Spending time in nature is an incredibly cherished activity for so many of us, but in the winter months, getting out in daylight can be tough. Those long summer evenings that seem to go on forever have suddenly become shorter and combining day to day commitments with less daylight can often mean the only time you’re left with to get outside is dusk or darkness. There might be a whole host of reasons why you’ll end up having to face the dark – it could be that in order to do a certain route or adventure, you have to head out in the early hours of the morning to make it happen. It could be that you’re coming back from a route later in the day and the last hour or two in the dark is unavoidable. We’ve partnered with Regatta and their Brite Light Jackets, available to buy now to help you feel more confident in getting out in the darker hours. Regatta are known for their affordable clothing as well as their commitment and passion for creating great quality garments that last and are at an accessible price point so that cost can become less and less of a barrier to the outdoors.
There is a common thought, that all your time outdoors needs to happen in daylight hours. It’s totally understandable – the idea of hiking in the dark doesn’t always appeal. It gets colder. There are perhaps more opportunities to miss the trail. You might be thinking about tripping. There might be safety issues. However, learning to work with the dark, when needed, can be incredibly impactful with what you get to do and experience in the winter (or even into the summer months, too) – and with a little bit of forward thinking, can become something that feels more natural to you.
There are so many opportunities to relish what the dark can allow you to access and can do so much for your overall confidence as a hiker and enjoyment of nature. It can also allow you to enjoy things in ways you have maybe previously felt limited. With hiking into the dark, for example, you have the opportunity to enjoy incredible sunrises and sunsets. There’s the opportunity to gaze upon crisp, clear night skies. There is potentially the opportunity to enjoy routes in autumn and winter that you perhaps wouldn’t do if you weren’t able to embrace the dark. For example, on our recent Tenerife trip (pictured), we were hiking in the incredible Teide National Park. The park, at high altitude, gets quite cold as soon as the sun goes down, but the opportunities to view an uninterrupted night sky are truly incredible. However, it involved hiking in the dark to allow us to experience this incredible environment in all its magic. Having the confidence to get out there allowed us to experience something we wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise.
Image Description: A landscape image. Fay and Matt are pictured from the torso up looking slightly off to one side from the camera on a hiking trail. It is getting dark. Fay wears the Regatta Brite Light Britedale Waterproof Jacket Blue Sapphire and Matt wears the Brite Light Sacramento VII 3-In-1 Waterproof Jacket Dark Tang Moonlight Denim. The sky is setting around them, with oranges and blues.
Below, we’ve outlined four tips to help you become more comfortable with embracing the dark, in the colder months, to allow you to spend more time outdoors doing what you love.
What could you experience?
You’ve got to have a reason to want to get out there. Start by thinking about the reasons why becoming more confident in the dark could benefit you. Do you really want to check out starry night skies? Do you want to hike trails that might be impossible otherwise? Is it simply that you want to develop more confidence in this area? Connecting to your why will help you get really clear on your motives for unlocking more outdoors experiences in shorter days.
Have the right gear
Being prepared with the right gear for what you have in mind can be invaluable. It can take the experience from something that you endure to something you love, and it can mean you’re able to focus on your enjoyment of the experience so much more. When you’re going to be hiking in the darker hours, warm clothing and potential light for if it gets really dark are incredibly important. Regatta’s Brite Light jackets which integrate a 55 Lumen LED light- conveniently powered by two AAA batteries – in the hood, are perfect for exploring and becoming more confident in the dark. They’re durable, warm and waterproof jackets which come in both adult and kids fit (the kids fit has the light on the sleeve).As your eyes start to adjust to the lower light, you’d be surprised how long you can continue to see in the dark. Of course, there comes a point when our eyes alone aren’t enough, and this is when your head torch becomes a vital piece of equipment. The impressive 15 hours battery life of the torch integrated in the hood of Regatta’s Brite Light jackets is more than enough to illuminate the trail in front of you (with an impressive 15 hours battery life) and, just as important, if you need to walk a section on the road, to ensure you are clearly visible to any passing drivers.
Image Description: A landscape image. Fay and Matt are pictured from the torso up looking slightly off to one side from the camera on a hiking trail. It is dark and both have the headlamp features of the Regatta Brite Light coats switched on. Fay wears the Regatta Brite Light Britedale Waterproof Jacket Blue Sapphire and Matt wears the Brite Light Sacramento VII 3-In-1 Waterproof Jacket Dark Tang Moonlight Denim. The sky is setting around them, with oranges and purples with foreground elements in dark/shadow.
Go with someone else
If you’re feeling nervous about the idea – try and make it into an event, and plan to go with someone else. You’ll have someone to talk to about what you’re experiencing and this will help you get more into the moment, and hopefully allow you to enjoy the experience that bit more. It can also be helpful from a safety perspective to go with someone else so you’re able to focus on where you are and what you’re doing. Always be sure to let someone else know where you plan to go and what time you expect to be back, too.
Do a trail you know well to begin with
If you’re not used to hiking from or into the darker hours, get out on a trail you know well to begin with. If you know the area relatively well, there’s less chance of you worrying whether you’ve taken the right turn, or that everything seemingly looks the same in the dark! Starting off with something you know well can really help to build a sense of self assuredness and comfort. This is phenomenal for building up your confidence so you can start to develop on this to allow you to experience what you really want to.
Image Description: A landscape image. Fay and Matt walk down a mountain path. Fay wears the Regatta Brite Light Britedale Waterproof Jacket Blue Sapphire and Matt wears the Brite Light Sacramento VII 3-In-1 Waterproof Jacket Dark Tang Moonlight Denim. It is getting dark around them with many elements in shade and last light in the sky.