Choosing an Outdoor Camping Lantern

When heading out on your next camping trip make sure you're prepared for that night time camp setup or for the poker game inside your tent with a camping lantern. Camping lanterns are great for lighting up small areas like tents or picnic tables. With a few different kinds of lanterns like kerosene lanterns, propane lanterns, and battery powered lanterns getting the right one for your next camping adventure can be a tricky task.

Kerosene Lanterns

Another type of fuel lantern, the kerosene lanterns are great for campers that aren't afraid to fuel their own lanterns. These lanterns aren't as easy to use and they come in a few different styles. For kerosene lanterns the two most popular designs are wick and mantle.Wick lanterns will produce an odor but burn at a lower heat, a mantle kerosene lantern burns at a higher heat, doesn't produce odor, and burns whiter. The mantle kerosene lantern provides the best lighting of the two types but also uses a lot more fuel and has the added risk of over heating. These outdoor lanterns need to be watched closely when used indoors as they are one of the more dangerous types of lanterns. A plus to mantle kerosene lanterns is that they also double as a heater because of their high operating temperatures.

Propane Lanterns

Propane camping lanterns are great for a wide variety of campers and situations. Apropane lantern works well in almost any condition and is super easy to operate. With a propane lantern you usually just pop in a portable propane canister and you're ready to go. Finding fuel for your lantern is easy and most camping or general stores will carry disposable propane canisters. On average a propane lantern will last anywhere from 4-24 hours depending on how large a tank you are using and the construction of the lantern. Propane lanterns provide around 45-200+ watts of light but the high watt models usually take more propane so plan accordingly. If you plan on using a propane lantern in the winter be advised that you might notice decreased performance if operating below 0 degrees. Overall theses lanterns will work great for the largest amount of campers.

Battery Powered Lanterns

The safest of all types of lanterns is the battery powered camping lantern. Battery powered lanterns provide great amounts of light and depending on which type of bulb you get you'll be able to have hours and hours of constant lighting. If you are looking for the longest life out of a battery powered lantern, look for a LED lantern. LED's will give you the longest life but aren't as bright as standard battery powered lanterns. With a battery powered lantern you can use them indoors or outdoors and changing the batteries are very easy. One thing to keep in mind when buying a battery powered lantern is the cost of batteries as most battery powered lanterns are very cheap to purchase but the cost of batteries to operate them can be great.backyard playground equipment