Outdoor solar string lights
These decorative lights create a cozy and inviting atmosphere around a campsite or patio, charging during the day for an evening glow.
Outdoors & Adventure
Camping lights & lanterns
8 kinds worth knowing, 10 picks, and what to check before you buy.
Light is one of the camping gifts people actually use. It goes out on every trip, and it also comes in handy during a power outage or a late walk to the shed. The people who get the most out of one are campers, cottage owners, new homeowners and anyone who spends evenings outside. Start with how they'll use it. A headlamp suits someone who needs both hands for setting up a tent or cleaning fish. A camping lantern lights up a whole picnic table. Solar string lights are more about the mood on a deck or at a campsite than about seeing clearly. Pick the one that fits their usual evening, not the brightest one you can find.
Kind 1 of 8
Solar string lights for decks and campsites
Solar string lights charge in daylight from a small panel and turn on at dusk, so there are no cords to run and no outlet to find. They suit people who spend summer evenings on a deck or balcony, or at a seasonal campsite. Check how long the string is and how long the cable to the panel is. Also look for an on/off switch and a few light modes. The panel needs real sun, so they suit an open yard or a south-facing balcony better than a shaded ravine lot.
Kind 2 of 8
Everyday lights for the tent and trail
Camping lights cover a lot of ground: compact flashlights, tent lights that hang from the ceiling loop, and bright floodlights for setting up camp after dark. A compact flashlight is an easy pick for someone who already owns a lantern. A tent light with a small fan suits people who camp through humid July nights. A floodlight makes sense for someone who backs a trailer into a site or works on gear after sunset. Before buying, check how it powers up, whether it hangs or stands, and how dim the lowest setting goes.
Durable compact LED flashlight
A reliable and essential personal light source for navigating dark paths, finding items in a tent, or for emergency situations.
High-output portable camp floodlight
Provides powerful, wide-area illumination for larger campsites, outdoor work, or group gatherings, ensuring visibility across a broad space.
Tent light with cooling fan
This dual-purpose device illuminates your tent while circulating air, providing comfort on warm nights and improving ventilation within enclosed spaces.
Kind 3 of 8
A lantern for the picnic table
A camping lantern spreads light in every direction, so it's the one that sits in the middle of the table while dinner gets cleaned up or a card game runs late. It suits families, couples who car camp and anyone with a cottage or a trailer. A hand crank lantern is a good fit for someone who likes gear that works with no outlet nearby, whether at camp or at home during an outage. Check for a handle or hook for hanging, a dimmer, and a warm light setting that's easier on the eyes at night.
Hand crank lantern
This self-sufficient lantern provides light without needing batteries or an external power source, ideal for emergency kits and off-grid adventures.
Kind 4 of 8
Rechargeable lanterns that skip the batteries
A rechargeable lantern has a built-in battery that you top up from a USB cable, often the same one that charges a phone. It suits regular campers who are tired of hunting for spare batteries, and people who want one light for both the tent and the junk drawer. The Black Diamond Moji R+ is small enough to hang inside a tent. The Rechargeable Camping Lantern is a straightforward pick for the table. Check which charging port it uses, how long a charge lasts on low, and whether it can charge a phone in a pinch.
Rechargeable Camping Lantern
Lights the picnic table in July and the kitchen in an ice-storm blackout.
Black Diamond Moji R+
A 2.8-ounce rechargeable lantern with 200-lumen white light, colour effects, hooks and magnets.
Rechargeable camping lantern
A versatile light source for illuminating tents, picnic tables, or entire campsites, offering broad and consistent light for group activities.
Kind 5 of 8
LED lanterns that last all weekend
Most modern lanterns use LEDs, which stay cool to the touch and run for a long time on one set of batteries or one charge. An LED lantern is a sensible swap for someone still using an old fuel lantern, and it's easy to leave with kids in a tent. A floating, waterproof lantern suits paddlers, dock owners and anyone who camps by a lake. Before buying, check the brightness settings, how well it handles rain or splashes, and whether the light is a harsh blue-white or a softer warm tone.
Waterproof floating camp lantern
Perfect for lakeside camping or wet weather, this versatile lantern can float on water and withstand splashes, providing light in challenging conditions.
Kind 6 of 8
Weatherproof solar strings that stay up
If the lights are going to hang outside from spring to fall, water resistance matters more than style. Waterproof outdoor solar strings hold up to rain on a pergola, patio or trailer awning. They suit people who'd rather leave their lights up than take them down after every storm. Check the water resistance listed for both the bulbs and the solar panel, since the panel and its connections usually give out first. Shatter-resistant bulbs are a good idea near kids, dogs or a windy spot where the string can swing against a railing.
Kind 7 of 8
Portable lanterns that pack small
A portable lantern is built to travel. It's usually collapsible or palm-sized and light enough for a backpack, canoe barrel or glovebox. It suits hikers, paddlers and anyone who camps somewhere they have to carry their gear in. A small lantern is also handy to keep in the car for winter roadside stops. Check the packed size and weight, whether it has a clip or loop for hanging, and whether the switch is easy to use with gloves on during a cold shoulder-season trip.
Kind 8 of 8
Headlamps that leave both hands open
A headlamp points light wherever the wearer looks, which helps when both hands are busy pitching a tent, gutting fish, splitting kindling or checking under the hood. It suits hikers, anglers, hunters, runners and anyone who does chores after dark. Check that the strap adjusts easily and feels comfortable over a toque. A red light mode helps keep night vision and won't blind people around the fire. Also look for a lock on the switch so it can't turn on by itself in a pack.
Hands free headlamp
This essential gear provides directional lighting for hikers, campers, and anyone needing illumination while keeping their hands free for tasks.
How to choose camping lights & lanterns as a gift
- Match the light to their evenings: a headlamp for doing jobs, a lantern for sitting around, string lights for the mood.
- Choose rechargeable if they camp often, and batteries or a hand crank if the light will mostly sit in a drawer for outages.
- Look for a warm light setting and a dimmer, since full brightness is rarely what people want at a campsite.
- Check which charging port it uses so it works with the cables they already carry.
- For people who camp near water or leave lights outside, pick something clearly built for rain.
Usually safe to skip
- Novelty lights shaped like animals or gadgets usually look fun at first but are too dim to actually cook or read by.
- Huge floodlights for a backpacker are too heavy and bulky to carry, so they end up staying home.
- Solar string lights for a heavily shaded yard often disappoint, because the panel never gets enough sun to run them all evening.
Questions people ask about camping lights & lanterns
- Is a headlamp or a lantern a better gift for a camper?
- A lot of campers end up owning both. If they don't have either, go with a headlamp for someone who hikes, fishes or does camp chores after dark. Go with a lantern for someone who car camps with family and spends evenings at the picnic table.
- Do solar string lights work in Canada in winter?
- They work, but short days and a low sun mean less charging time, so they won't stay on as long. Snow on the panel stops charging completely. They're best from spring through fall, or on a deck where the panel gets clear southern sun.
- Are rechargeable lanterns good for power outages?
- They're handy as long as they stay charged, so topping them up every few months is a good habit. For someone who wants a backup that doesn't depend on charging, a hand crank lantern or one that also takes regular batteries is a good fit.
Looking for one person in particular? Shop by person.
Everything else
All camping lights & lanterns picks
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