How to Choose the Right Camping Lantern
July 4th, 2009 by E.J. Montano, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
Choosing the right camping lantern is important if you want to make your camping experience worth remembering. In buying a camping lantern, you have to choose from hundreds of designs and varieties for lanterns. Now, how will you get the right choice of camping lantern that would suffice your camping needs? You can do the choosing better if you are informed of the outdoor lanterns’ different types available.
Camping lights come in four types: the battery-operated, gas-fueled, liquid-fueled, and the candle. All these four types of camping lights have different advantages and disadvantages that must be considered when deciding what to buy. Although all are useful in some ways, not all can provide exactly what you need in your camping activity. In order for you to get the best choice, read the speculations for each type and select the one that you think is perfect for your needs.
The lanterns operated by batteries are useful in camping. Such type of camp lights is handy and easy to use. There is no disturbing sound from the lantern when you use it. Also, you do not have to worry of fire risk since there is no open flame. The batteries can be rechargeable or disposable and you can easily afford it because batteries are not expensive. You will only have to provide extra batteries for the lantern to give you brighter lights.
Gas camping lanterns use gas for power. There are different gases that you can use, but butane and propane are the most popular choices. The gas fuel comes in a canister. These lanterns are convenient to use and produce a very bright and stable light source. However, gas is often quite expensive, especially if you will be needing a lot of it and then these camping lights operate they can be noisy. An additional concern is that weather can affect the gas pressure, so in colder weather the gas may not work or it will be used at a faster rate. The canisters, usually weighing about 2 pounds each, can be heavy if you need to carry a few of them. Lastly, gas camping lanterns get very hot to the touch and do have an open flame, so care must be taken during operation to prevent accidents.
The liquid-fueled lanterns for camping require the use of liquid such as fuel, kerosene, or unleaded gas to make the lantern useful. These fuels may not be expensive and you can usually buy them at the gas stations. It can give a bright light that is enough to lighten the area, plus the lantern produces heat as well to warm the place. The only things to consider are the open flame, the hot surface, and the noise.
The fourth type of lanterns is the candle camping lantern. This requires the use of candle to directly lighten the camping area. The lantern serves as the candle holder and there is no need for more complex design or structure to use it. The candle can be lit anytime and it can be acquired at affordable costs than other lanterns. Some candles are also made of citronella which serves as insect repellants and it has no disturbing sounds. What you need to guard when using candles is its open flame which may harm you or put your life to risk. You cannot also use it when it is windy as it may turn down the flame.
Using camping lanterns does not mean using only one type of lanterns. You are free to use two or more types in order to get enough light and brightness for your camping area. If you want to save on expenses, you can use gas-fueled lantern and candles at the same time.
Now that you know more about each type of lantern option you can now try to find the one that best suits your needs. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of each type as that will help you. You should also take into consideration where you will be camping, the weather conditions during your trip and your budget. In the end, you should be able to choose the best camping lantern to add to your camping gear.
