Buying the right lantern for your particular set of needs can be quite confusing for most people. Like them, I went to the internet to see if I could get some information to make the process easier. After an hour or two I came away thinking scientists are the only people with enough knowledge required to pick one out.

Frustrating as it may be, if you are going to enjoy the outdoors, a lantern is a necessity that you can't afford to be without. With that said, let's see what we can figure out in layman's terms.

Lanterns have been around for quite a while but the types and sizes have multiplied exponentially over the last few years. Kerosene Lanterns worked quite well for a couple of hundred years(at least!), but now having an open flame inside your tent or anywhere close to it with a canister full of flammable liquid just waiting to be spilled isn't exactly the most responsible thing to do.

On this line though, Gas Lanterns are still the most popular type for camping even today. The difference is they use different types with a variety of fuels. Some of these are white gas and unleaded fuel lanterns. The biggest differences in these is they don't use a wick. They use globes, either glass, silk or metal mesh. The glass globes are the brightest of these, but along with the silk you have to be very careful not to jostle them around much for fear of breaking. This makes for a frustrating trip trying to change them in the dark. The metal mesh globes aren't near as bright as the glass, but they have the advantage of durability on their side. These lanterns are a vast improvement over the old kerosene lanterns but you will still need to carry the lantern, a can of fuel, and a funnel to keep from spilling it when you have to fill it.

Another type of gas lantern that gets my vote as to being the best for camping is the Propane Lantern. With these you can still get a variety of different types and sizes, but a good 2 mantle propane lantern can produce enough light to be able to see everyone in your campsite or see your fishing pole bouncing with a whopper on the line while night fishing. With this type of lantern you can also get up to 4 mantles if you really want to light up the night. Inside the tent these lanterns will work, but I feel that unless you have at least a 12X12 tent and can hang it up you may just want to leave it outside. There are disadvantages to these of course with one being the size. They normally use 1 lb. canisters of propane that will last a good while, but if you are packing in to a campsite they can make you pack quite heavy.

Thus far I have been discussing lanterns that tend to put out a lot of light and are great for campsites if you don't want to, or can't start a fire. But what if you have an outdoor canopy in the backyard and would like to entertain after dark without lighting up the entire neighborhood. For these situations, electric/battery operated lanterns may be the best choice. They are relatively inexpensive and don't produce the intense heat that the gas lanterns tend to. They also have the advantage of just turning on the switch for light. No pumping, no lighting, no broken mantles, just quick light. The electric lantern won't produce as much light as a gas lantern but for the money you might even get two, one for each end of the canopy. Batteries do have a tendency to wear out at the worst possible time but the larger lanterns will usually get about 15 hours out of a set. Electric/Battery operated Lanterns also come in a variety of sizes, ranging from about 6 lbs. down to about 6 oz., so depending on what you are looking for, you should be able to find one to fit your needs.

As you can see, there are a multitude of choices on the market when choosing your lantern. Don't let that keep you from getting one and heading out to enjoy the camping for outdoor experiences available. The most important thing to remember is that lanterns can be a safety hazard if you don't treat them with proper care. But if you do, they will shine plenty of light on all of your outdoor adventures.