View Full Version : Does lowering your light source while night hiking help depth perception?
saltysack
03-16-2017, 23:10
I've never had an issue with my light source being on my head but I've heard several times you get a better depth perception with it shining from below your eyes....was thinking about trying on my next trip but curious as if others have moved away from the typical night hiking headlamp. Fortunately my zebralight has a clip that can go on light when strap is removed and seems to attach well to my packs daisy chain....
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rocketsocks
03-16-2017, 23:29
I've never had an issue with my light source being on my head but I've heard several times you get a better depth perception with it shining from below your eyes....was thinking about trying on my next trip but curious as if others have moved away from the typical night hiking headlamp. Fortunately my zebralight has a clip that can go on light when strap is removed and seems to attach well to my packs daisy chain....
Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkI put it on my waist just so I don't get bonsaied by Mothras during the summer.
Slo-go'en
03-17-2017, 01:10
I've always want to try strapping one over each knee...
Head seems to work fine. I'm almost always hiking by 5:00 AM so usually hike an hour or 2 in the dark each day. I wear it on my head until it gets light then when I can see I turn it off and pull the headlamp/band around my neck and keep going.
I've heard the waist thing too but never once have I had a problem with wearing it on my head, the strap is convenient and I don't to futz around and McGyver a light on my waist.
saltysack
03-17-2017, 08:00
Head seems to work fine. I'm almost always hiking by 5:00 AM so usually hike an hour or 2 in the dark each day. I wear it on my head until it gets light then when I can see I turn it off and pull the headlamp/band around my neck and keep going.
I've heard the waist thing too but never once have I had a problem with wearing it on my head, the strap is convenient and I don't to futz around and McGyver a light on my waist.
My thoughts exactly until last week after paddling nearly 20hrs straight forgot about headlight and pulled off my beenie.....splash there whent the light...luckily was only about 2' deep so I simply grabbed it.....obviously hiking wouldn't be a big deal simply pick up but did get me thinking about simply clipping to pack....only down side I see is setting up camp in dark which is common practice for me...I'll give it a try
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colorado_rob
03-17-2017, 08:20
It's about shadows and how shadows make rocks and roots stand out. A headlamp on your head will cast virtually no shadows, whereas the light elsewhere will. Just try it sometime and see. I can night hike with 30 lumens held low, kinda need more like 100 on head when on rough trail.
Yep. Not too big a deal for walking, but as the trail gets more technical or you start moving faster (trail running, for example) and having the light lower or in two places helps immensely with shadows and depth perception.
cmoulder
03-18-2017, 09:03
I've never had a problem hiking with the light on my noggin, but also read that about the superiority of the light source being waist level. I rarely hike at night but last fall did so for 2-3 hours in the Pharaoh Wilderness in the Adirondacks on some pretty rough trails and gave it a try. Didn't like it because the light bounced around and I was not able to simply turn my head when needing to quickly check up or down or sideways for branches or handholds on rocks (coming down the south side of Pharaoh mtn). Maybe I need more time (or expert instruction) to perfect the technique but I found no advantage. I was using the BD Spot with the tap-for-max-bright feature and it is really nice having that 200-lumen floodlight instantly available for checking any direction.
Didn't think of that - You'd have to turn your whole body to look to your sides or over our shoulder.
But... it was be dang easy to just try it and see. Maybe 2 lights - one on your waist and one on your head. And some turn signals... maybe backup lights???
(just joking :) )
DownEaster
03-22-2017, 18:01
My phone is my backup light source. That works reasonably OK to get light from two directions and dispel shadows, though you can only reasonably use that approach in camp. I haven't done any serious night hiking, but would think a secondary light that could attach to your belt would be a good thing. Are there any belt-mount lights out there?
Hikingjim
03-22-2017, 18:12
My thoughts exactly until last week after paddling nearly 20hrs straight forgot about headlight and pulled off my beenie.....splash there whent the light...luckily was only about 2' deep so I simply grabbed it.....obviously hiking wouldn't be a big deal simply pick up but did get me thinking about simply clipping to pack....only down side I see is setting up camp in dark which is common practice for me...I'll give it a try
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Have sent a garmin gps and a few other objects to the bottom of lakes. Friend's wedding band joined the lake bottom a couple summers ago. Glad you could recover it
Have a friend that uses a specific waist light for trail running. He thinks the increased shadows actually help him anticipate obstacles at his "elite speeds". I don't like it though. would take getting used to
nsherry61
03-22-2017, 19:55
I almost always hike at night without a light. It can be a little slower, and I trip occationally, but I love hiking by feel and dim lighting so I seeing what there is to see at night instead of just my light "cone".
