To headlamp, or not to headlamp?

[txpeah]

I am undecided on whether or not to bring a headlamp and I would love to hare what the veterans think about it. I purchased one last minute and I am unsure it was necessary or even helpful. I am trying to follow a rule for packing - it only make the cut if I think I will use it everyday or every other day.

What are your thoughts?

NP

 

[Felipe]

Well, remember that when you look at the dark side of the bedbunk, careful you must be. For the dark side looks back.
More seriously, it depends if you are
+the kind of obsessive walker that all time is rearranging by night the content of the backpack...or looking for something lost.
+ an early riser (the kind that try to leave when everybody is sleeping)...this seems a very common type in Summer.
+ or you know you will need to go to the bathroom at 3 AM...
+ an enthusiast of "just in case" packing.
But this could be a question on the same category of "boots vs shoes".
Up to you.

 

[C clearly]

I carry a small light. Unless you are outside walking at night and need your hands for your poles, a headlamp isn't necessary. Wearing it inside can be annoying for other people.

 

[norelle]

Hi NP,

I've taken a headlamp on 2 caminos - and used it only a couple of times. In those instances I most likely could have used the light app on my iphone instead.
If you're trying hard to cut down, I would leave it out. I am not taking my headlamp on my next camino.

buen camino

 

[Deleted member 3000]

whether or not to bring a headlamp

I never used mine, so it is now in the "nice to have" storage box.

 

[Scott Sweeney]

I have taken a head lamp the first time we walked, didn't take it last spring and didn't find myself in a situation where I said to myself "d%#n I wish I had my head lamp". It won't be making the journey this year either. I have a small solar charger that also has a led on it. All the light I need.

 

[lettinggo]

Hola

It depends on what time of the year you are planning to walk, as well if you intend to do night walks.
Maybe if it is a walk during the lighter months I could leave it at home, but if it was a winter camino I would need it.

Personally I would probably always take one, as a light source also is useful during night at the albergue.
And if I am taking a light source, then why not a headlamp which gives me options?

I hope this helps.
Buen Camino
Lettinggo

 

[TerryB]

as a light source also is useful during night at the albergue.

NOT a headlamp please!!!! Use a small torch and keep your finger half over the bulb!

Tio Tel

 

[Jacobus]

Multi use cellular phone and charger is my choice. I keep the phone part turned off. Use wifi when available.

Hint: leave the albergue just after pilgrims who have a torch if it's dark.

 

[supersullivan]

As a regular hillwalker, I always carry a headlamp, winter or summer, only used it about 5 times on 50 odds days on the camino, usually when a pesky 5 am repacker made further sleep impossible and I ended up walking before daylight. A lot would depend in your own case as to when sunrise would be when you are on the camino and whether you think you will be likely to be starting before sunrise.

Seamus

 

[dougfitz]

I have a very small headlamp which I hang around my neck in albergues, and which gets enough use on those late night toilet trips to stay on my packing list. I don't start walking before civil twilight generally, so its not something that I use when walking in the mornings.

 

[woodswoman]

Hi NP,

I've taken a headlamp on 2 caminos - and used it only a couple of times. In those instances I most likely could have used the light app on my iphone instead.
If you're trying hard to cut down, I would leave it out. I am not taking my headlamp on my next camino.

buen camino

I agree completely . . . I took a headlamp on my last Camino, and didn't use it at all, because I had my iPhone, and because I was NOT one of the people who needed to get out at 5:00 a.m. so they could rush to their next albergue to insure they could get a bed. And when I DID walk out in the dark, I didn't want to disturb the birds that early. I'm leaving mine at home this year.

 

[Lydia Gillen]

If you do bring a head light PLEASE PLEASE no not use it in the dorm early in the morning when other folk are still trying to sleep. A tiny little torch pointed at your feet will be enough to guide your steps out of the dorm.

 

[domigee]

I was NOT one of the people who needed to get out at 5:00 a.m. so they could rush to their next albergue to insure they could get a bed. .

