Flashlights and Lanterns

Whether it’s being caught out on the trail after dark, finding the latrine in the middle of the night, or simply wanting to read a book inside your tent while snugly tucked in your sleeping bag, lighting is extremely important for any outdoor trip. And sometimes for the unexpected outdoor adventure as well!

Ever been on a day hike that turned out longer than you expected, leaving you stumbling in the dark? Not only is lighting important, the size and weight of it will often determine whether or not you bring it along. Get one that you find convenient to carry at all times and follow the Boy Scout motto to “Be Prepared.”

Lighting has undergone a huge transformation over the last decade. With the advances in LED technology, there is no longer any reason to use any other kind of bulb in headlamps or flashlights. They now have the range, color temperature and brightness to fulfill every need on the trail.

Best of all, LED lights outlast every other technology when it comes to battery life. This means that lighting can now be much lighter in weight, if for no other reason than the need to carry fewer batteries.

Different situations call for different types of light. If you are walking along a trail at night, it’s important to have a light that is bright enough to illuminate the trail ahead of you. Rocks, snakes, drop-offs are all things you want to avoid, so a light that is made more for large area lighting would not be necessary or appropriate.

On the other hand, if you are in camp and want to illuminate the campsite enough to see the general layout but not necessarily each stone and twig on the ground, you’d probably appreciate a light that glows over a broader area. I’m sure you’ve noticed how the light of a flashlight allows you to only see what is directly in its beam.

That might be fine for the trail, but around camp it’s nice to see a larger area than just the spot beam of the normal flashlight. Keeping that in mind, let’s explore some of the choices out there.

One of the most amazing flashlights is one that can actually fit on your keyring! In fact, that’s exactly where I keep one of mine. These tiny LED lights put out some very impressive light for the least amount of weight possible.

It is only about one inch long and, at half an ounce—nearly weightless! It’s tiny enough to fit on a key chain in your pocket, so there is no reason to ever be without a flashlight.

A friend of mine went on a rugged, cross-country day hike that unexpectedly lasted beyond daylight, but because he just happened to have a similar light with him, he and his friend got out without any mishaps. This is an excellent item to keep in your backpack, fanny pack, purse or pocket at all times.

If you get stuck setting up your tent or cooking in the dark, it is nice to have both hands free. Yes, you can hold a flashlight in your mouth, but believe me, this will get old quickly, it is not in the slightest bit convenient, and can make you feel like gagging.

You might even experience a similar problem that one of my hikers did in the Canyon. She went to the composting toilet at Indian Garden Campground in the middle of the night.

While clenching a flashlight between her teeth, she prepared to use the restroom. When she sat down, the light dropped into the depths below—still turned on! She went without a flashlight for the rest of the trip—and needless to say—took a kidding from the group until the end!

As you might guess, one of the most useful types of lighting in this situation is a headlamp. With the arrival of LED bulbs, headlamps have shrunk in size, and the headbands with them. Many models now include features such as high beam, low beam (battery saving mode) and a strobe safety feature.

There are several things you should be aware of when using a headlamp. Remember that you have a Cyclops beam of light shining brightly from your forehead. Be careful when looking up to talk to someone, you’ll blind them and totally ruin their night vision! I cannot tell you how irritating it is trying to talk to someone who is shining their light straight in your eyes.

Some headlamps have the beam section on a hinge so you can face it downwards to avoid this problem. Try to remember to use it! The direction of my Petzl’s beam cannot be redirected, therefore I will wear it around my neck while walking around or talking to someone. Its beam points slightly down and illuminates the ground without blinding someone when I come up to them.

Another option for lighting is the basic flashlight or one that converts from a basic flashlight into a tent or picnic table area light by opening or stretching them out and exposing sides that allow light to shine through.

When making your decision, look at the features and weight of each and choose one that provides the type of beam and brightness that you will require for your particular needs.

A problem with any headlamp or flashlight is that while helping you see things clearly within the beam of light, they prevent you from seeing anything outside of that circle. After turning the light off, it takes a while for your eyes to become adjusted to the dark again. I like to allow my eyes to adjust to the dark and use a light as little as possible.

You’d be amazed at how much you can see if you use your night vision. As a ranger in the Canyon, I often hiked out at night, rarely using a light. If there is any moonlight at all, the more popular trails are very distinct and easy to follow. If you see someone hiking like that, do them a favor and keep the light away from them to prevent destroying their night vision.

The main problem with the lights shown above is that they all require batteries. Batteries are heavy, expensive, and polluting, so I try to limit my use of them.

If you are looking for a lamp to use just around camp, then you have a couple power choices. The first one is the candle lantern. They are not extremely bright, but if you have a light-colored tent, they should be bright enough to read by.

I have a Sierra Designs Light Year which has white walls, making it very bright and much easier to read by candlelight. If your tent is darker colored, it may be more difficult to read with the candle lantern since so much light is absorbed by the darker material.

My main complaint with candles is that they can be very messy and inefficient. If I move around inside of the tent and accidentally knock the candle lantern hanging above, the wax can spill all over the inside of the glass globe.

I do not know how often I ended up cleaning my globe, but it got tiresome. Also the candle would not always burn down to the end. So you ended up with a lot of messy wax that had to be carried out.

One time down in the Canyon, I had a candle melt in the heat of the day while on a day hike. The wax ended up all over my GoreTex and down sleeping bag! That did it! There had to be another way.

So, I now only use LED lights for backpacking. The choices are wide-ranging with classic flashlight and headlamp styles as well as those perfect for hanging in your tent or setting on a picnic table at Bright Angel Campground.

Some recommended products below may include affiliate links for which I may receive a commission if purchased when clicking through. Please note that I only recommend products that I feel are worthy, and you will not pay any extra when purchasing through these links. Click here to read the full disclosure statement.

Recommended Products