Lighting and Power Checklist

Track & Canopy · Updated 2026-10-16 · Tick items as you pack — print or save as PDF from your browser.

Room light

The broad, dimmable lamp that makes the table usable. One per shelter is plenty.

  1. Dimmable rechargeable lantern with a hanging hook Essential
  2. Second lantern for the cook side, on its own switch
  3. Low-level string light for the canopy edge, warm colour
  4. Backup ambient lamp, even a solar garden light from the hardware store
  5. Spare batteries or a charge cable matched to every lamp

Hands-free light

The lights that let you cook, pitch and walk with both hands free.

  1. Head torch per person, with a red or dim mode Essential
  2. Clip-on or cap light for the crew that loses torches
  3. Compact hand torch for the car and the night checkpoint
  4. Glow-in-the-dark peg hammer or a taped guy line for the night trip
  5. Nightstand light clipped inside the tent, on a separate switch

Path and marker light

Small, low and warm: enough to see the trip hazard without lighting the whole site.

  1. Low lantern or path light at the tent step
  2. Marker light on the vehicle aerial or the canopy corner
  3. Red filter or red mode for the after-dusk walk

Battery and power

Sized against the written nightly load, not the shop's optimism.

  1. Power bank in the 20,000 mAh class for phones and cameras Essential
  2. Portable power station sized to the measured nightly watt-hours
  3. Deep-cycle leisure battery or LiFePO4 set for the long weekend
  4. Dual-battery isolator or DC-DC charger for the vehicle setup
  5. Fuses, switching loom and an RCD on any 240-volt supply Essential

Charging paths

Two ways in and one cable bag, so a lost lead is never the failure.

  1. Fold-out solar panel with a charge controller for the bank Essential
  2. 12-volt vehicle charger with a proper cable gauge
  3. Cable bag with the right three leads, labelled and tested at home Essential
  4. Multi-USB or USB-C hub so one socket charges the crew

Flame and ambience

Fire in a lantern is atmosphere, and it has rules. Keep it outside the shelter.

  1. Candle or oil lantern used only outside, on a hard surface
  2. Fire-safe mat under any flame device at the table
  3. Small extinguisher or fire blanket at the kitchen corner Essential