Light up your
outdoor living

We’ve come a long way from the days of candle lanterns. Today’s campers now enjoy a variety of reliable lighting devices

Versatile ways to light up your outdoor living

By JOHN TRAYNOR

Posted on 26 August 2017

Performance, versatility and flexibility. A wide range of designs, inspired solutions and multi-functionality make lighting one of the most innovative aspects of outdoor equipment. Speakers, remote control, laptop charging – it’s all happening and great news for outdoor enthusiasts. Central though is lighting for relaxing, cooking, reading and, of course, getting around in the dark. Costs vary considerably from the simple designs to the sophisticated options. Checking prices online also revealed a range of discounts available that differed quite a lot from the manufacturers’ recommended prices. Better by far to pick what you reckon will suit you and then seek out best deal. Many years ago, I used a cheap, hand-held torch on my camping trips. It was heavy, a poor performer and unreliable. In reality, no single light source is versatile enough to cover all needs in tents and awnings. These days, our camping gear includes a couple of rechargeable lanterns, a couple of head torches, mains pendant light and a couple of LED strip lights. It sounds like a lot but means there’s no more carrying a light around, stumbling in the gloom or arguing about who has the light.