The following general information and tips on night orienteering was put together by Peter Chapman (SO).

  Preparation. You will need a sturdy lamp and a back-up torch in addition to your normal O kit. Check that the lamp has fresh batteries (or you have confidence that they will last at least two hours). Spares batteries are a nuisance to carry. Double check that the lamp works before starting. You will be moving slower than normal, and at a cooler time of the day, so consider wearing an extra layer. Gloves and/or a hat may also be needed for comfort. The carrying of a whistle is strongly advised and may be compulsory for the event.

  Lamps. It's dark at night (!) and you will need to carry a light to see what you are doing. Head mounted lamps are good and a worthwhile investment if you plan to do regular Night-O. You tend to run out of hands with a hand (mouth!) torch. The prime use of lamp is to read the map. The secondary use of a bright lamp is to let you run faster with more safety.

Super bright lights are not essential for successful orienteering in the dark. In my experience, the minimum acceptable lamp power for regular night orienteering is about 2w (e.g. Petzl zoom with a halogen bulb (£25-£30), or a 2"d"cell front cycle lamp/torch (£5-£10)). You get more light from a halogen bulb than an equivalent rated normal bulb (but bulbs are relatively expensive). An easy upgrade to make a cheap torch more suitable for night-O is to fit a halogen bulb. Very powerful headlamps (20W+) are available, but as specialist equipment, they tend to be very expensive and are a luxury, not a necessity. Big hand torches can give out lots of light but get very tiring to carry whilst running round a typical course.

One lamp good, two lamps better?

Be careful with rechargeable batteries (e.g. NiCad) because when they start to fade they will go very quickly - you get very little warning. Alkaline batteries will fade progressively throughout the life of the cells and, although you will have to throw them away when flat (normal alkalines can't be recharged) have a much greater capacity than rechargeables of the same size. Beware of cheap rechargeable batteries because these will normally have a low capacity and not last very long (typically just over an hour with a two cell, 2W torch). Very small lamps can be useful for map reading but give inadequate light for moving much faster than a walk with safety.

  Navigation. Try not to get lost (!). Try to keep track of where you are on the map at all times (e.g. Pacing, ticking off features,...). Being lost at night is very time consuming because relocation can be very difficult. When in doubt take the safest option because its much quicker to run further on a known route than be lost on a short one.

Concentrate - try not to get lost

Try to simplify the map and only look out for the features that you can reliably identify at night. Use handrails (paths and other distinct linear features) where possible. Use distinct, easy to find attack points as close to controls as practical and, with point features, try to have positive catching feature behind the control.

Use the compass to confirm direction as a matter of course and re-check bearings frequently (it's not normally possible to sight on distant objects). Try to only aim-off to definite (e.g. large) collecting features. If lost, don't waste time: relocate to a nearby, easy to identify feature. Use paths if possible, remembering that small ones may not be as easy to find at night. Also remember that leaves may obscure even wide tracks in autumn.

Use a compass

Vegetation boundaries are not as reliable at night, however, thickets are usually OK to use. Treat dark green vegetation with caution. It's even more difficult to get through at night, than in day time. Relief can be deceptive and small hills can look a lot bigger than they actually are. Some clubs (e.g. MV) use reflective controls (but most don't, so don't count on it!).

  Tips. In fog, try holding the lamp low down. Don't dismiss your own night vision - you can often make out the shape of open areas better without a lamp on. Don't dazzle yourself when looking at your own map and please remember that it's not really fair to dazzle your fellow competitors! Be aware of the location other competitors from their lamps (they can't hide easily at night) and use the "spoke effect" of other competitors lamps converging on/departing from a control.

Always remember, however, to make your own navigational decisions - it might not be your control! Work out how you will leave the control before getting to it so that you can pass through quickly. Don't light up controls for your competitors. Turn off your lamp if possible (usually open areas) to hide in the dark and take advantage of night vision. Elite night runners can be almost as fast at night as during the day, but most of us are 20-50% slower - the slower, safer approach is almost always the most appropriate for successful night orienteering and good results.

  Competitions. Courses lengths are usually two thirds to three quarters of the normal equivalent day time course. It's usually best to start on a course of a colour below your normal colour coded standard to get used to the differences in navigational techniques at night.

There are various different types of event:

A) South East NIght LEague (SENiLe): a series of night colour coded events in the SE of England.

B) Night Badge events: mainly championships (e.g. Southern Night Champs, British Night Champs). Courses are usually shorter, but just as hard as during the day (within the bounds of fairness for night O).

C) Harvester Trophy Relays: a 5 or 7 person relay, starting in the middle of the night. Usually 3 or 4 night legs before it gets light.

D) Peter Palmer Relays: 8 person junior teams starting in the middle of the night. 2-4 night legs.

Peter Chapman, September 2001