I’ve always made do with a head torch. It’s time for a useful camping upgrade and I think I want a rechargeable lantern. Does anyone have any recommendations, or do I just grab something for ~£20 from amazon that has a high (possibly fake?) review count. Is there a defacto “best” option?

I’ve always just used my Exposure Maxx-D! You can get a little silicone cover for it that turns it into a great lantern/beacon. Also mega useful when walking back along dark country lanes from the pub!!

I don’t think it’s the best or anything but I’ve got an Alpen glow 500 and I think it’s a great bit of kit. Really bright, really adjustable and lots of daft colours if you feel the need. The battery lasts for hours and I even use it for work or DIY if I need additional light.

Makita work lamp or whatever brand of battery power tools you have. The £20 Amazon ones are future landfill.

I have this and it’s great for camping / car repairs / DIY. Does half of the body / full body and torch on the end.
Not glare’y and has a good hanging hook.

https://www.tooled-up.com/makita-dml806-18v-lxt-cordless-led-cordless-work-light/prod/257518/

For small and light-ish, I have one of the Goal Zero ones and it’s really nice, quite small, though it is expensive, though I didn’t pay full whack for mine. Alpkit does, or did, more affordable and okay options. Guess it depends a litle on how compact it needs to be.

Lighthouse Mini Core Lantern

This thread’s reminded me to order another one of these to replace one I’ve lost. Really can’t fault it – USB chargeable, can sit on a table as a lantern, has a clip on the back to hang off something, it’s magnetic so will attach to say a car body, and small enough to hold in a hand to use as a torch. And it’s 11 quid.

OP It may help to specify what size weight restrictions if any?

I do all kinds of camping, car camping = the sky is the limit so I may take the Tilly lamp I may take some fairy lights (chilli lamps to he more accurate!) – or if bikepacking I have a USB front light with a silicone globe/diffuser.

Maybe something similar available for phones?

Dedicated camping lanterns OTOH I like the look of Princeton Tec Helix (collapsible lantern) but it’s pricey.

My main concern is when looking for a camp light to fold:

1. Long runtime/USB chargeable
2. Warm colour temp (I don’t like cool/blue light at night-time, prefer something akin to candle-light.

Cycle-camping I usually carry a largish power bank so doubling my phone torch (or bike light, or if hiking then a headtorch) as a lantern makes the most practical/carriage sense. How many lights do I need?

Exposure lantern cover thing sounds like a really good idea.

It’s car camping I’m talking about here, so space/weight is relatively low on the list.

Tool battery option is a good shout. Although harder to recharge while away.

We use a Screwfix Direct LED worklamp – on the low setting it will last for a couple of evenings and can be charged pretty quickly using a car 12v adapter.

I got it on some special offer for about £8 and my wife thought I was wasting money but it’s been so useful over the years – feeding rabbits in the dark in winter, during power cuts, holidays etc.

*edit

My main concerns when looking for a camp light are two-fold:

The fanatics on the Olight pages rave about these

O-Bulb

Apparently this original version is better than the new ‘MC’ (multi coulour?) version

Magnetic base, smaller than they look and they float

For car camping I use a gas lantern.

Apparently this original version is better than the new ‘MC’ (multi coulour?) version

If it’s just for background light and not reading ,those Obulbs are good.Got one free with a torch deal and I use it all the time.

just remembered I also use one of these:

£10-£12 iirc?

USB rechargeable flexible clip-on reading light.

What I like about it

-Nicely diffused yet bright if needed
-It has three different colour modes ie:

-cool/neutral
-amber
– warm/neutral

– Battery last hours and hours
– Gooseneck is properly flexible (ie can be wrapped entirely around (say) a small branch, orientated in any direction
– Has a wide rubber anti-slip stand so can function as a bedside-lamp (I use it nightly at home in this way – it may also be picked up from table and carried by some Wee Willie Winkie to the kitchen in search of midnight-toast. And who’s to say if after then functioning as a discreet kitchen work-light, it then clamps perfectly on that plate of peanut-buttered toast whilst carrying same quietly through dark narrow passageways? 😎)
– Clamp/clip for objects up to 1.5” thick (ie books, tables, tent poles etc)
– Touch-operated ie on/off/colour/variable brightness. The brightness/dimmer function is smooth/step-less. No faffing around looking for a switch when tired – just touch and it turns off.
-folds/winds into a tiny bag and weighs little

I’d be lost without it tbh. Rarely buy a ‘perfect’ thing but this is one.

