Even if you are only intending to travel in daylight, carry some form of flashlight with you. Make sure the batteries are fresh and I would strongly recommend Lithium cells because they perform far better than most other types in low temperatures.
I’m not a fan of head torches in any type of group situation because some berk will always forget to turn it off and blind everyone’s night vision while wondering why they are all swearing at him.
If I am using something like a head torch, I hang it around my neck and point it down so that it shines at where my hands are and I can see what I’m doing. It’s not stuck on my head and waving around like a damned lighthouse. The only time I ever put one on my head is if I’m on my own and even then very rarely.
I prefer to let my night vision adapt to the darkness which in snowy condition tends to work quite well, especially if there is a moon in the sky. It also means that I can see if the Northern Lights make an appearance. If you are constantly working in a pool of artificial light you may very easily miss one of the greatest shows on Earth.
You can see some more about some of the kit I use on the next pages.
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