Ollin Magnetic Digiscoping System

Early AM hike in

NickCNC

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When making the trek into backcountry in the wee hiurs of the morning, do you guys rely solely on moonlight? Or do you hike in with the headlamp on until just before daybreak? My thought is i want to have the headlamp on just to make sure of my footing but i also dont want to be bumping animals and driving them outwards with the light of the headlamp... any thoughts or advice would be welcone.
 
When making the trek into backcountry in the wee hiurs of the morning, do you guys rely solely on moonlight? Or do you hike in with the headlamp on until just before daybreak? My thought is i want to have the headlamp on just to make sure of my footing but i also dont want to be bumping animals and driving them outwards with the light of the headlamp... any thoughts or advice would be welcone.
Get headlamp with a red light setting. Use the red light for the walk in.
 
Get headlamp with a red light setting. Use the red light for the walk in.
What he said I use the same red led light that I use for pred hunting here in Pa
we can hunt here at night for fox n yotes with a red light so I used the same one for walking in at night, animals cant see it and dont get spooked
 
Mix depending on the terrain.

If it’s on a trail and the moon is out then typically no headlamp. Red light if there is no moon, occasionally with the main light on, but only in like downed timber and I try to avoid going into areas that might hold animals in the dark.
 
Red is best, but any light is better than poking your eye on a stick if you're in the timber. If I'm in a place I can expect to bump into animals on the hike in I won't start walking until I have enough light to see, I've spooked too many deer and elk in the dark trying to get to other animals.
 
Great points all! It’s definitely situation specific. Is the light necessary for you? Is it safe? People are all different too. My tactic on my regular spots are to get up super early and no light. I’ll even take a nap on my spot. I could walk the path with my eyes closed, but as stated gnarly timber that I don’t know would mean another tactic. I don’t have a red light... maybe it’s time?
 
I used to use red or green lights and have just been using regular white headlamps for several years now and don't think it makes much of a difference.

Just make sure you get to the spot you want to be at least 30 minutes before shooting light to let things settle back down, if you can get there an hour early even better.

To me waiting for the predawn and moving then without a light is worse than moving in the complete dark with a light and then getting settled in where you want to be.

Of course this is if you have a specific point you want to be at shooting light based on previous experience with that location. If you are just blindly wandering around I'm not sure it matters.
 
I used to use red or green lights and have just been using regular white headlamps for several years now and don't think it makes much of a difference.

Mrs. @rmyoung1 can probably give us a schooling on this one.


White = worst for your eyes adjusting to the dark
Green = best visual acuity at low light levels
Red= best for your eyes quickly recovering night vision.*

* assuming same lumen levels Red v. Green lights
 
Great points all! It’s definitely situation specific. Is the light necessary for you? Is it safe? People are all different too. My tactic on my regular spots are to get up super early and no light. I’ll even take a nap on my spot. I could walk the path with my eyes closed, but as stated gnarly timber that I don’t know would mean another tactic. I don’t have a red light... maybe it’s time?

my black diamond headlamp, that i probably spent close to 80 dollars on, bit the dust this summer, inexplicably

i'm now gonna give these a try this fall. the frugal one in me just couldn't see a new headlamp any other way. might be worth a shot for ya. red light and all.

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I usually don’t have my headlamp on unless I’m in a rough spot or come to an obstacle. When I hunt with my dad I am usually in front and he has his headlamp on. We have gotten into more then 1 argument because he is great at shining it right into my eyes.
 
Yeah, I think it would matter if I was actually walking around as it was getting closer to light. I have plenty of time to let my eyes adjust once I get to whatever spot I'm going.

My biggest issue with headlamps is convincing the people I'm hiking in with to keep them focused on the ground and not shining them in my face when they are talking to me. Some random light bobbing around in the woods isn't going to spook an animal IMO, but some dude spotlighted for everything around to see might spook some.

Anecdotally I've spooked about as many animals walking without a light as I have with a light so I just don't worry about it anymore. I've walked by deer at less than 50 yards in the dark walking with a headlight and they didn't spook until I got upwind of them and they smelled me.
 

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