• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

TotalHiker

Your Hiking Guide

  • Apparel
  • Gear
  • Hikes
  • Info
Total Hiker > Hiking Info > Hiking Safety > 7 Essential Night Hiking Safety Tips

7 Essential Night Hiking Safety Tips

What may be an easy hike while the sun is up can quickly turn into a completely different and potentially dangerous situation after the sun goes down. Lack of preparation can lead to trouble.

Using these essential tips for night hiking safety will instead leave you with an all-new experience full of unique sights and sounds that it cannot be experienced during the day.

Night hiking safety

Here are seven useful tips for night hiking safety:

Safety in Numbers

Hiking alone is always riskier, but hiking alone at night is even worse. Not only will someone be there to keep you company and ward off any spooky feelings you might get, but there is help at hand in case something goes wrong.

It is easier to lose your footing in the dark on rough terrain and injure yourself. More people also means more lights, safety gear and safety against nocturnal predators.

Pack Lights for Everyone

Each person who goes on the nighttime hike should have his or her own light even if they are not all turned on during the journey. Flashlights can be effective, but headlamps leave your hands free.

If you are going on a longer hike overnight, always bring fire-making equipment as well. A lighter and some tinder such as paper or dryer lint can help you light your way with torches if necessary.

Be Polite With Your Light

People take hikes at night to experience nature in a different way. While flashlights and headlamps can help you stay safe on the trail, they can also ruin some experiences.

  What Should a Hiking First Aid Kit Include?

Turning on the lamp will ruin everyone’s night vision, which can be slow to come back after the lights are turned off.

Remember that the safety trumps consideration, but to talk with your group and make a plan for how to use lights politely such as announcing to everyone when you turn one on they can cover their eyes if desired.

Respect the Nocturnal Wildlife

Always respect the unique night creatures moving about you on your hike. Their eyes are usually very sensitive to light and shining a headlamp or taking a flash photo of them would be similar to you looking at the sun through a telescope.

Bring Extra Batteries

Even fresh batteries should have backups. The last thing you want when you are out in the wilderness is to be suddenly left without any light at all.

Be sure to bring batteries for every different type of light your group has.

Be Prepared for Weather Changes

No matter what time of day you go hiking, you always should keep track of the weather report. Hiking at night is usually accompanied by a more pronounced temperature change than one during the day.

Always dress in layers and bring waterproof gear if there is even a slight chance of rain. Rescheduling a night hike for better weather is probably the best idea.

Bring Extra Water and Food

Even though you will not be heated up or de-hydrated by the hot sun, you still need plenty of water and energy-rich snacks for night hikes.

No matter what you bring into the woods, fields, or desert, remember to take it out again. Also, remember that different animals can be attracted by the smell of food so choose your snacks accordingly.

  How To Go Solo Backpacking - A Guide to hiking Alone

Use a known hiking trail

A preferred hiking trail in low-light conditions is one that is familiar and already known. Nighttime isn’t the best time to start exploring the different and unknown paths in the wilderness.

Plus, the familiar paths are certain to look quite different when there isn’t the sun to illuminate the surroundings.

Matt Green

Matt Green, is an avid hiker and lover of the great outdoors. He is always planning his next big trip or hitting the trails for a solo hike.

He’s traveled extensively to many remote regions and has plenty of experience exploring various terrains, and stories to tell.

Contents

  • 1 Night hiking safety
    • 1.1 Safety in Numbers
    • 1.2 Pack Lights for Everyone
    • 1.3 Be Polite With Your Light
    • 1.4 Respect the Nocturnal Wildlife
    • 1.5 Bring Extra Batteries
    • 1.6 Be Prepared for Weather Changes
    • 1.7 Bring Extra Water and Food
    • 1.8 Use a known hiking trail

May 25, 2021

Primary Sidebar

Footer

  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • About Total Hiker
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy & Cookie Policy
  • Sitemap

Copyright © 2025 Total Hiker

Affiliate Disclosure

We believe in being as transparent as possible when it comes to this site. With this in mind, please be aware that we may receive remuneration for some of the products we review on this site.

Total Hiker is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com (and other Amazon programs).

We will also list ads from time to time. You should be able to see these as text links or blocks of ads which have a small notation indicating “Ads by Google” or “AdChoices”.

Our mission is to help our visitors, but this is also very clearly a for-profit site and you should realize as much. We include only those products that we believe could benefit you, some of which we may get a commission if you purchase them. However, we also provide links on the site to information resources for which we receive no compensation.

If you have any questions whatsoever, please contact us using the "contact" option on the site menu and we will be happy to answer any questions.

Being Social

FaceBook

Twitter

Trademark Dislosure

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates.

In addition, any other trademarks and logos we mention on this site are also the property of their respective owners.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
SAVE & ACCEPT