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This weekend, we’ll lose an hour of daylight in the evenings. If you’re an after-work hiker, it can be tempting to go into hibernation mode on the couch. But while it takes a little extra motivation, night hiking is a novel and exciting way to experience nature. Getting out after dark takes a little extra preparation: In addition to choosing a suitable trail and dialing in your navigation skills, be sure to pack appropriately. Here are our favorite pieces of gear for night hiking.
A Reliable Headlamp
A good light is, of course,an essential element of your night hiking kit. You want one bright enough to illuminate the trail ahead, comfortable and secure enough to wear for a few hours at a time, with a solid battery life. The Storm 500-R from Black Diamond ($75) checks all these boxes, with a few additional features we love. At 500 lumens, the Storm is as powerful as we could want for general use, and features three color modes (red, blue, and green) for maintaining night vision. One nifty feature we appreciate: brightness memory means you can turn the lamp off and on without having to reselect your light setting each time. Plus, it’s waterproof, rechargeable, and user-friendly.
A Safety Light for Fido
Night hiking with your pup is good fun for all—if a little anxiety-inducing. Bust the stress of letting your dog off-leash with a reflective harness and a solid light, so you can keep tabs even as they dart through the dark trees. We’re fans of NiteIze’s NiteHowl® Max Rechargeable LED Safety Necklace with Disc-O Select technology ($25). Rather than a clip-on light, which is only visible from certain angles, the necklace-style light is highly visible, even on really fluffy dogs. The wide light band sits comfortably atop fur, and features three selectable colors, or color-changing Disco mode. The NiteHowl Max is rechargeable, so there’s no limit to where you and your hiking buddy can go after dark.
Versatile Layers
With no sunshine for warmth, insulating layers are extra important on night hikes. We recommend wearing layers that will keep you warm while you hike, but not so warm that you sweat them out, and stashing something warm in your pack for breaks. The Outdoor Vitals Ventus Active Hoodie ($180) is our editor-in-chief’s go-to for hikes all year, especially when he’s getting his heartrate up. Armpit vents and strategically-placed insulation impeccably balance breathability and warmth. When things cool down even more, our gear editor reaches for the Mountain Hardwear Kor Airshell Warm Hoody ($200), which he loves for its excellent heat retention and breathability. The generous fit allows it to slide easily over other layers.
$180 at Outdoor Vitals $200 at Mountain Hardwear
An Insulated Mug
After the sun goes down, there’s nothing like a warm beverage to boost morale on a chilly hike. We like packing hot coffee for pre-dawn adventures, and hot cocoa or tea on evening hikes. The Stanley Classic Trigger-Action Travel Mug ($25) won a recent test by our colleagues at Outside by keeping contents hot for almost 7 hours. The locking lid is virtually spill-proof, but some testers found it a little awkward to drink from. When we’re warming our insides with a tasty cup under the stars, though, we don’t mind.
A Pocket Astronomy Expert
The best part of night hiking? Stargazing. If you really want to impress your hiking buddies, download the SkyView Lite app. Associate Editor Emma Veidt loves its intuitive interface for identifying constellations and other celestial objects. The app is free and ad-free; just point your phone at the sky, tap an object, and read a detailed and accessible description of what you’re seeing. Honing our astronomical knowledge is just one more bit of motivation to get out after dark.
From 2024