BLOG

How to Choose the Right Camp Lantern For Outdoor Lovers

How to Choose the Right Camp Lantern

At least once in your life, you should try your best to spend the night outdoors. It will make a lot of difference with how you feel about life in general. You can spend the night with your family members or your friends. Expect that a lot of stories will be exchanged and you are going to develop relationships that will be remembered for a long time.

The night can become extraordinary and it may appeal to you a lot especially when you are telling ghost stories with the people that you are with but the dark can also become a problem especially when you need to see. Choosing the right camp lantern when you do not have outdoor lighting readily available is ideal. Expect that it is going to be a bit complicated especially since there are so many camping lanterns available but as long as you know what to look for, choosing can be easier.

Some Shopping Tips to Remember

You need to have the right camp lantern before you actually go camping. What are some things you should remember to make choosing far easier for you?

The Output of Light You Will Get

LED Camping LightsYou need to know how much light you are going to get every time you use the camping lantern. You may be wondering what are lumens? This refers to the amount of light that you will get every time you use the camping lantern. The higher the lumens of the camp lantern, the brighter the light is going to be. The average lumens that camp lanterns give out is about 150 – 300 lumens. Expect that some lanterns are going to give lower or higher than that. If you just need a source of light that will allow you to see your items at night, 100 lumens will already be enough.

Gas Light Vs Electric Light?

What type of camp lantern would you like to get? Would you like a lantern that is powered by gas or would you rather have a lantern that is powered by batteries? Expect that gas lanterns are going to be heavier but you will get more powerful light. The fuel used in gas light lanterns are the same as the fuel used in order to cook food. Electric lanterns, on the other hand, are usually lighter but they do not give as much light as gas light lanterns.

Both gas light lanterns and electric light lanterns come with their own pros and cons.

What’s the good with Gas Light:

  • Comes in a variety of shapes and sizes.
  • It can give off very powerful light.
  • Lanterns can be lighted up for a long time.

What’s doesn’t good with Gas Light:

  • They can be heavy to bring.
  • These lanterns cannot be used in enclosed spaces.

What’s the good with Electric Light:

  • They are usually more inexpensive than gas light lanterns.
  • These can be used in enclosed spaces. If you are wondering can you use a camping lantern indoors, this is the type of lantern that you need.
  • These can be powered by normal batteries that are readily available in stores.

What’s doesn’t good with Electric Light:

  • You need to change the battery or recharge the battery often.
  • The light may not be as strong compared to what the gas light lantern can provide.

Aside from the pros and cons that are mentioned above, you still have other considerations to consider. For example, you may want to analyze how much does it cost to run a gas lantern compared to the need to purchase batteries for your electric light lantern. You may need to bring extra fuel if you wish to spend more than 2 nights in the wilderness with your gas lantern. You want to be sure with what you are going to get.

How Much Does It Cost to Run a Gas Lantern?

Camping Lantern Gas LightYou would like to know if a gas lantern will be more expensive than a battery-powered lantern. It is bound to be more expensive especially since some electric light lanterns come with rechargeable batteries. For gas lanterns, expect that you are going to shell out about $7 for small lanterns and $25 for big lanterns. It will depend on the size of the lantern you are going to use and the amount of light that it can give out. The usual cost will be about $10 per month especially if you use the gas lantern often.

Take note that

The need for outdoor lighting will be more evident when you get to experience just how dark your surroundings are especially when there are no other campers nearby.

Consider the Size and Weight of the Camping Lantern

You need to make sure that the camping lantern comes in the right size and weight that you are willing to bring when you go camping. It can be harder if you need to hike far just to get to your camping location. You can choose a camping lantern that you would not mind putting inside your pack. Smaller lamps are geared towards backpackers while bigger lamps are usually brought by families who would like to light up a big portion of the campsite.

The power source (gas or batteries) will also add extra weight to the lantern that you choose. No matter how special and sophisticated your lantern is, it cannot be used without the right power source. Fuel is expected to be a bit heavier than batteries.

Time of Use

There are some camping lanterns that can only be used for a few hours even if you have spent a lot of time charging it or you have made an effort to purchase batteries that cost a lot of money to make it run as long as it possibly could. You can check the reviews of camping lanterns first to see the estimated time that the lanterns are going to run or burn. If you know that your camping lantern will not last long, you can bring extra fuel or extra batteries to be sure.

Other Features to Search For

You may be thinking at this point that choosing a camping lantern is complicated as there are so many things to consider. Once you make the right choice, you will not have any regrets. You will be equipped with the right lantern that you can bring with you everywhere.

Take note of the following features to make choosing far easier:

  • Search for lanterns that are handy to bring. Some lanterns will come with hooks and clips so you can hang them or place them somewhere safe when you are using them.
  • Look for lanterns that are easy to use. You do not want to end up without any source of light just because you do not know how to power up your lantern, right?
  • There are some lanterns that come with adjustable legs. These lanterns will be easier to use because you can easily place them on the ground.

Find a selection of the best camping lanterns here.

You may want to look for a camping lantern that can be collapsible so you can easily pack the lantern when you are not using it. With all of the things that you have learned, you can choose the proper lantern for hiking at night in the woods.