James Forrest
When the light fades, it won’t be years of mountain acumen or impressive kit that will get you off the hill safely – it’ll be the HEADTORCH you packed to light up the trail ahead. Here’s our pick of the six best currently available.
tests out the best headtorches for winter 2020 – vital bits of kit for walking in winter hills or pounding your local trails after dark
The sun is setting across the Arrochar Alps. My friend Eddie and I are killing time on the summit of Ben Vorlich, watching nature’s spectacle unfold across the expanse of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs. Hazy layers of silhouetted peaks stretch out into the distance, as the multi-coloured sky blends and marbles with every passing moment. We didn’t plan to be up here this late, but some things are too good to miss out on. It’s an excellent last-minute hill decision – until we come to getting off the mountain. Stupidly neither of us packed a headtorch and we now face a dicey descent over steep, ankle-jarring terrain as night-time rapidly closes in. We’re hiking blind, guided only by the insufficient beams of our iPhone torches. At one point I fall into a ditch trying to avoid a cow. My lack of a headtorch has turned me into a hillwalking calamity.
Such is the importance of a headtorch. With one you’re a consummate, well-equipped hillwalking pro ready for the unexpected. Without one you suddenly transform into an ill-prepared, idiotic hillwalking amateur descending a Munro using a phone torch, one slip away from a mountain rescue call-out. The moral of the story? Always pack a headtorch – you never know when you might need to rely on it. But how do you pick the right one for you? Here we cut through the jargon and compare six of our current favourites, outlining the key stats and features to look for.