If you’re looking for a string light for camping be sure to understand all technical aspects to make an informed decision.
Lumens and brightness
As with all lighting equipment designed to be used in outdoor use, the brightness of these lights is crucial. If the lighting is too bright, it can cause distraction. If they’re dim, their function is lost.
Here’s what you need to be aware of about lumens, the measurement unit for brightness, and how it is applied to your string light set:
High-brightness. Anything with a brightness of more than 600 lumens like the All-Top Camping LED Light Strip (1,300 lumens) is considered to be pretty bright.
Medium. The range of 200 to 500 lumens is typical for string lights, and this includes those like the Barebones Edison String Light, which falls into this category.
Low. 30 to 100 lumens is usually considered to be below. Although most strings are brighter than that, however, some, such as Eno Twilights LED String Lights are dimmable to a low level.
Keep in mind that many camping string lights list lumens in terms of total brightness across all bulbs. This means that for example, the Revel Gear 30 lights max out at 350 lumens for 100 lights that are 3.5 lumens for each LED.
String length
The length of the lighting string is a different thing to think about. There isn’t any perfect length. It’s more likely to be determined by how big your campsite is, as well as the number of campers within your group.
Additionally, the longer the light string is, the more bulbs of light it contains, and the shorter the fewer light bulbs it has.
There are a few other exceptions. For instance, the Barebones Edison String Light is 10-feet in length but comes with three more light bulbs. Its Coleman LED Lantern String Lights set is 6 feet long, however, it features 10 smaller light bulbs on the string.
If you’re in need of something more, consider string lights that are in a strip, such as Tuff’s Stuff Overland Light Strip. Light Strip. It’s 38 feet in length and ideal for awnings and even for multiple tents.
Source of power
There are three main sources of power to consider for your string light set:
USB. Many of the string lights currently available feature the USB connector, and do not have an actual source of power, such as Revel’s Revel Gear 30 camping light. It will require a battery pack to keep the lights lit.
Batteries. AA, as well as AAA, will be the most popular. The Twilights LED String from Eno Lasts for 20 hours using three AAA batteries. So plan in advance.
12 volt. Also called”the plug for cars,” there are some lights available such as one called the All-Top LED Camping Light Strip that’s powered by a 12-volt power source or directly to the battery of your car.
Solar panels, such as that is seen at the bottom of the Mpowerd Luci Solar String Light, can also be a great source of power that will make sure your light bulbs are on.
Weatherproofing
You’re probably hanging these string lights outdoors and you’ll need to ensure that the slightest amount of dust, wind, or rain will not damage the string lights.
Thankfully the strings are at minimum IP4 that means that a drizzle won’t affect their performance.
If a device is classified as IP68 which means it’s (essentially) secured against any kind of water and is more than IP4. Certain sets, such as The All-Top LED Camping Light Strip are classified as IP68 however, they also come with an IP65-compatible jacket for more security.
