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Best Camping Flashlight - 5 Flashlight Comparison Guide
I compare 5 quite different flashlights to see which is the best camping flashlight to suit your camping requirements. Whether it’s a weekend camping trip or hiking along a trail for 2 or more nights in the wilderness.
The first 2 flashlights are headlamp style designs. The GearLight aimed at families and the Wowtac [1] for the more serious camper.
I have chosen the very small and lightweight Nitecore Tiki for the ultralight hiking and camping folks. Finally I take a look at 3 similar design tail switch flashlights for the traditionalists.
Table of Contents
Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
GearLight LED Head Lamp
- up to 300 lumens (estimated)
- IPX4 rated water resistant
- 7 modes (3 red light modes)
- 3 x AAA batteries
Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Comes in a pack of 2 head lamps. Idea for families and budget weekend campers.
If you’re looking for a basic head lamp for use around camp the GearLight is a worthy option to go with.
Although you tend no to wear head lamps for extended periods of time, it’s still worth considering the comfort and fit of the headband. The S500 headband will adjust in size to fit small children from 5 years and above to adults.
Light emitted from the LED’s is white daylight color which is my preferred illumination, especially for reading small text on packets of dehydrated meals.
The brightest output is around 300 lumens in my estimation. The company doesn’t advertise any technical data for the light as it is aimed at less hardcore users.
There are 7 modes in total. 4 white light modes, including 1 strobe and 3 red light modes which are useful to retain night vision for say when you need to goto the bathroom in pitch black.
A really nice feature is the 45 degree movable tilt head. This means you can angulate the light downwards when carrying out tasks at ground level with ease.
In summary, the GearLight does the basics well, the housing is IPX4 rated for use in wet and rainy conditions. Power is supplied by 3 AAA batteries which provide up to 10 hours of light in the lowest white light mode.
Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
WOWTAC A2S LED Head Lamp
- 1047 lumens
- IPX7 rated water resistant
- USB-C charging
- 3400 mAh battery
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For those who are serious about their hiking and camping trips.
Here is the second of the 2 headlamps in this comparison guide for camping flashlights. The Wowtac A2S is very popular among the wilderness / wild camping community.
This is a complete kit that comes with an adjustable elastic headband, USB-C charge cable, plus an 18650 rechargeable battery with 3400 mAh capacity. With a battery capacity of that size the runtimes are impressive to say the least.
Let’s take a look at the lumen output figures and runtimes. At the highest mode of 1047 lumens the runtime is an impressive 2.7 hours. Not that you’d use the turbo mode for anything like that duration.
Firefly mode at 0.3 lumens has a runtime of 59 days continuous use. The mode which you’ll use the most is the low mode of 24 lumens with a runtime of 4 days.
I’d suggest taking a look at this flashlight if you need a lot of illumination for perhaps pathfinding when the sun goes down. I know the A2S is a favorite with hikers to pack with them on national hiking trails.
For those of you looking for a more serious headband style flashlight the Wowtac is certainly the one to consider. The housing is IPX7 rated to 1 meters depth. The kit comes fully assembled straight out the box, the battery just needs charging via the USB-C port.
You can remove the flashlight body from the headband and use it as an EDC style flashlight. The head does rotate with some resistance so the head remains in the desired position even when walking or running over rough terrain.
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NITECORE Tiki 300 EDC Keychain Flashlight
- 300 lumens
- IP66 rated water resistant
- USB charging
- Rechargeable 130mAh Li-ion battery
Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Ultralight hikers will appreciate the 0.35 oz weight and size.
Ultralight hikers and wild campers out there will appreciate the size and weight of the Nitecore Tiki 300. This thing is tiny, weighing in at a superlight 0.35 ounces including the battery.
Tiki is an interesting choice of name which symbolizes power, knowledge and wisdom. Well, you might say from a size / weight to illumination output ratio this flashlight does make a lot of sense.
Being so small the Tiki 300 has a keychain tag so you won’t lose it around camp at night. The tag can also be used to hang the light up and use as a small lantern inside a 2 man tent for example.
There are 2 auxiliary LED lights on the side of the body. A UV LED which has many uses that I won’t go into here, plus a high CRI LED light for reading.
The latter illuminates the whole of the transparent PG frosted, material body. Ideal as mentioned earlier as use for a small lantern hanging up inside a tent or tree branch in camp.
Power from the rechargeable 130mAh Li-ion battery provides up to 40 hours runtime at 1 lumen output. At 5 lumens output you have around 1.5 hours runtime. So I’d suggest this in real world conditions for up to 3 nights camping without heavy use.
To summarize, for those looking for a tiny, lightweight flashlight for weekend hikes, the Tiki 300 is a great option. I’d suggest packing this as your single source of light only if you’re not venturing too far into the wilderness and just staying fairly local to a populous.
Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
OLIGHT I3T EOS EDC Flashlight
- 180 lumens
- IPX8 rated waterproof
- Weight 41 grams / 1.44 oz
- 1 x AAA battery
Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Classic tail switch tactical design running off a single AAA battery.
Using the classic tail switch design seen on most tactical flashlights, the Olight I3T is another weekend hike option to go with.
As with all of Olight flashlights [2] the machining on the housing is top notch. The double helix knurling around the circumference of the body feels great in hand. The single click tail switch operates with a satisfying click sound.
To operate the I3T, is just a matter of clicking the tail switch and cycling through the output modes from 5 lumens up to 180 lumens. Runtimes are 21 minutes and 16 hours respectively, plenty enough for a weekend camping hike.
A feature worth noting is the dual direction pocket clip. This means you can clip the flashlight to a peak of a hat and use it in the style of a headtorch. Or clip to the inside of a pocket for deep carry. Personally I prefer this to a traditional headlamp.
Finally, a mention that power is provided by a single standard AAA battery, so if you think you’ll need extra power while camping, having a couple of spare AAA batteries in your backpack won’t add much weight at all.
Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Energizer LED Tactical Flashlight
- 300 lumens
- IPX4 rated water resistant
- 3 light modes
- 1 x 123 Lithium battery
Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Budget friendly flashlight with basic modes and design.
If you’re on a really tight budget, or even as a backup flashlight for extended hiking trips this flashlight from Energizer offers great value for money.
Rated at IXP4 the housing will withstand most wet weather conditions. Inside the housing the 123 style battery provides 3 lighting modes up to 300 lumens. The user interface is a simple tail switch click through cycle.
As with the Olight, there is a pocket clip to allow attachment to a hat, although the clip isn’t reversible for left handed users.
For a very basic flashlight the Energizer is hard to beat in terms of performance for the price. It’s durable, made from aircraft grade aluminum, and comes supplied with 2 x lithium rechargeable batteries. The only downside is you will need to purchase a separate battery charger.
Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
