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How To Choose the Perfect Camping Lantern For Your Outdoor Survival Gear Needs

December 8, 2021 By FreeSurvivalGear.org Leave a Comment

This page may contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through my affiliate links, then I may earn a commission (which helps support this blog).

How many times have you gone camping with one or two basic flashlights instead of a camping lantern? It’s not so enjoyable because flashlights can be clunky and fail to produce a good amount of light.

We’ve all been there. Struggling to set up at night with a tactical flashlight shoved between our head and shoulder, fumbling around. No fun.

A camping lantern is the better alternative.

Most camping lanterns provide 360-degree illumination and are hands-free. The light output for lanterns vary by model but you can be sure you’ll see more of the immediate area with a lantern compared to a flashlight or headlamp. 

Your choice in a lantern may depend on your activities:

  • You may want a larger lantern if you’re setting up a camping area
  • Smaller lanterns may be ideal if you’re hiking during the nighttime
  • Smart lanterns even come with a USB port for charging phones
  • A Solar lantern for camping allows you to recharge the lantern and other devices with the sun.

So what makes for a good camping lantern, you ask?

Table of Contents

  • Camping Lantern: The Types
  • What to Consider When Choosing a Camping Lantern
    • Price
    • Weight
    • Hours of Operation
    • Light output
    • Ease of Use and Durability

Camping Lantern: The Types

Camping lanterns come in a few typical types:

  • Fuel powered
  • Electric
  • Candle
  • Solar

We can go ahead and throw out the candle lanterns because they rely on, well, a candle for the illumination. This type of camping lantern is okay at best; good if you want something simple, but it’s not too practical for most purposes. And you won’t be getting much heat out of it, if that was the intent.

The first realistic choice would be a fuel powered lantern:

  • Uses either liquid fuel, propane, or butane
  • Bright light
  • Very durable (since they’re constructed of metal)

These fuel powered lanterns are ideal for those that need something rugged and long-lasting. If you want the best light output — a fuel powered camping lantern is the obvious choice.

The only real downsides to a fuel powered lantern are that the fuel can be messy to work with, units are heavier compared to other types, and they come at a higher price. Tip: Don’t forget to bring a waterproof survival lighter free Everstryke Pro as a back-up way to light your lantern (or start a fire).

The second choice, which may be ideal for most of you readers, is an electric camping lantern:

  • Long battery life
  • Quiet and exhaust free
  • Safe around materials and people

Electric lanterns use batteries and LED light bulbs. These bulbs are cool-to-the-touch so there is no worry about potential fire hazards. The small form factors also mean the unit is light and durable.

The downsides to an electric lantern are that they may not produce the same level of light as you’d find in the fuel powered ones. And if the unit does not take rechargeable batteries (some don’t), then it means you’re going to be producing a lot of waste and spending a lot money on all those disposable batteries.

What to Consider When Choosing a Camping Lantern

There are a few main things you’ll want to think about when you’re browsing through the various makes and models of camping lanterns:

Bestseller No. 1 Collapsible Portable LED Camping Lantern XTAUTO Lightweight Waterproof Solar USB Rechargeable LED Flashlight Survival Kits for Indoor Outdoor Home Emergency Light Power Outages Hiking Hurricane 4-Pack Collapsible Portable LED Camping Lantern XTAUTO... $29.99
SaleBestseller No. 2 Lichamp LED Camping Lantern, 4 Pack Battery Powered Flashlight for Power Outages, Portable Collapsible Hanging Light Essential for Home, Outdoor, Emergency Lamp Survival Kit Gear for Hurricane, Gray Lichamp LED Camping Lantern, 4 Pack Battery... $24.99
Bestseller No. 3 Wurkkos CL01 Camping Lantern Rechargeable, 550LM Waterproof Tent Light with Magnet Base, Up to 300H Runtime,Portable Lantern Flashlight with RGB light,Emergency Camp Light for Hurricane,Hiking,Camping Wurkkos CL01 Camping Lantern Rechargeable, 550LM... $59.99
SaleBestseller No. 4 Etekcity Lantern Camping Essentials Lights, Led Flashlight for Power Outages, Survival Gear and Supplies for Emergency, Hurricane Preparedness Items , Battery Operated Lamp, 2 Pack, Black Etekcity Lantern Camping Essentials Lights, Led... $15.20

Price

This is not a big factor unless you’re buying several lanterns, as most are about $20-30. Some cost a few dollars less, but there aren’t many that cost much more.

