What lighting do you use for camping?

out8fish

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Last time i choose a led flashlight for camping, but it just point to one direction and make eyes glare. Do you have any good idea for choosing a suitable light for camping?
 

Grandpa

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We really like the new inflatable, solar "Luci" lights. One will light up the tent enough. 3 or 4 light up a campsite without glaring on the neighbors. They are a lot softer light than a mantled lantern but give enough light to see. We just bought 14 of them for stocking stuffer Christmas gifts for the hikers in the family.
 

Simplify

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I use an LED full lamp. It is only five inches high, lightweight, and you pull it up to pull out the light and turn it on. Decent light in all directions. Good enough for a tent.
 

MacGyver

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I've been experimenting with various 12 volt MR16 and MR11 LED reflector bulbs on top of a paint roller extension pole. They're hooked to an AGM battery that's charged with my solar panel. Not exactly a hiker's possibility, but it works very well for car/truck camping. Keeps the glare out of your eyes, keeps the bugs up at the lights and not in your face AND they light up a good chunk of the site.
 

briansnat

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I love my Black Diamond Storm headlamp for most camping. It has a red light setting for when you need a little light and don't want your eyes blown out by a bright light. It also has a high setting that will provide sufficient light for nearly anything you need and a medium setting that is nice for reading by the campfire, or in your tent. The high and medium settings are also adjustable too, so if you don't want "high high" you can dim it a bit. Same for the medium setting.

If I'm backpacking, my Black Diamond Orbit lantern has a great balance between compact size, weight and light. If I'm canoe or car camping, my Black Diamond Apollo throws a lot of light when needed and is adjustable too.

I really like Black Diamond products. They are priced fairly well and their customer service is outstanding. When one of the small LEDs stopped working on my Storm headlamp I emailed their customer support. They mailed me a brand new one, no questions asked. No need for a receipt or anything. In fact they told me to dispose of the malfunctioning headlamp as "I saw fit". I saw fit to put in my fishing tackle box where it still works fine on high and one of the two LEDs doesn't work on low. Still perfectly functional. The new one is with my camping equipment.
 

Cappy

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My go to has become one of those cheap energizer head lights. I have had it for over a year now and it pretty much stays on my casual every day hat. often times walking out the door heading for the store Peg has to holler at me and tell me to take it off. I own 3 of them one in the jeep one in my messenger bag, and one i forget to take off my every day hat. They are very easy on batteries and plenty light for most things. Of course I have lots of other lights from a pen light, to a1M search light scattered about as well.
 

Roybrew

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I agree with cappy. I am on my 2nd one of those energizer lights. My first one I had about 6 years, and the head band wore out the the lights started to go. I bought one of those tek brand that is a little lighter, and the little lock switch on the side malfunctioned and I had to pry it off with a screw driver and do surgery on it.
I had to retire the old coleman white gas double mantle lattern because I was going blind from the light. My dad and I used it last time, we were going to be out after dark fishing, and I knew we couldn't see the camp area because it was to wooded, so I pumped it up real good and put next to the water. Sure enough when we came up the lake after dark you could that thing, all in its blazing glory, about 1.5 to 2 miles away.
My wife got me for Christmas a couple of years ago, one those rechargeable or crank up latterns. Works great. Good light to have in tent because you don't have to get up to turn it off just go to to sleep and let it run down. Great for energetic kids, just let them crank the hound out of it before bed and maybe tire them down. Ha
 

dinosaur

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Recently I have been given a solar lantern made in China by a company named OUTAD. I have no idea what this means and I don't care.

The lantern is cute. It appears to be made cheaply. On the plus side, it weighs almost nothing. It is advertised as having three light settings. The first is low, the second high, and the third is flashing. Mine came without the third feature. Well, maybe not but I haven't been able to figure out how to make it flash. There are no instructions except for some supposedly universal picture tutorials on the box that tell you how to use it. They were somewhat helpful.

On low it says you get 8 hours of light on a full charge. On high you get 4 hours. This is absolutely correct. You do indeed. And the low setting is more than enough to light your tent or other camp area.

