A camping lamp usually provides wide-area light for the whole tent or campsite, while a camping flashlight provides targeted and wide-area light, ideal for paths or specific tasks.
Table of contents
- Discover lamps for your camping adventures
- Camping lamps: practical lighting for outdoor adventures
- Which camping lamp is the best?
- How many lumens should a camping lamp have?
- Why is red light also useful when camping?
- Rechargeable vs. replaceable battery camping lamps – advantages and disadvantages
- The best camping lamps from Ledlenser
- Camping lamps - Frequently asked questions & answers
- Conclusion: which camping lamp should I buy?
Discover lamps for your camping adventures
For those who want to enjoy a pristine and pure camping experience, lie down to sleep by a crackling campfire or set up your tent under the starry sky. Wherever you spend the night, whether close to nature or in a comfortable caravan in a campsite, an energy-saving LED camping lamp makes every outdoor activity much more comfortable. As a general rule, the best camping lamp should fully meet your individual requirements. Accordingly, the selection is wide, because each type of camping light has its own special advantages and features. Flashlights are bright and robust, and also last for many hours in the dark. So do LED headlamps, which are also perfect for jogging and cycling.
Camping lamps: practical lighting for outdoor adventures
The ideal camping lamp works with a battery or rechargeable battery and has several dimming levels. It should also be waterproof, at least splash-proof (IPX4) and have a high light output.
A brief overview will help you make the best choice when selecting an outdoor camping flashlight, headlamp or LED lantern that meets your requirements:
- Flashlights are as much a part of camping as tent pegs, gas stoves and camping mats. They're easy to store, and because of their economical LED, they have a long burn time, which guarantees many hours of light. As a general-purpose camping lamp, high-luminosity flashlights show you the way on hikes, make it easier to find the campsite's sanitary facilities at night and are also a perfect lamp for your tent. In short: a flashlight should be a part of everyone's camping equipment.
- Headlamps offer unbeatable flexibility. With their adjustable headband, headlamps sit firmly, yet comfortably on your head. They illuminate the area in front of you and let you keep your hands free. They're ideal when lighting the camping stove in low light, searching for batteries in your luggage or reading a book in your tent before going to sleep. Besides camping, headlamps also provide light for a variety of outdoor sports. Depending on the model, headlamps can be powered by rechargeable or replaceable batteries. Ideally, you should make sure that the battery of the lamp is located at the front. This way, it won't get in the way when you want to read a book lying on your back in the tent.
- A LED lantern is ideal for evenings at the campsite table. It works best as a hanging lamp and illuminates every corner of your camper. It also provides atmospheric lighting for large gatherings with friends. It's also practical. These camping lamps usually have a long-lasting battery that, for example, can be charged via USB-C port. Lanterns are also dimmable and their brightness can be adjusted as needed.
Which camping lamp is the best?
As mentioned, there is a camping lamp made for every purpose. While a tent lamp should be dimmable and offer a long burn time, you need a flashlight with high luminosity when camping in the wild. Therefore, before buying a new camping flashlight or headlamp, it's important to carefully consider what criteria your desired model must meet.
How many lumens should a camping lamp have?
Camping lighting lights up the darkness in many situations. The following is important: the best camping lantern for your needs doesn't necessarily have to have the highest brightness. You can choose between a model for outdoor trips that has as many lumens as possible and is very bright, or you can opt for a very compact camping lamp that has only enough brightness to illuminate your tent.
The following is summary of how many lumens a camping lamp should have, depending on how you plan to use it:
- As a reading light, a model that has 150 to 300 lumens is sufficient.
- In a group of 4 to 6 people, a lamp with 300 to 500 lumens provides cozy outdoor camping lighting.
- If you want to explore the forest at night, you'll need a camping flashlight to brightly illuminate your surroundings. Models with a power of at least 600, or even 700, lumens are just right in this case.
| Luminosity | Number of persons |
| 40 lumens | Sufficient for camping alone. |
| 100 lumens | Ideal for up to 2 people. |
| 200 lumens | Sufficiently bright to provide light a space for up to 4 people, as well as for reading in your sleeping bag. |
| 500 lumens | Sufficient brightness to illuminate the nearby area for a party of 6 to 8 campers. |
| 600 lumens | Bright enough to almost completely illuminate your entire surroundings. |
Why is red light also useful when camping?
Red light causes less light scattering than white light and is therefore ideal if you are looking for equipment, clothing or other items in the tent at night. As it is less dazzling, you won't disturb other people in the tent if you want to go out again at night. A torch or headlamp with red light is easier on your eyes and is therefore an ideal alternative to the warm, white light of a conventional camping lantern.
A camping lamp with red light is available in various designs. The compact Ledlenser ML4 camping lantern is equipped with a red light mode, and more. Like all lamps with red light, the small lantern supports the natural night vision ability of the human eye. If you switch on a normal light in the dark, your eyes need some time to adjust to the brightness. If you turn the light off again, your eyes need a few minutes to get used to the darkness again. This doesn't happen with red light.
The best camping lamps from Ledlenser
In the Ledlenser range you will find many flashlights, headlamps and lanterns that are ideal for camping. To make it easier for you to choose, you will find a selection of particularly popular camping lamps here.
