When you’re camping, darkness isn’t just scary, it can be dangerous too. That’s why every experienced camper knows the importance of having a dependable lantern in their pack. It’s why I’ve written more than a few articles on the importance of bringing a lantern with you.
Another article worth writing is one specifically focused on the LE LED model. It’s one that you can find on any campground these days due to its quick adoption and loyal fans out there. For that reason, it’s worth looking at in more detail!
Right off the bat, the LE LED Camping Lantern promises a powerful 1000 lumen light in a compact and price-effective package.
The company also claims that the unit is fully waterproof, lasts up to 25 hours on one set of batteries, has four brightness settings and provides a full 360-degree field of brightness from it’s LED. At first glance, the lightweight lantern seems like an ideal to be included as part of camping, survival or emergency kit.
But, is it a good fit for your camping pack? Let’s go into more detail
What I Like
I was instantly impressed by the LE LED Camping Lantern the moment it turned on. True to the claims, this tiny little light has a far more powerful glow than you would expect. Because the light coming from the lantern is soft white, it’s also very easy on the eyes. That feature, in particular, is nice, because we’ve all had a flashlight pointed at our eyes where w went instantly blind for a few seconds. I found the light much more pleasant for that reason.
The design of the lantern is also quite impressive, featuring enough different hooks and configurations to make this lantern helpful in just about any situation where additional light is required, especially where space is tight. I also liked how intuitive the lantern was to operate with only a single button to turn the lantern on and switch between the brightness settings.
At first, the different brightness settings did not seem like a huge selling feature, but after trying out the lantern, I couldn’t have been more wrong. It’s this variety of brightness settings that really make the LE LED Camping Lantern the “Swiss Army Knife” of lanterns. I’ve just never seen a tiny lantern that can do all the same jobs this one can.
The brightest setting unleashes the full power of the lantern’s 1000 lumen LED. To be clear, this setting is only for heavy-duty jobs or while walking around outside in the middle of the night. At this brightness, the lantern will keep a medium-sized room or an outdoor camping site well lit.
For closer quarters, the “warm” setting dims the light to about 700 lumens. This is the absolute perfect setting for inside a tent at night. The soft white glow is actually warmer and more inviting than standard incandescent light bulbs. This setting is perfect for reading.
While most of the time, you will operate the lantern in one of the two main modes above, the other two settings certainly have their place as well. The “dim” setting is perfect for ambient light at night. Using about 30% of the lantern’s power, this makes an ideal nightlight. The “Flash” setting allows the lantern to be used as a beacon or signal, greatly increasing its value in an emergency situation.
The last thing I really appreciated about the LE LED Camping lantern was how small and lightweight it was. This makes it an ideal addition not only to every camper’s gear but also in every home’s emergency preparation kit.
What I don’t
The biggest drawback of the LE LED Camping Lantern is that it’s not made to be a permanent source of light. While this little powerhouse can operate on three D-size batteries for longer than comparable lanterns, no option to plug it into an electrical socket means that having this lantern on always means draining batteries. You also might prefer solar camping lanterns for this reason.
Another thing I would have really appreciated is the ability of the lantern to collapse. Some of the competitors have lanterns that can collapse down into small disks when not in use. It’s a great space-saving trick that I appreciate when these lanterns can get to be a little bulky.
There are some online reviews indicating that some lanterns have arrived defective. I did not experience this issue and the lanterns I tested were in working order.
Finally, the lantern can get warm after running for several hours and there have been some reports of some of the plastic components of the lantern melting after extended use, though this complaint was very rare.
Who is this perfect for?
If you are a camper, you probably want to get yourself at least one of these lanterns right away. You simply aren’t going to find another lantern that outputs this much light, while simultaneously being so light, small and easy to carry. The unique combination of hooks and clips also ensures that you will be able to hang or mount this lantern in virtually any way you need in order to get your job done.
This product is also perfect for anyone putting together an emergency preparedness kit for their home. It’s hard to imagine a more useful source of light during a power outage than theLE LED Camping Lantern. There are certain products that aren’t meant to be used all the time but are absolute lifesavers in the right situation. This lantern certainly falls into that category.
In short, if you can see yourself in a situation where you need bright, solid light and you might not have access to an electrical outlet, this is the perfect lantern for you.
My Verdict
After putting the lantern through its paces I am still quite impressed. The LE LED Camping Lantern is our top pick for portable lighting for camping or outdoor use. The fact that it only operates on D-sized batteries makes it impractical for home use, but this lantern packs such a punch in such a compact package that we’re confident that you’ll want to have it as part of your gear for camping or emergency preparation.
See you at the camp site!
