A Little Closer To Heaven

After hearing all of the praises of this lantern, I had to get one for myself. I am a gadget fiend, so this was right up my alley. It’s a tiny, lightweight lantern with a rubber encasing that packs away (hence the name) into itself. It runs off of double A batteries and uses mirrors and LED lighting to illuminate a fairly large area.

I have to admit, when I opened this present on Christmas day, I got envious stares from all of the males in my grandparent’s house. And for good reason. It’s got a very sleek look to it, and it performs exceptionally well. The light really is surprisingly bright and powerful. The batteries last for quite a while, too. The only problem I have encountered after quite a few uses, is that it’s a little tough to pull the lantern out of it’s casing when it’s been packed away for a while. It also feels a little fragile even though it’s got a rubber casing around it. I’d be a little hesistant to drop it, even when it’s packed away. When it would get stuck, it felt like I was going to break it when I was pulling it out. It hasn’t happened yet…but we’ll see what happens in the future.

All in all, I’d have to give this product a B+. It’s a great alternative to heavier lanterns and the illumination is amazing. However, it has it’s flaws and it’s not EVERYTHING it was hyped up to be. That being said, it has a well-earned spot in my gear stash and will probably go with me on every backpacking trip because I haven’t ever seen a better performing, more lightweight lantern. I just wish it was a little more durable and opened smoother (though this could be just a problem with my particular lantern).

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