Q:

How can I improvise a camping lantern from my flashlight?

It's a waste of money to buy a camping lantern, especially in COVID19 when I have to save money, if I improvise my flashlight as a camping lantern. My flashlight comes with a shoulder strap.
I booked the campsite, but the park can't guarantee which exact campsite I'll get. So even if my camp site has a tree, it may not have accessible branches for me to hang my flashlight.
I'm thinking of mounting my flashlight on my sedan's roof, but how? My sedan has no roof racks, and again it's a waste of money to buy those too just for camping. Any other ideas?
To avoid accusations of marketing, I deliberately don't exhibit the manufacturer or model of my flashlight and sedan, but I can type them out them upon request. Doubtless I must turn off my sedan, and can't use its headlights to illumine.

A:

Have you thought about making a simple Milk Jug Lantern or similar? Find a clear or slightly opaque bottle of the light colour you want (a milk jug works perfectly for white light, but maybe a clear nalgene bottle with the wider mouth might fit your flashlight better). Fill the bottle with water and strap the flashlight to the side (or balance it on top in the case of the Nalgene). The light fills the bottle and refracts outwards in all directions.
examples found online: 
For the Nalgene I was thinking of something like this, you could just balance your flashlight on top instead of the purchased lantern

A:

How can I improvise my flashlight for camping?
Try using a magnetic similar to the one in this image:

Simply lay down a thick piece of felt between the magnet and your car to avoid scratching the paint. Once the magnet is in place, you can tie your flashlight to the magnet.
Magnets are commonly used to hold beacon lights on the roof of cars and trucks.

A:

This is a problem we have never thought of!  Even on the rare occasions when we split up  so there was only one person at the camp, that person managed OK, albeit it awkwardly, by using a (drumroll !)  hand.  Occasionally, that person might have to prop the flashlight up on the ground or a flat rock or on the pack with small rocks or clothes.
With two people, a hand works without any problem, with three left over.  Also, a hand is easy to pack in, involves no extra weight, and cannot be forgotten or mislaid.
I admire your decision to use minimum equipment; it is much more satisfying, and if extended to other backpacking items, will save time, hassle, money and weight dealing with objects that are not really essential for safety or comfort.  I apologize if my answer seems flip or sarcastic -- I didn't mean it to be.

