(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best lantern flashlights

If you're looking for portable lanterns, I made the mistake of only having them on my wishlist two years ago. My friends and family all bought me lanterns. On the bright side (haha!) I was able to test out a wide variety of lanterns...

Black Diamond Moji - This one I actually bought myself after being allowed to demo it at REI. The light is a tiny bit warmer than most LED lamps, and the white orb allows even distribution of lighting with no harsh glare when looking at the light. You can dim the light by holding the power button. Hard to turn on by accident, comes with a collapsible hanging clip, is water resistant, the battery life is great (I used it as a night light while doing a 6 day car trip, at least 15 hours of use on low setting with no issues or battery replacements). Best of all it's only $20, coming in as one of the cheapest lamps I've used. It's lightweight, but the orb on top means it'll take up extra valuable space.

Black Diamond Orbit - Got it as a gift. Loved that it could become compact. Feels a little cheap, but looks great. Won't turn on when closed. It's supposed to be water resistant, but the battery compartment screws open super easily, so I wonder about the validity. Light is very white, and can screw with your eyes if you look at it too closely. Flashlight function on the base is nice. I would only use this to hang up inside a tent on low light settings. Light distribution is uneven. Long battery life.

Black Diamond Apollo - I actually bought mine from an REI garage sale for $5, the last owner's batteries were corroded and messed up the contacts. A bit of cleaning later and I had the thing going again. I like the ability to hang it up or elevate it. Battery life is good, but like the Orbit, light distribution is uneven. It's much lighter than the Rayovac I'll talk about later, but about the same size.

Coleman Puck Lantern - My only lantern that is rechargeable via USB. My two main gripes are that when closed, it's nearly impossible to reopen (think suction!), and that the USB port closure opens up very easily - the rubber cover is too small, which means the water resistance is compromised very easily. That said, the ability to recharge is fantastic, and the battery life is even better - I ran it for 20 hours on high (just left it on) during a power outage and the thing still had plenty of power left. Takes a while to charge, but is darn durable and can compact well. Light distribution is decent but limited due to the size/design. Can hang, and includes a bottom LED as well for that reason. Lots of light-up configurations as well. Glare is decent.

Snow Peak Hozuki - At first I thought this lantern was ridiculous, but it's actually one of my favorites. It has a VERY warm yellow light similar to candles, a compact size and is magnetic, so I can hang it almost anywhere I want. I actually use this around the house while working on repairs in small corners or on my computer, or as a night light. I honestly am hesitant to take it camping since the battery cover can come undone super easily and it's NOT waterproof. Also the rubber light dispenser falls off easily. So for camping this is a terrible choice unless you want to only hang it in your tent. If any other lamp had the LED's the Hozuki has, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

Rayovac Sportsman - Heavy, bulky, long lasting, built like a tank. If you're going car camping, this is the lamp to have. It's ugly, large, uses heavy batteries, is bright and water resistant. The glare is pretty bad, but it's VERY bright and can last for days. I love mine, and eventually bought my parents one as well.

You'll need to list a budget if you want valuable advice. Like most camping gear - these items can go for a wide range of prices / quality. You generally get what you pay for - so the bigger budget the better quality.

Are you shopping in the USA or abroad? Online or local shops? Different areas have different brands available.

When / where will you do the majority of your camping? Don't need to list the specific parks - but a general idea of the temps and terrain you'll be using this equipment would be idea. Warm beaches or snowy mountains, Windy plains or thick forests, etc.

You said car / base style camping - that's a valuable distinction. Backpacking / wilderness style gear would be very different.

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Tent - 4-person tent for 2 people is best for car camping, you could even go higher for more room/comfort.

Stove - a 2-burner propane stove would be ideal. Coleman brand is classic.

Lantern - a propane lantern is old-school, but bright / effective. I'd probably go with a battery powered option though, easier to deal with.

cookware - tons of options here. You could start by going to your local Thrift Store. Get the basics, they even have cast iron there often. Then get a plastic tub to store it all in - as your kitchen kit grows it will be valuable to store it all together for transport.

​

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Without knowing the answers to my above questions, I'll throw out some basic gear options for you to check out:

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Tent

• https://www.rei.com/product/894015/rei-co-op-kingdom-4-tent
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Sundome-4-Person-Tent-Green/dp/B004J2GUOU
  
  There are other top brands, but the REI one is good quality for the cost. The Coleman one is cheap, but highly popular and good enough for most. Kind of 2 ends of the spectrum there.
  
  ​
  
  Stove
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Stove-Ppn-BRN-Triton/dp/B00VTJGWNU
  
  This one really is the standard, I don't recommend any other option personally.
  