Sorry to 'pick' on you woodswoman with the quote but there are lots of otherpeople who say the same so don't take it personally I just want to clarify matters... I have indeed left at 5 or 5.30 but NOT because I want tobe first for a bed (i have NEVER had problems finding a bed even at the height of Summer so it was never an issue, regardless of the time I arrive!)
I leave that early because someone woke me up going to the bathroom!!! Usually at 4, 4.30 am! Livhts go on, they make a racket, you know the scenario.... Then I find I need the bathroom too! Well, trying to go back to sleep in a dormitary isn't that easy so I end up getting up!
And all my stuff is organised the night before so I do not make any noise

Off my soapbox

Anyway, definitely no headlamp for me, just a tiny torch.

 

[Jo Jo]

To beat the heat of a summer Camino (July 3, Aug. 9, 2014), we ended up walking before dawn almost every day. Headlamps were an absolute must for the first hour or so. We had the type that switched to a red light for inside the albuergues, and that seemed to avoid waking our still-sleeping companions. We tried sleeping in and leaving after sunrise but the afternoon sun was just too intense, and our feet were getting too hot (heat + moisture (sweet) + friction (walking) = blisters). Better to leave earlier and end earlier before the sun got too hot. For the lightest weight light, look at the Petzle E-lite. Only 1 ounce, and it has the red light function. Hard to beat.

Buen Camino,
Jo Jo

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Civil twilight is about 0615 in early July, so many walkers hit the ground by that time, hence the early risings. With about 16 hours of visible light for walking, it is not necessary to start that early to reach a destination! Many albergues kick out the pilgrims by 0800 to 0830, so even late sleepers are usually us by 0700.

 

[JohnMcM]

I am undecided on whether or not to bring a headlamp and I would love to hare what the veterans think about it. I purchased one last minute and I am unsure it was necessary or even helpful. I am trying to follow a rule for packing - it only make the cut if I think I will use it everyday or every other day.

What are your thoughts?

NP

Hello nomadpeah,

Have you considered a book light? They way next to nothing, have clip to hang of your clothes and small enough to clip to your sleeping bag/liner for nocturnal visitations.

 

[Ekelund]

Hi Nomadpeah, I did bring my very nice headlamp on the CP last year and never used it once. If I get up in the middle of the night or have an early start, I use the light from my phone. If I leave early, I make sure every thing is packed and in place so I only need to bring my sleepingbag outside of the dorm. And in the middel of the night (for a bathroomrun) I shine my phone on the floor so I won't trip and can find my way. It does not give much light and does not disturb other people asleep. It does not give much light, but I can make do with it.
Leave your headlamp at home, you will not need it. Funny, how many things you can go without......
Buen Camino

 

[Triciahillas]

I am undecided on whether or not to bring a headlamp and I would love to hare what the veterans think about it. I purchased one last minute and I am unsure it was necessary or even helpful. I am trying to follow a rule for packing - it only make the cut if I think I will use it everyday or every other day.

What are your thoughts?

NP

I am undecided on whether or not to bring a headlamp and I would love to hare what the veterans think about it. I purchased one last minute and I am unsure it was necessary or even helpful. I am trying to follow a rule for packing - it only make the cut if I think I will use it everyday or every other day.

What are your thoughts?

NP[/Q
May depend on the time of year. Walking in late September most mornings it was still dark when we set off (not especially early -around 7:30am). Head torch was an essential bit of kit when road walking at that time of day to let cars know we were on the road.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

This button flashlight from Princeton TEC is about the size of a Euro coin. I leave the black strap attachment at home. The flashlight fits easily between the teeth for the middle of the night bathroom visits. The LED light is enough to find things in your pack, read a menu in a dark restaurant, or look for things under the bunk. It is way too dim to bother other pilgrims. It is a discontinued model, but I am sure someone makes something similar.

 

[uniQ]

I did not take one on my first Camino but did walk at night/before sunrise on a few occasions and was at the mercy of others around me having lights. On one early morning rise through some woods it was very difficult to see and a light would of been beneficial even only for this one occasion.

