LED Lanterns

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Trail Snail

Tenderfoot
Mar 27, 2009
63
12
Wales
Are they all much of a muchness?

There seems to be a vast array and range of prices, but aren't they essentially just LEDs, batteries and a switch inside a housing.

I'm after one for sitting round a barbecue (we never slum it) at the end of a day's hunting, and apart from being resistant to light drizzle/damp air and emitting sufficient light, i don't really need it to do anything else.

Is there any reason why a cheapish (e.g. £5 or so) lantern would not be up to the job?
 

Riven

Full Member
Dec 23, 2006
428
135
England
LED's are up there with ipods as mans greatest achievements in my view. We use them in the home as well as outdoors and have a variety of lamps mostly cheap ones which means if broken or damaged they are no problem to replace.
Riven.
 

Squidders

Full Member
Aug 3, 2004
3,853
15
48
Harrow, Middlesex
Sometimes there is a price hike just for a name... but...

Things that make some more expensive... better LED emitter... not only brighter but a light that is a good colour is desirable.
Better switches will give more years of service.
Better case construction will resist drops and scrapes better.
Better after sales support for when things do break.

Some of the cheaper ones are just as you describe, a cheap LED, in a cheap case with a cheap switch. They often have clear, not opaque / frosted glass and don't disperse light well. They fail quickly and are poorly supported.

You can get lucky of course and get good quality for peanuts.

What sort of radius do you intend to light up and how bright? I was shown a BRILLIANT (pun intended!) solution...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00QX096L0

Coupled with a USB battery phone charger and you have a really good light that will run for hours and hours.
 

Trail Snail

Tenderfoot
Mar 27, 2009
63
12
Wales
Hi

Thanks for the replies.

In terms of radius, literally to light up the area in which we cook and eat so that we can see what we are doing, so about 2-3m or so.
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,664
McBride, BC
I see the value as the LED is a very efficient device to convert power into light. Very little power, longer life, for the light you see.

We have not had a total power failure for more than 3 weeks.
LED lights go a long way to extending my storage battery capacity.
Of course, we never know if the fail will be 20 minutes or 8 hours.
At night, mid-winter, windy and -25C outside, it is food for thought.
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,664
McBride, BC
My best LED light looks a little like a flower vase with a metal cap. All I have to do is find it and touch the top to turn it on, 3 levels of brightness.
I can carry it around by the neck to get everything else up and running. (Inverter, pellet stove, etc).

I keep it in the bathroom as there are no obstacles like furniture to stumble over in any hallway leading to said room!
 

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