There are a few ways for you to get camping lights at night. You can get light from campfire, flashlights, headlamps or camping lanterns. Each has is different and you may one or the other for your own reasons. I’m here just to help you choose.

This is the cheapest source of camping light. Campfire not only gives you light but you can cook with it as well.

Campfires are fun also and they are often where the group gathers and share stories, cook some marshmallows or just to stay warm.

Flashlights and headlamps are better camping lights than fire. They have a long throw so you can light a distant target. They provide light instantly usually with the click of a button. Flashlights and headlamps are also portable. You can’t carry campfire around.

Most people prefer headlamps because it frees your hands for other things but I carry both flashlight and headlamp. The reason is because at times flashlights are more useful because the lighting can be flexible. You may find at times that you need the light at different angles. Using a headlamp can only give you light in one angle.

This is a rare occasion though so if you have to carry just one that bring along the headlamp even if you don’t carry any other camping light. But with a Mag-Lite, you can have the best of both worlds with a Mag-Lite headband.

Some people don’t even think about bringing lanterns but lanterns can be a convenient camping light source. Believe me sometimes you do get tired of wearing headlamps all the time. The advantage of lanterns over flashlights or headlamps is that they provide light all around instead of in one direction.

Traditional camping lanterns like candle lanterns are heavy and they don’t provide much light. With technology, lanterns are now lighter and they provide light even longer.

A typical candle lantern may provide light for 9 hours for 1 candle and modern lanterns on batteries can provide 50 hours of light or more. The batteries are also lighter than candles.

The light from electric lanterns is far brighter than candle lanterns. Candle lanterns barely give you enough light for reading and reading from the light of dancing flames can hurt your eyes.

With Hybrid Lantern/Flashlights you can use the lantern as a flashlight as well.

Cartridge camping stoves can double as camping lights. A depleted cartridge is usually used for this purpose. This type of camping light also provides heat, which is useful in winter.