My headlamp died 4 miles from the car on the Eagle Creek trail and I hiked out by phone light

Logan Hart · 2026-10-14T05:35:05.723279+00:00

Went out on the Eagle Creek loop near Cascade Locks two Saturdays ago, planning a quick overnighter at 7.5 mile camp. About 4 miles from the trailhead, right as it got dark, my headlamp just quit. No warning flicker, no dimming, it was on and then it wasn't. I had a spare set of batteries in my pack but I couldn't find them in the dark with cold hands, and my phone was at 23 percent. So I hiked the last 4 miles using the phone flashlight, holding it the whole way, which is terrible because you can't see roots at your feet. Took me almost 3 hours instead of the 90 minutes it should have been. The part that gets me is I have done this exact loop 6 times and never once checked my headlamp before leaving the parking lot. Now I check it in the car every single time, and I want a backup light that clips to my shoulder strap. What do you all carry as your second light source on a night section?

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My headlamp died 4 miles from the car on the Eagle Creek trail and I hiked out by phone light | Backpacking Routes - HW Forums