  ​
  
  Lantern
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Northstar-Propane-Lantern-Case/dp/B00HUG7OZQ
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Portable-Camping-Flashlights-Batteries/dp/B00XM8HTIS
  
• https://www.amazon.com/rechargeable-camping-batteries-EdisonBright-Batteries/dp/B01HB4WK3M
  
  Tons of options in the battery category. Might as well start cheap and see if it works well enough. I rarely even use my lantern anyway. I sit by the fire or use my headlamp. Better to invest in a good headlamp I'd say.
  
  ​
  
  Cookware
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-Adventure-Base-Stainless-Steel/dp/B01MTFIMUC
  
• https://www.amazon.com/GSI-Outdoors-Superior-Backcountry-Cookware/dp/B006ERSCNA
  
  Kits are a good way to get started. Then add single items like tongs, knives, wash buckets, etc. as needed. I really do suggest using items from the thrift store whenever possible. That way you don't care if it gets dinged up or burnt while camping.

Convoy

Convoy makes a few types of C8s.

• XM-L2 C8s: These have the floodiest beams. They come with the 3/5 mode group UI. Available in black and grey.
  
• XP-L HI C8s: These have the throwiest beams. The black version has the old 3/5 mode group firmware, while the clear version has ToyKeepers Biscotti UI.
  
  

  Astrolux
  

  Astrolux's C8 is the newest on the market. It has the BLF A6 driver with ToyKeeper's Bistro firmware. It's FET driven, so it can get really bright, but the brightness depends on the battery voltage. The output drops off a lot sooner than Convoy's C8s.
  
  

  ThorFire
  

  The C8S is the most typical. It has 5 modes and a linear driver like Convoy's C8s. The throw is comparable to Convoy's XM-L2 C8s as well.
  
  

  Sofirn
  

  The C8F uses a modified C8 body with a triple emitter setup. It has a much floodier beam than other C8s. They also make the C8A, an XP-L2 C8. This one appears to be FET driven as well. It should have a slightly wider beam than an XP-L HI C8, but it will likely throw further than Convoy's due to the amount of light being put out.
  
  

  Kaidomain
  

  Kaidomain makes all sorts of C8s from C8s with colored emitters to C8s with XHP50.2s and boost drivers. They all use a pill system, unlike other C8s by other companies.

I picked this up on Amazon for <$30 and took it on our 3 week camping/hiking trip from Vegas to Denver earlier this month. It's incredibly bright, has a long (10+hour) charge life, a battery backup for emergencies, has 2 light modes, and separates into two super nifty flashlights that can be used as a traditional flashlight or as standalone lanterns. It held up really well to the elements, being checked in bags a couple of times, dropped, etc.

I'd definitely buy it again.

Couple of things. Try going for the Darkroom version of that tent; you’ll sleep in longer (yes, really).

I have a 6p Coleman; good tent for car camping. Stakes come with the tent but are crap. Get some
heavy duty stakes and bring a small hammer to drive them into the ground.

A cheap tent dome light can be helpful. Such as (this.)[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DXJG4SX?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share]

Similarly, headlamps (and extra batteries) for everyone.

Take a hard look at your sleeping system, which includes your mattress/pad, sleeping bag, and pillow. Make sure you know the temp range you’re sleeping in and choose your bag accordingly. Know that if it’s and EN rated bag, the temp range is pretty reliable, but 1) pay mind to the comfort rating, not the lowest limit rating; and 2) know that the ratings are calculated based upon you wearing a baselayer, usually a lightweight wool upper and lower.

You’ll keep a little more warmth in the bag if you have an insulated mattress/pad. But it’s not necessary; feel free to get a mattress that is comfortable to you (don’t forget a battery operated pump).

Pillows: either bring a few from home and put them in a waterproof cover (like the ones used for bed accidents), or get a few inflatable ones.

Bring a beanie if it’s going to be cold out at night.

Its actually an Energizer LED lamp. Doesn't put off a ton of light, but I got it for free, and I like the way it looks. Bonus...when the power goes out, you can remove the top and use it as a flashlight. Amazon Link

Cause all my buckets got a light in it

Thank you for this amazing offer, if I win I'll do an epic review

Edit: Also why is there a subscribe and save option on amazon for this

Edit 2: Since it fits in the budget, couldn't I get 2?

