Spring, Summer and Fall Lighting Gear

Have you ever analyzed how much artificial light you need in the backcountry, given when and where you hike? I got around to figuring it out for myself eventually, and I was surprised to find that I don't need near as much as I would have thought. The reason is that I don't do much navigating after dark. Every once in awhile I find myself getting to a campsite after the sun goes down, but once I make camp I usually stay there, and I reserve night hiking for those wonderful times when I can forego the flashlight and let the moon guide me. If I do have to light my way after dark, I have discovered that all I really need is enough to see six to ten feet in front of me, which is also more than enough to read by.

A little library research led me to seek out a green light source for general navigating (as the human eye is most sensitive to green), and a blue source for reading (as it appears to be the least stressful). In addition, both green and blue wavelengths preserve night vision, as they excite only the color receptor cells in the eye. Finally, narrow bandwidth green and blue wavelengths are readily available in LED devices, which are very efficient and come in small, light packages. An added benefit is that I find white LED light "glary," especially in the rain, while I find green LED light easy on the eye, although it takes some getting use to when navigating through green surroundings.

After a year of field testing the various LED devices on the market, I finally settled on the Lightwave PocketBright by LED-Lite. Available in both green and blue, the PocketBright is equipped with a reliable push-on, push-off switch, is powered by two long-lasting 2025 lithium cells that can be replaced in the field, has a shielded LED, is waterproof, and weighs 0.5 ounces. I carry a green one for navigating and a blue one for reading. I've equipped both with a Velcro tab that allows me to attach them to the bill of my cap for hand's free use. You can find them at www.theprescottcompany.com .