Do you need ideas for camping lighting? If so, there are lots of simple, affordable, and enjoyable options available. We present you with the best of them in this guide, along with a list of fantastic camping lighting ideas for any event.
There’s no reason why the fun should cease as the sun sets while you’re out having a great time camping. The party may go on late at night with some creative lighting ideas. Many lighting options are available to suit your preferences, regardless of whether you want anything that is battery, solar, or power source driven.
To select one or more of the best campsite lighting ideas for you, consider your preferred and available power source, as well as your desired ambiance. We discuss the finest lighting ideas for camping sites and how each one performs at its peak—great alternatives for campers while planning their next outdoor adventure.
Camping Tent Lighting Ideas
Hanging Light Bulbs
Hanging light bulbs are an inexpensive alternative that can be quickly fastened to hang from anywhere in your tent and cast brilliant light throughout. These USB-rechargeable camping lights have a 10-hour battery life, making them ideal for overnight trips or multi-day camping adventures if you bring a power bank. They are light and easy to pack because of their tiny form, making them perfect for backpackers.
Mason Jar Lanterns
Glass jars are a fantastic way to add simple, inexpensive lighting to your campground. Your top pick will be mason jars, though recycling an old peanut butter jar or any type of recycled jar also works nicely and sustainably. Any light source can be used to fill the glass jar. The most obvious choice is candles, but you can also coil up LED string lights, solar lights, or battery-operated tea lights to create a gorgeous camp lantern.
Anything can be lit by this camp lighting, including card games at the table or illuminating the way to the bathroom. If you’re using real fire, remember to extinguish it before going to bed.
Glow Sticks
Glow sticks are a terrific way to brighten your campsite if you don’t want to mess with light bulbs. Grab a few glow sticks to add festival-style lighting to your campsite or tent without worrying about batteries or a USB charger. Although they don’t exactly cast a lot of light, glow sticks can be hung from wooden poles or man lines to keep people from falling in the dark. The illumination sticks can also be attached to low-lying tree limbs using zip ties.
Solar String Lights
Solar string lights are a great alternative for lighting your campground and may be the most pleasurable and simple to set up. They do an excellent job of providing sufficient light around the site without upsetting the nearby residents. Simply keep the solar box in direct sunshine throughout the day when using solar string lights, which are simple to place and operate. Most solar string lights contain a backup charging outlet if the weather is not ideal.
ROPE LIGHTS
String lights can be complemented or substituted with rope lights. They are low-power, simple to hang around your campground (wrap them around tree trunks, branches, tables, and tents), available in several colors, and withstand rain and other weather conditions well. They are also dependable, portable, and reasonably priced. Similar to string lights, these lights can be LED strips or incandescent bulbs, and they can be powered by batteries, solar energy, or camper power.
Tiki Torches
Tiki torches are another fantastic alternative if you have additional room in the car or RV, mainly because they serve a dual purpose, warding off annoying pests and mosquitoes. Nothing feels more pleasant than relaxing in an area free of mosquitoes or looks as cool as a ring of tiki torches encircling the campsite.
Depending on the kind, there are alternatives for both short-term and long-term use. Although bamboo tiki torches won’t last as long as metal torches, this is advantageous if you want to store torches for the current season.
CITRONELLA CANDLES
Citronella candles are another popular and useful light option for your camping in addition to tiki torches. They won’t burn as brightly as tiki torches because the wicks are often much thinner, but they’re perfect for illuminating your table as you dine, play cards, read, etc. They can help ward off mosquitoes and other unpleasant insects, and they are typically more portable than tiki torches.
SOLAR CAMPING LIGHTS
Numerous solar camping lights are available, including lanterns, rope lights, string lights, LED strips, chandeliers, and more. A solar-powered lantern, as compared to one that runs on batteries, can help you save money over time on battery and fuel expenditures. However, if you have other lights that aren’t solar-powered, you can use a solar panel and power banks to collect and store energy during the day while plugging your lights in at night.
Headlamp into a gallon of water
Simply tying your headlamp to a full gallon of water produces lighting effects for the entire tent or campsite by using items you may already have. Use a water bottle if you don’t have a gallon jug for a miniature version.
Gas lanterns are a dependable light source when you don’t want to mess with batteries or electrical power sources. Remember not to use it in a tent or enclosed space because it can release dangerous carbon monoxide. Many campers choose to use this as one of their primary camping lighting options, but it is best to keep these on the picnic table outside the tent.
Fan-Integrated Light
The fan-integrated lighting system provides a double kick by lighting your tent and cooling you off in the summer heat. You can hang these from your tent or place them on a table when you’re relaxing at your picnic table and require sufficient light to cook. These weigh under one pound and are USB-rechargeable.
Even with the fan’s highest level, a full charge will provide 10 hours of cool air and illumination. Additionally, they have three power settings that let you choose the amount of light you want for various times of the evening.
LED Rechargeable Lantern
Although gas-powered lanterns are one of the more common choices for lighting a campground, battery-operated LED ones are far more practical for usage in the great outdoors.
The LED rechargeable lantern offers an efficient method of lighting up a whole campsite. The highest brightness output of this model, which is 1000, is more than bright enough to illuminate a campsite even without a blazing fire.
Additionally, the lantern features four different light modes and 12-hour battery life, making it a good option for long camping trips. Due to a fully rechargeable battery that functions as a power bank, this lantern is a multipurpose solution for typical campsite and connectivity requirements.
Conclusion
On your next excursion, you have various options for lighting your campsites. Some planning can determine which camping lighting options will work best. Being creative and considering how much energy you’ll need to keep the lights on can help you select which power sources will work best for your outdoor lighting.
If you’re going to power your lights using batteries, make sure you have enough alkaline batteries in the proper sizes. A sufficient number of solar panels and power banks should be available if you intend to use solar energy.
