If you think you don’t really need to have several different kinds of lights with you when you go RVing or camping, read on just for the heck of it.  Has it ever happened that you didn’t quite make it to your campground for the night until dark or nearly dark? Do you remember times of trying to maneuver your fifth wheel into a narrow, uphill campsite in the dark?  Yes, the campground is lit up at night, just not where you are.  Some lighting, whether lantern or floodlamp, would surely come in handy at this time.

Finally in the comfort of your RV, tent camper or tent, and you’re about ready to settle in for the night, when suddenly nature calls. You may be fortunate enough to have facilities in your camper or you may have a porta-potty in your tent.  But if not, you need to find the campground restroom, and it is usually across the campground farthest from your site.  A handheld flashlight would sure come in handy as you negotiate the gravel, potholed campground road to the restroom.

Oh, yeah.  As luck would have it, the light in the restroom is burned out.  That handheld flashlight is some help, but it would certainly be nice to have a lantern that could be put down and that would light up a larger area.  Even a headlamp flashlight would be better than a handheld flashlight in this case.  We don’t need to spell out why it would be helpful to have a hands-free light in the restroom, do we?

As you are coming back from the restroom, you remember that you locked your camper door as you left to go to the bathroom.  My key, oh, yes, my key.  It goes into the keyhole, if only I could find it in the dark.  Aren’t you glad you have a little penlight on your keychain, one of those new LED flashlights in fact?  It throws a nice bright light in a small, close-up space. Into the camper I go, now darkened as the rest of the travelers are asleep.  That little LED flashlight throws enough light for me to negotiate the obstacles in my path on my way to bed.

Can’t fall asleep.  Still too keyed up over the events of the day.  I need some time to wind down and relax.  I’d make a few people angry if I turned on a light to read.  Lucky for me I brought along my booklight.  With just my book pages illuminated, I’ll be able to read a little without disturbing any else’s sleep.

Upon awakening the next morning, I find a notice at the campground store that there will be a night hike for anyone wanting to explore the surrounding woods, hopefully to spot some creatures of the night.  All of us will need flashlights as we traverse the wood’s paths, strewn with twigs, roots and rocks.  But it will be worth it, because the campground social director nearly guarantees we will at least spot some owls.  Glad we all have flashlights with adjustable beams, close for walking on the paths and distant for spotting owls in the trees.

This may have been a fanciful picture of what happens on a camping outing, and we may have exaggerated the need for flashlights, but maybe not.  We probably have multiple flashlights, and it is more than likely that we give no thought to the many sources of light that we already use to make our travels enjoyable.