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Campsite Light Options
When it comes to camping tips for safety and security, proper light sources top the list!
SOLAR POWERED Camping Lights
If you go on fall camping trips, or if you are a year-round camper who takes winter camping trips, make sure you compensate for the reduced number of daylight/sunshine hours if you are using solar powered lighting options.
DUAL-PURPOSE SOLAR Lights
Dual purpose kind of lights are great when you are planning and packing for simple camping trips with minimal gear.
If you keep your phone charged, get a free flashlight app that will let you have a super-bright beam right from your phone! That is just one of the best camping apps you should have before your next trip!
Solar devices that have the ability to provide luminosity and charge your electronic devices are really great when you are playing a geocaching camping game and you need your phone to navigate to find the hidden treasure as well as providing enough brightness if your trek extends beyond sundown.
Why stop with solar charged lighting? If you want to get off the grid and harness the free, clean and never-ending power of the sun on your trips, solar camping is easier than most people think if you have the right gear!
PROPANE Camping Lanterns
Camping propane is a great fuel solution for lanterns. It is inexpensive, efficient and really easy to transport to your campsite … and, there are so many more uses for it beyond gas lanterns!
It is one of the best propane camping gear items we reviewed. If you are using a gas lantern camping light that is powered by regular camping propane cylinders and you want to re-use them, you should check out our blog post How To Refill 1 lb Propane Cylinders, Tanks And “Disposable” Small Camping Propane Bottles for tips!
Best Propane Lanterns Reviewed
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Not sure which is the best propane lantern for you? Check out our reviews to help you decide!
RECHARGEABLE BATTERY Powered Camping Lights
It is nice to be able to recharge batteries rather than throw them out and replace them.
Hanging camping lights that are lightweight enough to hang from almost anything are great because you don’t want to go searching for a tree branch that is sturdy enough to hold a 300 pound gorilla! LOL
If you are using a heavy duty, wall-plug, work light on your camping trips, you are most likely camping in an RV with access to shore power or a generator. We have a handy calculator and chart with standard RV and camping gear average power requirements in our Best Quiet Generators For Camping post.
BATTERY POWERED Camping Lanterns And Lights
Batteries are a common way for campers to power their gear. They are convenient, easy to pack and available just about anywhere.
These tiny battery operated lanterns are really popular with backpackers and long-distance hikers.
Camping with small, portable, lightweight campsite lights is the only way to go when you are dispersed camping on public lands. Our family prefers National Forest camping and our post has lots of tips to help newbies navigate the rules for camping in National Forests and the differences between Camping In National Forests vs National Parks.
If you are planning a camping trip to a National Park, be prepared to supply your own campsite lights and the power to operate them. Most Park campsites don’t have power or water available.
If you are visiting a National Park and don’t really like people … good luck! LOL But seriously, you can totally enjoy your National Park camping trip with help from our 12 Tips To Avoid Crowds In National Parks So You Don’t Go Crazy! post.
Outdoor camping lights that are this bright are really nice to have especially on nights with very dim moonlight.
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This is always one of the most popular items for Christmas Gifts For Campers And RV Owners: 100+ Ideas For This Holiday Season. If you are looking for totally unique camping gifts during the holiday season, we keep a running tally of the TOP SELLERS and update our post DAILY!
MULTI-POWERED Camping Lights
Many people like the idea of using solar camping lights for eco camping but they don’t always camp in areas with lots of sunny days … so, the best camping lights for them need to run on multiple sources of power. Here are a few options…
Camping lights are in that “don’t ever forget to pack it” category when it comes to loading your gear! Get your FREE copy of our printable camping checklist so you never leave home without something YOU really need (yes, I’m suggesting you make it a personal thing).
HAND CRANK Lights
Hand cranks are not only good for flashlights and outdoor camping lights … They are good when it comes to how to charge phone without power while you are out in the wilderness too!
REMOTE CONTROL Camping Lantern Lights
You might think the creature comforts of remote controls are only found in well-equipped homes … think again!
ROPE Lights
STRING Lights
The best camping string lights are often decorative lights for campers that are hung from a travel trailer’s awning. They can also be hung from a canopy or around the entrance to a tent. Because they have a softer light, they are often considered decorative camping lights and borderline on glam camping.
On your next camping trip when you have a rainy night and can’t sit around a campfire, you can still have a good time simulating that classic camping experience. Just place a small string of battery tiny bulbs in glass mason jars. It is a great way to add that twinkle atmosphere the whole family will enjoy.
Colorful lights add lots of camping fun atmosphere to your campsite.
The combination of solar camping string lights + camping lights for awnings = RV boondocking (in most cases). Never done it before? No worries, we’ll show you how! If you are like us, you will never want to visit a regular campground again!
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Lots of people like to use these colorful critters as camping awning lights.
LED RV Camping Lights
We do a lot of boondocking off-the-grid where we use solar panels to recharge our RV batteries as our main power source. If you swap your RV’s incandescent light bulbs for efficient LEDs your RV battery will love you forever! Check out our post that has tips on How To Choose, Use And Maintain The Best RV Battery.
Camping Lights You WEAR
If you “wear” your lights on your head, you will always have the light with you and it will be pointing in the direction you are looking. This is really handy when you are trying to make dinner after the sun goes down and you can’t see your campfire cooking equipment without some help!
My husband swears by his camping headlamp … so much so … when I asked him to come up with his camping gift wish list I was going to share in our Outrageously Unique Camping Gifts For Men post he included this headlamp! I was like … you’re kidding, right? Nope, he was not kidding … He loves this thing!
RED Camping LANTERNS
Personally, I love the classic look of a traditional red camping lantern.
KIDS Camping Lanterns And Lights
Who says kids can’t have their own camping equipment?
Camping TENTS WITH LIGHTS
The easiest way to hang camping tent lights is not hanging them at all! Camping tents with led lights built in is sort of like putting up a pre-lit Christmas tree … it is almost cheating but oh – so – cool!
Camping Lights From NATURAL SOURCES
One of the most popular campsite lights is not a mechanical light at all … it is the glow of a campfire! Depending on the size of your fire, it can light up most of your campsite. And, if the moon is bright … you may not need much more light that those two natural campsite lights provide on their own.
If you like doing fun camping related DIY projects … especially with kids … you may want to make your own fire starters to provide your natural campfire campsite lights! Check out our How To Make Homemade Fire Starters Using Dryer Lint Easy DIY Camping Project post for instructions and our cute outer wrappers that have trivia questions about Smokey Bear!
Camping Lights For SPECIAL HOLIDAYS
More Camping Tips
We have awesome camping trips for every aspect of your trips!
