When you go camping, it’s going to get dark. What do we tend to do when it gets dark? Turn on the lights—but with limited to no electricity, this may prove difficult. Once upon a time, your sole sources of light were the flickers from your campfire and maybe a gas lantern or two. Thanks to the introduction of LED lighting, however, there are now easier ways to shed some light on a camping trip. Read on to discover some of the best camp lighting solutions native to a post-gas-lantern world.
Lanterns
Yes, yes; we just harped on how gas lanterns are a thing of the past. That’s why we’re endorsing rechargeable or battery-operated lanterns. Available in many different designs, these portable lights are a new spin on an old favourite. As they cast a 360-degree ray of light, you could say they take a literal spin around whatever space they’re placed in. Because of their reach, they are great for lighting communal camping areas. The great thing about LED models is their plastic lenses, which are safer alternatives to glass lenses. Why are they safer? A: they’re less breakable; B: they won’t overheat.
Work lights
If you’re in need of camper trailer lighting ideas, look no further than work lights. Sure, they’re designed to improve visibility as you work on the car, but there’s no reason you can’t use them in a camping setting. Their bases and backs are often magnetic, so they’re actually ideal for attaching to a camper trailer. You could also put them on a vehicle, or hang them from an awning, or a tree, or a gazebo. These lights reach between 120 to 180 degrees and are great for lighting up a single point on your campsite.
Head torches
When we say ‘head torches’, you likely think of miners. The good news? You don’t need to be a miner to strap on one of these! Head torches are the ultimate hands-free lighting solution. Like many contemporary light sources, the headlights are LED. Not only that but they’re also loaded with options. Choose either replaceable or rechargeable batteries, play around with the brightness settings, active red LED mode to maintain night vision, or activate the motion sensors. If you need your hands free to complete a nighttime task, head torches may be your best camping lights.
Hand torches
Hand torches were probably everyone’s first portable light. A lot of people would have had one in their childhood toybox. Hand torches for adults are a little bulkier and high-tech. They don’t carry the convenience of a heads-free head torch, but they typically have longer battery life and give out more light. Use this to your advantage when you’re exploring in the dark or looking for wildlife in the evening. With hand torches, the huge selling point is you can point them exactly where you want to see. Some fancy models even come with a multi-focal lens!
LED strip lights
LED strip lights are the best camping lights—provided you have a portable 12-volt power pack or a car battery. Available in flexible and hard-backed varieties, you can align your LED strip lights wherever you see fit. Whether you want to string them around the gazebo or affix them more permanently, these lights can shine for nights before requiring a recharge.
They may occupy a small surface area, but these camp lighting solutions emanate a surprising amount of light. For camping purposes, we recommend buying a five-metre roll so that you can hang them all around your camping setup. It bears repeating: just ensure you have the car battery and 12-volt power pack available to power them.
Before you go…
A quick disclaimer before you venture any further: everyone has different camping preferences, and so some camp lighting solutions may fit better than others. Think about your camping style, when you need lights most, and which camper trailer lighting ideas suit you best. You may want to buy more than one style to cover all of your lighting bases. Map it out and see what works best for you.
While you’re here…
Thinking of investing in a camper trailer for your next camping adventure? We recommend something from our Double Fold Series. Perhaps you’d fancy our take on the Drifter: the only 100 per cent Australian-manufactured, double-fold camper trailer.
Born in the ‘70s, the Drifter was a six-berth off-roader built for families. Recently, Cub Campers has breathed life back into this previously discontinued model. Introducing the Drifter—relaunched! Complete with a queen and a double bed, this trailer has more storage space than you could throw a stick at. And if it’s LED lighting solutions you’re after, then this is the camper trailer for you. It contains an external 3.7-metre LED tent light, as well as LED strip lights. In fact, it has LED lighting throughout—both internal and external—so if you have this in tow, you may be packing light! And by packing light, we mean not packing extra lights at all, because this trailer is covered in them. (Though you may wish to bring some portable lights for when you stray from your camping base.)
Equipped with all the bells and whistles you could imagine, the Drifter braves offroad conditions like a champion. They say that the original is the best, but who said you can’t improve on perfection? Check out the Drifter and see why everything’s coming up Cub Campers. We have a feeling you may just love it.
