The way you light a campsite up really sets the mood for the entire camping experience. There’s a time and a place for super bright campsite lights. And, also a time for just mellow mood lights too. This post is full of both kinds of campsite lighting ideas. We’ve broken it up into how the lights are powered and charged.
We truly believe that less is best with lighting up a campsite in most cases. We swear by our Luci Lux Light (listed below). Although, we also know there’s a time and place for bright spot lights on a campsite too (also listed below).
In the end, whatever lights you choose for your campsite lighting, be sure to choose something you find multiple purposes for, and, surely something you can really see yourself using on the daily… not something that just is nice to have on occasion. If you’re like us, you don’t have extra space for any campsite lighting ideas that are there just in case!
This post is all about campsite lighting ideas, like as in the exterior lights at a campsite. If you’re interested in campervan lighting ideas, as in the interior ways to illuminate your campervan or RV, check out this post here.
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Our Number One Recommended Campsite Light Idea
Hands down, without a shadow of a doubt, the best camping light ideas are ones that you don’t need a power source for. Well, I suppose for every kind of light you’ll need some type of power source, but one that’s renewable is the way to go.. that’s why we fully recommend solar powered lights for the best camping light source.
In our true opinion, after camping for all our lives, and living out of a car, two different vans, cycle packing, and backpacking for months on end, we can easily say that the Luci solar light is the best light to have for any camping trip. They last a long time on a single charge. They’re extremely durable. They charge quickly. And, the Luci’s are not too expensive for the light they provide.
Luci is our tried and true campsite light recommendation, and probably will always be that way. We’re a bit obsessed! However, since not everyone has tried the Luci camping lanterns yet, or their other products, we’re also sharing other options for outdoor lighting ideas too.
Solar Powered Campsite Lighting Ideas
Luci Solar Lanterns | current prices here
Luci Solar lanterns are listed in the first spot on this list for a reason. We swear by the Luci lights! I honestly believe that you can get by with a single Luci for all your campsite lighting needs. Both inside your rig, outside your rig, and as a camping tent light as well.
Luci is a compact, waterproof solar light from MPowerd that lasts for days on end on a single charge. They’re durable, don’t take up much space, and provide all the light you could possibly need.
Luci lights come in the Lux version (a soft white light), an uber bright LED version, and they even have an emergency light, complete with SOS signaling. We’ve had all three of these versions, but find the Lux version to be our favorite for the soft white mood it gives.
WATCH MORE | a very windy review of our Luci Lights
Luci Solar String Lights | grab yours here
With how much we love our Luci solar light, we can fully back up their Luci String lights as well, even without purchasing them. We have other solar string lights that were gifted to us, so we never ended up purchasing the Luci version. However, when our current string lights take a dump, you can bet your bottom dollar these will be the next version we own.
Just like their inflatable lanterns, these solar powered string lights are fully powered by the sun, and can hold their charge for 20 hours! That means you’ll never be without light if you store this solar string in the sun during the day to always keep it topped off! They’re lightweight and waterproof.. one of the best campsite lighting ideas on this list!
Solar Fairy Lights | find prices here
In our experience, these lights don’t work well to use as a main source of campsite lights. However, they’re literally perfect for wrapping around trees, around a door frame or awning, and just creating a relaxed and romantic mood at your campsite! We’ve also seen people put these fairy lights into mason jars, creating mason jar lights, that look super cute on tables and the like!
Garden Lights | check prices here
We recently stayed at an RV resort with our family, and couldn’t stop smiling at all the garden style lights people put up around their campsite. We saw so many lights like this lining pathways, along the edge of the grass at different campsites, and even just randomly placed throughout individual manicured areas.
While lights light these are nowhere near compact, and would certainly take up a lot of space… If you have a bigger campervan or RV, they’re the perfect campsite lighting idea for really setting up a homey space outside.
12V Campsite Lighting Ideas
NiLight Spot Lights | check prices here
Campsite lighting ideas you ask?!… These will do the trick! After being in our first van for 2.5 years and always wishing we had better lights to light up a potential campsite, we knew we needed to install lights like these in our second conversion. These lights are perfect for lighting up any campsite, and even better when searching for a wild campsite in the dark.
