Why We Ask You to Carry a Headtorch – Even When We Don’t Expect to Use It 🔦

As the days get shorter and we head further into autumn and winter, we wanted to give everyone a friendly reminder about carrying a headtorch or torch as part of your YTO kit.

A headtorch is something we ask you to carry all year round, not just during the darker months. However, as our daylight hours become shorter, it’s a good time to remind everyone just how important this small piece of kit can be.

One thing we want to make really clear:

We do not expect to use them.

Our walks are planned around the route, distance, terrain, expected pace and available daylight, and wherever possible we plan to complete our walks during daylight hours.

Asking you to carry a headtorch doesn’t mean we’re expecting to finish in the dark.

It simply means we’re prepared if something unexpected happens.

Being prepared is one of the most important parts of heading into the outdoors.

Why carry one if we don’t expect to use it?

Because sometimes things don’t go exactly to plan.

Someone may pick up an injury, the group may need to slow down, weather conditions could change, terrain might take longer than expected or an unexpected situation could delay us.

Most of the time, your headtorch will stay tucked away in your bag for the entire walk — and that’s exactly what we hope happens.

But if something delays us and daylight begins to disappear, having a headtorch suddenly becomes incredibly important.

It weighs very little, takes up hardly any room and gives us another layer of preparation should we need it.

We would much rather everyone carry a headtorch they never use than need one and not have it.

Being prepared doesn’t mean expecting the worst

This is something we really want to stress.

Carrying emergency or additional kit doesn’t mean we think something is going to go wrong.

You carry waterproofs even when rain isn’t forecast.

You carry an extra layer even when you’re warm at the start.

Our guides carry first aid equipment that we hope never has to leave the bag.

A headtorch is exactly the same.

It’s there because good preparation means thinking about the unexpected — not because we expect to use it.

Daylight can disappear quickly

During autumn and winter, our daylight window becomes much shorter and it can get dark surprisingly quickly.

A relatively small delay on a walk can therefore make a much bigger difference than it would during the summer months.

A proper headtorch allows you to see the ground, identify obstacles and move more safely if daylight does disappear.

While most phones have a torch, we don’t recommend relying on this as your main light source. Your phone battery is important for communication and emergencies, and a headtorch also keeps both hands free.

Make your headtorch part of your permanent kit 🎒

Our advice is simple:

Keep a headtorch in your walking or running bag all year round.

That way, you don’t have to remember to pack it each time you head out.

Just make sure you regularly:

• Check that it works

• Check the battery or charge level

• Carry spare batteries if required

Hopefully, you’ll carry it around for months without ever switching it on!

It’s Not Just a YTO Recommendation – #BeAdventureSmart

This isn’t simply a YTO rule. It reflects wider outdoor safety advice from Mountain Rescue England and Wales and the #BeAdventureSmart campaign.

Before heading out, #BeAdventureSmart encourages everyone to ask themselves three simple questions:

Do I have the right gear? Do I know what the weather will be like? Am I confident that I have the knowledge and skills for the day?

Mountain Rescue England and Wales specifically includes a torch/headtorch in its recommended kit for heading into the hills, alongside suitable clothing and footwear, food and water, a map and compass, first aid kit and essential medication.

And this line from Mountain Rescue's AdventureSmart guidance sums up exactly why we ask you to carry one:

“the torch and/or head torch will light your way should darkness overtake your pace”

That doesn't mean we expect darkness to overtake us. Far from it. We plan our YTO walks around the route, expected pace and available daylight.

But being outdoors means being prepared for the unexpected.

As #BeAdventureSmart puts it: “Make your good day better.”

For us, carrying a headtorch is a perfect example of that approach. Hopefully it stays in your bag all day and never gets switched on but if circumstances change, you're prepared.

A YTO Kit List Reminder 🧡

Please always check the individual kit requirements for your YTO event before setting off.

As a general reminder, your walking kit should include:

• Waterproof jacket

• Waterproof over-trousers

• Appropriate walking footwear

• Warm layers

• Hat and gloves

• Headtorch or torch

• Enough food and water for the day

• Any personal medication

Longer walks, mountain days and challenge events may have additional requirements, and kit checks may be carried out before setting off.

Our kit requirements aren't there because we expect something to go wrong. They are there because being properly prepared is part of enjoying the outdoors safely.

Hopefully, you’ll never need it 🔦

That really is the message we want you to take away from this.

We don't expect to use your headtorch.

We plan our walks carefully and aim to work within the available daylight.

But we can't predict every eventuality.

So when you see a headtorch on your YTO kit list, please don't think, “We're going to be walking in the dark.”

Think:

“We're prepared if we need to be.”

Because carrying a small piece of kit you never use is far better than finding yourself in a situation where you really need it and don't have it.

Preparation is key, pop that headtorch in your bag and hopefully it stays there for the whole walk! 🧡🔦

Yorkie Talkies Outdoors