By good , I mean bright and tough. For car camping.
I’ve liked this for reading and small areas:
https://www.rei.com/rei-garage/product/172194/black-diamond-orbit-lantern
The larger one I have, also by black diamond, is not made anymore. If I was replacing it, I would probably get this, which appears to be the replacement, and adds a few features:
I liked them both for solid construction, ease of use, simple operation, and the ability to dim them.
greg
We’re loving the Luci light. Bright, light, and solar powered. Tough? Well, I think it would be hard to accidentally break one. We’ve owned two for over a year and we are still impressed. Minimal storage space too! Check them out.
Totally agree about Luci. I have five sitting on a windowsill so they can keep themselves charged. Power outages are the norm here and while I have some battery operated lanterns, Luci lights are brighter and more easily hung anywhere because there’s a strap on each one (and they weigh next to nothing). They’re waterproof, too.
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I had no idea how good newer products are. Generally I tend to stick to a “disposable batteries only” policy because the charger, the rechargeables are something else to worry about and the shelf life of rechargeables is poor if you don’t use them and discharge/recharge on a regular basis.
That said the new LED type lights are coming out with some crazy designs. I recently saw a long range thrower flashlight that will give you 6000 lumens at over 2,500 meters (that’s over 1.5 miles!). Another will give 100,000 lumens at 1300 meters (nearly 1 mile). Obviously these are top end designs with cost in the many hundreds of dollars and you are not a SWAT/SEAL or rescue team looking to be tacticool or bail out a hostage in the middle of a nigh snow storm from Helicopter. So how does this apply to you?
Well a lot of these rechargeables can be regulated to a lower power setting that makes them last much, much longer. For example one of these high end lights will last 9 consecutive days at an intensity setting of 3-4 lumens. FIY your phone light is 6 lumens.
There are also portable rechargeable batteries or power packs to keep your light (and phone) going, and small portable solar panels as well. Now I am not into this stuff that much as it’s a little too complicated for me but what is interesting is in this day and age the lights and batteries last a long time and if that’s not enough the options for extra power and extra recharge are pretty extensive as well. At the top end you have to spend a lot of money and I am learning it just like you but overall while you have to spend a little more than something cheap, for a few dollars more you really get something very nice, capable, durable and long lasting.
I don’t like any light that can shine into my eyes. Thus I have an affinity for headlamps rather than lanterns or campfires. Of course, others in your group need to be educated on not blinding others when looking around…
They put the light exactly where you need it, and a switch to turn it off when you don’t.
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Bright lanterns absolutely destroy anyones night vision. Colemans are super bright and people on shore trying to guide us coming in to shore in kayaks blinded us and some ran into rocks therefore that they could not see as they were in shadows.
So there is a downside to bright lanterns… Lucis are wonderful for ambient lighting and headlamps for task lighting. Some headlamps have a red night vision light which still allows you to see what you are working on but enjoy the stars.
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I can one up @rookie - I have 6 of the Luci lights sitting on windowsills to keep them topped off. I do have other lanterns (both battery and propane), but usually just use the Lucis for camping.
The newest ones have a 2-way USB port, so you can quick charge the light’s battery (much faster than charging by solar) and also use the light;s battery to recharge a phone or the like.
That Luci Base Light is impressive with its 360 lumens and 50 hours on a single charge. That would give string plenty of light for car camping, coupled with a good headlamp
For car camping any option is open.
Hard to beat the good ole Coleman, especially in the last 20 or 30 years when propane became the norm instead of white gas and having to pump the pressure up all the time.
I actually find that I don’t normally even turn it up all the way.
If you want more light, depending on where you are camping you can either run a rope between a couple trees to hang it overhead or use a stake to hold it up higher.
I asked for my daughter’s husband. They tend to go camping with groups.
When I was camping with my family or the Scouts , we used a Coleman lantern for meal prep after dark. For most activities , it was a low power flashlight.
Thanks for the replies.
There are so many cool options. I even have a plastic carbide camping lamp that’s small, lightweight and throws a ton of light. Unfortunately the fuel is poisonous, the fumes are toxic, it hisses angrily and has some potential to explode since it’s basically a bomb.
I’ve had one of these Stanley work lights for many years. It’s our go-to during power outages. The light is directional…not 360. It’s just another option. It comes with a 120 volt charger, fortunately the 4Runner has a 120 volt outlet.
I use Luci lights too. Best thing for camping light since the discovery of how to make Fire! I’ll show you next time we meet up. They are waterproof I use a small one as a boat light, and it stays on deck. We have 7 total. have one of the first models they made. We have 3 that can charge our phones as well, Great for power outages.
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This doesn’t have anything to do with how bright he is, does it? 
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Car camping?..go all out…https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-1200-Watt-Halogen-Tripod-Work-Light-H1200DPT/307697513
We recently rallyed with 30 people. Used floods at cooking area and Luci lites at the tables.
Lots of good lights out there. But if it for camping with kids pay attention to the color. White light draws more bugs than yellow ones do if I have that right.
Another happy user of the Luci Lux. I have found most people over light their campsites. I usually use the Luci on the lower setting. I sleep in my truck, and I lay a white teeshirt over it to lower it a little further for a nice ambient level. I then use a headlamp to read with.
Well, he is a son in law and noone is good enough for my daughter but they’re working on 25 years so I guess we’re stuck with him.
I carried a Streamlight flashlight for years (both rechargeable and battery) as a game warden and loved their reliability and adjustable features. I recently bought a small Streamlight lantern that changes in both intensity and color (either white or soft red). On/off switch lights up green so it’s easy to find. The entire unit is rubberized and is waterproof. The small is about the same size as my candle lantern. I’ve seen a larger size but love the small one. Uses AA batts.