We’ve found these lights to also be super useful when we let Georgie out at night and want to find her in the dark. She looks towards the light and her eyes glow to where we can quickly spot her, no matter how far she’s wandered from the van. We currently have four of these lights set up on two different switches and have been pleased with them.
If you do purchase these lights, be sure to grab the wiring and switches that go with them. It makes the set up super smooth, and they’re cheap for what you get!
NiLight Light Bars | check prices here
While we’re super happy with our light set up with the four Nilight spot lights listed above, we will be adding a NiLight light bar to the front bumper of the van. This is not due to the other lights not being sufficient in providing enough light, but instead because our van is so oddly shaped.
The windshield on our 1992 Toyota Previa is absolutely massive! And, the angle of the roof of the van is so steep, that when we flip on our front NiLights, it actually illuminates the inside of the van! Not a big deal at when looking to light up a campsite when parked. However, very much annoying when trying to drive with those lights on!
Again, if you get a Nilight Light bar, don’t forget to grab the wiring and switch kit to go with it.
Rechargeable Campsite Lighting Ideas
Magnet Rechargeable Spot Lights | grab yours here
We use a light similar to this light for the back of our van. They stick to the metal frame of the van which is perfect for cooking out the back. They are USB rechargeable, and are a great bright campsite lighting idea!
They’re technically shop lights, so you can imagine how bright they are! These are great for throwing in the car for a quick camping trip to use when setting up your tent! They’re also a great camping light when cooking at a campsite table. Having multiple lights that can hang, stick, or stand in different areas creates a space with fewer shadows for cooking and eating.
Rechargeable Glow Sticks | find them here
Gone are the days of single-use glow sticks, and in are the more environmentally friendly rechargeable glow sticks. These glow sticks are perfect to snap onto a backpack or a bike when riding around a campsite in the dark. They’re also great for hooking onto a kids coat so you can see where they are at night too! 😉 They can go inside a tent for tent lighting or even inside a cooler, as they’re waterproof and can sit on the ice!
Battery Operated Camping Tent Lighting Ideas
Carabiner Bulb Lanterns | find them here
Okay, these campsite lights are literally perfect for just hooking on anything and everything around camp! Super easy way to light up inside a tent, canopy, or hang under an awning. These little carabiner lights are small and lightweight, making them perfect to stick into any space inside your van or car for transport!
The only reason we can’t rank these as the best tent lighting ideas on this list is that they are battery-operated. If they weren’t battery-powered, we’d probably love them as much as we love our Luci’s! You can snag some rechargeable batteries to make these more environmentally friendly, however, when adding that cost, we recommend just going for the Luci with an S-biner attached instead!
Flame Campsite Lighting Ideas
Tiki Torches | check prices here
Tiki torches are a great way to provide light at a campsite while keeping the bugs away. Fill these tiki torches with clean burning torch fuel, and have light and bug defense for 6-8 hours at a time!
My dad always has tiki torches lit as his house, and, although I always feel like my hair is going to catch on fire around them, they do provide sufficient light in the backyard!
Candles | find them here
Obviously, I don’t recommend using candles all over your campsite, as this is a major fire hazard. Using a candle is a great way to provide campsite light at night without being too harsh on your eyes before bed. This candle is a soy candle made with natural scents, coming with loads of scents to choose from.
Campsite Light Ideas for RV Hookups
LED Rope Lights | check prices here
My mom and stepdad use these campsite lights around their motorhome each and every time they go camping. They’re super easy to set up, and provide a surprising amount of light! Something to keep in mind with these lights is they are normal outlet lights. Meaning, if you run them off an inverter they will draw a lot of power. So, they’re really just for those camping with shore power instead.
More On Campervan Conversions + Van Life
We’ve been working hard to share with you all our ideas on campervan conversions. Along with camping in general, and a simpler life on the road. On our Vanlife page, you’ll find all our campervan ideas, but, just for a quick look, here are some direct links to other posts similar to this! We hope you’ve enjoyed this post and found some useful campsite lighting ideas!
Best Campervan Lighting Ideas for Inside Your Campervan or RV
How to Install Camper Van Wall Panels
How to do Laundry While Living in a Van
Our Complete 1992 Toyoto Previa Minivan Camper Conversion
25 Things to Look Forward to When Living in a Van Full Time
Complete Guide to Installing Your Campervan Flooring
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