I hope to walk the Northern Way this year and will be taking a head torch just in case. It weighs only 80g and doesn't take up much space so I think it's worth taking.

 

[RevLee]

A headlamp with a red light is very handy in hostels. The red light will not disturb sleepers around you.

 

[Roger M.]

Wow! Lots of advice. Lots of opinions.

All I can say is - a few times I found myself walking in the dark looking for arrows. I was glad I had it.

 

[L Squared]

It came in handy this week. I was in a room at Orrison that required going outside for a 2 am bathroom break. Also I've used it at night when other pilgrims were sleeping, to get ready for bed when the lights had already been shut off..

 

[Bajaracer]

This mini light comes with a red lens and a breakaway lanyard that you can wear around your neck, good for late night trips to the bathroom and packing your stuff in the dark.
http://www.pelican.com/lights_detail.php?recordID=1930

 

[mikevasey]

Take a headlamp if you think you will be walking early enough or late enough to need one, I do the latter and its good to have both hands on my walking poles and the light on my forehead to give stability in uncertain walking surfaces. Petzl e-lite for me as well.

 

[marie s-g]

I am undecided on whether or not to bring a headlamp and I would love to hare what the veterans think about it. I purchased one last minute and I am unsure it was necessary or even helpful. I am trying to follow a rule for packing - it only make the cut if I think I will use it everyday or every other day.

What are your thoughts?

NP

We definitey used ours daily, if you need the toilet during the night, if you need to walk early or late evening and it won't take up much space

 

[paul.ferris]

A headlamp is essential for early morning starts and emergencies in the dark.
DO NOT use it at night (or early morning) in the albergue. A glowing screen will provide lots of light for toilet trips. If you must get going in a dark albergue in the morning arrange your pack the night before and add things by feel in the morning. Close Zippers once outside the sleeping area.

 

[Angelo]

My two cents... Depends on how early you want to start walking. If you like to have an early start please bring a headlamp especially if you use trekking poles. But please don't use it in Albergues as it is not nice to have an LED torch accidentally directed to your fellow pilgrims' eyes as they sleep.

 

[Angelo]

By the way, had I not used a headtorch on my climb to O'Cebreiro from La Faba last year, we would have stepped on this cute lizard (photo courtesy of Wikipedia). I believe it is called a Fire Salamander.

 

[dougfitz]

A headlamp with a red light is very handy in hostels. The red light will not disturb sleepers around you.

@RevLee, this comes up from time to time, but I have yet to see a convincing explanation or evidence that it is true. I know that it is not an absolute, as you have presented it here. I have been disturbed by those with red lights, although it is difficult to tell if they are less disruptive than white lights. My observation is that the red lights are less bright than their white counterparts, and wonder whether it is light intensity as well that is a factor.

 

[Roger M.]

Ha ha - sleepers will squawk over a floor creaking! You can't please them! They voluntarily go to sleep with 50 people and then complain that all is not perfectly harmonious.

I say get up when you want, try and be as courteous as you can, pack as much as you can the night before, try and keep your light off of people's faces .... then get your stuff and get on the trail and BUEN CAMINO!

 

[VNwalking]

I took a teeny LED finger torch...the kind you can put on a key chain. Light enough, bright enough, and less disturbance for people trying to sleep. (Edit - mime was a blue light with a sturdy clip so it could be used hands-free. Got it from my local hardware shop. Cheap and it weighed nothing and took up almost no space.)

 

[frasert]

I am undecided on whether or not to bring a headlamp and I would love to hare what the veterans think about it. I purchased one last minute and I am unsure it was necessary or even helpful. I am trying to follow a rule for packing - it only make the cut if I think I will use it everyday or every other day.

What are your thoughts?

NP

Day 8
I still haven't used the headlamp
The small light on most phone have sufficed.

 

[dougfitz]

Ha ha - sleepers will squawk over a floor creaking! You can't please them! They voluntarily go to sleep with 50 people and then complain that all is not perfectly harmonious.

I say get up when you want, try and be as courteous as you can, pack as much as you can the night before, try and keep your light off of people's faces .... then get your stuff and get on the trail and BUEN CAMINO!

