Lighting while camping is important, especially when winter camping. With the sun disappearing around 4:30 these days, we often find ourselves setting up camp after dark.
Our original lantern is Ultimate Survival Technologies 30-Day Lantern. It is compact, just under four inches wide by just over seven inches high, but puts out plenty of light at 300 lumens on high. The lantern has four settings, high, medium, low, and SOS flashing, and also glows in the dark.
With a recessed hook on the bottom as well as a handle on top, the lantern can also be used as a drop light. It has a rubberized base and is fairly sturdy. The manufacturer claims that the LED bulbs are unbreakable, never needing replacement, but I have not tested that claim. They also claim that the lantern will last 30 days on the low setting. Again, I have not tested the claim but we have used the lantern one weekend a month for the last two years and have yet to change the batteries.
Last year we purchased an Energizer Vision HD+ Headlight. While our lantern works very nicely we found the headlight, with hands-free use, much easier while setting up camp and cooking. The 225-lumen bulb makes it easy to see what you are doing. The lamp has four settings, spot, flood, a combo of the two, and night-vision (red lights). The lamp also pivots if you need to change its aim. It is a sturdy headlamp, both impact and water-resistant. It uses three AAA batteries, which I have only replaced once in the last year.
Our third light source is a Pelican 7060 LED flashlight, the same one used by police officers. It is a heavy-duty, yet compact (8 1/2 inches long by 1 1/2 inches wide) flashlight that emits a bright stream of light that seems to go forever. At a little over 10 ounces, this metal flashlight is light, but can also be used for self-defense effectively. Two switches, one on the body and one on the end, offer flexibility in how you use it. The flashlight has both a constant On/Off and momentary On settings. This light uses a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and comes with a wall charger. According to the manufacturer, the battery lasts about two hours with constant use. I have not tested the claim but have used it for multiple trips before recharging.
Cost of lantern on Jet when we purchased in 2017 $30.75; headlamp at Lowe’s as of this writing $17.97; flashlight on Amazon as of this writing $174.
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