Brunton Glorb LED XB Lantern

This lantern has a minaturized design based upon a traditional lantern, but with the LED elements and light diffuser substituting for the traditional bulb or flame element. I carried it on a 4 day backpacking trip stuffed in a pack and it was sufficiently durable. The globe/lens is polycarbonate plastic, which is light and shatterproof but can scratch easily (I carried it in a sock to prevent this). The switch is easy to press on but is recessed enough to prevent inadvertent activation in the pack. With 4 AA batteries it is heavier than an LED headlamp, but it does not provide the same light output as a good Petzl or Princeton Tec lamp. The light is a familiar cool bluish-white LED tone. It is diffuse and casts about a circular area, but because the LEDs are recessed below the internal light globe and the lantern relies upon a top reflector to disperse the light the light output is limited to an area of the height of the circular outer globe. Lighting above and below the lantern is limited, and in the same plane as the light glare of the LEDs off the reflector can be a problem. On the high setting, while seated at a table using the lantern one can read or write if the paper is situated right next to it, but not much of the page is covered. The light output is best for standing over the light on a table or the ground while dishing out food or laying out pack contents, and it also provides a pleasant and adequate amount of background light for eating. It works fairly well as a tent light for everyone to bed down for the night, and also as a beacon to light the tent for returning to it easily after a short nocturnal trip away from the campsite. The lowest setting is of little use except as a beacon. The fold-out feet are easy to pull out and provide adequate stability. I would definitely recommend an LED headlamp as a first choice, and would consider this lantern to be a relatively small luxury for the trail. Though it requires no volatile fuels and is easy to pack, if you need more than supplemental or background light consider a larger or liquid fueled lantern.