Last November, I went camping at a state park in southwest Florida and was astonished to find campers in the next slot running a loud generator that was actually topped by the sound of their TV playing Ren & Stimpy videos. As night fell, they turned on enough lights to illuminate New York City. The coup de grace for me was when they were sitting at their picnic table and they switched on a mega-light as bright as the sun that had to have thrown a dome of light over the Everglades visible in Tallahassee.
They basked in the sunlight for hours before switching off the megal-light and going to bed -- being sure, of course, to leave a chain of lights on around their campground lest astronauts on the Space Station be unable to locate them.
I'm not sure whether it was light exhaustion, too much beer, or the complaints of other campers, but when I got back from kayaking the next night they settled down and switched off just enough of their lights that I could actually enjoy the great outdoors.
If you can't tell, I'm a lighting minimalist. I camp to get away from TVs, radios, bright lights and the hum of the city. I usually get back from hiking, kayaking and exploring too late to light a campfire, so I have to rely on artificial lighting of some sort. I like just enough light to manage. I use a headlamp for activities that require a lot of moving around -- like managing gear. For stationary activities, like cooking and reading, I use a Black Diamond Orbit Lantern.
My Black Diamond Orbit Lantern is extremely packable -- standing four inches when compacted and just over five when extended for illumination and weighing a few ounces.
The Black Diamond Orbit Lantern LED bulb runs a long time on four AAA batteries. It's also dimmable, and with it's double-reflectors, throws off just enough light through its frosted globe to be pleasant. It also has a hook on top so it can hang just about anywhere.
The Black Diamond Orbit Lantern is the perfect light for campers who like to see just enough detail without being blinded at night.