@Roger M. So you wouldn't be one of the early risers that wants the dormitory silent in the afternoon so that you can sleep, would you?

 

[C clearly]

Recently I was walking around my neighbourhood in the dark. A couple walking toward me on the sidewalk were wearing headlamps, for some reason. As we passed, the light virtually blinded me. I had to squint and avert my eyes from the spotlight in my face, while they walked along, happy as could be. I'm sure they had no idea how unpleasant it was for me. I mention it as something to keep in mind - headlamps are not friendly, although they might be needed in specific situations. If you take one, please don't wear it unless you must.

 

[Roger M.]

@Roger M. So you wouldn't be one of the early risers that wants the dormitory silent in the afternoon so that you can sleep, would you?

Nah - I like my sleep as much as anybody. But I quickly found out I enjoyed myself so much more when I stopped expecting all these strangers to behave like I wanted them to. Also, if I really wanted to not be bothered in the morning by a torchlight, a bed creaking or my upper bunk neighbor having to get up twice in the middle of the night for whatever reason, I paid a few extra Euros and got a private room.

No doubt, if you let it, the collage of people and personalities can sometimes inconvenience or frustrate you. But I occasionally reminded myself that I chose this experience of spending the night in such close quarters with all these people. The vast majority of the time, folks tried to be considerate.

The headlamp, while not absolutely necessary, can be a valuable tool. I use one at home on occasion, working on the car, getting to my deer stand when hunting, etc.. I was glad I had it on a few occasions.

Looking back on my Camino experience, I am so thankful for the rich mixture of human interaction, from sharing a bathroom with strangers to singing Vespers with the Benedictine nuns.

 

[Angelo]

Well said, Roger.

 

[dougfitz]

Nah - I like my sleep as much as anybody.

Thank goodness for that.

@C clearly, I understand how unpleasant having a light shone directly into one's eyes can be. I avoid wearing my headlamp on my head, but extend the strap and hang it around my neck. That way it points to the floor or ground at my feet and doesn't get into others' faces if I move my head.

 

[jostony]

I am undecided on whether or not to bring a headlamp and I would love to hare what the veterans think about it. I purchased one last minute and I am unsure it was necessary or even helpful. I am trying to follow a rule for packing - it only make the cut if I think I will use it everyday or every other day.

What are your thoughts?

NP

As I am STILL fretting on Backpack weight before I leave on Tuesday! I have decided to leave my headlamp and just rely on camera torch if I need it

 

[Roger M.]

Glad you made a decision.

 

[MKalcolm M]

I was usually too drunk to find my pack, never mind my head lamp at night, and way too hungover to look for things before daylight, so it was a totally redundant piece of equipment in my case.

 

[jostony]

Glad you made a decision.

But it was a slow and tortuous decision!

 

[Roger M.]

But it was a slow and tortuous decision!

Probably finally made in a moment of illumination!

 

[ziggzagg]

@dougfitz : The rationale behind the red light thing is explained by this Wiki entry on the Purkinje effect. The light may still disturb people like any other kind of stimulus might, but it won't ruin nightvision, and also most likely has less of an effect on the body's sleep biochemistry.

 

[clearskiescamino]

I have a keyring fob. It does the job nicely.

 

[SYates]

I never take a head lamp as I don't start walking before first day light. In the rare event I needed extra light to see at night in the albergue I used the light on my phone.
Buen Camino! SY

 

[dougfitz]

@dougfitz : The rationale behind the red light thing is explained by this Wiki entry on the Purkinje effect. The light may still disturb people like any other kind of stimulus might, but it won't ruin nightvision, and also most likely has less of an effect on the body's sleep biochemistry.

@ziggzagg, thank you for this. It was interesting to read the explanation of something that I have been putting to practical use for years. My concern is still that if a red light is sufficiently bright to be useful to the person using it to get around at night, it is bright enough to disturb others. I have said elsewhere that I wouldn't necessarily expect you to be thanked for preserving a fellow pilgrims night vision when you disrupt them at night because you are using a red light.