The Best Camping Lights for Any Outdoor Adventure 2022: BioLite, Black Diamond, Mpowerd Luci, and More

By Johanna Flashman

If you’re planning an outdoor adventure that goes on after the sun sets this summer, chances are you’re going to need some good camping lights. The best camping lights stay lit for as long as you need and give you enough light to do anything you need to after dark. Bonus points for energy-efficient solutions, versatility, and affordability.

If camping is on your summer bucket list, we’ve got all the information you need to ensure you’re able to get around in the dark and find your tent on your next camping trip. Trust me, trying to go pee in the middle of the night without a headlamp is not something you want to do.

Choosing the right camp lighting for your needs depends on your specific camping goals. If you’re doing long, multiday backpacking trips in the backcountry, you’ll likely want a lightweight headlamp that has a long run time.

If you’re car camping, you have a bit more flexibility with your lighting solutions because you don't need to worry about carrying it all on your back. You may still want a trusty headlamp, but you can also liven up your campsite with lanterns, string lights, and flashlights.

Regardless of your exact needs, there are a few common features you’ll want to look out for that will give you a good starting point for wading through the barrage of different camping lights available.

Now that you know the basics, we’ve got 15 specific camping light recommendations from a variety of longtime camping experts, backpacking guides, and outdoor educators. Find top-rated brands like BioLite, Mpowerd Luci, and more from Amazon, REI, and Black Diamond Equipment.

All products featured on SELF are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Alison Watta, a backpacking guide and creator and editor of Exploration Solo, recommends the Black Diamond Cosmo 350 headlamp for backpacking. With a maximum of 350 lumens plus medium (175 lumens) and low (6 lumens) settings, she says the headlamp "offers plenty of light to safely navigate, while also giving you some control over the brightness."

Watta also appreciates the red light to avoid "blinding fellow campmates and keep the bugs from flocking to your forehead." The headlamp reportedly has a run time of around six hours on medium power, but for the relatively inexpensive price, it's still a solid amount of time.

"For the past five years, I've used mine on over 50 backpacking trips, some up to seven days," says Watta. "It never fell off, became uncomfortable, or let me down." There is also a rechargeable version that has a slightly longer run time but does come at a higher price.

Jess Shisler PhD, cofounder of Sēkr and Project Respect Outdoors, has had this Petzl ultralight headlamp for two years and says it's "proven to be durable, long-lasting, bright and easy to recharge."

This headlamp has a max of 200 lumens, and while there are brighter versions, Shisler prefers the lower lumen version because "it's a trade-off for weight." At just 35 grams, this headlamp is ultralight, compact, and ideal for backpacking. The light has three different brightness settings and red light so you can tailor it to what you need at the time. "I find there is plenty of battery life [two hours run time on full power] and the light is definitely bright enough to hike, cook, or whatever activity I need," she says.

Over the past 12 years, BioLite has been making a name for itself in the off-the-grid energy and light sphere creating clean energy solutions and making them available to folks with limited energy around the world.

Weighing 50 grams, this headlamp is lightweight and has a max output of 200 lumens and six different light settings (white and dim, red and dim, and strobe in white and red).

Kristen Bor, founder of Bearfoot Theory Outdoor Blog, likes this headlamp for hands-free lighting while backpacking and car camping. "This one is LED and charges via USB instead of using single-use batteries, so it's more eco-friendly and easy to use," says Bor.

Lisa Wilder, a former REI sales manager and founder of adventure company Hither + Yon, likes the Black Diamond Spot 350 for its ease of use, variety of light settings, and a red light option. This battery-powered headlamp packs a punch with 350 lumens, comes with a high and low light setting, and also has a red light mode.

At three ounces (85 grams), it's a little heavier than some other options but is still lightweight enough to come along on a backpacking trip. "[For backpacking] I rely solely on my headlamp in the tent and around camp," says Wilder.

Hot tip: If you get a battery-powered headlamp, Wilder recommends changing the batteries before any longer camping or backpacking trip and always bringing an extra set.

For a budget-friendly headlamp that will do the job for most basic camping needs, Christopher Davis, former camp director and founder of Camps Insider, recommends this Energizer LED Headlamp. "One of the best features of this headlamp is that it produces very noticeable light that can be seen up to a hundred feet away," says Davis. "If you're doing some night hiking or backpacking with others, it's a great way to stay safe and know where others are at all times."

With a max lumen output of 100, it's one of the dimmer headlamps on our list and does not have different dimming levels. However, for $12, the single 100-lumen white-light setting and the red light make it a great option to have as a backup or first headlamp. It's also great if you're a camping beginner or you go out only occasionally and don't want to spend a fortune.

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By Amy Marturana Winderl, C.P.T.

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For a personal camping light, the Black Diamond Storm 450 is Pilson's favorite. "I’ve had multiple generations of this headlamp, and each new model continues to impress me in terms of its performance and durability," she says.

The main distinguishing feature of this headlamp is it's fully waterproof (tested to operate for at least 30 minutes while 1 meter underwater). "I personally only buy waterproof headlamps as I don't want to spend the entirety of a rainy hike wondering if my headlamp will survive the wet conditions," says Pilson. Some may argue that if you plan to camp only in dry conditions, you probably don't need to spend the extra money on really high-quality waterproofing tech, but if you live somewhere with lots of rain, having that peace of mind might be worth it.

This headlamp also has the highest lumen output of all the headlamps on our list with 450 lumens. Plus, it has the most variety of light options with a full-scale dimmer, proximity and distance modes, strobe, and red, green, and blue night-vision lights.

