[pct-l] Night lighting

[Matthew Edwards]

Diane.. err Piper.. That was so well said! 
It is totally true of the experience i had as well.
There was all this excitement about making sure to have and extra battery for the head lamp..
Make sure to carry and extra memory card for the camera  in case the first one fills up unexpectedly..
Be sure to wrap some duct tape around my trekking pole just in case...
Then you get on the trail and all that anxiety vanishes.
You just make do with what you have.
If you didn't bring it.. you didn't need it.
I think you touched on one of the great gifts of the trail: The ability to be satisfied with what you have.
On the trail you can cram your whole life down into a sack and carry it on your shoulders.
 Back to the original Thread:
I have a rather hilarious story about night lights. 
I decided to cut my pack weight so I donated my Petzl head lamp to a trail angel and bought a diminutive single  Red L.E.D. Photon light..
The kind that uses a watch battery and weighs a fraction of an ounce.
At a single stroke I have eliminated 3 ounces from my pack..
So I am feeling rather good about myself as the sun sets and i prepare for bed . I am in my tent thinking i will check the next days maps.
Well I quickly discovered the Red LED Photon light, a color i bought to "preserve" night vision, rendered the red trail trace on my maps invisible!
I could see the whole map in monochrome red, all the contour lines, the peaks and stream names.. just not the trail!
I flicked on my lighter and there is the trail.
It was like a magic trick!
I am such a dumb-azz sometimes! 
Anyhow.. to anyone using a monochrome red LED with Jonathan Ley's Maps on the CDT.. you've been warned!
-Iceaxe