Light

[Happy Joe]

Re: Light

For long trips (more than about 4 days) I sometimes bring the briefcase solar panels to charge the 35 AH battery. the battery can charge via the inverter pretty much anything (has both 110 and USB outlets).
Enjoy!

[cunningman]

Re: Light

Happy Joe,
The solar briefcase is on my To Buy list. I need to pare down my gear before i can trsnsport it. I have a Tag A Long trailer I pull behind my GoldWing....and its Filled...but some of it is new gear and once i rearrange it and check out a few items...im hoping ill be able to free up enuff space for a decent Optima and panels. Meanwhile my power convertor and power bank suffice for now.

[Happy Joe]

Re: Light

Sounds good.
I would recommend getting panels that will be a good match to the battery capacity and power useage (to get acceptable charge rates).
The home grown foldup set pictured replenishes the 35 AH battery pretty well (we don't consume much energy) but would be way undersized for a 100AH or larger battery if I bring the fridge, IMO.
If/when I go to a larger battery (to support increased consumption) I will need to go to significantly larger/more unwieldy/harder to pack panels.
Enjoy!

[cunningman]

Re: Light

Gotcha. I dont require much juice. Looking to power an MP3 player & a Mighty Dwarf speaker is all. My lights are all solar. A small set up should b fine. When im ready to get it I will come back on here to solicit advice!!!
Happy Holidays!

[MacGyver]

Re: Light

My latest topper for what's been dubbed The Telephone Pole. Four 4-watt MR16 bulbs on top of the paint pole, clamped to the picnic table. Puts the light up about 15 feet to light up a good chunk of the site with zero glare and zero bugs in your face. Even a small AGM will run virtually forever (well... at least through a long weekend).

[cunningman]

Re: Light

Thats impressive. Did you fabricate that fixture?
The glare issue is huge for me. Giving up the colemans was not difficult, however I still like em for blood trails. I have a cpl of Suaoki solar lights & a cpl of the inflatable solar cubes. I am very much a fan of them.

[tplife]

Re: Light

Three genuine Coleman shades and tripods with two Model 88 gas and one NorthStar propane. They provide all the lighting you need without batteries or wires, and fuel is widely available:

[cunningman]

Re: Light

Theres no denying coleman lanterns work well & have a good reputation. However, they are noisy, bulky, a fire hazard & they require Fuel...which is also bulky & has storage/fire implications of its own.

I have 2 Suaoki solar lights & 2 inflatable solar cubes. They take up very little space, they dont get Hot, its a nice soft light....and No Fuel. In addition the Suaoki's can charge my phone.

My colemans now all live at the fam hunting cabin & rarely see any use.

[MacGyver]

Re: Light

Thats impressive. Did you fabricate that fixture?

Thanks. Yes, I made that from a slice of plastic deck lumber.

[AdanClinton]

Re: Light

What I am using is Suaoki solar light
it's a collapsible light ,saves more space for other gears. I like it most is waterproof ,camping is an outdoor activity ,bring some waterproof gears is needed .

[MountainMama]

Re: Light

Who needs light? Just use the campfire, then go to bed.

[cunningman]

Re: Light

I luv campfires but there are times when I dont have one going. I have enjoyed flashlights since childhood. But I am really impressed with the new stuff available with LED & Solar charging.
I now have a 20 watt Solar Charging setup, two power 'banks' to store it, a couple of solar Cubes & a cpl of other solar lights.

Mtn Mama,
I am planning on camping the Appalachians this summer. Never had a chance to spend much time there before, always just drove through. Im looking forward to it.

[JoeN]

Re: Light

Outside the tent I use a Coleman lantern if I use any light at all. Inside the tent I use a small flash light of some kind - varies from year to year. I once used a small candle lantern in my 2 man tent but it was not bright enough. I have a head lamp for reading but just recently purchased a 300 lumen Ozark Trails LED lantern to try out on my next camping trip.

I also bought a 75 lumen lantern for my three year old granddaughter. She loves to build a tent in the house and now she has her own lantern for her tent. I think she is more proud of that lantern than anything I have ever given her. The next time she comes to visit I plan to set up my tent in the backyard and try to get her to camp with Papa so she can use her lantern in a real tent.