When car or R.V. camping, you don't have to worry about weight, meaning a lantern is a great way to light up the entire campsite. Founder of CamperGuide Johnathan Smith likes this lantern specifically because "it beautifully combines its high CRI [color rendering index] and warm tint, making its light output as natural-looking as possible."

The light can adjust to different dimming levels, has warm and neutral white tints, and goes up to superbright 800 lumens. Plus, the lantern is rechargeable via a USB-C port and has a power bank to charge phones or other small devices as needed. "The only downside to this is its weight, as it can be heavy to carry around," says Smith. "However, with its great run time [over 24 hours on a midrange light mode] and quality output, I believe this light is definitely worth using."

This 600-lumen powerhouse of a lantern is another crowd favorite with several of our experts recommending it. For car camping, Wilder loves this lantern specifically for its ease of use and functionality. "It has a USB charging [port] and a hand crank and solar panels to recharge in the event of an emergency," says Wilder. Plus, Wilder likes that the lantern has a built-in handle to hang from the top of a tent as well.

CEO of RoverPass Ravi Parikh also recommends the Goal Zero Lighthouse 600: "Any lantern I buy for camping has to come equipped with phone-charging capacity, which this one does, as well as a solar panel, which the Lighthouse also has but is sold separately."

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For a compact and affordable lantern that can add a comfortable glow to any campsite or tent, CEO of Connecticut Explorer Suzanne Bucknam recommends the Goal Zero Crush Light. With 60 lumens at full brightness, this little lantern isn't insanely bright, but it's a good compromise between brightness, weight (it weighs only 3.2 ounces or 90 grams), packability, run time, and affordability. Plus, it collapses into a thin square to carry or store anywhere.

Bucknam especially likes that it can charge with either USB or solar, so she has the flexibility to charge by solar or a power source. "I’ve had mine for about two years," says Bucknam. "I usually use it for summer camps because it's easier to charge it using the sun."

Shisler likes this small, collapsible lantern for around the campsite when backpacking. "It's inflatable, solar-powered, it floats, can hang, and can serve as a phone charger if needed," she says.

The lantern packs down to a flat square that you can easily clip to the back of your pack and charge in the sun while you hike during the day. This lantern also comes with nine color modes, so you can adjust the ambience of the campsite depending on your mood or how much light you need. "You can set it red and use it as a ‘campfire’ in places that don't allow fire," says Shisler. "It's so convincing I will even find myself leaning into the ‘fire’ for warmth."

This lantern takes the classic camping lantern look and supercharges it with up to 1,000 lumens, four different dimmable light modes, a power bank, and up to 12 hours of run time (on the lower warm light setting).

At 550 grams, it's probably better for car camping rather than backpacking, but it can easily light up the entire campsite or your tent. Davis likes that it's water-resistant, so you can still use it through a bit of rain while you camp. Davis notes "after a year or two of use, it still produces light lasting about 10 hours or so." Plus, the lantern has a clip on the bottom, so you can hang it upside down in your tent as well.

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Not exactly a lantern, but still providing that dreamy campsite lighting, Shisler likes to use these pocket-sized string lights when backpacking. Still relatively lightweight at around 90 grams, she says they "are perfect to create ambience and lighting for your tent or over your cooking area."

The string of lights measures 10 feet long and has 20 LED bulbs with four different light modes: breathe cycle, 100%, 50%, and 25%. Shisler notes, "They require AAA batteries, so make sure you replace them before you head out into the wilderness!"

When car camping, Shisler opts for the heavier but longer and more eco-friendly set of Mpowerd Luci Solar string lights. Weighing 11.3 ounces (320 grams), they're a chunk of added weight you don't want or need for backpacking, but when weight isn't an issue, the 18 feet of 10 light nodes with a total of 20 LEDs "are perfect for lighting your campsite," says Shisler. You can also fine-tune the camp ambience you’re going for with four different settings: high, medium, low, and flashing.

The string packs up compactly around its own expandable spool that doubles as the solar panel and power base. The rechargeable battery can recharge through either solar or a USB quick charge and once charged, the battery can last up to 20 hours (on low).

When it comes to flashlights and camping, we won't lie to you: They often aren't the best option. For most dark camping situations, you want to have your hands available to do other things (hiking, cooking on your camp stove, looking for something, going to the bathroom…), and if you have to be holding a flashlight, you’re down one hand. If you’re just hanging out around the campsite and not using your hands or if you’re in a group, you likely want more of an ambience light like a lantern rather than a flashlight spotlight.

That being said, Shisler says, "a high-powered flashlight can be super helpful when finding a camping site in the dark." When it comes to finding the right flashlight for the job, she recommends something with a high lumen output that's small and USB rechargeable like the Hoxia Tactical flashlight. With a max of 3,500 lumens, it's the brightest light on our list by far and the pack of two costs less than many of the single light options above. So, if you want a really bright light to keep in your car for emergencies and car camping adventures, this is a solid choice.

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This Coleman flashlight brings back all the nostalgia of a run-of-the-mill flashlight for emergencies and the occasional outdoor outing. It's bright (325 lumens), budget-friendly, and easy to use, and the Coleman brand is super reliable. The light runs on three AAA batteries and has a run time of one hour on its highest setting (200 hours on low), so it doesn't have the best battery life, but it's great for when you need to scope something out or point to something in the dark.

This durable flashlight is impact-resistant up to two meters and water-resistant, so you can still use it in the rain or wet conditions. Plus, the spotlight beam reaches up to 250 meters, so it would work well to look for the best place to set up camp. This isn't a particularly fancy light, but it's reliable, inexpensive, and a good tool to have just in case.

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