While no one expects to have the same level of lighting when camping as they do at home, a dark campsite is no fun at all. You need a good camping lantern to help you see what you’re cooking, to keep track of your family and avoid tripping over the tent. It also gives your camp a nice cozy feel when you’re staying outdoors.
Of course, a lantern is also essential in an emergency situation where you don’t have electricity because of a storm or hurricane. There are a range of lanterns with a variety of power sources and light outputs. Here are the best lights for your next camping trip or when you’re forced off-grid.
Vont 4 Pack LED Camping Lantern
Small, tough and simple to use
Each compact LED lamp here is around the size of a phone when collapsed. You turn it on and control the brightness of the 30 LED 360 degree light as you pull up the lantern by its foldaway handles. Waterproof and tough enough to withstand a 10-foot drop, it will give 90 hours of 140 lumen light from its 3 AA batteries. Each of the four lamps in this pack is bright enough to light up a tent or room.
LE LED Camping Lantern
Big, bright and stable
This stable, water-resistant lantern is bright. It puts out 1000 lumen 360 degree light from three 1.5v D batteries which will last up to 25 hours depending on which of the four dimmable light modes you choose. The lantern has hooks on the top and base for hanging and you can remove the cap and use it upside down as a tent light.
LE Rechargeable LED Camping Lantern
Versatile mix of torch and lantern
This big water-resistant torch-lantern hybrid features a 1000 lumen LED torch at the front, a side lantern and a red flashing mode on the other side. It’s powered by an internal rechargeable battery which also doubles as 3600mAh power bank for smartphones. Five lighting modes make it a versatile lantern that’s just what you need in an emergency or when camping, fishing or repairing your car.
ThorFire LED Camping Lantern
Handy rechargeable lantern with hand crank
A portable lantern that can also be used as a mini flashlight when collapsed, the ThorFire is small and light enough to fit into any backpack when camping or traveling. Its built-in battery is rechargeable through USB or you can use the hand crank when there is no power source. There are two lighting modes with a brightness of 125 lumens (high) and 30 lumens (low). A minute of cranking will get you around 20 minutes of light and you can (slowly) charge a phone from the USB outlet.
Bottom line
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Lighting is a camping essential and while a flashlight will help you find your way to the toilet and back, a lantern will illuminate your camp nicely and make it easier to enjoy spending time outdoors or in your tent at night. Our choice is the Vont 4 Pack LED Camping Lantern. These cleverly designed compact lights are good value so you can invest in a set of four and choose which parts of your camp to light up. They’re small and basic but also tough, bright and perform their job brilliantly.
If you’d prefer a bigger, brighter lantern, the LE LED Camping Lantern is the one we’d go for. It’s a dependable and good value camping lantern with some handy features.
