Best flashlight for camping 2023 - Our top picks


If you're searching for the best flashlight for camping, then you've come to the right place.

Flashlights are a must-have when you’re going camping for, let's face it, fairly obvious reasons.

They're great for anything from reading in your tent to navigating around at night, and they can also be helpful in warding off any unwanted wildlife too.

Most flashlights have different brightness modes, and the ones we’ve selected for this list have a maximum output of between 500 and 1,000 lumens, which makes them ideal for any activity you want to do at night.

Another important thing to consider when buying a flashlight is the battery capacity. Most come with rechargeable batteries, and some also have solar panels attached to them for daytime charging.

A flashlight over 150 lumens will run for about two to eight hours on its brightest output, but with a good flashlight, you shouldn’t need it on the highest setting all of the time anyway.

Flashlights can also come with a number of features that can be very beneficial when you go camping, such as an SOS button to signal for help if necessary or a hook to hang it in your tent or on your backpack.

With all of this in mind, we’ve picked out these flashlights based on specs, general reviews and features that we think make them worth buying.

Best flashlight for camping

Best stand up flashlight for camping - GoalZero Torch 500

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Brand: GoalZero | Brightness: 500 lumens | Weight: 363g | Material: Plastic | Battery capacity: 5,200 mAh

The Torch 500 from GoalZero is a multi-functional and waterproof flashlight that is extremely convenient for camping.

You can point it in front of you if you fancy exploring in the dark, or you can either stand it up or hang it in your tent with the built-in clips if you want to read before you go to sleep.

It also has three different light settings - high, medium and low - and you can switch between a floodlight mode and a spotlight mode depending on what you want to use it for.

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Featuring rechargeable batteries, the Torch 500 can either be charged using its USB-C input or through solar energy, as it has a built-in solar panel.

This panel comes in very handy if you won’t have any access to a power outlet whilst you’re away on your camping trip, as it means you don’t have to worry about the torch suddenly running out of power.

Perhaps most impressive of all is the fact that it can actually also be used to charge your phone on, as it has a USB output port.

Best versatile flashlight for camping - AlpsWolf 800LM

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Brand: AlpsWolf | Brightness: 800 lumens | Weight: 13oz | Material: ABS | Battery capacity: 3,600 mAh

AlpsWolf has made its 800LM flashlight extremely versatile, which makes it perfect if you’re going on a camping trip where you want to really immerse yourself in the wild and partake in lots of outdoor activities such as hiking or searching for nocturnal wildlife.

It can convert into four different types of light - a flashlight, a lantern, a spotlight and an emergency red strobe light - and has seven different lighting modes.

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This makes it brilliant for any occasion, even if you just want to hang it in your tent to read, and the emergency light setting is a great added safety feature if you suddenly find yourself in any trouble.

It has a good battery life and can work for 12 continuous hours without running out of power, so you can have confidence in the fact it won’t suddenly run out during a crucial moment on your camping trip.

It’s also waterproof, which once again makes it ideal for any sort of activity, even if you fancy going for a hike at night in the pouring rain.

Best headlamp flashlight for camping - Coast XPH30R

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Brand: Coast | Brightness: 1,000 lumens | Weight: 9.9oz | Material: Aluminum | Battery capacity: 2,600 mAh

The Coast XPH30R is extremely convenient due to the fact it can be carried hands-free on your head as it comes attached to a head strap.

However, the good thing is that, if at any point you decide you want to hold it because that makes it easier for you personally, then you can detach it from the head strap and mounting bracket and suddenly you’ll have yourself a handheld flashlight instead.

The XPH30R comes with a twist focus lens that provides you with two different powerful beams for short and long range viewing, meaning you can choose whichever one is best for you depending on what activity you’re taking part in.

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In turbo mode it has an output of 1,000 lumens, which makes it incredibly bright and great for if you’re camping completely in the middle of nowhere in a pitch black environment.

A rechargeable battery means you don’t have to worry about constantly buying new batteries, but the flashlight also offers the flexibility of you being able to use CR123 battery types, which are a standard type of alkaline battery that you can easily buy.

Best portable flashlight for camping - ThruNite Archer 2A V3

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Brand: ThruNite | Brightness: 500 lumens | Weight: 48g | Material: Aluminum alloy | Battery capacity: 2,000/3,000 mAh (AA alkaline batteries)

A handy little tactical flashlight, ThruNite’s Archer 2A V3 is nice and compact, only measuring 6 inches long, to make it easy to carry around with you. So if you’re looking for something small but very powerful, this is a good choice for you.

It even comes with a lanyard, too, that you can put around your wrist or hang it on your bag, making it all the more transportable. It also has a detachable clip so you can attach it to your pocket for hands-free carrying.

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Although small, the Archer 2A V3 is mighty and is extremely durable - it’s waterproof, impact resistant and dustproof, meaning you don’t need to worry if you accidentally drop it (which is unlikely as it has a non-slip grip so it’s easy to hold).

It has a maximum output of 500 lumens, which is all you really need for a basic camping trip. And it has five different modes, including a strobe light, which can be used as an SOS signal if you get into trouble.

Best SOS flashlight for camping - HOTO Lite

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Brand: HOTO | Brightness: 1,000 lumens | Weight: 9.2oz | Material: Aluminum | Battery capacity: 2,600 mAh

The HOTO Lite flashlight is great if you’re expecting to camp somewhere deep in the wild where there’s the potential for danger, such as if there are going to be bears or wolves around or there’s rocky terrain.

This is because it comes with an SOS button on the front that’s easily accessible to press for seeking help and a strobe light for warning people or trying to put off animals from attacking you.

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It has a maximum output of 1,000 lumens, which is very bright and you’ll be able to see no matter what you happen to be doing whilst camping, whether that’s hiking in the dark or reading at night in your tent.

You can also zoom in with it whenever you want to focus the light on something, such as if you’re spotting wildlife.

The HOTO Lite is nice and small in size, so it’s easily portable and comes with a tail hook so you can hang it in your tent or on your backpack if you want to.

Frequently Asked Questions

How bright should a camping flashlight be?

A flashlight for camping should be at least 200 lumens. This is enough brightness to allow you to find your way around in the pitch black and, from a safety aspect, to ward off animals or people if necessary.

Anything above 200 lumens is an added bonus and will be great for doing any sort of activity you want to when camping.

How many lumens is good for self-defense?

If you find yourself in trouble when camping, a flashlight with 120 lumens or over can blind an attacker and disorient them for long enough for you to potentially get away.

Anything below 120 lumens, though, probably won't be bright enough to disorient either a person or an animal.

How bright is a 1,000-lumen flashlight?

A 1,000-lumen flashlight is very powerful and can be bright enough to use in police search and rescue situations. They're great for camping if you want to use a flashlight to spot small animals or go hiking around rocky terrain.


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