Every failure is an opportunity to learn, and I experienced a couple of failures on recent trips that convinced me that rechargeable lights for camping and backpacking are usually the best option. I'll share my stories, try to convince you, introduce some cool products, and show you my typical lighting kit.
As an electrical engineer, it's natural that I love camp lighting. I was an early adopter of LED lighting, and I still use my first-generation Black Diamond Apollo (80 lumens!) and Orbiter, in addition to other lanterns I've added to my collection. However, I was ambivalent about rechargeable products until these two incidents. Now, I am a true believer!
The first incident occurred when I took my battery-powered Black Diamond Moji+ lantern overnight to Catoctin Mountain Park. There was a burn ban, so I was looking forward to using it in campfire mode. I checked it and locked the controls before packing it, but the batteries died soon after I turned it on. Ugh! I had charged my rechargeable headlamp before the trip, so it was good to go. But nothing could be done about my Moji+.
The second incident occurred during my trip to Little Crease Shelter. In this case, I was using a very cool rechargeable headlamp, but it doesn't have locking controls. I arrived at the shelter to find the light had accidentally turned on, and the battery was dead. However, I simply charged the headlamp using the power bank I had brought for my phone, making it an easy save with the rechargeable light!
These incidents led to my epiphany about the benefits of rechargeable lights, which allow you to start every trip with a full charge and offer the option to recharge if necessary. They also eliminate the waste of single-use batteries.
Need more motivation to upgrade? These old-school lanterns may have a cool vibe, but you'll spend $5–$10 every time you load them with D–cells, not to mention the weight. And who hasn't had batteries leak and ruin a device? Rechargeable devices eliminate that risk.
I select the Black Diamond lighting products for the store, and I'll introduce a couple of my favorites, as well a very cool product that we don't currently offer. The "R" in Black Diamond product names indicates that they are rechargeable, and all the products I'll show feature a digital control lock, to prevent unwanted battery discharge.
Our smallest lantern, the 200-lumen Moji+, pictured above left, is light enough for backpacking at 107g with 3 AAA batteries. It has hooks for hanging and a magnetic base for other attachments, but its best feature is the variety of lighting modes, with the campfire mode, above right, being my favorite. The rechargeable MojiR+ weighs even less at 86g and would be my choice. As a compromise, I have fitted my Moji+ with rechargeable AAA batteries.
With 450 and 650 lumens, respectively, the Orbiter 450, second from left, and Orbiter 650, third from left, are a big step up in function, brightness, size, and weight. They include all of the lighting modes of the Moji+, plus a down beam function, and the Orbiter 650 literally has a leg up on its smaller sibling, with folding legs that allow a wide illumination area on a table. Their key feature is the Power Out port, which lets you charge your phone from the lantern. The Orbiter 450 has a 2,000mAh battery and weighs 272g, while the 650 offers a much-larger 5,200mAh battery and weighs nearly twice as much at 508g.
So, what's in my wallet? The contents of my electronics bag for a week of light and fast hiking in Fall/Spring are shown above. My Goal Zero Lighthouse Micro Charge USB Rechargeable Lantern is the coolest thing, even though we don't offer it at the store. It is a rechargeable lantern/ flashlight that can also charge my phone and weighs only 87g. I rank it among my favorites, right up there with my Nemo Switchback and Deuce of Spades, both of which we do offer.
I usually carry my Spot 400R Headlamp, a solid performer with both spot and wide-angle beams, plus a red beam that’s indispensable for answering nature's call in the middle of the night. In summer, when I hardly need a headlamp with the long days, I'll take my tiny Black Diamond Flare.
I carry a 10,000mAh power bank on one-week trips, and I love my 6-inch USB cables with USB-C/ Micro USB adapters for charging my phone or my Garmin InReach Mini. I always bring two cables for redundancy—especially after carelessly breaking one on a previous trip. If I expect to find a power outlet, I’ll also carry a 2-port USB charger.
When are rechargeable lights not the best option? If you don’t have the time or facilities to recharge your device—such as on a night trail run—batteries offer a quick and easy solution. And it's hard to beat the runtime or nostalgic charm of a classic Coleman white gas lantern with a gallon of fuel standing by.
Stop by the store to share your thoughts, and together we'll gear up and get outside with rechargeable lights that power up your adventure with a full charge every time, and give you the flexibility to recharge when you need it!