Light Up Your Campsite with the Proper Camping Lantern

By Eric James

Camping lights are an essential accessory that may seem trivial at first until you don't have any. Your camping light needs to be reliable and have a readily available fuel source or power supply. There are heaps of styles, designs and types of fuel source to make your selection from so choosing one that's right for your situation shouldn't be a problem. Below is a summary of some of the different forms of camping lights and what their pros and cons are to help you find the best for your situation.

Gas Lanterns

The gas lantern is by far the best method of getting the brightest light in your campsite. The flame burns clean and can even provide a bit of heat which is an advantage if you like to camp in the cooler months. Never leave your lit gas lantern unattended. The flame burns hot and could cause a fire if tipped over. Also, little ones like to touch bright shiny things so they could get burnt fingers if you're not careful.

Kerosene Lanterns

Kerosene lamps come in two varieties, namely pressure or wick. A pressure type kerosene lamp will give you the brightest light. The major appeal of kerosene lamps are that it's very easy to get fuel for them and the wick type is very cheap. Wicks are cheap and readily available. A major disadvantage is that they can cause fires if they are tipped over. As with gas lamps you must never leave a burning kerosene lamp unattended.

Butane Lanterns

Butane lamps are an excellent source of light for the weight conscious backpacker. They provide quite a bit more light than a torch for an equivalent size and weight. You might be surprised when you see a working model at just how much light is being produced. There are models available that can produce the equivalent light of an 80W bulb.

Battery Powered Lamps

A battery powered lantern is perhaps the safest form of camping light. As there is no flame there is little to no chance of a fire. You also avoid having to deal with dangerous flammable liquids. Another advantage is that many battery powered lanterns can be charged up from a 12 volt source. With a good solar powered system set up to recharge the batteries you will never be without light again. Battery powered lamps in the past have been unable to produce light in any great quantities. The new technology producing super bright LEDs has been changing that as they use little power, produce very little heat and can produce quite a bit of light for their size.

Solar Camping Lantern

Most 12 volt battery lanterns can be charged via the cigarette lighter socket but what if you are worried about getting caught with a flat battery. Solar camping lanterns might be the solution to your problem. Some models come with the ability to charge up your mobile phone.

Leigh is passionate about camping and enjoys sharing his hobby via his website. If you need some lighting on your next camping trip why not check out the page on camping lights at the author's website.

About the Author:

This article has been written by the author, Eric James. Should you require anymoreA Complex Approach: Immigration Laws Marriageplease visit his Immigration Laws Marriage resources!