Camping lanterns
Whether as a table lamp, room lighting or tent lamp - our LED lanterns should not be missing on any camping trip. Thanks to their Micro Prism Technology, the compact lamps illuminate rooms brightly without dazzling. They impress with additional functions such as red light, control elements that glow in the dark and a high level of dust and water protection (IP66).
ML 6 Connect WL
Our ML6 Connect WL can be easily controlled remotely via app. Equipped with a hook and a magnet, it can be used in a variety of ways. For example, it can be hung in the awning or in a tree and then conveniently operated from a camping chair. It also has a power bank function that you can use to charge your cell phone or other devices if required.
The ML6 Connect WL at a glance:
| Luminous flux | 750 lumens at the highest level |
| Run time | 180 hours at the lowest level |
| Weight | 260 grams |
| Waterproof | IP66 - protected against short-term submersion |
| Power supply | Rechargeable via Magnetic Charge System |
| Light color | Warm white |
| Practical functions |
|
ML4 warm light
If you are looking for a camping lantern that is extremely compact, then our ML4 is the right choice for you. The small lantern is just 9.7 centimetres high and, with its 71 grams, is ideal for situations where you don't want to carry a lot. Despite its low weight, its battery lasts up to 45 hours on the lowest setting. If you don't have the opportunity to recharge it afterwards, you can also replace it with a conventional AA battery.
The ML4 warm light at a glance:
| Luminous flux | 300 lumens at the highest level |
| Run time | 45 hours at the lowest level |
| Weight | 71 grams |
| Waterproof | IP66 - protected against short-term submersion |
| Power supply | Rechargeable via Magnetic Charge System |
| Light color | Warm white |
| Practical functions |
|
Camping flashlights
Flashlights are practical if you are looking for something at the campsite or want to shine a light into a specific corner.
P7R Signature
The powerful P7R Signature is suitable for many purposes. On the campsite, it impresses with its long battery life of up to 90 hours and its additional red light, which helps to maintain night vision. With high IP protection, it defies dust and water (IP68). Alternatively, there is also the P6R Signature, which is not quite as bright but also has a red light.
The P7R Signature at a glance:
| Luminous flux | 2000 lumens at the highest level |
| Run time | 90 hours at the lowest level |
| Weight | 202 grams |
| Waterproof | IP68 - protected against short-term submersion |
| Power supply | Rechargeable via Magnetic Charge System |
| Practical functions |
|
Camping headlamps
Headlamps have the advantage that you can use them while keeping your hands free - ideal for setting up your tent.
HF4R Signature
The HF4R Signature is perfectly adequate if you just want to find your way around the campsite. In boost mode, the lightweight lamp reaches up to 600 lumens, with which you can easily see 140 meters. Its additional red light function allows you to move around in the dark without blinding your tent neighbors at night. A particularly practical feature is that the lamp's battery is located at the front. If you are lying on your back in the tent and want to read something, there is no battery at the back of your head to get in the way. .
The HF4R Signature at a glance:
| Luminous flux | 600 lumens at the highest level |
| Run time | 35 hours at the lowest level |
| Weight | 72 grams |
| Waterproof | IP68 - protected against short-term submersion |
| Power supply | Rechargeable via Magnetic Charge System |
| Practical functions |
|
HF6R Signature
If you also want to use your camping headlamp for other outdoor activities, the HF6R Signature gives you a little more power, which pays off when hiking in the dark, for example. The headlamp also features our new Digital Advanced Focus System, which enables an almost infinitely variable transition from homogeneous close-up light to focused high beam light.
The HF6R Signature at a glance:
| Luminous flux | 1000 lumens at the highest level |
| Run time | 60 hours at the lowest level |
| Weight | 135 grams |
| Waterproof | IP68 - protected against short-term submersion |
| Power supply | Rechargeable via Magnetic Charge System |
| Practical functions |
|
Camping lamps - Frequently asked questions & answers
A rechargeable camping torch offers environmentally friendly, reusable power and saves you having to carry and dispose of batteries, ideal for longer camping trips.
For tents, a tent light with dimmable settings is ideal to adjust the brightness and create a cozy atmosphere without dazzling.
Yes, many camping lights are designed to be robust and waterproof, with long battery life, perfect as emergency lighting in unforeseen situations.
Look for high battery capacity for long runtimes, quick-charging function and a possible function as a power bank to charge other devices, which is particularly useful on camping trips.
The lighting duration varies depending on the model, but high-quality camping lamps often provide between 50 and 100 hours of light per charge, depending on the brightness level used.
Not all, but many models are waterproof or at least designed to be water resistant to withstand outdoor conditions. Check the IP rating for exact details.
Yes, some models offer additional features such as emergency whistles, compass, or even power banks to charge devices, making them versatile companions.
Red light helps maintain night vision and disturbs less wildlife. It's ideal for nighttime walks without compromising your eyes' dark adaptation or that of fellow campers.
For general camping activities, 100 to 300 lumens is sufficient. For specific tasks or path lighting, a higher number of lumens up to 1000 lumens can be useful.
