hike doesn't mean you should skip all the usual safety checks—in fact, they're even more important than ever. So do make sure that somebody who cares about you knows where you're going and when you'll be back.