I travel at night a lot and when I do use light for walking, it is most often a headlamp. At walking speeds, the added contrast and depth perception from the shadows doesn't offset the convenience of a light looking wherever you are looking. For walking, I go headlamp all the way.
At speed, when running (which I rarely do anymore), but especially mountain biking, depth perception and contrast becomes critical. A hand-held light can work pretty well when running since you can always point it where you want, but an attached light on my body, other than my head sucks because it is awkward, or at least another step, to get it to point where I am looking.
If you want a light to follow your line of sight, and you also want good contrast and depth perception for traveling at speed, by far, the best solution I have found is an adequate light on your head/helmet and a much brighter light on your body or handlebar. Having the brighter light low (or otherwise away from your eyes) gives you your contrast and depth perception by providing shadow while the dimmer light on your head allows you to look around and still see things that aren't right in front of you. If you have the same or more powerful light on your head, it washes out the shadow from the light that is not aligned with your eyes.
cmoulder
03-22-2017, 20:59
Well I'm gen-yoo-wine, certified UL and I'm sure as heck not carrying 2 lights, lol. :D
(Spare batteries, usually. :))
I don't ever envision myself running at night. At least not voluntarily.
AfterParty
03-22-2017, 21:30
I grew up in the army and its amazing how little one truly need to night hike.
I've used headlamps on my head and single battery flashlights held down at arms length. So I can talk about first hand experience rather than theory.
The light on your head is shinning almost straight down at your feet and washes out most of the contrast. Its a good thing both hands are empty since you can use your poles. Because you'll need them as your feet catch roots, rocks, and small holes you didn't notice.
Having your light down as low as you can have it, allows you to use a lower light setting since its closer to the ground, hence longer battery life, and less spares carried. By having the light hit the ground at a much steeper angle, every unevenness on the ground casts a shadow, allowing you to see everything that might catch your feet so you get much better contrast with the ground. I find that I trip far less having my light down like this then when on my head. So much so that I no longer carry a headlamp and just use a single battery fenix flashlight that I hold with my arm straight down. By carrying it in my hand, I can aim it where I want and avoid where I don't want (how many of you have been blinded because the guy with the headlamp turned to look at you without thinking about it and killed your night vision) Even though I only can use 1 pole, I'm not tripping enough to miss the other one on my pack. I've done a lot of night hiking over the last 8 years like this including the PCT.
To give a good example of this, let me talk about an experiment I did a few years ago in Joshua Tree NP when hiking up a sandy canyon in the middle of the night. With my headlamp, the sand looked like a single one color mass. Couldn't see any unevenness. With the light down at my waist, I could see every single footprint in the sand that had been invisible to me when it was on my head.
MuddyWaters
03-22-2017, 22:37
Prefers mine on my head/hat
So it points where I look
No problems hiking 20L that way
You dont need much light on a trail
Just to see trail 5-10 ft in front of you
If trail is well travelled
Ive gotten stuck before, couldnt find where trail went, even with more light
Had to wait for daylight
Dont venture onto indistinct trail in dark, is good idea
Dimming the headlamp with variable lighting capability, going to red light mode, and adjusting the beam focus by pivoting it helps to sustain my depth perception. I will also take the headlamp off and hold it in my hand or turn it off completely periodically all in an attempt to reduce that glazed over deer in the headlights experience by regularly adjusting and readjusting to offer differences in light qualities.
Although I too like hiking by the moonlight on clear nights especially during the summer and winter with snow on the trees I'm leery of it now since I solidly stepped on a very active food seeking, and one of the largest bodied, Copperhead "branches" I've ever seen on a Sheltowee Trace hike, being very fortunate that I wasn't bitten, and tripped on a Box Turtle "rock" another time. I've also seen very active food seeking rattlesnakes at night laying in the trail being fortunate not to have stepped on one. Pedestrian trails are commonly used by creatures other than pedestrians.
fastfoxengineering
03-23-2017, 07:14
I tried using a handheld flash light on my last end to end. Wasn't for me. Headlamps for me. I know it's not what your asking but headlamps are very convenient for me while hiking/camp use
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I grew up in the army and its amazing how little one truly need to night hike.
I"ve done a LOT of night hiking. There have been moonlit nights where I've hiked for miles with no electric light. There have also been nights where I could not see my hand six inches from my eyes, even after acquiring night vision.