If .7oz is light enough for you, I have found the Nite Ize Moonlit to be great. You can get it with a white or red LED (I have the red). It disperses the light pretty well and has a built in clip. You'll never have to worry about blinding yourself with it. I keep mine attached to my ridgeline and pack up my gear with it in place. At night I always have a light within arms reach and never have to search for it. For me, this is a perfect no-fuss light.

https://www.amazon.com/Nite-Ize-Moonlit-Micro-Lantern/dp/B01CGW34R0/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=nite%2Bize%2Bmoonlit&qid=1573389434&sr=8-2&th=1&psc=1

I started out using those lamps you can find in hardware stores, but you need a cable for those. You could try led lanterns.. they're not very powerful but they're super cheap and they look cool, depending on how you use them.

Edit: It's not super bright but if you have a fast lens it'll be better than nothing and for 30 bucks..

I use [these] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q8HN0NI) for light at camp. I just put a couple hooks on the EZ ups frame and hook them to the ceiling. Then you can just pull on em and they give off a ton of light for being so small. Usually just crack em open just barely. You can usually get em for super cheap on amazon too if you get the 2-4 packs. Never had to change the batteries last year either so good lifespan too.

One of my personal favorites, that really helped organize my bag, is a potato keep sack.

My wife bought the set of three because we thought they were a good idea, but it turns out that if we can't SEE potatoes we never USE potatoes and everything gets really gross after about a month. That was the end of that.

Some years later I was looking for a new way to organize my messenger bag and this thing fell out of my closet while I was rummaging around. It's been pretty much perfect for keeping all the odds and ends from floating around chaotically inside my bag.

Currently it holds

• spare plastic bags
  
• a box of band-aids
  
• a basic toiletry kit (deoderent, hair gel, toothbrush and paste)
  
• Tylenol
  
• babybell cheeses (they last indefinitely at room temps and make a great snack)
  
• expandable travel cup
  
• expandable LED light
  
  All that stuff used to simply rattle around in my bag and was always getting damaged or lost when I needed it. Now I can just pull out the whole sack and access the contents from either end!

Thanks for the giveaway!

I'd love to try some basic camping lights, these total to $28.97:

https://www.amazon.com/Waterproof-Magnetic-Included-Rechargeable-Directly/dp/B078M92JCC

https://www.amazon.com/Lantern-Flashlight-Emergency-Portable-SlimK/dp/B01M085WVC

agreed on the battery powered fan! On Amazon they sell some that have a light too which can come in handy. It hopefully won't be as hot as last year though since they moved it to September.

I just searched "smallest microcontroller with bluetooth" and came up with this: https://www.dfrobot.com/product-1259.html though its not much smaller than the smallest off-the-shelf ESP32 (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/MH-ET-LIVE-ESP32-MINI-KIT-WiFi-Bluetooth-Internet-of-Things-development-board-based-ESP8266-Fully/32819107932.html)

You could probably find schematics of both of those boards online that you could use to rearrange the boards on a custom PCB that better matches the form factor of a flashlight and then have a couple boards made (doesn't seem unreasonable for a engineering degree senior design project). I don't think either board would fit inside a standard flashlight (even a 4D mag light) unless you used one of those lantern style flashlights. That one looks like it would have all kinds of space.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FYK5H8Q/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1464909243&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=black+diamond+lantern&dpPl=1&dpID=41KHNQNm3EL&ref=plSrch

I have two of these. They last crazy long, clip onto lines, branches, d-rings and such easily, and are far brighter than they should be (they have a dimmer so it is fine). Go with a gas lantern if you are a destination camper, perhaps. Like you go to camp, hang out in camp for days, then leave. Get one of these if you like to set up and take down quickly and portably as camping is just part of the sightseeing trip. You can carry them on bathroom trips and no issues using them in tents, finding stuff in the back of your car, etc. We sometimes take them backpacking, as well.

> Watch this and then let us know if it is worth being underground for 30 days or 180 days or a year.
>
> https://youtu.be/glS0ApOAaCw

More like 2 weeks, not a month, and even before then you could go outside for brief periods, and indeed you will most likely have to do so to get rid of things like garbage and human waste.

With an adequate supply of books, and a couple of 30 day camping lanterns or some other alternative lighting like a deep cycle RV battery and an efficient LED light fixture, you shouldn't NEED to recharge anything.


Plus, and I hate to say this, but the sort of person who generally ends up in prison, and then ends up being held in solitary for long periods of time, is generally one who already has some pretty abnormal behaviors to begin with. Using them as an example is on pretty shaky ground, especially since we're talking about a much shorter period of enforced confinement.

Thorfire Camping Lantern USB Rechargeable Solar Powered Emergency Light LED Camping Tent Light Lamp Portable Flashlight Safe Light for Camping Hiking Jogging Night Walking -CL04 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014H4036A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_xPr8Ab6H4FK9K

Thanks as always for doing this. It kinda feels like Christmas.

