Electronics in the backcountry

I take along my digital camera, but that's it. I guess I am old-school when it comes to being on the trail. I have been a hiker/backpacker for 42 years. We sure didn't have electronic devices available for many of those years, so I don't feel the need to carry such devices now.

But - hike your own hike. Just please keep the volume down or use earbuds when you want to listen to your device.

A headlamp by any other name

lol IIRC text messages show up as "other" in a storage listing so there's no direct hint that they're building up.

...would shine as bright.


For mountain-ier terrain a good topo and alti are indispensable for positioning and navigation. Plus it does double duty as a makeshift barometer.

A Thommen would be grand.


It doesn't need to be quite as low as waist level. I wear my BD Storm loosely around my neck, upside down, and rotated all the way "down". This shines light ahead at an angle which allows for good depth perception. If I need 'head-based' control of the light, I simple put the plastic backing-piece of the lamp (for the strap) between my teeth. Hands-free in either scenario.

Yeah, but it gets awkward when I point to things with my crotch.

I've never had an issue with electronics in the backcountry. Maybe because hardware electronics is my career. Decades ago during the era of first camcorders, brought some of those huge beasts into the backcountry along with a large 500ma 12v solar cell panel and associated voltmeter and charging stuff.

Even 4 decades ago I always carried at least a headlamp and one flashlight, each of which contained batteries, wires, and an incandescent bulb. In my earliest days did not bring a camera so that was it. My electronic gear this year on our 8-day backpack:

4 AA max function headlamp
8 spare AA batteries
single AA flashlight
interchangeable lens camera body that takes both stills and video
11 spare camera batteries
4 each autofocus motorized lenses
Sansa MP3 player
portable headphones

For survival purposes, only absolutely need the headlamp.
Without the camera gear would take at most just one short trip each summer to see the high country and do some fishing.
The music player not important and some trips never make the time to use it. But it has trivial weight and size so is there if I want and greatly enjoy classic rock music.
Also on short trips will bring along my Kindle eBook reader.  Have no interest in bringing smartphone, GPS, or lapbook computer as I am simply way to busy with photography during trips.

Sometime in future predict fishermen will start bringing up small drones.  Any experienced high country fishermen will relate there are often many trout that only seem to feed far beyond where it is possible to cast to.   So they will attach a light mono line with lure to the drone then fly way out to middle of lakes, release payload, and fly back to base aka shore.  Fisherman will catch lots of fish, all his buddies will be envious.  Next morning they watch as he demonstrates what drone can do.  So flies it out to middle and catches a fat 15 inch rainbow and they all are amazed.  Flies out again and immediately hooks another nice fish and starts reeling it in.  But meanwhile as drone flies towards shore, down draft wind blows drone SPLAT into lake and sinks.   20 years later another fishing group visits lake.  They go fishing and catch 3 puny trout and 5 rusting disintegrating drones.

Travis--it wasn't really meant to be a serious comment, you know I am very aware that any kind of flashlight will do, and it doesn't have to be a headlamp.

I think most of us don't use them for night hiking. I know the ones we have a probably inadequate for that in any case (I have done some, and they aren't much). When I do have to walk at night, I find that a light held at arm's length and slightly behind me is best, since it illuminates the ground without casting any glare into my eyes. I've been more aware of the glare as a problem than the depth perception issue, but suspect you are right about that too (now I have to go out at night and test this. That means I have to go camping, since obviously one can't test night-hiking approaches in the city).

For doing camp chores (what I'm most likely to be doing with a light), I like the hands-free headlamp. Obviously, this could be done with your approach, too, though knowing how I am, I'd drop it out of my hat and into the lake or something at the first opportunity. Still, it's food for thought--a small penlight might be lighter than the headlamp, and I'm always looking for ways to lighten the load (as well, apparently, as ways to light up the load. Though not usually for ways to get lit or loaded).