Camping adventures with family and friends are what life’s all about. They help you escape the stresses of your daily life and enjoy fun activities, fresh air, and beautiful landscapes.
The camping nights when we’re all gathered around the fire are my favourite. We would roast marshmallows, catch up on recent events and have a few laughs in between. However, as magical as they are, the nights in the woods are hard to navigate. This is why lighting is an important part of camping gear.
Camping lights come in different shapes and sizes. Both headlamps and flashlights have many benefits, but they’re better used for hiking. When it comes to the hands-free illumination of a camping site, lanterns are the best option.
What Are the Advantages of LED Camping Lanterns?
If you’re looking for an easy-to-use and efficient camp light, I suggest getting a quality LED lantern Australia camping stores sell. These lanterns are waterproof, lightweight, and compact, and they’re a favourite among campers worldwide. Simply set them up using their inbuilt magnets and forget about them for the rest of the evening. Their rechargeable lithium batteries last for 6 hours on high and more than 90 hours on low settings.
LED lantern lights are extremely durable, inexpensive, and safe to use. They easily attach to a tent pole, camping trailer, awning, fence, or any other surface. Carry them in your vehicle at all times and enjoy your camping trips without worrying about getting left in the dark.
Another advantage many LED lanterns have is the ability to customize their light colour. They switch between three colour options – cool white, warm white, and orange. Certain light colours not only help you create an ambient, but they also keep the bugs at bay. Most bugs can’t help but shift towards a visible light source. As the orange light colour is outside of their visible spectrum, they don’t usually gather around it.
Things to Consider when Shopping for Camping Lanterns
Weight and Size
The lantern’s weight and size don’t always correlate with its light output. Since camping requires a lot of packing, it’s best to choose small and lightweight lanterns that will easily fit in your vehicle. Modern LED lanterns weigh less than 100 grams while giving your enough light output to illuminate your campsite. A modest output of 150 lumens is more than enough to help you navigate around and entertain your company at night-time.
When packing for your camping trip, don’t forget to take into account both the weight of the lantern and its power source. A light without anything to power it is pointless!
Batteries
The battery type is an important factor to keep in mind when buying and using a lantern. Camping lanterns mostly use lithium and alkaline batteries. Lithium batteries work well in cold weather, whereas alkaline batteries – do not so much. They lose around half of their capacity at temperatures below zero. In case you have to use alkaline batteries, I suggest storing them in your pocket or inside your sleeping bag to protect them from the cold.
Lumens
Lumens are units that indicate the strength of light output (a brighter output indicates a higher lumen count). To determine their lumen count, people measure certain lanterns at the bulb within, while they measure others from the exterior (this measurement is known as an “out the front” value). Since a brighter bulb uses more energy, models offer several modes or brightness settings.
Lumens for lanterns range from 40 to 700 for the brightest settings, with the majority of lanterns offering between 100 and 300 lumens. A 100-lumen count is ideal for navigating around the camp at night.
Remember that the brightness of a LED lantern may be influenced by optics and design. Some lanterns cast their light a little farther than others, while others do a terrific job of illuminating the table they are placed on. This is how many lumens you will need for your camping trip:
- Less than 100 lumens: ideal for lighting a tent;
- Less than 200 lumens: ideal for lighting a tent site;
- 300 lumens: ideal for lighting a campground soiree.
Water Resistance
Most modern LED lanterns are waterproof; however, you should always check the waterproof rating before taking them on your trip. Manufacturers usually apply the IP (Ingress Protection) rating to indicate the level of dust resistance and water resistance of their devices.
This is a two-digit system for grading that’s visible on the device and its packaging. The first digit ranges from 0-6 and indicates the level of protection against dust particles, while the second digit ranges from 0-9 and indicates the water resistance.
Other Features
Lastly, before you decide on buying a lantern, consider whether you need it to have any additional features:
- A handy hook, loop, or clip; This feature lets you hang your lantern from a tree, a pole, or even inside your tent;
- A magnet; Modern lanterns have an inbuilt magnet in addition to the traditional attachment system. This lets you secure your lantern better;
- Simple and easy power buttons; I’m sure you’re tired of fiddling with tiny buttons and entering codes to get your light to work. A simple power button is more than welcome when you need to turn on your lantern in complete darkness at the end of a long day;
- Multiple light colour settings; There are many models in the LED lantern Australia range that have several light colours that you can switch between. A warm orange light doesn’t only create a soothing ambiance, but it also helps to repel those annoying bugs.
