Night running/fast hiking in the woods 101.

Woods Walker

The Wood is cut, The Bacon is cooked, Now it’s tim
Joined
Jun 8, 2008
Messages
5,433
Location
New England woods.
So you want to cover a good deal of ground but there are two problems.


1. It's dark.


2. There is no road.


No problem. Night trail running/fast hiking 101! Actually 101 implies I am relaying absolute facts. No, these are impressions of what works best for me. Maybe this info might be of benefit to you. Or maybe not? When it comes to night woods running safety is always my primary concern. Unless there is some dire emergency preventing me I tell responsible family and friends the plans in detail, never deviating unless the same people are informed. Why? Well it's night so if ya fall then break something including your phone that might just be it till who knows when. For example a storm was moving in with ice, rain and snow. It was expected to hit around 1 hour after my ETA. Laying face down in the mud for who knows how long wouldn't be fun. So with a float plan my actual amount of exposure would be limited as help is coming.


I like to leave around dust. I think it was around 6ish or so. No later than 6:30 for sure.





Light weight pack and hiking poles.





Been field testing the Osprey Rev 24 I recently purchased.





Running at a moderate pace.

















This area was trashed by Sandy. The trees were simply too close together making them vulnerable to a hurricane. One of the many reasons to find shelter during storms.











At this point little ice pellets were falling so getting ready to put on a hat and gloves. Hats, gloves and socks offer great bang for their diminutive pack weight and bulk IMHO. Wore synthetic clothing given the potential weather.








When running I hold the hiking poles farther down towards the middle to balance them. If employed I slide them up to the handle. Having the ability to gain an extra two legs (the hiking poles) at a moments notice can really come in handy...... pun intended. All kidding aside over harsher ground it's unlikely anything with just two legs, all things being reasonably equal would have any hope of keeping up with someone using poles.





So what's in the pack.





1. Tops/Turley PSK. I like to roll my own PSKs but this is a notable exception.


2. Headlamp and flashlight.


3. Water. I didn't bother with the hydration pouch inside the pack. One bottle was enough.


4. BHK Large Scandi SS Tiger Knapp.


5. TP and extra firesteel. I think there might actually be 3 total firesteels in my pack. I forget that the knife has one when tossing the kit together Then again these things are UL so an extra won't hunt anything.


6. Waterproof electronics dry bag.


I left the silnylon ponchoback at home guessing it was too cold for rain. Next time I will pack it anyways when there is a potential for a storm. The little ice pellets near the end of the trail run/fast hike weren't an issue but the snow did pick up later then turned wet. If for some reason I had to stay out there longer a poncho would be helpful. Next time it goes with me as is often the case.


DIY Firesteel Kydex holder with an old school LMF.





I like to pack both a headlamp and flashlight using the same battery configuratiuon in this case 1XCR123.





Running. Actually I had to stop to take the photos. Slowed me down too much.











Lots of water all over the place.





I like to slow down when going through mud and water. Will employ the poles to help mitigate slips, trips and falls.





Not going to run through muddy leaves unless looking to break my neck. I take it slow when necessary.








Brooks and streams have rocks that are often covered in moss and under cut by the current. An undercut rock and shift from body weight so I slow down for this.








Same goes for a jumble of rocks. I might hop on the tops or step between but overall am going to slow down. Very similar response to going up or down very steep sections. I have the physical ability to run/scamper up steep ground with a pack however this (for me) seems to reduce my overall speed compared to fast hiking the steepest section then running the better ground. I am extremely hesitant to go too fast down steep hills, infact almost always slow down to the same pace as going up. Too much shock on the knees.








Pack unloaded at the van.





So let's see how we did. I ran night ran/fast hiked 10.2 miles yesterday and did 7.8 tonight. I don't always take this device, rather only when wishing to check on my distance and speed.





The photos and unloading my pack's contents slowed me down. Also the night slows me down as well. A person really needs to look at each foot step far more when off a road, paved or dirt. A root, rock wet patch can easily result is a slip, trip or fall if not vigilant. Headlamps and flashlights will never replace the sun. That's basically it. Don't go too fast if you're unsure of the footing. Gosh so simple it might not have been worthy of a thread. LOL!
 
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scout24

Flashaholic
Joined
Dec 23, 2008
Messages
8,869
Location
Penn's Woods
I like the BIG side pockets on that pack, they look like they're built into the straps, for lack of a better way to describe them. Must add some stability. How do you like the pack?
 

blah9

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 10, 2011
Messages
2,105
Nice photos and tips! Looks like fun as your posts always do to me.
 

Woods Walker

The Wood is cut, The Bacon is cooked, Now it’s tim
Joined
Jun 8, 2008
Messages
5,433
Location
New England woods.
I like the BIG side pockets on that pack, they look like they're built into the straps, for lack of a better way to describe them. Must add some stability. How do you like the pack?

This is a dedicated running/biking hydration pack. It's the largest they make in the line. Been putting it through the paces and might do a review for Youtube. It's really good for running as is the primary intent but not totally ideal for hiking as things are streamlined (which is good for running). Yes there are outside pockets etc. Total of 4 outside pockets, two little belt onces, a side zipper and a stretchy one on the opposite side. The primary pro is the shoulder straps with duel sternum straps. Keeps the pack from swaying when running which can be annoying with other types of packs. That said a fancy specially pack or good lights only enhances what training gives.

edit.

Forgot to mention the phone pocket on the shoulder strap that is supposed to flip for easy viewing on the run is a flop despite what the amazon reviews say. Too small for anything other than an Iphone 5 without case. No one goes in the woods with a naked iphone and expects its return. Heck I went through 2 otterbox cases, two black plates, a switch and battery! LOL! So that's another but rather useless pocket. Even the thinnest case on a phone or guessing the newer Iphone 6 won't fit. Even the Ipod 6 with very thin case was too tight.
 
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Oscar3

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 30, 2016
Messages
11
Location
Flagstaff, AZ
Nice thread & pics, Woods Walker. Your pack looks very similar to my Osprey Stratos 24, but my pack doesn't have the hydration option since I use bottles for day/night hikes. I just picked up the Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork trekking poles & wished I'd bought them 9 months ago when I started hiking frequently.

Which headlamp & flashlight are you using? I alternate between my Nitecore HC50 & Armytek Wizard Pro V2 (warm) for the headlamp & use the Nitecore MH20GT for my throw flashlight. After using the HC50 for 7 months, I find this headlamp more bulky/heavy at 4.59 oz compared to my Armytek one, but the HC50 is brighter obviously being my only non-warm headlamp.

When camping, my 4 year old daughter doesn't like the bulky HC50, so she uses the lighter Armytek or the cheap $10 one that my wife picked up years ago at Wal-Mart or somewhere.
 
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