Battery Powered Lantern

[bschotty]

Hi all,

I'm heading out camping next weekend and am in the market for a new lantern. We're currently using Primus Gas ones that are great but thinking about switching over to a battery powered one for a few years while the kids are small. More of a safety issue than anything. Will definitely go back to gas when they're a bit older.
I know battery powered ones have many drawbacks, just wondering if anyone has any suggestions or types they have tried and liked. I'm looking at a 300 lumens 4D battery lantern by Outdoor Connection (aussie brand) and it looks pretty good...

The other options is something like a fluoro light connected to the car battery... We have a 25x20 foot tarp set up with a spreader bar I could mount it to...

Any suggestions would be welcome.

Cheers!

- Ben

[the evil twin]

IMHO there is only one way to go now and that is LED. Absolutely silent and use hardly any power.

I have one of these Coleman "Quad" lanterns as a last resort backup http://www.colemanaustralia.com.au/g...d-lantern.aspx
Very versatile and batteries last for yoinks

For the camp lighting I use LED strips from Ebay connected to the vehicle or camper battery. They draw virtually nothing so won't drain the battery and put out heaps of light
I recommend 5050 SMD LED strips (I buy 5 metres and make my own strips as required but the soldering is very fiddly so buy one of the appropriate length if you like)
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1M-SMD-LE...item27c317a6a4
1 metre is say $10 and 5 metres is maybe $30 and they can be trimmed or joined or whatever

Add a dimmer for $5 and you can leave them on low all night if you have kids or whatever and use maybe 2 or 3 amp hours total
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1-DC-12V-...item2a1a9a3d0e

[AB]

Yep x 2. Gotta love the LED technology these days...

I am using the Piranha fluro light as well and love it. It shines up the entire camp site and draws 0.8 (I think) of an amp. Even before my deep cycle battery I easily ran this off the cranking for a few hours each night no problem.



I will never go back to gas.

[bazzad]

Yep, was in the shed last weekend throwing all of my old style lights as I get ready for weekend in Byfield for the Mayday long weekend. Have a couple of LEDS and thats all i am taking.
Ben, Take the evil twins advice and get into LED's, you won't look back.
cheers
bazzad

[frenzy]

Good advice Evil.

LOL. We turned up to the Qld Patrol club Easter campsite this year, set up our gear and then everyone laughed at our gas lantern!!!! One very nice couple felt so sorry for us "1960's style" campers that they lent us (then gave us) a spare set of LED strip lighting they had!! Fantastic!

I guess we wont be taking the gas lantern away again.

LED's all the way. I've now ordered 5m of 5050's from ebay to make some more strip lighting for the tent/tarp/car with switching and dimmers.

[paulyg]

Primus make a very good led lantern in two different sizes, i have the smaller one and it puts out 300, lumens thats quite a lot of light in a small size.

[gbab01]

I've tried a few options. Still got the gas - has its place. As far as fluro goes VERSA-LITE are awesome (google it) but pricey. Had a couple of cheap fluro as well and they self destructed on the rough stuff. LED is the way to go I reckon but I sometimes find the light a bit direct - maybe I need a better one. Cheers.

[bschotty]

IMHO there is only one way to go now and that is LED. Absolutely silent and use hardly any power.

I have one of these Coleman "Quad" lanterns as a last resort backup http://www.colemanaustralia.com.au/g...d-lantern.aspx
Very versatile and batteries last for yoinks

For the camp lighting I use LED strips from Ebay connected to the vehicle or camper battery. They draw virtually nothing so won't drain the battery and put out heaps of light
I recommend 5050 SMD LED strips (I buy 5 metres and make my own strips as required but the soldering is very fiddly so buy one of the appropriate length if you like)
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1M-SMD-LE...item27c317a6a4
1 metre is say $10 and 5 metres is maybe $30 and they can be trimmed or joined or whatever

Add a dimmer for $5 and you can leave them on low all night if you have kids or whatever and use maybe 2 or 3 amp hours total
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1-DC-12V-...item2a1a9a3d0e

Great idea with the LED strips. I'll look in to that. Could run them straight along the spreader bar! Thanks.
I've been looking at the Colemen Quad and also the Duo online. I'll give them a try in-store and see how they go.

[bschotty]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll get into the camping shop this week and have a play around. I haven't rigged up dual batteries yet but planning on it down the track. I have a 12V 'heavy duty' jumpstarter which also acts as a power source so I'm thinking I'll try either a string of LED lights or a fluoro light running off of this and see how it goes, I'd imagine it's got a fair amount of charge in it and the LED's don't seem to draw much so it may last all weekend hopefully.
It'll be nice to not carrying around a bunch of spare mantles and worry about breaking glass on my gas lights...

[MudRunnerTD]

Once you go LED you will NEVER EVER use your gas light again EVER! someone above posted that there is a place for everything! Not True! I cant imagine a single situation where a Gas light will be the preferred lighting solution. They are Noisy, cost you MONEY to run and wont take a knock or hit.

The LED is the only way to go. The link that ET posted is the best way to travel and will save you big bucks. Make your own. I have made a heap of them and they work a treat. They generally come with 3M double sided tape on the back of the strip and i have attached them to lengths of Conduit to whatever length i want and that is a strip light for any situation.

Got one the right length for the toilet, the shower, there is one mounted to the top bar of the camper and switched on as soon as i flip the camper. ONe mounted to the underside of the front box, inside the drawers in the back of the 4b........on and on and on.....

I made up two for the ARB 2.5m side awning and the rear 1.2m awning on the roof rack. I fitted a dimmer switch to both of these and they are AWESOME! the Dimmer is Outstanding. does a great job.

I have used the lesser LEDs and not the 5050 outputs but rather the 38s i think, they are great, a little easier to make yourself and put out simply a Bucket load of light.

When i went to the Huts last year in the High Country for a swag trip i took my jump pack and ran my LED off it in the Hut, was great and the 20 people there all packed away their torches for the night. WOW.

You would get days and days out of the jump pack. no probs.

Time to sell your gas junk at the next church Car Boot sale or garage sale and embrace the LED, there is nothing that even comes close. Free to run. Batteries? what batteries? Lead Batteries are expensive! Damn!