Lights for After-Dark Adventures

Lights that lead the way to adventure can help us embrace the end of Daylight Savings Time

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I usually mourn the end of Daylight Savings Time. I don’t think I’m alone. After a summer and fall of long days, allowing us to run, ride, hike, and garden under the sun’s glow after regular working hours, having darkness descend upon our lives as early as 4:45 p.m. is a massive shock to the system. In short, it sucks.

But does it have to?

There’s no way around the fact that it’s harder to do all the things we love in the great outdoors in the dark. Plus, the colder weather that accompanies the change of the clocks makes it doubly difficult to adapt to the changing reality. We’re suddenly left with a lot of waking hours of cold darkness when we just came off months of evenings where we could still get out and do our thing before—or even after—dinner.

But there’s something to be said for embracing adventure, and nothing feels more adventurous than getting outside in conditions that suggest we stay indoors. Being outside in the dark is fun, and makes me feel like a rebel—other people may be in their houses eating a civilized meal, watching TV, or sleeping, but I’m out there. Doing stuff.

I used to compete in multi-day adventure races, where I enjoyed the experience of running, hiking, mountain biking, and even kayaking with the help of good lights. And as a pacer of ultramarathons (a hobby), I’ve loved running under the light of the moon on singletrack trails with a headlamp and waist-mounted light illuminating a rocky trail.

But I’ve learned that you don’t have to be on an epic adventure to enjoy the magic of night-time activities. Lights meant for adventure can help us embrace the dark when the time changes. They can help keep us safe—from tripping, from wildlife, from cars, and maybe even depression that can come from being holed up inside until spring.

The clocks are, inevitably, rolling back soon: November 3 looms. Instead of kicking rocks, muttering profanities, drinking wine, watching TV at 5 p.m., and waiting for bedtime, I’m vowing to head outside with one of the following lighting systems to have an adventure in the dark at least once a week until longer days begin again on March 9, 2025.

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A headlamp is the ultimate adventure-enabling device. Put on a comfortable, capable headlamp like the Black Diamond Spot 400 ($50), and it delivers hands-free illumination wherever you look, lighting up the trail, the skin track, or the neighborhood path for pre-dawn or post-dusk adventures of all sorts. This waterproof light beams up to 400 lumens of brightness, and changes output power with the tap of a finger (no futzing with gloves). The light can run on batteries, but I plan on using the recharge mode by plugging it in between bouts of heading out in the dark to hike, walk the dog, splitboard, or do yard work (yes, after sundown wearing a headlamp).

For certain activities like trail running, I like having a light at waist level. Because it’s lower to the ground than a headlamp and on my torso, it stays aimed forward and down instead of illuminating wherever I turn my head (like a headlamp). The GoMotion Orion ($50) waist-mounted light is similar to a discontinued one I’ve used for various adventures, like pacing friends during night sections of 100-mile trail races. The 150 lumens, the ability to focus or broaden the beam with a simple adjustment, and the easy-swivel mount combine to do a great job lighting up the trail. Flashing red LEDs on the backside help with visibility. Plus, it’s USB rechargeable.

It’s been a while since I’ve gone on a mountain bike ride at night, so I’m relying on Outside’s sister publication, VeloNews, for their pick for front-mounted bike lights. Their Editor’s Choice winner for current lights is the Exposure Strada Mk12 SB AKTiv ($413). Aside from a clunky product name, this light earned high marks. It features three settings: high, medium, and low, with a display that tells the rider exactly how much burn time (battery life) is left in the mode in use. It’s also reportedly easy to mount to handlebars, easy to change modes on the fly, and waterproof. While I haven’t personally tested the light, these are the types of features I’d look for in a bike lamp.

During COVID, I bought a BioLit FirePit (from $250) for its compact size, real-wood burning ability, and rechargeable smoke-sucking attachment. My family and I lit fires and sat around it during the winter of 2020 with friends while remaining six feet apart. We’ve used it a little since, but I’m planning to use it more this coming winter and am going to bribe my sons with s’mores so they’ll join me. I love sitting outside and strumming a guitar or playing games—it’s a bit like camping, just colder in the winter, but the warmth of the fire helps. Building a contained campfire within this backyard stove when darkness descends before 5 p.m. is a great way to satisfy my need to be outdoors when I’m relaxing.

Being stuck on the side of the road for any reason is only more treacherous in the winter, and with more hours of darkness coming soon, I’m making sure I have a powerful light handy just in case. I’ve been testing this Xfinity X1 5000 ($55) flashlight for a few months now, mostly by keeping it in the back of my car for safety. With 5,000 whopping lumens, this thing is ridiculously bright, like its own super moon bottled up in a tube. Thankfully, I haven’t had to pull it out to solve any problems on the road in the dark, but I know it’s there in my car if need be, which gives me more confidence to drive to adventures in the cold darkness.

So bring it on, November 3. Thanks to good lights and a sense of adventure, I’ll be ready.

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