Australia may be a haven for year-round outdoor recreation, but it’s a camper’s paradise between April and October. From the wide-open dunes of Ocean Beach to the near virtual seclusion of Gundabooka, you’re guaranteed to find a campsite that’s just right for your type of outdoor relaxation. Regardless of where you decide to camp though, there’s one convenience that you’ll want to have with you: lighting. Whether it’s for cooking, creating a warm environment, or finding your way safely around the campsite, camp lighting is a necessity.
Fortunately, you don’t have to choose between old-style gas lanterns and blinding searchlights the next time you go camping. Innovative LED lighting solutions have evolved into today’s most popular option for illuminating campsites without ruining the ambience of being outdoors. They’re adjustable and efficient, and can put a quick end to you feeling your way through the campsite in the dark, or disturbing other campers 5kms away.
Versatile LED Camping Lights
Source: snowys.com.au
Ask any experienced camper, off-roader, or hiker about the difference that LEDs have made on campsite lighting, and they’ll gladly tell you how significant it’s been. 4×4 and backpack campers have wrestled with battery life and light brightness issues for a long time, but that’s all changed since LED outdoor camping gear and lighting technologies have come to the forefront. With LED’s low power usage, 4×4 campers don’t have to agonize over drained batteries when running their camping lights either through a 12V connection, or trying to use their vehicle’s headlamps as a light source.
For backpack campers who count every kilo of cargo, LEDs let them shed the weight of bulky flashlights and dry cell batteries in exchange for wearable lighting gear that’s lightweight and delivers lumens to spare.LEDs have fundamentally changed everything that’s expected from campsite lighting equipment. It’s infinitely more versatile than it’s ever been, and that’s something that every camper can appreciate.
LED Camping Light Construction
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Let’s be honest: camping may be relaxing, but nature’s no pushover. Rapid temperature swings, moisture, and even the rigours of getting to the campsite can all take their toll on all of your outdoor camping equipment, especially your lighting. And make no mistake: when you’re racing the sunset to get your site setup, lighting is the last thing you want to experience a problem with.
Reliability and efficiency aren’t problems with LED camping lighting, though. They’re designed to set up quickly, reach full brightness instantly, and stay at full brightness for as long as there’s power available. They also included features like:
- IP-68 rated protection against dust ingress and for continuous operation even when submerged;
- Low heat diodes with optimized spacing at no less than 1 diode per 1.5 cm;
- Long lifespans of up to 50,000+ hours in full operation;
- Adaptable power draw from either 12V, 240V, or USB sources; and,
- Low current draws that require only 1 watt to produce not less than 90 – 100 lumens.
LED camping lighting is the perfect choice for campsite illumination, and it can even be adjusted to emit light at colour frequencies that won’t attract bugs.
Camp Lighting for Any Occasion
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Regardless of whether just need a handy light for a single-person tent, or looking to light up a multi-family pitch with cooking and toilet facilities, you can be sure that there are outdoor equipment stores selling the precise LED solution that you’re looking for.
LED Light Bars
LED light bars vary in length from 25cm to 100cm, feature tri-colour (cool white, warm white, and orange light) switchable settings, and are ideal for transforming a dim, foreboding campsite into an inviting living space. With their 6063 aluminium housings and magnetic attachments, they adhere easily to tent rails, toolboxes and RV trailer sides, while providing up to 1,300 lumens output on a 1.2A current draw from either a 12V vehicular, or 240V fixed power source.
LED Camp Kits
Camp kits allow you to purchase bundled, light bar packages of various lengths from camping equipment stores in 2, 4, and 6 bar combinations. These kits include all the necessary switches, clips, cabling, and accessories to illuminate a full-sized pitch with up to 3,000 lumens of output on a maximum 3.0A current draw. Camp kits also come in their own hardened carrying cases, making it possible to slide them conveniently into a ute box or RV storage area, and to be retrieved and set up in an instant.
LED Strip and Tape Lights
Tri-colour light strips and tapes are flexible versions of light bars that are sold by outdoor gear stores and online camping retailers specifically for outdoor use. They’re not the generic indoor lighting strips and light tapes you find being sold by the box load. These strips feature fully LED diodes that are fully encased in epoxy, and sold in standard lengths up to 2.4m. They produce up to 2,200 lumens on 2.88A though, and with their Velcro strips or adhesive backings, can be mounted or glued to awnings, tent panels or even to the insides of vehicles.
LED Lanterns
LED lanterns combine the efficiency of LED lighting with the practicality of built-in lithium-ion power sources to create camping lights that are compact enough to store in a backpack, but still capable of putting out 155 lumens for 6 hours on a single charge. These lightweight, space-saving lights have 5 light mode settings with up to 90 hours of service on the lowest mode, and can be conveniently recharged from any USB-powered port.
LED Torches and Headlamps
LED torches and headlamps are the ultimate in portable camp lighting. Rechargeable torches can fit comfortably into a bag or a cargo pocket, but still produce an incredible 1,000 lumens. Headlamps are wearable, 440-lumen lighting accessories that let you keep your hands free at all times while still having full forward-facing illumination. If you’re the kind of person who likes to buy camping equipment that can be used even when you’re not on the trail, LED torches and headlamps have to be at the top of your list.
The Final Word
At the end of the day, the opportunity to take a holiday and to head off to either the coast or the mountains is a great opportunity for people to unwind and relax a little. At the same time though, it’s not an adventure that you’re going to want to undertake without having a reliable source of light handy.
LED outdoor camping gear and lighting have brought a new dynamic of performance to campsite lighting. And it’s a dynamic that can be just as valuable on the home front as it is at the campsite. Before setting off on your next camping adventure, take the time to consider how much of a difference swapping your gas or fluorescent camping lights for LEDs could make. You’ll be glad you did.