Headlamps

My wife was always into Headlamps but I guess I missed that when I was camping more in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and even to about 1995. However, after that I bought a motor home because sleeping on rocks or air mattresses in the wilds just wasn't doing it for me because my back would have a problem in the morning and often I wouldn't sleep the night before. So, if you can't sleep it is really hard to enjoy the out of doors the next day.

So, I sort of missed the whole headlamps as a part of camping sort of thing during my life. However, this trip I realized how nice it is to have a headlamp when you want to carry luggage or food in the dark somewhere or to go underground and with the headlamp on your head instead of in your hand you are going to have more appendages for grabbing things so you don't go down hard if your footing is tenuous at best underground. When you go into a lava cave a lot of detritus and pieces of rocks have fallen from quarter size to 300 to 500 pound pieces. So, the floors are usually scattered with things that will really tear you up if you lose your footing. A month ago I fell down hard and thought I was going to break something but luckily only my hands got cut instead and bruised. So, having a hold of one or more rocks above, to the side or below you is likely going to prevent you for the most part going down and really getting hurt while spelunking underground.

So, on this trip because of the cabin I was staying in a distance from my truck a headlamp today and underground in the lave tube finally makes a lot of sense to me. I was able to get a Black Diamond headlamp (black diamond is the most difficult ski slopes in ski parks usually) unless you go completely off the manicured courses where people often get injured or die in some parks.

That's another thing it is helpful to be wearing gloves underground because you never know what you are going to step on next or what you are going to grab next with your hands. Also, sometimes other creatures live in lava tubes or ice caves too. So, be careful of that. Don't just think you are the only one there when you go underground in wild country. You might be alone and then again you might have anything from a hibernating bear to mountain lion to a family of raccoons. actually, I would be more worried about a mama raccoon then a bear or a mountain lion without cubs.