Best Camping Lights & Lanterns in Australia (incl. Solar, LED & Rechargeable Options)

Often when we think of camping, long days in the sun followed by cool nights around a campfire are one of the major themes that come to mind.

Many nights are spent relaxing by a fire, but have you ever noticed when you leave the fire how damn dark it is everywhere?

Today there is a wide range of illumination options for our tents, our campsites or for any occasion you need light outdoors.

In this review, we will be looking at some of the best camping lights and lanterns in Australia, to take the guesswork so you can find the most suitable systems for your needs.

Best Camping Lights & Lanterns

Hard Korr 4 Pack Dual Colour Universal LED Lanterns (Rechargeable)

When it comes to lighting solutions, why just use one light source when you can have four? The Hard Korr 4 Pack does just that, with four individual LED lights that you can spread out around your campsite for effective lighting. The four lights come in a carry case with their charger which uses USB and can charge all four at once.

These lights have five different light modes including an orange light which has proven effective in reducing the number of insects that are attracted to them. They have low, medium and high power too depending on your needs and can run up to 90 hours, which is to say many nights without a recharge.

There is nothing but praise for these lights as they are lightweight, last a long time, have different modes and even have a magnet and an elastic strap on each one to enable you to attach them to many different objects.

Let’s also not go past the fact there are four of them that can be placed around your campsite for maximum effect.

Hard Korr themselves claim to have the ‘most versatile light in the world’ and they may be right as it’s hard to find fault at all with this system and as such, if you are after a multiple light source then the Hard Korr 4 pack is the one for you.

Ledlenser ML6 Rechargeable Lantern

If you want a decent single lantern that can be hung up high, can be sat on the ground or can be carried around by hand that will provide adequate light for your nighttime activities then the Ledlenser ML6 is the perfect lantern for you.

This single unit provides light for any situation with flat white, bright white, low power orange, strobe, pulse and even SOS – giving you flexibility and options for uses of this lantern.

The Ledlenser charges by USB and provided it’s not on the brightest setting, can last up to 70 hours. It can also act as a power bank for charging phones, or other devices.

This lantern has a nice hanging hook that doubles as a carry handle along with a magnet in its base to ensure it sits securely when placed on a metal object. The amount of light this lantern throws out is significant and works very well inside medium and large tents.

Customer reviews are all very favourable as this lantern will last a long time while holding its charge, the only negative is some confusion with the settings by some older campers. If you love a lantern, however, the Ledlenser will keep you lit up and happy for years to come.

Explore Planet Earth LED Area Camp Light Kit

When you really want to light up a large area, almost nothing does it as well as the Explore Planet Earth LED Area Camp light. This is a large LED light with its own stand that produces so much light it will feel like the MCG at a cricket day-nighter.

Seriously, this light on a stand produces so much illumination, literally 1000% more than many of the other lights on this list.

It’s a simple pole with a stake that goes into the ground for support and a long cord that needs to be attached to a 12V battery or system and then simply turn it on and boom – daylight!!

This approach is clearly very useful in a larger campsite when cooking or cleaning needs to happen after dark or any activity that requires strong light. The only negative is how powerful it really is and in a small cosy campsite, it may feel like you have turned on the sun.

The Explore Planet Earth is a fantastic buy for larger campsites and it's recommended as such, provided you can run it off your car or external 12V battery system.

MPOWERD Luci Outdoor Lantern 2.0

When it comes to less expensive lighting solutions, the MPOWERD Luci Outdoor lantern is the cheapest on this list and recharges for free, via the sun.

As it's a collapsible light, it packs up very small making it easy to move around and is also made with extremely durable materials to make it not only waterproof but it claims you can submerge it in water and it will still work no worries.

As you don't need to purchase disposable batteries, it's less expensive to run over time and the environment is saved just a little as it relies on the sun to charge it. Seven hours in the sun is required for a full 24 hours of run time, so a few hours of charge each day will be enough to have it running all night.

There are no negative reviews to be found, only happy people who have invested in this small, but powerful lantern.

It's best used in a tent or caravan but can light up small outdoor areas too and honestly you can go wrong with this light, in fact, you could buy a couple and spread them out over your site, they are that cheap.

Zempire Hangdome USB Rechargeable Light

When you just need enough light to light up your tent space or a tabletop but don't need to play a nighttime game of basketball, then a smaller and more personal light like the Zempire Hangdome is the perfect answer.

Designed for a more intimate setting, this light is not trying to light up the bush or send signals to aircraft, but rather this light can hang inside your tent to provide bright or low-level light.

Even when it’s turned off, it will glow to provide useful light during the night. It has a flat bottom, which makes it great for sitting on a table and playing a game of cards by. The price is very affordable.

Customer feedback, like the other lights and lanterns, is very positive with only minor issues with the design like the charging and hanging cable being the same (making it hard to charge, while hanging). If you are looking for a smaller and more personal light for your tent then look no further than the little Zempire Hangdome.

Darche Solar Light

Lastly, on our list today is the Darche Solar Light. This little unit fills the same niche as both the MPOWERD Luci and the Zempire Hangdome as a smaller, more personal light that's best suited for tents and smaller spaces as opposed to lighting up the entire campsite.

It’s not quite as bright as the MPOWERD and takes almost double the time to charge via the sun, but there is always the USB option for faster charging. Like the Zempire Hangdome, it’s designed to be hung from something and even comes with a carabiner for this purpose.

It’s a great light overall and is perfect for lighting up your tent, your gazebo or your table. It also glows green in the dark so can act as a night light for little children or an easy to find light for adults. Given the price and reviews being all positive, you really can’t go wrong with the Darche Solar light.

What To Look For When Buying Camping Lights & Lanterns

Like every buying guide, you will need to ask yourself some questions before deciding on which light is best for your needs.

Some of us don't do much at night and a campfire and a couple of small lights may be all we need, while for others having the ability to light up a whole campsite is important and therefore a bigger system is required.

Camping Lights & Lanterns FAQ

How many lumens should my camp light have?

Lumens are an indication of brightness essentially and camping lights and lanterns can run at levels as low as 5 lumens for low light and 150 lumens for bright light.

This range is adequate for most camping situations, unless you want to light up the bush, in which case the Explore Planet Earth LED at 2,400 lumens is what you need.

Check out this table from Energy Rating Australia (near the bottom of the article) converting lumens to traditional incandescent Watt ratings to get a feel for what these lumen ratings really mean.

How many lanterns do I need for camping?

This depends on the size of your camp and how much you like to do at night. Certainly, a larger outdoor style lighting system or lanterns are very useful, but so are the smaller hanging lights that illuminate the inside of your tent.

How long do camping lanterns last?

On a single charge, most will give you 7 hours on high and up to 90 hours on low and your lantern should be durable enough to last many years.

Final Thoughts

Camping lights are a great way to enable you to see around your campsite or tent space at night, especially if you can't have a campfire.

Having lights both inside your tent space and outside around the campsite will enable you to do more things at night like cook and clean, wash up the kids or play some late-night games. While not everyone needs a big system, having at least one light around the camp will make life much easier for everyone.