Used it nightly for about 18 months now, and it’s given no trouble. Cannot now see the exact model I bought, but they seem to be fairly generic this one looks similar if not identical £8.49?

I don’t have the Obulb that I mentioned previously, but all my torches are Olight. The Perun 2 is quite handy with it’s orientation. Magnetic base and can be used as a headtorch (not that I would – there are better head torches out there)

Tool battery option is a good shout. Although harder to recharge while away.

I have 5ah Makita batteries – a single one lasts week’s with that lamp I posted.

Lots of really useful suggestion here, thanks. I’m going to try the silicone diffuser for my maxx d for now as that’s the least manufacturing of new stuff.

My experience is that the tool stuff is the best. I don’t think the trade would be happy if their battery’s died quickly.

I use the following, but appreciate they are expensive!

Milwaukee L4FFL – USB chargeable & magnetic.

Been quite impressed with Mpowerd Luci lantern.  Solar powered and packs up compactly.

I’ve got a couple of the previous versions of this Maratac TLL emergency three-way lights, which I got through a Drop sale. Mine uses a D-cell, but this new Rev-4 version has a 4-AA insert, giving a further option. It has a threaded bit in the base, to allow it to be mounted on a pole, or a tripod, but I found a screw-in adapter that allowed me to glue circular high-strength magnets on and stick them to flat metal bases, or any metal surfaces as well. Great little lights, they’re going with me when I’m camping at a festival later this year.

I’ve just thought of using one of those flexible gorilla grip mini-tripods, then it could be put pretty much anywhere. I’ve got one upstairs, I’ll give it a go later. I might get another of the lights with the AA adapter as well, and keep one in the car.

TLL Strobe Light by Maratac REV 4 + Includes AAx4 Insert!

We’ve got a couple of Decathlon ones. Basically like these:
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/camping-lamp-bl40-40-lumens/_/R-p-107931
Ours have a little handle that pops out that you can turn to recharge them which is handy but they seem to have stopped doing that version. New ones have removable batteries though so could always take another set or charge in the car/from a powerbank/solar etc. They also do some bigger, brighter ones now.

I use a cheap version of the Alpkit Lamprey that I bought off Amazon a couple of years ago.
It’s ideal for use in a small tent and doubles up as an emergency power bank if needed.

surely one uses a parafin lantern with their belltent in these arts?

I’ve been using a UCO candle lantern for a good while. It’s the single candle collapsible version, great for inside the tent and providing just enough light to get by with.

Also got a go systems mighty lite gas lantern. Really small but gives off a lot of light.

Im not a big fan of led lamps. They’re just too harsh, and much prefer the softer light lanterns give off.

Tried the Maratac light on my little tripod, and it works a treat, so I’m going to get another Gorillagrip-type tripod so I can have two in the tent when I camp later in the year.

Exposure diffuser arrived today. I’m impressed for what is a really simple solution to reuse batteries and leds I already owned. Time will tell if it really works camping. I need to make a hook now to make it work hanging in the tent, but for general lighting on a table etc it feels like a great solution.

Do a lot of backpacking, but camping is very much limited to the vw camper these days, with occasional use of a big Coleman family tent.
Bought a barebones retro looking led lantern a few years ago, found the light too harsh. Looks nice when it’s switched off though!
In laws bought me a UCO candelier a few years back (the one with 3 candles) – again, not that impressed, possibly overhyped and wanted it to be better than it actually was.
Got a feuerhand baby special last Christmas – love it, gives off a surprising amount of light but has a nice ambience