Off-Road Ranger I
We've made several adventures this year, and often pull into camp after dark. What's your strategy for lighting up camp, especially for setting up or tearing down?
Lighting up Camp
- Thread starter Captain Josh
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Influencer II
honestly just a flashlight or my LED lantern... If I pull out my awning it has a LED strip that's pretty bright.....
I have a couple led lanterns I hang off branches around the edges of the site or under the awning once it's up. Those inexpensive "As seen on TV" kind you telescope so you can vary how much light is shown. I also carry a few Nite-Ize wire wraps if I need to add to the hangars.
Some small 4" pod lights on your roof rack might also be helpful.
Some small 4" pod lights on your roof rack might also be helpful.
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Headlamps FTW
Else I have a dimmable LED strip in my awning, plus a small LEDLenser lantern for the table or tent
Not a huge fan of lighting up a campsite like a sports oval
Else I have a dimmable LED strip in my awning, plus a small LEDLenser lantern for the table or tent
Not a huge fan of lighting up a campsite like a sports oval
Nothing better than the yellow light of an old school Coleman white gas lantern.
I bring an led lantern and 1 or 2 Coleman dual fuel lanterns with extra mantles and an msr bottle with white gas. I like having the instant light from the led in case we set up late or just need a little light. I get the Coleman dual fuels at yard sales for $5-$10 over the years they don’t really wear out and if one gets broken it wouldn’t be a big deal to just grab another from the garage for the next trip. I saw some pretty cool led rope lights on amazon I’m considering for inside the awning. I never go without a led headlight, I rarely use a flashlight anymore since I’ve he headlights have gotten so good and are usually way more useful.
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hands down, LUCI
https://mpowerd.com/
get the white 2.0 ones. inflatable so they pack down. light is the right intensity. not too bright or too dim. 3 settings plus a strobe. on the medium setting it pretty much goes all night from normal day of sun.
https://mpowerd.com/
get the white 2.0 ones. inflatable so they pack down. light is the right intensity. not too bright or too dim. 3 settings plus a strobe. on the medium setting it pretty much goes all night from normal day of sun.
LOL, trueObviously you haven't done camp site jeep repairs or camped w strippers
I have trailer rock lights for subtle campsite set up and ugly or modest strippers
Rizzo
Rank II
Enthusiast II
A lot of great ideas in this thread. We use a combination of lantern, headlamp and flash light. I'm going to be re working my lighting situation as well. One thing I have added is a little solar powered light I got from Costco. I just zap strap it to the back of the rig and set it on auto so when you walk over it automatically comes on. Works
Pretty good.
Pretty good.
Like the Luci LED lanterns. Throw them out for area lighting until i get the columns up and running.
i used to use a headlamp and other things.
Now i just use my CVT camp light
https://cascadiatents.com/shop/solar-camp-light/
Main area light, and four small hangable lights that come off of it.
Leave it outside so it charges itself via solar in the morning
Overland Expo East 2017 by Grant Wilson, on Flickr
Untitled by Grant Wilson, on Flickr
Now i just use my CVT camp light
https://cascadiatents.com/shop/solar-camp-light/
Main area light, and four small hangable lights that come off of it.
Leave it outside so it charges itself via solar in the morning
Overland Expo East 2017 by Grant Wilson, on FlickrUntitled by Grant Wilson, on Flickr
Enthusiast III
Maybe not your total camp lighting setup, but I thought I would throw out a product I found that is useful. It's a LED lantern called CampGuard. It has a few different lighting levels and a built in motion detector. One setting allows for the light to trigger from motion, coupled with an audible alarm.
