Planning A Camping Trip? Don't Forget Your LEDs!

One of the best things about summer is embracing the great outdoors. Camping is a huge part of this – and a huge part of camping is your choice of lighting.

After all, when you’re miles from civilisation, you can’t depend on street lights for visibility at night. You’ll need a light source that’s portable when you need to see in the dark – and LEDs are the best option. They are energy efficient, long lasting and reliable.

LED lights use a lot less electricity than other incandescent or fluorescent alternatives because they are so much more efficient with their energy, and lose considerably less to heat wastage.

Normal incandescent bulbs lose up to 80% of their energy to heat, whereas LEDs only lose about 10%. This means they are about 10 times more efficient than traditional halogens, and as a result use around 90% less electricity.

This is really handy for when you’re out camping, as your energy supplies will be limited and you’ll need to make them last as long as possible.

This also then has a direct impact on how long your LEDs last too. Less heat passing through means less wear and tear – and a much longer lifespan.

Most LEDs last up to 50,000 hours – that’s 2 times longer than fluorescent light, and 20 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

This is also really good to know when you’re out and away from the city for prolonged periods of time – and even more so if you find yourself lost, though we hope that doesn’t happen!

They’re far more reliable too, as LEDs don’t have any fragile parts, such as filaments. This means you don’t need to worry about them breaking if you drop it against a tree in the dark.

A good place to start is with an LED torch – a cornerstone of camp lighting. Incandescent torches have a tendency to fade towards the end of their life. LEDs don’t have this problem, and continue to work at full brightness for the entirety of their lifespan.

Some LED torches are solar powered too, and don’t need batteries at all! They can be left to charge during the day, ready for use in the evening. Wind up LED torches are equally as good, and will run for several hours on a single charge.

Our range of LED torches fit the bill perfectly, with a variety of features including zoom and focus.

LED head lamps make a great alternative to a torch, and provide plenty of light while leaving your hands free to do other things...now that’s using your head!

Our CREE XML T6 LED Light is a great option, and comes with all the straps and chargers you need. The 1500 lumens provide more than adequate amounts of light too.

If you’re planning on hanging some lamps inside your tent, stick with LEDs. LED tent lights are available as small puck lights or flexible strips which clip onto the inside of your tent and run on batteries.

As we discussed earlier, LEDs produce less heat than other kinds of lighting, so they won’t leave unsightly burn or scorch marks on your expensive tent.

Provided you’re using a low voltage 12V power supply, you could use our 4.8W Single Colour LED Strip Lights. They shine with a bright 400 lumens yet they only use 4.8W/m.

These are ideal to attach to the frame of your tent – you can either tie them or use the commercial grade 3M adhesive on the reverse side to stick them down.

LED camping lamps are a cheaper and safer alternative to propane lamps. These provide a more generous light than torches and can be used to illuminate a much larger area.

Most LED lights feature a strobe mode too, which can be used to alert people if you ever find yourself in trouble. Hopefully you won’t, but you never know!

Preparation is key to an enjoyable camping trip, and nothing says “I’m prepared” quite like an LED torch, head lamp or tent light.