Summer is almost upon us, and if you’re not lucky enough to live somewhere sub-tropical, it’s time to get outside. The yearly exodus into the great outdoors is something most of us enjoy. The chance to get some fresh air, spend time in the sun and relax a little.

This year we have a bevy of solar camping lights, fairy lights and other toys to make your time outside a little more enjoyable. I’ll run over a few of them here. I won’t mention manufacturers because I’m not selling them. I just want everyone to enjoy solar powered toys as I do.

First up are the inimitable solar camping lights. I know I talk about these a lot, but they are one of the most useful implementations of solar power I can think of. The new versions of these solar camping lights now come with remote controls so you don’t even have to get out of your sleeping bag to turn them off.

They are ideal for enjoying a piece of home comfort while out in nature. They don’t pollute, they don’t make noise, the light isn’t too bright, and they could last for years with absolutely no maintenance whatsoever.

With festival season on the way too, these solar camping lights and solar string lights are the ideal adornment for your tent as you enjoy a weekend of frivolity and music. What better way to find your tent in a sea of them than having a solar lantern shining like a beacon in the night.

Just remember to fasten it to the tent, or have it just under the canvas so it doesn’t get stolen!

Solar powered radios are also emerging as a realistic technology to brighten up summer days. Some are wind-up radios with solar panels to add power, others are dedicated solar devices. Both are eminently useful, don’t need external batteries and provide a decent signal strength to pick up your favorite station.

Solar phone chargers are also handy to have around if you absolutely must stay in touch. Just because you’re outside doesn’t mean you can’t use your smart phone or iPod. Just leave them out in the sunshine for a while and they will keep your batteries charged all day long.

Solar fairy lights are the last solar powered toy we’ll touch on today. They are ideal for parties or dining outside. String them up all over the place, make sure the panel has access to light, and enjoy hours of fairy light magic during the evening. They are ideal for creating a relaxed atmosphere and for lighting the area when it gets dark.

As each year progresses, so does technology. While I did explore most of these toys, especially solar camping lights, they have developed further. Each seems better quality, more robust, versatile and have a longer battery life than before. Of course that might just be me, but they do seem more enjoyable this time round.

When I’m not writing, or building solar systems, I’m outdoors. Walking the dogs, hiking by myself, with buddies, or camping. It not only gets me away from the world for a while, but also gives me the opportunity to test new gear.

Like solar camping lights, the new solar backpacks, phone chargers and other toys.
While I don’t spend the entire time messing around with gadgets, there’s nothing like a real life test to sort the wheat from the chaff. I have reviewed solar camping lights before in a previous article but as I’m preparing to another trip tomorrow thought I would mention them again.

There are four general types of light suitable for camping. They are battery, fuel, gas or solar. Each has advantages and disadvantages.

Battery lights are very reliable. The newer LED varieties even more so. They are also very efficient with their batteries, with the one I own nearing 50 hours per set. The disadvantage is they can be a bit heavy, and you have to carry spare batteries. Other than that, as long as the one you get is produces enough light, they are a very viable option.

Fuel lights such as Coleman or kerosene have been around for years. My father still uses one in his yard and swears by it. They need a mantel as well as fuel to work, which can get a bit brittle. That, and the need for liquid fuel can be a pain.

However, they are the brightest lights around, and they generate a bit of heat too. The main downside is carrying the fuel, spare mantels and fire risk. Many parks and forests don’t permit them, especially in summer.

Gas lights work in the same way the fuels ones do, only the gas is provided in a sealed canister which screws on to the bottom of the light. These produce very bright light, but also need mantels, which can become brittle after use.

The downside to a gas light is having to carry spare canisters and mantels. They also don’t work so well when it gets below freezing. For those hardy souls who camp in all weathers, this is something to bear in mind.

The final type, the solar camping light, is obviously my personal favorite. Having used one for a while now, I’m a convert. I was given one by a well-known manufacturer to try while camping earlier this year and have used it ever since.

Solar camping lights are lighter, more compact, easier to use and much safer than gas or fuel. As long as there is sufficient daylight available to fully charge them, they can last for hours.

They don’t produce as much light as gas or fuel, nowhere near. They do produce enough to work by, or sit by the fire with, and once you have adjusted to one, will be plenty. The advantage of not having to carry batteries, fuel, gas canisters and mantels soon outweigh the drop in lumens.

I love the great outdoors, the fresh air, leaving my phone behind, no annoying ringtones, pointless marketing calls, no internet, no traffic, no trappings of modern life whatsoever. Just me, my buddies, and the world around us. Camping is great, but we have to carry everything we need with us, which is why our choice of gear is so important.

Solar camping lights were one piece of camping gear that I came to quite late. Despite working in the industry, and having something of a finger on the pulse of technology, I didn’t take up the whole solar camping light thing until a year ago. I’m so glad I discovered this, even if it was late.

We used to carry a kerosene lantern with us. We were the typical hiker with the rucksack and an old storm lantern hanging on the outside, bouncing against the pack at every step. It was an annoyance, but a necessary one if we wanted light for the night.

You tend to retire early in the wilds. Once the sun goes down you sit for a while round the fire and talk over a beer or two. Then it’s early to bed to be up with the birds in the morning. It’s always handy having a light around for getting wood, going to the toilet, or finding something in the depths of your pack.

Kerosene lanterns have been around forever, my grandfather used to use one for fishing, my dad too. They were either paraffin or kerosene, whichever lamp they had at the time. They didn’t weigh much, offered great light and were easy to use once you got the hang of them.

However, they also had risk. Kerosene or paraffin are of course flammable, the glass in the lamp broke easily, and the wick became extremely brittle once burned. We always had to be careful where we put the lamp so we didn’t knock it over, and we couldn’t have them in the tent because they were a fire hazard.

Along came solar powered lights and everything changed. We had a lamp that could charge during the day, work for a couple of hours and could be wound up if the light failed. They are light, robust, have no moving parts, no glass, no fuel and need no maintenance.

For their purpose, they are pretty much ideal. Unless you’re hiking under the tree canopy, they can charge on your back or in camp during the day. Solar powered lights are great. I don’t wax lyrical often about my camping gear. Most of it is pretty old, but reliable. I haven’t updated my stuff in years.

But these lights are something else. It’s just a little embarrassing that it took me so long to try one, considering I run this blog and all. A late convert or no, I would suggest every hiker and camper try a solar camping light soon. They solve a lot of problems without presenting any of their own.