Since we camp pretty far off the beaten path, we were looking for something that might give us a few seconds "early warning" if anything decided to join us in camp without an invite. Used it the first two times set to just the motion light after we went up in the RTT for the night. Since we are up on the roof, I realized that the light wasn't really bright enough to wake us, but thought it would scare off a critter. On the third night, decided to flip on the motion with alarm before we went to bed just to see if it would be a nuisance going off all night with false alarms or would it be useful. About 1 am, alarm triggered and then went off (lasts for about 10 seconds). Heard something run off, but thought it was a raccoon or something. Waited for a second and it triggered again. Heard nothing. Started to drift back off to sleep after about 2 minutes of quiet. Then we hear a bear grunt and snort and growl about 30 yards off the drivers side door. Figured out that a bear had tried to come into camp off the back of the Jeep.. got spooked from the light and alarm, tried again. Probably frustrated, circled around to the drivers door and let us know he was not happy with our security measures. We started the Jeep with remote start and he ran off. Got home and ordered another for the front of the Jeep for 360 coverage. Happy with the purchase and the few seconds of early warning.
Since we camp pretty far off the beaten path, we were looking for something that might give us a few seconds "early warning" if anything decided to join us in camp without an invite. Used it the first two times set to just the motion light after we went up in the RTT for the night. Since we are up on the roof, I realized that the light wasn't really bright enough to wake us, but thought it would scare off a critter. On the third night, decided to flip on the motion with alarm before we went to bed just to see if it would be a nuisance going off all night with false alarms or would it be useful. About 1 am, alarm triggered and then went off (lasts for about 10 seconds). Heard something run off, but thought it was a raccoon or something. Waited for a second and it triggered again. Heard nothing. Started to drift back off to sleep after about 2 minutes of quiet. Then we hear a bear grunt and snort and growl about 30 yards off the drivers side door. Figured out that a bear had tried to come into camp off the back of the Jeep.. got spooked from the light and alarm, tried again. Probably frustrated, circled around to the drivers door and let us know he was not happy with our security measures. We started the Jeep with remote start and he ran off. Got home and ordered another for the front of the Jeep for 360 coverage. Happy with the purchase and the few seconds of early warning.
Traveler III
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I have a headlamp, LED flashlights, and a Coleman gas lantern. It's all is sufficient, but I am looking at adding more lighting to the roof rack for the rear
Influencer II
I picked up a magnetic mount LED work light at a show this year. Comes with a long coiled lead and cigarette plug... come in very hand a few times as it can be placed anywhere on the body of the rig and point in the needed direction.
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Member III
Picture from the bottom of the hill at the RTT a few weekends ago. Can you guess which light is the $15 Coleman lantern I resurrected?
I love the old coleman lanterns. I've got 4 right now and looking for a couple other models.
I love the old coleman lanterns. I've got 4 right now and looking for a couple other models.
Creator III
We have LED flood lights front, side and rear of the roof rack so can light up the camp site to suit position. The cheap LEd strip lights on Ebay are good too, cheap enough to be disposable when they start failing, but light and compact enough not to be a burden on packing space.
Also got a couple of 12v LED lanterns with external power sockets and hook these up to a small (7 ahr) 12v battery in each tent. Goes without saying, LEd is the way forward - batteries last for days.
Also got a couple of 12v LED lanterns with external power sockets and hook these up to a small (7 ahr) 12v battery in each tent. Goes without saying, LEd is the way forward - batteries last for days.
Member III
In the past I've always used an old Coleman fuel lantern as a primary light source. The thing puts out an incredible amount of light and is especially nice when setting up camp at night.
When I put together my new rig with the trailer I made the decision to go completely electric. The trailer itself has quite a bit of lighting between the galley hatch lights and "porch lights". I also have 3 rechargeable led lanterns, 4 of those mini AA led flashlights with rechargeable batteries, an led headlamp and good an led Maglite 3 D cell. This combination of lighting works out well but I'd be lying if I didn't admit there have been times I wish I was still carrying that old Coleman lantern.
-Curtiss
When I put together my new rig with the trailer I made the decision to go completely electric. The trailer itself has quite a bit of lighting between the galley hatch lights and "porch lights". I also have 3 rechargeable led lanterns, 4 of those mini AA led flashlights with rechargeable batteries, an led headlamp and good an led Maglite 3 D cell. This combination of lighting works out well but I'd be lying if I didn't admit there have been times I wish I was still carrying that old Coleman lantern.
-Curtiss
