The equinox has passed, gloom descending at 5 p.m. to make campsite cooking, dish cleaning, cardplaying, etc. a true hassle. Happily, there’s a new, powerful, portable lantern, the BLACK DIAMOND EQUIPMENT TITAN ($79.95, bdel.com). This veritable mini-sun illuminates a 45-foot diameter circle with a 250-lumen, non-glaring LED. It also features a battery-life meter, metal handle/hang loop, dual refl ector system to maximize light output, and a dimming on/off switch (push and hold to adjust). At 1.5lbs without the four D batteries, the Titan is best suited for car camping, cookouts, or short-distance backpacks. It burns an amazing 168 hours, giving you time aplenty to recoup that money lost at midnight poker.

—Kristin Bjornsen

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