It comes with a charging chord that hooks up to a USB port so you can charge it in your vehicle or on your computer. The alternative is to leave it in the sun all day which I did in the Winter when the sun isn't always so cooperative. It charged up on an overcast day. I was impressed.

The bottom of this lantern is a light diffuser and a glass. It can be removed by unthreading it and makes a really nice party glass for beer like a red solo cup. While you're partying, the top makes a dandy flashlight. It has a very bright LED that allows you to see your immediate area quite well. When you're through drinking, wipe it out with a paper towel and screw it back on. Oh, but it's a left hand thread so if you're a bit buzzed you're probably going to try to screw it on the wrong way.

It's a dandy little item and it costs 20 bucks. Not bad for a waterproof little lantern that weighs almost nothing and can be carried via lanyard on your back.

This si what it looks like. Total length is just under eight inches

IMG_20160123_184402.jpg
 

Roybrew

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Great party trick for all inebriated buddies, have them try to screw cup back on.
I like things that don't require batteries.
 

ppine

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I like LED headlamps for backpacking. For canoe trips and car camping add an electric LED lantern, and maybe some el cheap solar lights for around camp. Winter trips with short daylight make lighting much more important.
 

Energized

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Great trick I learned a while back is regardless of what light you use, (I have a Coleman lantern) if you have a semi see through water container, put the lantern behind the container with the container facing your camp site. It will help spread the light a lot more without reducing a lot of the light being put off from the camp. Really helps illuminate your hole camp site. We also use a few cheap LED head lamps for walking around during the night. You dont need to spend a lot of cash on these to get a decent amount of light. Found the tip for the water and lantern on this guys camping checklist blog a while back. Give it a try im sure you will be impressed next time your out camping!
 
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ppine

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Traditional lanterns are too bright for everything except task lighting. Remember to turn off your headlamp when you walk up on a person to have a conversation. A fire and a couple of cheap solar lights are perfect, because the light level is low but no one trips on anything.

Modern campgrounds are like a zoo to me in the summer. Some people have two Coleman lanterns going and all the kids have flashlights. Some have laser lights. It is light pollution. I really don't like people that turn on their truck headlights aimed at my camp.

People seem to be afraid of the dark now. They light up the woods because they are used to it at home.
 

MacGyver

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Here's my "telephone pole light". The flash lit things up so that it looks way brighter than it really is. It casts a nice soft glow over a wide area - just enough to be able to walk over uneven ground without worrying about stumbling and see what you're doing when cooking at night.
Light Top.png Night.png
 

Sean95

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Last time i choose a led flashlight for camping, but it just point to one direction and make eyes glare. Do you have any good idea for choosing a suitable light for camping?
I have switched from a propane lantern to a 12v compact fluorescent light (CFL). It's a shop light style with a built-in hook to hang by and plugs into the cigarette lighter on our solar generator. It gives off plenty of light. Ours is shielded on one side.
 

Cappy

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I always wear some kind of hat or cap with a headlight. That eliminates eye glare. I often forget my light is on my hat and often go to town with it still there. Guess its a sign of oldtimers.
 

dinosaur

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I never cared much for headlamps except when I'm night fishing. It takes two hands to bait a hook or take a fish off of one. But I still prefer a lantern. That is oldtimers. Best light around camp is still the fire. It also keeps the nasties away except for skunks. And that brings me back to headlamps. If you spot a skunk, you'll want to turn your head as they don't seem to like a bright light shining in their eyes. Then you'll have a nice lighted path to beat a hasty retreat.
 

Cappy

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We have always been big fans of lanterns too we have used foil to block half of the globe and direct the light. We have sued pizza pans to block over head light to direct light to the water.

That said I can not remember a time with out a head light. My family has always used em in the swamps I remember big heavy batteries carried in a shoulder bag with huge lights on a hard hat.

The new small efficient led lights are a constant for me having been raised in a head light culture.
 

genry03

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I use a rechargeable coleman LED lantern. Have it for 2 years now and still works great.
 
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