Gas, Oil and LED. 3 types of useful tourist lamps

Away from the power grid - in the wilderness or in secluded mountain houses - there are practically no light sources. The exceptions are the moon and stars, as well as the equipment that you will take with you. Wireless lighting devices differ mainly in the source of power, or the fuel used to keep the flame alight. The type of lamp defines its shape and aesthetics, but - although some LED models imitate the appearance of a kerosene lantern - the types of lamps are easy to distinguish from one another. The easiest way is to recognize the gas models, if only because they are only a cap for a cylinder or a cartridge. We invite you to read the entry about the above-mentioned types of tourist lamps. In this article, we'll tell you what to look for when choosing lighting for camping and more.

Which gas lamp to choose?

Do you use a burner and cartridges to prepare a meal at the campsite? If so, great because propane butane cartridges can also be useful for illuminating your campsite. Gas lamps with a glass shade and a filament, i.e. a cotton mesh soaked in salt, will suffice.

What is the principle of using gas models? First put the mesh on the burner and then burn it with gas. After it is burned out, a lampshade is put on the lamp, the gas is unscrewed and it is set on fire, enjoying a lot of light. Once burned out, the filament lasts a long time.

One of the most important features of a gas lamp is the type of lampshade. For example, it can be made of frosted glass, which transmits soft light, better for reading, for example. Another choice is a transparent lampshade, through which more glow shines out, making it easier to illuminate the space.

As a rule, gas models have a knob to adjust the brightness of the light. However, it is worth choosing only those lamps that meet the European CE 0359 certificate - this is a guarantee of safe use of the device, even in a tent. A useful convenience is also a chain for hanging the lamp, thanks to which it will shine from above. If you don't want to use matches or a lighter, go for models with piezo ignition. Be sure to also pay attention to the type of thread, as a gas lamp with the Screw On system will fit a system cartridge, other than the models with 7/16 "or 3/8" valve. The last thread mentioned is compatible with the popular blue tourist cylinder.

Handy kerosene lamps for camping and the garden

Although Ignacy Łukasiewicz' invention is over 160 years old, it still enjoys great popularity. Functional kerosene lamps are an ideal garden and expedition accessory. They are also perfect as emergency equipment - the lamp taken out of the storage box will be just right when there is no electricity. The fuel to power the Polish engineer's invention is naphtha, otherwise known as kerosene. Its advantage is easy storage and wide availability.

Portable lanterns vary in height (from about 23 to 28 cm), as well as sheet thickness and painting. A 1 cm diameter wick will fit most kerosene lamps as standard. White wicks are often interlaced with red thread, which makes it easy to trim them to the right length.

LED tourist lamps - battery-operated tent lamps

Of course, the most innovative models run on electricity. The advantage of LED tourist lamps is a number of amenities, such as a multitude of operating modes or a large, even several hundred lumens lighting power. Battery and accumulator power supply has both advantages and disadvantages, as electricity is more difficult to store than gas or kerosene. However, the model in which connecting to the socket is only one of the 3 ways of supplying comes in handy. Equipped with a battery, a tourist lamp with a solar panel and a dynamo will work even in bad weather.

Of course, there are also accessories that will give a lot of light and even fit into your pocket. The first of the really compact proposals are chemical lights, used in emergency to signal a location. It is also worth thinking about torches and - of course - flashlights. The always useful headlamps are an irreplaceable help when the descent from the mountain continues until dusk. During most tactical actions or during field searches, you will certainly need a manual model. If you want to know more, read the post about LED flashlights, in which we told about searchlights and other handy models.

Author: Tomasz Świgoń