7 after-dark adventure essentials

- 2022-07-12

Lighting is often overlooked when camping or overlanding. Smart, efficient lighting (and power) solutions can go a long way to making your adventures more comfortable. From accessing gear on your rack in the dark, to lighting up a campsite we have a comprehensive list of options.

1. 40” LED Light Bar

A high-quality light bar with a powerful, broad beam can illuminate a broad strip of the road ahead, making traveling safer, especially when driving in bad weather, or off-road in areas where there could be wildlife on the trail. It’s important to check your local regulations because legalities do differ around the world. Light bars are highly versatile and can be used in camp and even off your vehicle too. Our 40” LED Light Bar has been designed for versatility and longevity and mounts easily to your Front Runner Slimline II, Slimsport or Slimpro Roof Rack, offering both near and far-field illumination up to 635m. It features 40 intense, high-performance LEDs with OSRAM technology. The integrated driver and thermal management system, measures and regulates the temperature of the LED, eliminating the risk of overheating and aiding in its longevity.

2. 4" LED Light Square

While a light bar is great for wide illumination, there are certain situations where you need a more focused beam shining over a longer distance. Hit the late-night trails and brighten up your campsite with our 4” LED Light Square. This durable and versatile lighting solution is designed to be mounted onto your Front Runner roof rack. It features 9 high-performance LEDs that throw 1620 lumens.

3. Headlamp

A headlamp is a must-have for any adventure - from a one-night camp out to a month-long overland journey, you simply cannot go without this convenient personal lighting solution. There is a myriad of options on the market catering to everyone from through-the-night trail runners and adventure racers to kids. It’s easy to get caught up in the options. The key things you need to access when shopping around are your needs in terms of beam strength (how much light do you need) and how much battery life. Silva is a global name in headlamps and offers a broad range of options. Their Scout 2X is a great all-rounder. It was designed for hiking and camping and features a battery indicator and red-light mode (to keep the bugs at bay) and throws a beam of 300 lumen.

4. LED Rock Light & Rack Handle Bracket 

Fumbling with gear in the dark is no fun. For those times when you arrive at your campsite after dark, or have to load up in the pre-dawn darkness, additional light on your roof rack (and easy access to your gear) is a game-changer. The Front Runner Rack Handle Bracket allows you to have a secure handle from which to reach the gear on your roof. The bracket is made of the same black powder-coated steel as your rack, which means it adds function without sacrificing aesthetics. Then attach the 4.5W LED Rock Light onto Rack Handle Bracket for extra visibility during those low-light hours.

5. Dometic PLB

To run lights for longer hours you might need some additional power. From fuel generators to solar-charged batteries, there are various portable power sources currently available. These all have their place and you need to carefully assess your power needs before investing. A great option for portability and ease of use is the Dometic PLB40 Ah Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery. It delivers high levels of mobile power – up to 40 hours – on a single charge. It was designed specifically for powering 12V appliances such as lights and coolers, while being off-grid.

6. Solar panel 

Solar-charged batteries and power stations have gained popularity over the past few years among hardcore overlanders and long-term campers. Solar provides a clean and reliable power source and, if you choose wisely, can be highly portable and store in a small package. The Yeti200X + Nomad 20 Solar Generator from Goal Zero is a lightweight power station that delivers 187 Watt Hours of power thanks to a 20-Watt solar panel. It is optimized for fast charging, and the foldable panel makes it ultra-portable.

7. Camp lantern

Many old school campers and overlanders still swear by gas lanterns and, while these have their place, they can be ungainly and inefficient. There are a host of camp lanterns available and many have versatile additional features such as mobile-phone charging capabilities and the like. The Lighthouse from Goal Zero is a popular model that provides 600-lumen (max output) which provides bright, even lighting all around your campsite. It is rechargeable (USB, solar, and hand crank), features a power-saving mode, has collapsible legs and has USB output so you can power other devices.