outside a sporting goods store sale today there was one of these on their "free - take what you want, don't be greedy" table.

Luci - solar lantern

a solar lantern. 4 oz. 10 led. 15 sq ft of light - sure lit up our closet at home when we tried it! 6 - 12 hrs from a full charge. collapses to 1" in height. inflatable. waterproof. two light levels + flashes too.

i rarely get excited about a product - but this sure seems to be the answer to a lot of issues.

oh. they're selling on line @ $14.95.

i had never heard of them and can't wait to field test it tomorrow night on an overnight backpack.

i have -0- relationship with the company. i was just that impressed that i had to bring it to the group.

Interesting product - let us know how it does on your overnight. Could you do the same with solar panels, rechargeable batteries and conventional battery powered lanterns? I have been accumulating Goal Zero products and they seem to work well. Any comparisons?

It's a heck of a lot less expensive than Waka Waka's solar light and recharging devices http://www.getwakawaka.com/ (I was a Kickstarter backer of Waka Waka but have no other relationship with them).

this product works as advertised.

con - it did not seem to light up quite as large an area as your typical backpack lantern, but a very minor issue at best.

pro - it is a more subdued light vs the glow from the backpacker's lantern.

pro - cost is about 1/2 of the backpacker's lantern.

pro - not as heavy as the smaller lantern which needs three aaa batteries to make it work.

con - if used as directed the leds are in the base and are quite bright if set on a table - as you are then staring down at the leds. turn it upside down and problem solved. however, it then does not sit flat as the air valve is on the bottom. minor issue.

probably best hung from tree branch - we didn't have any within five miles - or inside of a tent - we didn't have one of those either.

bottom line - for backpacking, camping or any type of off-the-grid use this product is well worth the $15.00.

and needs no batteries. ever.

I just received one of these as well. It gives a very good local illumination, not really intended for reading or things like that, but very useful. It is light, compact, and turned on right out of the package, so the power storage is pretty good. It has been sitting in my house for two days now with only artificial light available and it is still very bright. I will leave it inside for a few days more to see how well the battery stores power. I will then leave it turned on to see how long it stays on, then take it out to charge it up again. Seems practical to me.