Weight

If you’re “car camping” or hauling your supplies to your campsite with some other vehicle, then weight is not a big concern.

But if your camping trip involves hiking even just part of the way, excess weight can become a serious issue. You’ll be happy to have a lightweight lantern at that point.

Hours of Operation

You should plan in advance for how much running time you will need. If you are you going to be staying up a long time after dark with several people and no fire, then you’ll be needing to look closely at battery life and how many hours on high your lantern can run. You can bring extra batteries, of course, but you don’t want to be changing batteries while you’re having a good time.

The best camping lanterns give you a wide range of light settings. You might want to make sure your light has a lowest setting that uses very little power if you think you’ll need to really stretch out your battery life.

Light output

As just mentioned, good lanterns have variable output, so you’ll mostly want to consider highest and lowest output and the number of settings available in between.

Also consider the spread and focus of the light. Some lanterns provide directional light, like a flashlight, but most cast light in all directions. Some can be be used either as a (360 degree) lantern or as a (directional) flashlight.

There’s also the color temperature of the light to consider. Many camping lanterns are only available in a cool white version, some produce a warmer color similar to incandescent bulbs. A few are switchable between different color temperatures. It can make a big difference, as some lanterns produce a pretty obnoxious light color.

If you’re thinking of having a romantic evening, you definitely want a dimmable lantern with a low color temperature.

Ease of Use and Durability

You don’t want to be struggling to turn on your lantern in the dark, and you definitely don’t want it to break down when you need it.

The best camping lantern is the one that is always there for you, shining a bright light in the darkness.

This free survival gear blog is supported by ads and affiliate promotions, so I may earn a commission if you decide to invest in some cool outdoor survival gear based on my recommendation.

SaleBestseller No. 5 Etekcity Camping Lanterns for Power Outages 4 Pack, Flashlight for Camping Essentials, Survival Kit and Gear, Hurricane Preparedness Items, Emergency Led Battery Operated Lights, Black Etekcity Camping Lanterns for Power Outages 4... $23.78
SaleBestseller No. 6 LED Camping Lantern, Consciot Battery Powered Camping Lights, 1000LM, 4 Light Modes, IPX4 Waterproof Tent Lights, Portable Flashlight for Power Outages, Emergency, Hurricane, Hiking, 2-Pack LED Camping Lantern, Consciot Battery Powered... $29.94
Bestseller No. 7 EVERBRITE Rechargeable Camping Lantern with Fan EVERBRITE Rechargeable Camping Lantern with Fan $26.99
SaleBestseller No. 8 Odoland Portable LED Camping Lantern with Ceiling Fan - Hurricane Emergency Odoland Portable LED Camping Lantern with Ceiling... $20.99
SaleBestseller No. 9 MalloMe Camping Lantern Multicolor 4 Pack Lanterns for Power Outages, Camping Lights for Tent Hanging, Camp Light Tent Lamp Emergency Battery Powered LED Lantern (Rechargeable Batteries Not Included) MalloMe Camping Lantern Multicolor 4 Pack Lanterns... $19.99
SaleBestseller No. 10 Glocusent Camping Lantern Rechargeable, Up to 80Hrs, 5000mAh 106 LED Lantern with 5 Brightness 3 Modes & SOS, IP68 Waterproof, Max 1200LM, Camping Light for Power Outages Hiking Emergency Hurricane Glocusent Camping Lantern Rechargeable, Up to... $19.99

Filed Under: Outdoor Survival Gear Tagged With: camping lantern, camping lanterns, hybeam poplamp

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