Let there be light! Since the dawn of time humans have been using light sources as a way to see at night. Scientific research has discovered traces of wood ash suggesting that humans first discovered the ability to control fire as far back as over 1.5 million years ago. This dates back to the early stone age in the era of the homo erectus species.  A few hundred decades later approximately 200BC, the candle was believed to be invented in in Han China. Unlike today candles during this period were constructed from animal fat, in particular whale fat. Then around 1792 a Scottish man by the name of William Murdoch figured out a way to produce carbon dioxide by combining oxygen in the atmosphere, heat and water vapour and thus invented the gas lantern. These gas lanterns lit up the horse drawn streets for around 87 years until a man known as Thomas Edison invented a little thing called the light bulb. It safe to say it was quite a huge hit since then lights have been forever changing and evolving. Then in the year 1962 the very first light-emitting diode or LED was invented by Nick Holonyak. LED’s have truly been a game changer in the industry of lights, due to there high brightness with low heat and energy usage. Due to all these reasons and the fact they are a more compact size it’s no wonder LED bulbs have become synonymous in the camping light industry. In this article I will discuss some of the best type of LED designs to improve your time at camp.

Let start with the basics, a simple LED lantern. One of the best parts about an LED camping lantern is its versatility, a mini LED lantern is a small and compact round style light ran off three AAA batteries. This compact LED comes with a handy hook on the back thus making it perfect to be hung from roof like a ceiling light. Whether that be from your swag, awning, gazebo or roof top tent the LED lantern is a great way to disperse light in a moments notice due to its compact size. The LED camping lantern also features a magnetic back creating even more mounting options. This is particularly great for sticking to the underside of your bonnet whilst trying to fix your rig on the side of the road. Due to the light weight and compact size of the mini LED lantern it makes for the perfect spare LED to always have on hand. You could either keep it rolled up in your swag or simply permanently keep an LED lantern in your glove box. Better yet due to the low price there’s no need to only have one, so keep a few mini LED lanterns spare in multiple locations. The LED camping lantern features two brightness levels, the brighter setting is perfect for searching for lost items, cooking at camp or fixing your vehicle whereas the softer setting is perfect to have as an ambient LED light at camp. The mini LED camping lantern also features two colour modes, the normal white LED colour is great for your normal light needs but then if your at camp where the pesky bugs are an issue simply flick the LED camping lantern over to the red light mode and the bugs wont be attracted to it. Then as a bonus feature in case of emergency the red LED mode can also flash, this is perfect if you’ve broken down on the side of the road particularly if its in a poorly lit area.

To take your light at camp up a notch an LED bar light is the way to do it.  Like an LED camping lantern a bar light LED is also incredibly versatile.  It features both a magnetic back plus two Velcro scraps so the mounting options are basically endless. The LED bar light does however require 12 volt power, although this may mean its slightly less portable, the 12 volt power also allows it to be extremely bright. Plus, with enough lead the use of a cord will hardly be an issue. Bar light LEDs generally come with allegator clamps to secure onto your battery terminals. Although the more premium models also feature the option of a direct sig socket plug, this is quite handy as it can plug straight into your vehicle or even your portable battery box. Typically, most LED bar lights come as a kit, featuring around 4 or 5 in one kit. This allows you to truly illuminate all areas of your campsite at once.

Now if you really want to illuminate the circumference of a specific area a 12v LED Camping Strip Light is what you need. A LED strip light is a roll of LED lights that usually comes in a length around 4 meters, basically it works like a set of Christmas lights. The Velcro straps makes it super easy to setup around the rim of your awning or gazebo. If you want to get a bit fancy at camp you could even hang your 12 volt strip light between some trees to nicely illuminate your camp area. This is where the handy dimmer switch will truly be useful as you could turn the LED strip light almost all the way down just to have a nice gentle glow, to avoid tripping over any unexpected objects. Strip lights can also come in shorter usually around 2 meters in length sections, that are encased in a protective flexible sleeve. These are super handy as they feature a sail track compatible mount allowing you to easily mount them to your awning. Due to the durability of a LED strip light with sleeve you could even leave it rolled up inside your awning that way you’ll always have it on hand.

This ones simply a no brainer a LED head torch is by far a must have at camp. With a pivoting head and an adjustable head strap a head torch LED will give you perfect hands free illumination. Featuring both spot and flood modes makes an LED head torch great for both specifically searching and general illumination.   

For ultimate general purpose use you can’t go wrong with having a LED work light on hand. Work light LEDs are a perfect way to quickly illuminate something on the go due to the fact they’re handheld. LED work lights usually come as either battery operated or as a Rechargeable Lithium LED Worklight. Models featuring hooks are super handy for those instances you need your hands free.

As you can see LEDs come in so many designs making them the perfect light for camping, so use this guide to find out which array of LED lights best suit your needs