Conventionally gas, liquid fuel and battery were the fuels used to power lighting whilst camping.
All are still widely used by today's campers.
However with ever changing technology there are now new things to consider when purchasing a camping lantern.
LED or Krypton Bulbs? The immediate advantage of the LED light over the krypton light bulb its longevity of the light.
A LED light has a life expectancy of over 40 times that of the traditional bulb, coupled with its hardiness contributes to that advantage.
As anyone who has handled traditional bulbs knows they can break very easily, not necessarily the glass bowl, but the filament within.
The inconvenience of carrying a number of bulbs around just in case one blows can be counter-productive.
The draw back to the LED is the initial cost of the light being up to 30 times more expensive, although the pay-off in running costs can be up to 10 times cheaper using the LED.
Green Light Sources If you are looking for the ultimate in 'green' light sources then the invention of the solar powered and the human powered light are just for you.
The solar light uses the sun as the recharge source and the human powered light uses a winding system powered by the camper.
The length of time a solar light will provide a source of light is also governed by other factors, such as how much sunlight the light can access during the day; an overcast day will affect the charge and the question of where to carry it whilst not camping could be problematical.
With the wind-up version it will be dependent on how much time you wish to spend 'winding' and how long the battery retains its charge.
As emergency alternatives these two may be ideal as a back up to a conventional choice of lighting.
Rechargeable Lighting Options The invention of the rechargeable battery has been an added factor to the popularity of battery powered lighting.
There are a number of rechargeable lighting options that depend on a charging unit that can be connected to the mains to recharge their power.
Using these in the field as your main source of lighting may be suitable depending on the life of the battery and whether ready access is available to use the recharge unit.
There is no doubt whichever source of lighting you choose it is important to have spares and an alternative light source just in case.