Camping Lighting Options — Lanterns, Head Torches, Fairy Lights

Camping after dark used to mean kerosene lanterns and choking smoke. Now you've got LED lanterns that run for 100 hours on rechargeable batteries, head torches that throw a beam 200m, fairy lights you can hang on your awning. Lighting is one of the easiest quality-of-life upgrades for any camping setup.

Here's the practical guide to camping lighting — what's worth carrying, what to skip, and how to actually pick the right lights for your style of camping.

Photo by Zyanya BMO on Unsplash

Kerosene, shellite, unleaded petrol, propane gas — fuel lanterns produce massive light output and run a long time on a tank. Reliable in cold conditions where batteries die.

Pros:

• Bright (200-400 lumens with mantle lanterns)
• Long burn times
• Reliable in cold weather (where batteries fail)
• Gas lanterns share fuel with cooking stoves (efficient pack list)

Cons:

• Need replacement parts (mantles, wicks, glass)
• Generate heat — can't be near tents/fabric
• Open flame = fire risk in fire-ban zones
• Must respect fuel storage rules
• Dangerous to operate inside enclosed tents (CO buildup)

Best for: long base camps where fuel is a single shared system; cold-weather camping where battery performance falls.

Photo: Matthew Brodeur / Unsplash

For 95% of camping, electric/battery lanterns are the right answer. Three main types:

• LED — the dominant choice. Efficient (low battery draw), rugged, long life (50,000+ hours), low heat output, doesn't attract many insects. Aussie favourites: Hard Korr, KickAss, Black Wolf, Sea to Summit, Goal Zero
• Fluorescent — older but still around. Decent light output, comes in many sizes, can run 12V or 240V. Bulkier than LED, less efficient
• Incandescent — being phased out. High power draw, fragile bulbs, overall outclassed by LED

Power source options:

• Disposable batteries — convenient, ongoing cost
• Rechargeable (NiMH or built-in lithium) — cheaper long-term, but you need to manage charging
• 12V plug — runs off the cig socket or directly from auxiliary battery
• Solar/USB rechargeable — modern hybrids that charge from any power source you've got

• Head torch (the essential) — hands-free, points wherever you look. The first piece of personal lighting every camper should own. Look for: 200+ lumens, multiple modes (high/low/red), adjustable beam, comfortable headband
• Hand torch / flashlight — for spotting wildlife, longer-range visibility, the bigger jobs. Compact LED torches are powerful these days — Olight, LedLenser, Fenix, Maglite all make 1000+ lumen units smaller than a beer can
• Glow sticks — for marking guy ropes at night (kids running into them at night is the way trips end), tent zippers, marking trails. Cheap, single-use
• Brands worth knowing: LedLenser (German engineering, durable), Petzl (climbing-grade head torches), Fenix (high-output), Black Diamond (good all-round)

Photo: Alex Moliski / Unsplash

Optional but transformative for the camping vibe. Modern LED fairy/string lights run 30-50 hours on a USB battery pack, use almost no power, and turn an ordinary campsite into something genuinely cosy.

• String along the awning or rope between trees
• Inside the tent for kids' bedtime reading
• Around the fire pit area for atmosphere
• Solar-powered string lights that charge during the day are the easiest set-and-forget option

Hard Korr makes excellent 12V LED strip lights designed to run off auxiliary batteries — semi-permanent install on awnings.

For most car-camping families, here's the right kit:

• One head torch per person — non-negotiable, especially for kids. Confidence + bathroom trips
• One main camp lantern — 1000-2000 lumen LED, hung in the centre of the cooking/eating area
• One spare lantern — for the kitchen tent or backup
• One 1000+ lumen hand torch — for wildlife spotting, longer-range needs
• Some glow sticks or guy-rope lights for night safety
• Optional: fairy lights for atmosphere

Total kit weight: under 2kg, fits in a small bag, lasts 5+ years.

LED lighting has solved camping in the dark. Get one quality head torch per person, one bright lantern for the cooking area, and a backup. Add fairy lights for atmosphere and a hand torch for wildlife spotting. That's the complete lighting kit.

The kerosene-and-mantle days are over for most campers. Modern LEDs are brighter, lighter, safer and run longer.