Camp Lighting?

Yea they definitely dont look out of place, I like the quality of BD so definitely a setup to consider.

 

funny. I was just thinking about buying a set of rock lights and doing the 4 in the wheel wells and the set i found has six and was going to attach the other two to my rack

 

What are you a teacher? You got eyes in the back of your head?

 

I recently got a Devos Light Ranger, it's pretty cool. Otherwise, I have a rechargeable Black Diamond 400 spot headlamp.

 

Hahaha. I meant something that would light up an area as opposed to lighting up just where im looking lol. But maybe youre on to something, I'll just wear 4 headlamps so Ill have 360 degrees of light.

 

Do it in a Bigfoot onesie and you'll be on to something.

 

Id imagine the bigfoot fanatics would have a field day with that one

 

I would go for something like that Devos light, Milwaukee telescoping light or something that telescopes and covers a wide area. Truck mounted lights are useful, but if you have your back to the truck you'll have shadow and if you are facing the truck (like sitting in a chair) you'll be looking right at the lights if looking in that direction.

As far as headlamps go, I LOVE my Milwaukee 2111 rechargeable headlamp. I've been using it for about 5 years. It has a real world 8-9hr run time on Med Flood, even after 5yrs of use. I mainly use it for working on cars. The nice thing is the light color temperature. Colors are accurate and it's not 6000K like most LED headlamps so it doesn't blow out your night vision when you turn it off. The only downside is that it is made for hard hats and can be a little uncofratable. The 2115 would be better for comfort and has similar run times, my buddy has had that one for a couple years but I haven't gotten it since my 2111 hasn't failed yet. Don't believe the reviews on Milwaukee's site, I know many people with both of them and none of us has ever had an issue.

 

Yea thats true, which is why I was also considering some string light type system. I'll definitely look into the Milwaukee though.

 

String lights and LED strips would work ok. Only issue is that you often won't have much usable output. Most only provide low ambient lighting which is fine for sitting around and BS'ing but not so much for actually doing anything that requires detailed work like food prep or playing games. It also depends on if you want the lighting to be powered from the truck or from it's own power source. Personally, I prefer to keep it separate from the trucks power incase you forget to turn it off and drain the battery or you have a battery that's close to end of life and find out the truck won't start after a couple hours of running your lights. But that's just me. I like to have back-ups for the back-up. haha

 

i use LED strips in the bed of my truck. Very similar to the gecko or matt gecko lighting option and have mine hooked into a Anker power block that i leave back there just for those lights. Perfect for ambient lighting and bright enough so i can actually see what im doing and looking for back there

 

That's a great idea using a power bank!

The issue I see using an LED strip as an area light/string light is that LED strips without a diffuser or something to direct the light it won't project light very well when they are 7+ feet from the ground. That's why most camp or work lights have either a diffused lens or a reflector of some sort to direct the light. I tried a water proof strip under the awning covering my back patio where I grill and found that it wasn't much light at all for actually seeing what I was doing. It was enough for ambient light though.

 

I have a similar setup but I’m wired to my main battery with a switch. I figure that’s enough lighting to do anything in the bed of my truck, all I need now is something for lighting up camp

 

I usually bring an assortment and it is always more than I need. Like a few others, I try to keep light low at night to not be "that family" in the campground, although there is usually around some other jackass doing it while being loud and obnoxious anyway.

Here is my mix depending on # of people. Solo I only bring a few options, none of these are crazy, max 200 lumens. Move them around as needed.

1. A few Fenix flashlights with diffusers for the ends
2. A small, basic Nite-Ize portable light that just takes 3 AAA batteries. This is my primary light for inside tent or shell if I am solo (that is where I sleep solo)
3. A larger Nite-Ize that takes 3 D batteries. This is my primary outdoor light.
4. A basic headlamp with hi and low

That is pretty much it. I would like a get a few basic LED light strips for some mood lighting.