Walking in the dark in countryside?

[vilamoura2003]

Does anyone else walk at night 🤔 My husband is shortly going to have to take over dog walking duties as I will be out of action for a few weeks due to an operation. He will not be able to walk the dog until at least 5.30 - 6.30 when it will be dark.

He has mentioned buying a head torch and still going - our dog is a lab so she does need an off lead run every day. Does anyone else walk in the dark - do you have any suggestions for kit? I am thinking flashing collar so he can see where the dog is? Would a head torch be bright enough?

[sleepingdogslying]

DS used to walk dogs over the fields late at night. He had a headtorch and the dogs had a flashing attachment that went on their collars. Its not that unusual round here, you can even buy balls that light up. I tried it a few times, but found it far too spooky - very few houses and lots of small copses of trees.

[MarcoPoloCX]

I still walk in the woods.
The dogs have bright flashing collars.
I have a flashlight, and lights mounted on my headgear.
Spare torch in the bum bag and a body cam for extra security.
Plus my personal attack alarm and mobile phone.

[Lucisky]

I used to have to walk my dogs in the dark at times. Your eyes do adjust, but there are plenty of items available to light up the dogs. The biggest problem I found was picking up poo. Playing hunt the poo with a torch isn't fun. I also tripped over several times on rough ground, so tended to stick to hard surfaces after that!

[PhatSlag]

I walk early in the morning before it’s light. Have just bought a new rechargeable head torch and my dogs have the silicon strap bike lights on their harnesses and one of them also has an Ezydog Adventure Light so I can see him a long way off.
I use a Chuck It Glow Ball for my other ball mad dog.
I attach a bike light to my coat as my dogs can sometimes struggle to locate me otherwise.
We’re all lit up like Christmas trees every morning

[SwimmingInTheBlueLagoon]

I actually don't use a torch unless I need it to make sure I'm getting his poo up fully or it's a particularly dark (starless moonless) night. I find my eyes adjust fine once you move away from street lights. I can locate my dog fine, he finds me fine and I can see where I'm going fine. You can also see all around (a torch means your eyes can't adjust to the low light levels meaning you can only see where the torch shines). I feel more secure like this.

The only road I need to go down is my well lit cul-de-sac with footpath, the rest of my walk is totally off road so no worries about not being visible to people driving past.

Also LED head torches are very bright, I use to use one to muck out my pony's stable to a high standard!

[tabulahrasa]

I use the torch on my phone... I've tried a head torch, it was fine, but I kept forgetting to take it with me, I've always got my phone, lol.

I walk in the dark whenever I can and you don't really need a light mist of the time, I only really have it on so other people know I'm there, my dog doesn't get off lead so I figure they need a heads up before I appear all dressed in black with my black dog.

[bigsighall]

Yes. no choice. I use a head torch too

[mynxy]

I prefer the dark too and carry a torch for picking up poo. I have a white dog and keep him on the lead so don't have a problem with losing him.

I find head-torch users annoying as they seem to forget how blinding they are for people coming towards them who aren't wearing them.

[insert1usernamehere]

Really, really not in the countryside here but if we're going to the park unlit field for a game of fetch, then it's a combination of a light up collar (LED rechargeable one, Firefly brand from Amazon, though I don't know if it's the best out there or even especially durable as we haven't had it long) + ChuckIt glow balls (easily recharged using your phone torch; I have two and chuck one while recharging the other for longevity)

[Crumbs1]

My husband runs with the dog most mornings - six miles mainly off road but open countryside so rising sunlight gives sufficient light generally to avoid problems. I take him either down through the woods and circle around across fields to home if dusk but not dark. If it’s actually pitch dark by the time we go out I drive to a National Trust place that is high up and very open so I can see where I’m going by moonlight or starlight. There’s quite well trodden footpaths up on the down so easier to stay upright than through the woods in the dark.