Camping & Hiking Lights, Lanterns & Torches

Camping and Hiking Lights, Lanterns and Torches

A night spent sleeping under the stars is always among the highlights of an overnight camping trip in the great outdoors, but as dusk starts to descend it is best to be prepared with specialist camping and hiking lights, lanterns and torches.

Any well organised and responsible camper or hiker will include a source of light among their essentials and there are plenty to choose from. Whether you need a torch to help you find your way around your campsite in the dead of night, for a trek through some dim or dark woods, or watch your favourite band at a music festival, you are sure to find a suitable light, or lantern for your needs.

Among the many you could choose from are headlights, spotlights and torches and lanterns. Many lights are described as being CREE which refers to a high tech LED chip which emits a pure white light and has a longer lifespan than a normal bulb.

A head torch is a useful piece of kit as it means you are hands free to do other things. Zoomable head torches are available with CREE T6 LED which reach maximum lumens of brightness of between 6000 and 15000. A high tech headlight is the Petzl 'Reactik + Headlamp' which uses state-of-the-art technology to connect to a smartphone or tablet allowing the wearer to check how much battery time there is left and adjust the brightness of the lamps according to their needs.

More traditional handheld torches have maximum lumen strengths of around 6000 and 50000. A Phixton 'USB Rechargeable Shadowhawk Flashlight' has a Cree T6 LED with 5000 of power. It has a SOS mode which can be used to signal for help in an emergency, and a strobe mode to temporarily blind or disorientate a threat. This torch has a bike mount which is makes it useful for outdoor activities.

The '1 Million' light by brand Garden Mile can be used as a torch, lantern and spotlight, and claims to be one of the brightest and long lasting on the market with 37 LEDs which will give up to 12 hours of light. It has a shoulder strap, multi position handle, and is rechargeable with an AC/DC adapter which can be used for charging from the mains, as well as a car cigarette lighter. Handy lights to carry are the Kingfisher lightweight camping lanterns. These compact mini lanterns have seven bright white LED bulbs with a carry handle and hook.