Throughout my travel adventures using a 4Runner and 5’x8′ off-road trailer, I’ve never found a fully satisfying lighting solution. Our camper has a small galley in the back with LED lighting that we installed, but the outside area around our campsite has always been poorly lit. We have headlamps, but we always end up blinding each other. We have lanterns in various shapes and sizes, but they only illuminate their immediate surroundings.
Every one of those lights provides very little control of what area is lit and usually blinds us. So, I’ve been searching for a camp light that can be placed anywhere and has an adjustable lighting area, brightness, and height.
I came across the Devos Lightranger 1200, and after seeing videos of it in action, I decided to try it out and see if it was worth the hefty price.
Find It Online:
- Devos Lightranger 1200: Check Price
Table Of Contents
Initial Impressions
The kit arrived in a 3′ L x 5″ W square box. Initially, I didn’t see the color filters. However, I opened the other end of the box and they were there neatly packed. So, if you do order the kit with the color filters, be sure to open both ends of the box.
Items included in the kit:
- LED Lamp
- 9′ Retractable Tripod
- Carrying Bag
- Storage Bag For Filters
- USB-C Cable
All the items appeared to be well-made and of high quality.
The charging indicator blinks green while charging and turns to a steady light once fully charged. The lamp itself attaches to the top of the tripod by pressing the lock button (silver button at the bottom of the lamp) and sliding it on. To remove the lamp, simply press the button and pull it off of the tripod. The connection is quite secure.
Features
The lamp has four distinct LED sections. When powered on, all four sections illuminate for 360-degree lighting. Here are the various modes accessed by pressing the button:
- One Time: Turns off two adjacent sections of the sections, for approximately 240 degrees of lighting.
- Two Times: Bring the lamp down to one section for approximately 120 degrees of lighting.
- While lit, pressing and holding the button slowly dims the lighting of the lit sections. Release the button and the lights will stay at that level. Continue to press the button and lit sections will reach their lowest level and then start increasing in brightness until max brightness is reached.
The LED lights have a true white color temperature; not being overly yellow or blue.
The optional color filter kit includes a yellow, red, and orange filter. To install the filter, detach the light from the tripod and slide the filter onto the bottom of the light until it clicks into place.
The features listed above provided me with lighting options not readily available on other lighting options. Along with setting the height of the light, I can now set the brightness level and the desired radius of the lighting. That last part is an awesome feature for when I don’t want to light up the entire campsite.
The light also can be detached and hung up as an overhead light, and I attached a Nite-ize carabiner to do this.
Light Filter Overview
Pictured above is the Lightranger at its brightest level with all four sides on and at its maximum height. I estimate the usable lighting circumference to be about 30 feet. This is without any of the optional light filters attached.
Yellow Filter
I did not find the yellow filter to be all that useful, as it was fairly close to the bare-white lighting. I am not sure how effective the yellow filter would be at detracting insects either.
Orange Filter
I found the orange filter to be the best balance of useful lighting and attracting fewer insects.
Red Filter
The red filter will likely be most effective at reducing insects and could be very useful if you want to preserve your night vision. However, light output is severely lessened as a compromise.
Final Thoughts
I really like the Devos Lightranger 1200. It’s a bit expensive for a camp light, but you do get a solid product that puts out a lot of light. Plus, there’s a significant discount ($50) if you order two. So, if you and another off-road buddy are both in need of camp lighting, that would bring these down to a better price point per unit.
Being dissatisfied with our exterior campsite lighting for the last several years, the investment in this light was worth it. Now, I can set up a campsite light and adjust the lighting area to my needs no matter the situation.
I’ve had mine for three camping seasons and they are an indispensable piece of gear. My whole camp crew fights over them for cooking, playing cornhole, or just sighting our site in large groups. There’s no question you should have these.
These lights have such a huge potential outside the Overlanding/Camping Topic. I had some electrical work done on my 4Runner & because of the clearance, I could on park inside my Gurage & these puppies were breaming confidentially into the night for hours with no issues. I place one in the rear & front of the vehicle and was impressed at the utility of the light itself. I am very pleased with my Devos Purchase & these puppies will last years based on the build quality indeed.