07 Dec Shining a Light on Relieving the Tent-sion

How camping with good lighting can make all the difference.

By: Christine Hopwood

Visualize with me here – you’re curled up cozy in your sleeping bag, dozing off in your tent after a long, happy day of exploring a beautiful trail and already daydreaming of what adventures tomorrow will bring. Breathing in intoxicating scents of pine and cedar so rich that you’d never find it quite the same near any city. And then…

     CRACK

 Your eyes shoot open and your heart is rapidly beating heavy in your chest as you hold your breath, straining to listen for any further noise to give an indication of what creature could be lurking just outside while you await your impending doom.

…Okay that may be a SLIGHT exaggeration for some but I think we can all agree that no matter where you are, a chipmunk moving through the foliage in the dead of night sounds suspiciously like a 500lb grizzly, or Bigfoot coming to cart you off to marry into the family.

 Peeking out through the zipper for signs of movement is a heck of a lot more appealing when the site is lit bright as a Christmas tree. As someone who could happily live in a tent but is terrified to go out in the dark to pee – so much so that a Shewee is strongly being considered – 30ft of magically inviting beacons of illumination to light the way is a game changer. 

Not only can you feel safer, but you can make memories with the kids designing new light displays each night, to ease their fear of the dark and help them look forward to seeing their night-time creations (or just do this as adults because – why not? Let that inner child out!).

Portable power options really make those remote spots so much more accessible with not having to worry about where you’re going to get your lighting’s power from. Having strands that can plug right into power packs like the Day Tripper Solar Battery that recharge during the day effortlessly prepare for your nighttime needs. Who cares about forgetting the extra batteries when you can charge anywhere?! The smaller environmental impact of renewable energy adds to the advantage of being able to travel into the wilderness worry free – at least when it comes to your lights.

After personally being out in a canoe after dark with friends panicking on shore who couldn’t see us, a bright light would have given so much peace of mind. Bring out a Trail Hound strand and plug it into the Day Tripper to wrap around your canoe and you’ll be lit up bright enough for anyone nearby to see while giving you a further field of vision.

So flip up the trusty Croc lock and get out to that backcountry trip you’ve been craving where there’s no electricity for miles and portable lighting is the ultimate way to go. The right lighting could mean the difference between picking up your beloved puppy OR that skunk shuffling around looking for leftover Kraft dinner.