Questions tagged [night]

Questions about outdoor activities done partially or entirely between sunset and sunrise.

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18 votes
6 answers
4k views

How can I overcome irrational fears of being out in the dark?

I'm a little embarassed I have to ask this but figured I cannot possibly be the only one who's had this problem. I've gotten into (trail)running semi-seriously earlier this year. Considering how great ...
jng224's user avatar
  • 283
8 votes
1 answer
1k views

Help identifying this animal

Anyone can help me identify this animal? It walks like a cat and climbs trees like a monkey. No tail is visible in the video. This video was captured in Arunachal Pradesh, a provincial state in the ...
Kaze Tdr's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
149 views

Can lions hunt on cloudy moonless nights?

Lions have truly remarkable night vision, to the extent that they not only hunt at night, but actually prefer to do so when there is no moon in the sky, because the lack of moonlight makes them nearly ...
rwallace's user avatar
  • 1,691
11 votes
2 answers
3k views

Do wolves hunt on moonless nights?

Wolves have better night vision than we do, enough that they can quite happily hunt on moonlit nights. But what about when there is no moonlight? Intuitively it seems to me that with no moon or nearby ...
rwallace's user avatar
  • 1,691
4 votes
0 answers
167 views

Need help identifying a sound

I wondered if anybody could help me identify the animal producing the sound that I just about managed to record with my phone (it was extremely quiet, so I apologize for the low quality of the ...
Roman's user avatar
  • 41
3 votes
1 answer
479 views

Does the two sticks and a star method of finding north work the same way in both hemispheres?

There is a method of finding north by aiming two sticks at a star and then tracking the star's movement to find which way is north. You can read the full description here. However, there is the a ...
Charlie Brumbaugh's user avatar
5 votes
4 answers
357 views

How would navigation be different while hiking at night?

If one were to hike during the night and sleep during the day, what differences in navigation would one have to take into account? In my experience you are more on instruments (such as a compass or ...
Charlie Brumbaugh's user avatar
52 votes
9 answers
11k views

Are there any advantages while backpacking to hike during the night and sleep during the day?

This is something I have pondered on multiple occasions, when the light of the full moon and the altitude induced insomnia kept me awake long into the night. I realize that this would be an unusual ...
Charlie Brumbaugh's user avatar
9 votes
2 answers
2k views

Are Oxygen shortages possible in closed bivouacs?

I used to think this question was a bit ridiculous. The volume of air that we take in while breathing may be high but the lungs only consume 25% of the oxygen for any breath and the rest is returned. ...
eigenvector's user avatar
11 votes
3 answers
459 views

How to cross rivers or streams at night or in darkness?

I am preparing a dayhike with some buddies of mine but to get to the trailhead, we have to cross more than ten river crossings which are passable by huge vehicles. The water there is quite fast and ...
user19652's user avatar
  • 1,521
7 votes
4 answers
5k views

Do flashlights (torches) with multi-color capabilities have any applications for usage in the great outdoors at night?

Do flashlights (torches) with multi-color capabilities (white, red, blue and green) have any outdoor applications for usage in the forest or while hiking at night? I have several flashlight that have ...
Ken Graham's user avatar
  • 9,609
7 votes
3 answers
3k views

What are the pros and cons of using a red colored light source for hiking at night?

I have heard the argument that red light is better because it helps preserve your night vision, however it is less bright than white light. Are there other pros and cons that I am missing or ...
Charlie Brumbaugh's user avatar
22 votes
4 answers
4k views

How can I find north from the stars without recognizable constellations?

If I am trying to find out which way is north at night, and I can see stars, but not the North Star or the Southern cross or other recognizable constellations, because the terrain is limiting my view, ...
Charlie Brumbaugh's user avatar
12 votes
5 answers
4k views

What should you do if your sleeping bag gets soaking wet at night?

I spent one really miserable night because I found out during the rainstorm that my bivy sack wasn't waterproof. Drying it out wasn't an option because of the rain and moving some where else also ...
Charlie Brumbaugh's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
3k views

Snoring noises at night in the summer?

When I slept outside in central Europe, I often recognized extremely loud snoring noises. It's not really rattling but more like rhythmical breathing. I heard it as a kid for the first time and I ...
OddDeer's user avatar
  • 23.4k
10 votes
3 answers
3k views

What do I need to consider when rock climbing at night?

One of my dream climbs is to climb Snake Dike on Half Dome at night with a full moon. Are there any special considerations for rock climbing at night beyond bringing headlamps and extra batteries ...
Charlie Brumbaugh's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
286 views

How to prevent breath steam diminishing light power when using a headlamp?

I run often at night in the mountain. For that I use a headlamp that works very well, allowing me to keep my path illuminated and my arms free. However, when it is cold my breath creates some steam ...
fedorqui's user avatar
  • 377
18 votes
2 answers
2k views

Are there any affordable night vision goggles that are good and available to civilians?

I quite often go hiking in the evening after work and I have a good head torch but sometimes I wish I had some night vision goggles because often a headtorch will scare wildlife and cause farm animals ...
Andrew Welch's user avatar
  • 1,327
11 votes
1 answer
742 views

What precautions need to be taken when night-caching?

This has really come about since doing some night caches and the issues that arise from doing them. What precautions should you take before under-going a night cache?
Aravona's user avatar
  • 15.4k
41 votes
2 answers
6k views

How to walk silently in the woods?

Today I walked in the woods and it was quite late in the evening. While I was walking, a deer jumped and ran away. I guess I disturbed it while it was sleeping. And it came to my mind that I'm the ...
user avatar
7 votes
5 answers
2k views

What lighting equipment do I need for playing ultimate frisbee at night?

Suppose I want to play a 10-people outdoor ultimate frisbee game at night, with no power outlets available at the field. I expect it to last no more than 2 hours. What kind of portable power supply ...
Russell's user avatar
  • 173
22 votes
3 answers
13k views

How do you locate the "North Star"?

What if it's night and you want to find north? How do you locate the North Star in the night sky?
user avatar
13 votes
11 answers
6k views

Flashlight or headlamp for night hiking?

Which is better to use during a night trek - a flashlight or a headlamp? Which do you prefer? Would be great if recommend the one you use and tell me what made you buy it.
user2810's user avatar
  • 131
4 votes
1 answer
345 views

Learning to find north using moon phases

How to learn to find north using moon phases? I'm looking for easy-to-remember rule of thumb, at best some simple graphic. It's quite trivial by full moon. Since full moon is in direct opposition to ...
Danubian Sailor's user avatar
13 votes
4 answers
1k views

Is it generally allowed to walk in German forests in the night?

I was geocaching a bit and I've found in many caches the warning not to cache in the night during the winter because of hunting season. My question is, have such limitations a legal basis, and if so, ...
Danubian Sailor's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
1k views

Does camping in polar bear country require someone to keep guard during the night?

Some animals are big and dangerous and, when hungry, may realise that humans contain a pretty decent amount of meat. I've never hiked in such areas, but they do exist. Photo from Wikipedia, CC-BY-SA ...
gerrit's user avatar
  • 27.2k
25 votes
5 answers
4k views

How can you prevent kids getting lost at night while camping?

When camping in more remote areas with young kids, how can you make sure they don't take a stroll and get lost in the middle of the night? We won't be near lights, established "bathrooms", etc. The ...
Russell Steen's user avatar
20 votes
5 answers
7k views

How to tell the time at night

What is the simplest way to approximate time after the sun has set? Perhaps using the moon's height and phase? This would make the most sense to me, but what could you do in the case of a new moon?
Kent Fisher's user avatar