For a nine-to-fiver there isn’t much time other than weekends to hit the trail, especially once summer burns off and leaves us with between zero and none on the post-work daylight scene. So, last winter in an effort to burn hyperactivity off my hundred pound Pyrenees-Lab mix puppy, I turned to the night. With as little as a simple determination to become partially nocturnal, I exponentially increased my recreation time! Admittedly it is harder to get out the door when your brain is screaming that dark is for sleepy-time, but the rewards are huge once backed with a little momentum.
The only real piece of equipment you need to literally add years of free time to your life is a good headlamp. For cross country skiing, hiking, and trail running you can get by with nearly anything. My dog River and I each have our own lighting gear. My headlamp so I can see where I am going, and his headlamp (used as a collar), so I can see where he is going. No idea what he sees, but it must be incredible by the looks of his excitement; that or he’s just a dog.
Through most of the winter I used the Black Diamond Spot Headlamp. It’s high enough quality that I don’t worry about it failing and leaving me stranded in the forest. Plus, it comes with some cool features found in higher-end lights. I’ve amassed a pile of headlamps, but I usually grab this one because it is scorchingly bright when needed, infinitely dimmable for the perfect amount of light, and the red LEDs are great when you want to chill with the minimum while preserving night vision.
River (the dog), he gets the cheap-o light. I took a used Black Diamond Wiz Headlamp, also infinitely dimmable, and red-Sharpied out the lens. Yeah, I just stared scribbling on the lens until I had invented a suitable beacon light for spotting a flighty dog 500 yards up the trail.
Recently I have had invest a more cash into my lighting arsenal to accommodate the higher speeds of mountain biking at night. Anyone who has followed mountain bike lighting systems knows that these can be painfully expensive. Lucky for me as a late adopter, LED light and lithium-ion battery technology have made some grounds and dropped in price. On the recommendation of a friend I picked up the NightRider Lumina 650. Compared to “100 lumen and under” headlamp prices, its $115+ price tag feels a little steep, but considering the price of other bike lighting systems on the market, and what these cost a few years ago, the Lumina 650 is an economical route. The light easily mounts to a bike helmet or handle bars and has a few brightness presets for battery conservation, or for when you aren’t needing to cauterize the retinas of oncoming trail traffic.
Even my least favorite local mountain biking trail turns into something completely amazing at night; no crowds, more adrenaline, cooler temperatures. Plus there is something massively gratifying about giving laziness the bird and venturing out into the dark.
