How do I unlock the Horse Lantern in Red Dead Online?

Unlocking the Horse Lantern in Red Dead Online is a valuable upgrade that enhances nighttime gameplay by providing illumination for your horse. This feature is particularly useful for navigating dark trails, avoiding obstacles, and spotting enemies or animals in low-light conditions. To unlock the Horse Lantern, you must progress through the Naturalist role, which is one of the specialized roles available in Red Dead Online.\n\nTo begin, you need to purchase the Naturalist role. Visit Harriet Davenport, the Naturalist role NPC, who can be found at her tent in locations such as MacFarlane''s Ranch, Lagras, or Strawberry. You must pay 25 Gold Bars to unlock the role. If you don''t have enough Gold Bars, you can earn them by completing daily challenges, participating in events, or selling items to the Fence.\n\nOnce you have the Naturalist role, you need to rank it up to Rank 5. This requires completing Naturalist-specific activities such as sampling animals, selling samples to Harriet, and completing her missions. Sampling animals involves using the Sedative Varmint Rifle to tranquilize animals and then collecting their samples with a syringe. Selling these samples to Harriet will earn you Naturalist XP and help you progress through the ranks.\n\nReaching Rank 5 unlocks the Horse Lantern as a purchasable item. To equip it, visit any Stable in the game. The Horse Lantern costs $350 in-game dollars, so ensure you have enough funds. If you''re short on cash, consider completing missions, hunting, or trading to earn money quickly. Once purchased, the Horse Lantern can be equipped to any horse in your stable.\n\nA common challenge players face is the time investment required to rank up the Naturalist role. To speed up the process, focus on sampling larger animals like deer, elk, or bears, as they provide more XP per sample. Additionally, completing Harriet''s Legendary Animal missions can yield significant XP rewards. These missions are unlocked as you progress through the Naturalist role and involve tracking and sampling rare animals.\n\nAnother tip is to use the Wilderness Camp fast travel feature, which becomes available at Naturalist Rank 5. This allows you to quickly travel to Harriet''s locations, saving time when turning in samples. Combining this with efficient hunting routes can maximize your XP gains and reduce the grind.\n\nIn summary, unlocking the Horse Lantern requires investing in the Naturalist role, ranking it up to Rank 5, and purchasing the lantern at a Stable. While the process can be time-consuming, focusing on high-XP activities and utilizing game mechanics like the Wilderness Camp can streamline your progress. The Horse Lantern is a worthwhile upgrade for any player looking to enhance their nighttime adventures in Red Dead Online.