The hallmark of Amazon.com has always been the wide range of items, products, and brands available for perusal and purchase. The internet giant has hundreds, if not thousands, of camping lanterns available, ranging from big and bulky to light and small. The only issue with shopping at Amazon is actually the size of their [...]]]> Amazon.com

The hallmark of Amazon.com has always been the wide range of items, products, and brands available for perusal and purchase. The internet giant has hundreds, if not thousands, of camping lanterns available, ranging from big and bulky to light and small. The only issue with shopping at Amazon is actually the size of their inventory: with so many choices to look through, it’s easy to become overwhelmed before you find what you’re looking for. Overall, though, Amazon is a great place to shop and is highly recommended to anyone looking for camping lanterns or other camping gear.

Target.com

Target usually has a decent selection of brands and items at reasonable prices. They’re handy to shop through since you can often find what you want online and then head straight to the nearest store to pick it up. I would be careful of buying off-brand items at Target though, as the quality may be poor. It’s definitely not worth skimping on the price to save 5 bucks, and then have your lantern break or stop working.

DicksSportingGoods.com

Dick’s Sporting Goods has had a period of decent growth over the last few years since their purchase of Galyan’s. Having a large chain like Dick’s devoted solely to sporting goods means a wide selection of brands and generally decent prices. However, as with Target, I would be careful of buying off-brand items from them as the quality may be suspect. (Just to be clear, that’s not a knock on Dick’s at all, but I do suggest doing your research first and choosing a high quality lantern from a reputable brand.)

REI.com

I grew up near the REI store in Atlanta. I remember being able to go there every couple of years when we went camping, and I was always amazed at the sheer volume of camping gear to look at and buy. Childhood nostalgia notwithstanding, REI is one of the premiere outdoors suppliers in the nation, and while you may not be too close to one of their stores you can buy anything they make from their website or catalog.

REI doesn’t have the wide range of brands available that some other retailers will, but they do have several options in addition to their own name brand. REI is generally a bit more pricey than what you will find in other places, but the quality of products they sell is always top notch.

Cabelas.com

If you’ve been camping for any good length of time, chances are you’ve heard of Cabela’s. They’re one of the more well-known camping and outdoors gear suppliers even though chances are good that they don’t have a store anywhere near you. Cabela’s usually has decent prices and good quality gear, but their inventory is a bit lacking at times. It’s the smallest of the 5 retailers mentioned here. But if you can find what you’re looking for at Cabela’s then don’t hesitate to buy from them.