When it comes to camping lights or lights in the car or van I am of the belief that it is near impossible to have too many flashlights or utility lights in my van.
Whatever situation arises you are always going to want light on your side. There is not much worse than getting yourself into a situation and needing to rely on the light of your cellphone to get through it. Having enough working, functional lights is critical to enjoying your time camping, living the van life or just getting through a potential emergency. With that in mind, here is a breakdown of the types of lights that I keep in my van. Whether it be for camping lights, the occasional week of van life or just in case these lights are must haves.
As simple as the idea is, a light that clips on to the bill of a baseball cap is genius. I started using these a couple years ago when I would bartend at outdoor concerts. When the lights go off and the music came on I would just turn this light on and be able to see around my area. I couldn’t believe I actually worked a few shows without one.
As for the having one in the car, camper or van it is a must! If you find yourself in an emergency changing a tire or having to look under the hood why wouldn’t you want a hands free light shining in the exact direction you are looking? I have also found them useful as camping lights, sticking one on my cap and turning it on and off as needed when walking around in the dark.
These particular lights are great because they use AAA batteries and not the super expensive weird batteries that wind up costing more than the light itself. In fact, that is one of my prerequisites for buying lights. Normal batteries are a must, no button, coin or watch cell batteries. It is much easier to have a pack or two of AA or AAA batteries laying around than to stock up on the other more expensive batteries.
I busted out this light with the magnet base placed it up above me on some metal part and my task suddenly became much clearer. Not necessarily easier since I was jamming my 6’4 250 pound frame into the front floor of a Subaru Impreza, but I could at least see.
Whether you are crawling around the floor of a Subaru, under the hood of your car or sheltering yourself with a large piece of sheet metal during a rainstorm looking for cover under the tallest tree you can find, this light will come in handy. Anywhere a magnet can go this light can be placed and illuminate your situation. I’ve found that they come in handy as camping lights, too. Just stick somewhere metal and voila!
Like the previous light, it uses regular batteries. In this case, AA batteries are included. A solid light to have at the ready.
Flashlights have come a long way from when I was younger. Those plastic hunks of garbage the ran on a couple of C batteries and actually had a light bulb in them have given way to LED tactical flashlights. For less than $20 you can get a very bright flashlight with several modes that should more than serve your needs.
This light comes in a two-pack, is lightweight, has five different light settings, is lightweight, bright and efficient. Throw one in the car, camper or van and put the other in your purse or backpack. You’ll always have something more than your cellphone to light the way now if you find yourself in a dark situation.
Once the sun goes down and the van window covers go on it can get a little dark in the van. I did not want to use up the battery running the interior lights. That is where these camping lanterns were a lifesaver. Once I put up the window shades for the evening (you can learn how to make them here) I turned these camping lights on. With just one or two of these lanterns going you have plenty of light to read, write or do whatever one does in the back of a van.
We have used these lanterns a ton while camping, grilling, or just hanging out at the cabin. They are cheap and effective. Running on AA batteries they provide plenty of light. They can even be hung from the hook on the your tent to provide and makeshift camping chandelier.
By the end of the weekend these were the go to lights. The hang easily from the tent and provide a nice soft glow. They have a hook with can easily be attached to your pants loop so you always have a light attached to you. I have even taken one with me out on the kayak around dusk, it worked great attached to one of the bungee cords.
Just like all the other lights listed, this one runs on a standard battery, AAA in this case. It has a magnetic base, the aforementioned hook and 5 brightness settings. The soft white light that it provides is also very easy on the eyes. With its compact size it makes a great item to have in the car, camper or van.
You can never have enough working lights in your arsenal, so be sure to check these out and update your stock accordingly. It also make sense to have a healthy supply of fresh batteries on hand. Amazon has great deals on AA and AAA batteries
Happy adventuring!
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Thank you for the great ideas about batteries and lights for camping. I will follow your posts.