How to Choose the Right Outdoor Lighting for Your Next Camping Trip
If it’s not your first time camping then you already know how vital choosing the right outdoor lighting is. If it is your first time then you should keep in mind that moonlight isn’t always reliable or sufficient and neither are campfires when darkness falls.
To help you get started, here are several outdoor lighting options you could consider.
Battery Powered Lamps
They’re the safest and easiest to use. You can sleep the night away with complete peace of mind, knowing the entire camp won’t burn down even if you leave your lamp on all night long. Most of them can be recharged with a 12V source, which is easy to access if you have a RV trailer or your campsite provides hook-ups to their electrical grid. Some models, on the other hand, can be recharged with a solar-powered system.
One major disadvantage is when there’s no source of electricity or way to recharge at your campsite. In such cases, you should have extra batteries packed. Another disadvantage is that your battery-powered lamp may not give enough light if it’s not using LED bulbs.
Gas Lanterns
Obviously, this isn’t something you can safely leave on if you’re going out or about to hit the sack. You should also take care where you place it if you have kids around; you don’t want them accidentally knocking your lantern down, and again causing conflagration.
A great advantage to using gas lanterns, however, is that they can be extremely bright and serve as an additional source of heat if you’re camping during the cooler months of the year.
Butane Lanterns
This is the best alternative to flashlights or torches if you’re backpacking. It’s just as portable but will provide more light to help you navigate and generally see better in the dark. High-end models can also produce 60W lighting, making them an ideal choice as your primary source of lighting at the camp site as well.
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