DIY The Perfect Reading Light On Your Next Camping Trip With This Common Kitchen Item

As the sun goes down on your campsite and you're settling in for the night, the darkness can feel total. Lanterns can be bulky to bring along on an already packed camping trip, especially if you're backpacking. Plus, they can be almost too bright for an enclosed space inside a tent. But if you bring along a plastic jug filled with water for drinking or washing, you can easily use that to double as a DIY light. Once you try it, it will be a must-have for your summer camping trip. 

To turn your milk jug into a lantern, you don't need a lot of extra items. Pack a brand-new distilled water jug or you can reuse an old milk jug. If you want to save yourself extra weight, you can bring an empty jug and fill it at your campsite. The great thing about this hack is that the jug can double as your drinking water, so you're not necessarily bringing along an extra item just to use as a light. You'll also need a source of light to make this hack work. The best option is a headlamp with a strap, such as the GearLight two-pack of LED headlamps, that you can easily secure to the jug. This DIY is easy for anyone to accomplish, whether you're roughing it in on a solo backpacking trip or camping in comfort at these luxurious glamping spots across the U.S.

There are many ways to use common items to solve a problem while camping, like using aluminum foil to save your flashlight on the trail or turning a milk jug into a lantern. With this simple hack, you can instantly turn your milk jug into a light in two seconds. Take your jug filled with water and wrap the headlamp's strap around its middle. On TikTok, user @outandbackoutoor shows how you simply turn the headlamp around to face into the jug to illuminate the water inside.

There's an alternative option to using a headlamp to light your milk jug, too. Taking a clean, empty jug, you can cut a wide enough opening in the spout to push a smaller flashlight down into the jug. The result is a similar bright yet diffused light. This option also doesn't require a full jug of water, which can save you extra weight to pack. 

A milk jug lantern is the ideal source of light for quiet activities in your tent after a long day spent hiking, fishing, and exploring. The soft, diffused light is comfortable for reading because it won't hurt your eyes or create strange shadows. It's also a great hack for parents camping with smaller kids who don't like the dark. This DIY light is safe enough to keep on for an extended time to help little ones fall asleep.