Anyone who has set up camp as the sun drops knows how fast the evening can turn. Gas lanterns run dry mid-session, citronella coils smoke out the food, and a harsh headtorch kills night vision and draws in every insect within range. Older gas lantern models are also banned from commercial flights, which rules them out for anyone flying into a remote camp, a coastal fishing spot or a station stay up north. A new generation of rechargeable, multi-functional gear is changing how Australians camp, and two products in particular are worth knowing about. The Thermacell EL55 combines a mozzie repeller with a dimmable glow light. The BioLite AlpenGlow delivers warm ambient lighting and doubles as a power bank. Both pack small, run long and handle the conditions that come with camping across Australia.
The Market Is Moving, and Fast
This shift is not just a trend on paper. The global smart camping gear market reached USD 2.50 billion in 2025 and is on track to hit USD 6.47 billion by 2034, growing at 11.2 percent annually according to market research. Smart lighting systems alone account for 11.2 percent of that figure. Bluetooth and app-controlled brightness are becoming standard expectations, and Australian consumers are keeping pace with that uptake.
The on-the-ground numbers back it up locally too. Roughly 47 percent of outdoor enthusiasts adopted solar-powered lighting and portable energy storage in 2024 and 2025, per industry data. In response, around 28 percent of retailers expanded their smart product ranges. From coastal caravan parks to remote four-wheel-drive tracks, Australian buyers now expect one piece of kit to handle several jobs at once. That expectation is already influencing how clients brief outdoor builds and what they consider a finished space.
Keeping the Mozzies Off: The Thermacell EL55
Anyone who has sat on a Queensland deck at dusk knows exactly what mozzies can do to an outdoor gathering. The same goes for a campsite in the Northern Territory during the wet season. The Thermacell EL55 is a genuine step up from the sprays and smoke coils that have been the standard fix for years. Essentially, an internal lithium-ion battery heats a silent, scent-free liquid repellent cartridge and produces a solid protection zone with none of the old trade-offs. The unit throws a 6-metre protection zone. That is enough to cover a full picnic table, a tent entry or a camp break area. As a result, campers can sit down without coating themselves in chemicals at the end of a long day. Importantly, the EL55 is also scent-free and DEET-free, so it will not affect food smell or leave residue on gear.
Peer-reviewed research shows modern spatial repellent technologies achieve repellency comparable to DEET-based products. Some electrostatic devices approach 100 percent repellency in controlled testing. Beyond mozzie control, the built-in nightlight adjusts from 50 to 200 lumens. That helps people move around a campsite after dark without attracting more insects. Furthermore, the rechargeable battery runs 9 hours on repeller-only mode or 5.5 hours with the light active. It recharges via USB-C and is cleared for domestic and international flights.
How to Get the Most Out of It
Independent testing holds up the specs. CNN Underscored found the unit “small, silent, easy to use and actually keeps the bugs away.” That matters in Australia, where species like the saltmarsh mozzie and bush mozzie are relentless. Outdoor evenings here stretch well into warm nights for most of the year, so consistent performance counts. Getting the best result comes down to placement. Give the unit about 15 minutes to build its protection zone first. Then position it flat, face-up and slightly upwind of where people are sitting. In the Australian bush or on a breezy coastal camp, that upwind detail makes a noticeable difference. It is also the step most campers skip the first time.
Lighting That Works After Dark: The BioLite AlpenGlow
Harsh white LED light has no place around an Aussie campfire. The BioLite AlpenGlow is available in a 250-lumen backpacking size and a 500-lumen car camping size. Both replace that clinical output with what BioLite calls ChromaReal technology. It delivers a Colour Rendering Index of 90 or higher. As a result, it produces broad-spectrum light that shows true colours and reveals surface textures clearly in low light.
Features Worth Knowing in the Field
The 3,000K warm-spectrum output mimics a flame or a home living room. That avoids the eye strain that comes with cooler LEDs and preserves natural night vision. It suits reading in a swag tent or winding down after a long day outdoors. Additionally, single-sided lighting lets users shut off one half of the lantern. That directs light forward for a walk to the camp facilities or cooking at the stove, without blinding anyone sitting opposite. For convenience, built-in accelerometers let users shake the unit to cycle through candlelight flicker or dynamic colour modes. That works well for an evening around the card table or as a kids’ nightlight in the tent. Furthermore, the 6,400 mAh power bank gives the unit a second job entirely. It carries enough charge to revive a dead smartphone, headlamp or GPS unit via USB-out. On remote outback sites or extended four-wheel-drive trips, that backup power is genuinely worth having.
For the best result in camp, hang the lantern upside down from a tent ceiling loop using the integrated base hook, dialled into dimmed single-sided warm mode. The glow spreads evenly across the tent interior without glare and holds for up to 200 hours on the lowest setting, which covers even a long Aussie road trip without needing a recharge mid-trip.
What Tradies and Builders Should Take From This
These two units point to something bigger than an upgrade in camping kit. As rechargeable, multi-functional gear becomes the norm for Australian outdoor users, the spaces that are built to accommodate that gear will be the ones clients come back to. Several practical takeaways stand out for anyone in the building and construction space.
First, alfresco designs benefit from USB-C charging points near entertaining areas. Australian campers and clients will run this gear through long summer evenings and want somewhere to top it up. Second, the preference for 3,000K warm-spectrum light in portable gear makes a strong case for matching colour temperatures in fixed outdoor lighting. That way the whole space feels considered rather than piecemeal. Third, spatial repellent devices reduce reliance on fixed screens, zappers and chemical treatments. Consequently, that frees up design flexibility in open-plan outdoor layouts that suit the Australian climate. Finally, recommending proven gear as part of an outdoor build package adds real value. It demonstrates the kind of hands-on knowledge that sets a good tradie apart.
The Bottom Line for the Aussie Outdoors
Gas lanterns and citronella coils got the job done for a long time. Even so, the current generation of rechargeable gear does it better, combining a 6-metre mozzie-free zone, true-colour warm lighting, phone charging and flight-safe batteries into two pieces of kit that fit in a day bag. For builders and tradies working on Australian outdoor spaces, the practical message is clear: clients already own this technology or will shortly. Designs that include charging access, compatible lighting and open flexible layouts will serve those clients well through every season. The tradies who understand this gear today will be specifying better outdoor environments tomorrow.