A collapsible clover style camping tent lantern. Hidden hanging hook design, clover-shaped, using environmentally friendly solar energy. You can use it as a flashlight when it is compressed or as a regular lantern as it is expanded.

I mean it is a generator. With a quiet one will come more cost. If your just looking for a way to emergency charge phone and batteries look at a crank charger or sometimes called a dynamo. Most will be integrated with a radio or flashlight already or look at goalzero solar charger products. Some of there basic sets can charge a tablet and they only cost about a hundred bucks. If your looking for good lights look at the 30/60 day light, extra batteries will be easy to carry than a generator + gas.

30 day light
http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Survival-Technologies-30-Day-Lantern/dp/B00ABUSWR2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407277032&sr=8-1&keywords=30+day+light

Goalzero
http://www.amazon.com/Goal-Zero-41022-Guide-Recharging/dp/B00DD6B9IK/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&srs=3555756011&ie=UTF8&qid=1407277085&sr=1-1&keywords=goal+zero

I need a good bucket too!

Bucket

Don't have a camping lantern yet Nitecore LR30 High CRI Camping Lantern Magnetic Base with 2x Energizer CR123A Batteries and LightJunction Battery Case (Green) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQE2MHO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_taa_zw6eAbDEF27W2

We just use a combination of battery powered camping lights, string lights and solar lights.

Stuff like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Vont-Camping-Lantern-Portable-Addition/dp/B018L2WM86/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?keywords=camping+light&qid=1557500092&s=gateway&sprefix=camping+light&sr=8-6

https://www.amazon.com/HAITRAL-Fan-Flashlight-Emergencies-Tent/dp/B01KNLV3FQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=camping+light&qid=1557500119&s=gateway&sprefix=camping+light&sr=8-4

https://www.amazon.com/GDEALER-Halloween-Operated-Waterproof-Christmas/dp/B01M19H8K2/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=battery+string+lights&qid=1557500155&s=gateway&sprefix=battery+str&sr=8-4

Yeah i think my first night ill be on edge just because im alone, not because im outdoors. Im very comfortable outdoors. Ive camped a lot, its just been a while. But even being my size, im kinda nervous to be hundreds of miles from home by myself so i think that may keep me up if i think about it too much.

Im going to be buying a few LED lanterns for the site. Should i get a flashlight for walking places or is this going to be too bright to other campers if im walking somewhere at night?

Also found this Led camping lantern on big sale - only $12.99 now. Shorter than iPhone 6 plus, it can be folded down completely to take the least space in your backpack. Reviews look quiet good so far.

https://www.amazon.com/Nitecore-Magnetic-Energizer-Batteries-LightJunction/dp/B01MQE2MHO

Thank you!

Whoa, talk about cutting it close.

$20 or $30 is a tight budget for a quality AA light.

1. Eveready LED floating lantern
   
   • Runs on two or four D-cell batteries
     
   • Decent, long run time, cheap enough to be disposable
     
   • $10 and Prime-eligble
     
2. Maglite LED flashlight
   
   • Prime-eligble
     
   • $25
     
   • 2 D-cell batteries
     
3. Maglite mini-Mag AAA
   
   • $15
     
   • Prime-eligble
     
   • These are bright, but don't last for a long time, which might be critical for you.
     
     On your budget, and given the short suspense, any light you have will be better than none. I'd recommend buying one or two cheap ones, using the same battery type, buy several packs of batteries, and then once the storm passes, spend some time reassessing your lighting needs. And budget for buying quality lights of some kind.

Because it's your money, not mine and someone needs to review it.

Thorfire LED Camping Lantern Lights USB Rechargeable & Solar Powered Lantern Emergency Light, 3 Lighting Modes, Collapsible Flashlight for Camping, Home, Hiking, Fishing (Emergency Charger for Phone) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014H4036A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_v-kLDbWM8YC8S

30 day lantern: $37. Reported really does run for 30 days continually on low (29 lumens) and runs for 32 hours on high (300 lumens). Uses 3 D cells.

http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Survival-Technologies-30-Day-Lantern/dp/B00ABUSWR2/

The Princetec AMP 1L is a compact option. $15 or so... it's technically a flashlight, but get one with the diffuser cone (they're sold with or witout one for the same price). It gives you 70 hours on 45 lumens and fits in your pocket. It's also waterproof to 100M so you can carabiner it to gear too and forget about it until you need it. Uses 2 AAA cells.

http://www.amazon.com/Princeton-Tec-Amp-Light-Cone/dp/B00ESLBUT2/