I'm a lighting nerd. I'll admit it. I love the way that lighting can completely transform a campsite. In my opinion, you need at least two different lights to effectively tackle the darkness: headlamps and lanterns. Headlamps are necessary for exploring and lanterns are a must-have for late night picnic table gatherings. And you don't need much at the picnic table. Just enough to see the faces of your fellow campers or that full house in your hand will do just fine. This is what I like about the Coast EAL12. It's compact and puts out the perfect amount of light for my needs. The COAST EAL12 only weighs 11 oz and puts out 168 lumens on high. This is more than enough to see what you 're doing, but not enough to drive neighboring campers nuts. It will run 38 hours on low, which will probably get you through an entire summer of camping, considering that you only flip it on for a few hours each evening. It's compact and easy to toss in your backpack. One nifty feature is the split handle. It's a two-piece design that allows you to easily slip it over a branch or the through a loop in your tent. No need to dig around for a carabiner to hang it. In addition to high and low, it has red and flashing red. The latter is great to have in the unfortunate event of car trouble. It makes you much safer while you sit on the side of the road waiting for help. The COAST EAL12 is impact and weather resistant and is also backed by their five-year warranty. This little workhorse is a great addition to any camp box. $20