Light up my night !

Light up my night. Anyone who has had to use their phone to light the way back from a late hiking excursion will appreciate the new selection of headlamps available. Black Diamond offers storm resistant and even water-proof models (which can operate for 30 minutes under 1 meter of water — that will also appeal to snorkelers), while Petzl has a reactive model that adjusts the light to the level of darkness and a very lightweight “bindi” model, which will please those trying to keep gear weight to a minimum.

The fall of darkness in the outdoors used to be the time to head to your room or tent or to spend an evening in front of a campfire. Now with the advent of portable lamps that are very light – the night is also a time to get going — as in night races…. The lightweight portable lamp that you strap to your arm or head can illuminate the night trails. Now, with your headlamp packed in your rucksack or in your pocket, you can participate in night runs, non-stop Ultra races, night uphill skiing and lots more.

We have broken through the barrier of darkness and night races have become much more common that anyone could imagine, with an enthusiastic core of participants and followers. We need to do a better job of covering these night activities – most smart phones have difficulty in taking pictures in the dark – the same applies to sports cameras — but they will eventually catch up with this nocturnal trend. Is anyone still scared of the dark? Strap on your light and go…. no more excuses – “I don’t have time to be active during the day” ……..the night adventure awaits!

By Philippe Deleplace