rechargeable led camping lantern

 

Camping Lanterns: What to Look For

Outdoor camping lanterns come in battery-powered, solar-powered, electric and hand-crank models, among other types. The type you should choose can depend on the number of batteries a lantern uses, the amount of light emitted, the number of hours it can operate and adjustability of light to make batteries last longer. The weight of a lantern is also an important consideration.

Hours of Operation
The number of hours a camping lantern can operate varies from 2.5 to 295. Solar-powered and hand-crank lanterns tend to have a shorter runtime. Battery-powered lanterns have the longest runtime. However, the ability to adjust the settings on a camping lantern is an important feature, because lower settings can save energy and allow a battery-operated lantern to work for a longer period. Some lanterns come with up to three settings, a strobe and even a nightlight setting. Because of the adjustable settings on many battery-powered lanterns, the runtime can depend on whether you have it on the highest or lowest setting.

Lumens
The lumen rating on a lantern tells you how wide an area the lantern illuminates. The higher the number of lumens, the wider the area. The lumens in camping lights frequently run in the 200s or 300s, which is adequate for many campsites, but some lanterns go up to 1,000 lumens.

Weight
Weight is important when you're hauling camping equipment or backpacking. Lanterns for camping can run from around 1 pound to well over 3 pounds. Battery-operated lanterns use D-cell batteries, which add up to a pound to the weight.

Additional Features
Camping lanterns can include a USB port to charge your smartphone or MP3 player, a red light for night vision, a yellow light that does not attract insects, remote control operation, an SOS mode for emergencies, or a flashlight as part of the package.

Outdoor camping lanterns are available in a wide range of styles and power sources. They are useful for camping and backpacking and as emergency lanterns when the lights go out. Whether solar-powered, battery-operated or hand-cranked, some come with handy additional features such as a USB port or night vision, and many have adjustable lighting to save battery power.