Kayak and Fishing Forum banner

How do you light your campsite?

8K views 23 replies 18 participants last post by  BIGKEV 
G
#1 ·
For the campers out there, how do you light your campsite? I currently have a LED lantern that is supposed to provide masses of light but is really not that great. Ok for reading a book or get dressed by if it is right beside you but onerous to try and cook or prepare meals by. I am thinking about going the gas lantern route but are there any pitfalls/rookie errors that I can avoid? I'm not looking to light the starship enterprise but a good cost effective working light to provide light to an average campground size campsite would be good. Its not intended for yak use, will be transported by car.
 
#3 ·
WE also run a fairly big camp and have 2 kids running around. Need decent light for cooking, reading, burning other campers eyeballs outs etc.

Ive tried a few bigger LED battery powered lights (still have one which is just OK) but the good old Primus or Coleman gas lamp cannot be beaten for allround brightness. I have it on a seperate gas bottle and extension pole so that I can move it around between cooking area/ seating area etc.

WE also have head torches etc but the gas light is the ducks guts and can be seen from space. Yes it gets hot (so not for use inside tents etc) and the glass can break if you throw it around but treat it right an yo wont regret it. Get the big one (not the pissy mini size)
 
#4 ·
I've never used anything but a headlamp. It lights the world (as you know it). X2 for Petzl.
 
#5 ·
Those Coleman LED lanterns are terrible.
Get some real LED's and you'll see the diference.
I have a flat LED light panel that is as bright as a 30W 240V Compact flourescent light.
The other cheaper option i use is 12V flouros. You can often pick them up from supercheap or bunnings on special.
All run off a SLA battery that you probably own anyway. The LEDs will run for weeks off one charge.
Another cheap option is to jump on here http://dx.com/c/flashlights-lasers-999/ ... lights-929 and grab a couple of LED torches, some 18650 batteries and a charger. You usually get around 3 hours off a battery so allow 1 per night. Get torches of around 200-300 lumens.
Run the light pointing at the roof if you have a roof or into a bottle of water for an all round light.
They also make great torches for finding the toilet in the night.
 
#10 ·
#13 ·
I use a gas lantern from a car (Cant remember the last time I car camped since owning the yak)
Out of the yak I use a Primus SUper Nova lantern. 140 lumens with a diffuser, pointed down on the table gives heaps of light. It provided light for six nights on one set of AAs (alkaline) for six of us for a week on Fraser recently. Petzel myo rxp headlamp is the only other light I carry and could survive with just that for a week.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/primus-super ... _500wt_717
 
#14 ·
BigGee said:
Yep LED Lantern and a headlamp for each camper ... need nothing else.

BTW speaking of headlamps ... props to "Petzel" quality (no affiliation) ... I have now successfully washed my head torch three times, once in hot water, and its still going on the same set of batteries I got almost 19 months ago.

Great stuff.

Gee
Ado said:
I've never used anything but a headlamp. It lights the world (as you know it). X2 for Petzl.
You're either lucky Geoff and Adrian (also Paulo), or the frogs have improved their quality. For two decades Petzl were THE bad joke of the bushwalking/rockclimbing/sea kayaking world. They needed continual bumping/re-adjusting of the contacts (they weren't stiff enough), and even worse, eventually all of them corroded to destruction. After $ 700 dollars of useless torches ($150 each), and an arrogant Australian importer of these torches who refused to replace them 'because they were over a year old,' I could never be convinced to trust them again.

Black Diamond, on the other hand, have never failed anyone that I know.

As far as general campsite lighting I reckon gas is the go if car camping. That Primus lantern Paulo uses sounds the goods for yakking.

trev
 
#16 ·
Trev, we have two myo rxps and havent had a problem for the past two years. They are extremely robust. I dont have any experience with Petzel prior to that or any other brand for that matter. I can only suggest they have improved their game
Brad, Im always on the lookout for headlamps. I'd be interested in the specs of your tactical lamps. These are the programmable and brightness specs form the myo rxp but for mine the wide angle lens that changes it from a spotlight to a floodlight is the best feature:
Lighting modes can be programmed to favor light intensity or battery life, depending on the activity :
- three lighting modes can be chosen (choose from among ten levels between 13 and 141 lumens)
- choice of the order of activation of the three lighting modes
- strobe mode frequency can be programmed (slow, fast , SOS signal)
- user-friendly programming in three steps, using the two buttons
High-output lighting:
- 205 lumens (Boost mode)
- 13 to 141 lumens (programmable levels)
- shines up to 90 meters (Boost mode)
 
#19 ·
BigGee said:
Yep LED Lantern and a headlamp for each camper ... need nothing else.

BTW speaking of headlamps ... props to "Petzel" quality (no affiliation) ... I have now successfully washed my head torch three times, once in hot water, and its still going on the same set of batteries I got almost 19 months ago.

Great stuff.

Gee
Yes i second this brand , mine has been on multiple hikes in remote n.t and copped salt water and fresh on many occasions. My first headlamp and its great.
 
#20 ·
Rose said:
Twenty thousand excitable insects fluttering around your face is a unique experience, but not one I recommend. :lol: If the insects are partying,
Rose if a white light is not essential at the time, on those insect occasions wrap some red cellophane [or similar] over the lens with a rubber band and you will be left in peace.
 
#21 ·
I've been using Petzl (Zoom) headlamps since the early 80s. They were the only trustworthy headlamp back then, and that's from the caving fraternity where light is somewhat important. They were never the primary source (we used lead/acid miner's lights), but they were used for everything from caving to campfires, to night canyoning. Totally reliable, always water resistant enough, very hardy. The first thing to fail was always the elastic headband after maybe 10 years.

Never used them around salt water though.

The importer used to be Spelean, a specialised caving equipment store. Highly ethical, Australian family owned, good people. I'd be surprised if you had trouble with them. Maybe it's a different importer now.
 
#22 ·
My Petzl failed (wire from battery pack broke) after 2-3 years of very intermittent use. It mostly sat in a cupboard.
I now use these : http://dx.com/p/flood-to-throw-cree-q4- ... 8650-55595
Running a rechargable 18650 battery, I can use them for spotlighting when shooting, throwing a beam an easy 100m and picking up eyeshine to 200m or more.
For the price, I don't care if they break.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top