Shine a light

These light devices can be used to ensure your daytime escapades continue well into the night.

Head smart

Waterproof to one metre and with seven different lighting modes (including red night vision and strobe settings), the Black Diamond Spot Headlamp should meet all your needs on even the toughest adventures. With an output of 300 lumens, it’s extraordinarily bright for a headlamp but can be dimmed so you don’t blind your fellow campers or hikers when cooking or reading. The Spot is a pretty clever device as it remembers the last setting you used and turns back on in this mode. It also has a function, called PowerTap, to make a quick transition between full power and dim.

Hit the spot

The Cape Union 530 Lumen Spotlight will come in handy around the campsite, at home when the power goes out, or even on a night walk. The brightest of the three modes beams 530 lumens over a distance of 500 metres. The lowest has a beam distance of 280 metres. The other mode is strobe which, I imagine, is perfect for campsite raves when the Old Brown Sherry takes hold. On high, the spotlight lasts for three hours, but on strobe it goes for 24 hours. You’d better pack a lot of sherry.

Worth your salt

Did you know that some of the first batteries, made around 1880, used saltwater? I suppose it makes sense – there’s always been a current in the sea. The Mizusion lamp uses the chemical interaction between ions in the saltwater and magnesium in the replaceable power bar to create electricity. Put two scoops of salt and 1,5 measures of water (scoop and water measure included) into the top of the lamp and turn it on. It will run for about 80 hours on these ratios, providing a soft light. After 80 hours, the power bar needs to be replaced (R199).

Illumination Station

Playing cards under your gazebo just got a lot easier with the OZtrail Universal LED Lighting Kit. The system runs from a USB power source and can be fi tted to a gazebo or large tent. The four light strips, with 12 LED units in total, are joined together with USB plugs and can be assembled in a variety of confi gurations using Velcro touch tabs, seam-grab clips and magnetic-backed LED units. Because it operates through a USB power source, the kit can even be run from a solar phone charger.