It’s already quite warm and I want to spend more time outdoors. And picnics and hiking, as you know, are an integral part of summer holidays. However, in order to spend time in comfort, it is important to take care of many things. One of the conditions for a comfortable stay is lighting in the evening and at night. It is not allowed to make a fire everywhere, especially since you have to constantly maintain the flame and make sure that a random spark does not provoke a fire. In addition, it will not work to light a tent with a bonfire.
Tourist lights come to the rescue. Solar-powered camping lanterns are compact and safe, illuminate the space well and recharge from the environmentally friendly energy of the sun. In the article we will talk about the principle of operation of solar-powered lamps, their advantages, disadvantages and additional functions that will make your stay even more enjoyable.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of camping solar-powered lights include:
- Security. LEDs are used in the design of the luminaires, they do not heat up, so they will not provoke a fire.
- Autonomy. The luminaires are completely independent and are charged by solar energy.
- Profitability. Sunlight is a free source of energy, and LEDs consume a small amount of resources.
- Universality. Tourist lanterns can be recharged from the mains or car cigarette lighter if charging with the light energy of the sun for some reason is not possible.
- Durability. The design of camping solar-powered lights is airtight. They are not afraid of dust and falling into the water. LED lamp life is around 100,000 hours.
- Compactness. Tourist lanterns are small in size and weight, so they can easily fit in a backpack.
With all the advantages, solar-powered LED camping lamps have disadvantages:
- The duration and intensity of the light output depends on the degree of battery charge. If alternative power sources are unavailable and the day is cloudy, the battery will not fully charge. The light given off by a lamp will be dim, and the duration of active work will decrease.
- Inability to repair. The design of the lamp is quite simple, but it will be difficult to restore the damaged tightness of the housing. The ingress of dust and moisture into the housing will quickly disable the flashlight.
Device and principle of operation
The design of camping solar-powered lights consists of the following elements: LED lamp, battery, solar panel and housing.
During daylight hours, the solar battery converts the light energy of the sun into electricity, which accumulates in the battery. On a clear sunny day, the battery can store enough energy to illuminate for 8-10 hours. Due to the fact that the LEDs consume little energy, the battery charge is spent economically.
All structural elements are placed in a sealed enclosure that protects them from dust and moisture. Tourist lanterns are often marked with the IP67 index. The first digit in the index means protection against solid objects, and the second from water. If such a flashlight accidentally falls into the water, it will not harm him in any way.
The case design can be both classic and original. There are compact models in the form of tablets or folding, which fit in your pocket. All tourist lights are equipped with a hook for hanging. Some models come with a removable pin so that the flashlight can be stuck in the ground.
Power supplies
The solar-powered camping camping flashlight can be powered by different power sources. Rechargeable AAA batteries are used as the battery in the design. If necessary, they can be replaced. You can charge the lamp from the built-in or external solar battery, from the mains, from USB or a car cigarette lighter. All necessary cables usually come with a lamp. The design uses small-sized polycrystalline solar cells . They are able to absorb diffused sunlight, so that the flashlight will be charged in cloudy weather.
The power of the solar battery is directly proportional to its area, so some models of luminaires come with a larger solar battery. The charging speed of the lamp increases with the use of larger batteries.
Optical system
The optical system of a camping lamp consists of a group of LEDs and a diffuser. As the latter, a cone-shaped mirror is often used. In different models, the number of LEDs is different. The more LEDs, the brighter the lighting, but the duration of active work is reduced. Often in such lamps there are several modes of light intensity. LEDs are capable of giving light of various colors, from warm yellow to cold blue. For luminaires, a shade close to daylight is usually used, since the human eye perceives it better than others. Red LEDs that work in SOS mode are often built into camping luminaires. This mode consumes a minimum of battery power and can signal an emergency for a long time.
Additional options
Tourist lights are sometimes equipped with additional features. For example, a solar-powered camping lamp with a USB input can be used to charge a phone or tablet. Some models have a built-in radio. In a tourist lamp with a housing-container, you can put money, a phone and other trifles that are important to keep dry.
Models with mosquito exterminators are able to protect space from blood-sucking insects with a radius of up to 40 meters. They give off light in the ultraviolet spectrum, which attracts insects, and the casing is surrounded by a metal mesh under tension, upon contact with which insects die.
There are also fixtures equipped with a dynamo. One minute of intensive operation of the device charges the lamp for 20 minutes of lighting at full power. Such a function is indispensable in emergency situations when it is impossible to charge the lamp in other ways.
Reviews
Camping lights have earned recognition from tourists for their versatility, efficiency and safety. However, among the vast majority of positive reviews on camping solar-powered lights, there are also negative ones. Users note a long battery charging period, a mismatch in the declared power, and poor tightness of the case.
When choosing a camping lamp, it is important to pay attention to the reputation of the manufacturer and reviews about a particular model.
A solar-powered camping lamp is an indispensable item on a hike. They are safe, versatile in charging methods, are not afraid of dust and moisture, have various lighting modes and can give an SOS signal in case of emergency.