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Harness the Power of the Sun on Your Next Camping Trip with LuminAid

Jon Gugala
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Image used with permission by copyright holder

You drive up to your remote campsite, unpack the car, set up camp, and then realize you forgot your lantern’s batteries. At that point, you can either rub two sticks together and ignite a torch or drive back into town and the nearest convenience store, shattering the solitude of your wilderness retreat. Well, there’s a third option, which involves you picking up one or three of LuminAid’s Nova Solar Inflatable Lanterns and throwing them in the trunk. Charged by the power of the sun, you’ll never have to worry about remembering to bring extra double-A batteries with you again, and right now, thanks to Amazon Prime Day, you can save 33% off each already affordable unit.

LuminAid has been a low-key sensation for years after the company’s founders appeared on the venture-capital reality show Shark Tank in 2015, receiving offers from all five investors. Its pitch was two-fold: A great solar-powered camping and emergency lantern with concurrent service in the disaster relief space, which always needs reliable sources of light. In the end, its two women founders partnered with Mark Cuban, receiving full funding and becoming the darlings of the VC world. Over the past 10 years, the pair have given thousands of their products to humanitarian aid organizations around the world, while for customers, it’s an easy sell.

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The Nova is essentially the refined LuminAid original. Powered by a solar-fueled battery (although it can also be recharged via USB even faster), it sends out a max 75 lumens of cool, white light for up to 24 hours. Stick it in the sunlight and it’s topped off in about 10 hours. It’s also waterproof, floatable, and packs down flat, accordion-style, in a flash. Without charge or use, it lasts up to two years in storage, making it a great addition to a bugout bag, emergency shelter, or car kit for the worst-case scenario.

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But without all the doomsday prepping and looming disaster, the Nova is an essential addition to a camping trip. No longer will you be dependent on white gas, kerosene, or oils for your nighttime light source; take a few of these and illuminate your way to the latrine. Try bookending a pair on a picnic table for late-night meals. And the list goes on. There are so many uses for the Nova that you can probably come up with a half-dozen of your own depending on your life and hobbies.

It’s rare that a product functions brilliantly and also maintains a strong social giving component. LuminAid has, over its brief history, maintained both, and with its Nova now cheaper than ever through Amazon Prime, you can outfit your campsite, car, or emergency kit more affordably. The reasons, both enumerated above and in your own personal life, are easy to see.

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Jon Gugala
Jon Gugala
Features Writer
Jon Gugala is a freelance writer and photographer based in Nashville, Tenn. A former gear editor for Outside Magazine, his…
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