Steve Simpson, Professor
136 Wittich Hall   (608) 785-8216
Rec 202 Outdoor Recreation Pursuits

Night Hike Tips and Etiquette

1. Night hikes are intended to make participants comfortable in nature at night, not some much to test their courage.  Therefore there should not be efforts to make the hike more exciting and scary than it already is.  The excitement already exists, so take steps to make people feel as secure as possible.  For example, I often start a night hike with a quick discussion of fears people are experiencing, then take measures to alleviate them (e.g., no one needs to fear bear encounters on the outskirts of La Crosse).

2. The human eye takes approximately 15 minutes to adjust to the dark.  Avoid looking at any lights (flashlight, headlights, etc...) on the hike - or it will take another 15 minutes to adjust.

3. Lift your feet.  People tend to shuffle a bit.  On a night hike, make special effort to lift your feet with each step.  This will lessen the chances of tripping.

4. Keep your hands out of your pockets.  If you do trip, you want your hands free to break the fall.

5. Keep a reasonable distance between yourself and the person in front of you (approximately 3 feet).  This will broaden your field of vision, plus it will lessen the chance that you will bring down someone else if you trip.

6. If you do get separated from the rest of the group, stop walking.  Stay in one place - this will make it easier for the rest of the group to find you.  Also yell - sound carries well at night, and we most likely will hear you.

7. Night hikes should be an experience with nature.  Therefore keep your voices quiet (silence would be great) and try to keep your conversations to the themes of the night (i.e., don't be discussiong upcoming tests, parties, etc...)

8. It is impossible for most of us to know which planets are in the evening sky at any particular time.  Therefore we need to check in with experts.  Each month, Natural History Magazine summarizes the highlights of the night sky.  Also http://www.sudekumplanetarium.com/features/ will tell which planets are up.

Email me at simpson.stev@uwlax.edu

Last modified 5/05/05.