That's a good question, and not one I know the answer to. I've spent a good amount of time out in nature in the dark, in areas with very little light pollution

That's a good question, and not one I know the answer to. I've spent a good amount of time out in nature in the dark, in areas with very little light pollution. In these areas, moonlight can definitely be adequate for a lot of things. But under tree or cloud cover, or when the moon is new, the natural dark can be truly debilitating. Now, this could be because my modern vision system never properly adjusts because it's used to light pollution, but I'd at least conclude from this that a lack of light pollution doesn't inherently mean better night vision.