This one is for Brian over at www.thewannabehomesteader.com. Thanks for the request! (My video review at the bottom)
Brian wanted to know about it, and I realized I’d not reviewed that lantern yet. (It’s funny how I can find something that REALLY works for me, incorporate it into my life, then forget all about it, even though I know its there when I need it. While I’m at it, I apologize to my friends and family, as I’m sure I do it to them as well. Sorry about that!)
The wife and I like to camp. Most times, it’s about as close as I can get to being Daniel Boone, someone I’ve admired most of my life. It allows me to work on my fire building, campfire cooking, spoon carving, wild edibles foraging, and various other things I normally don’t get the time to do. But the day tends to end when the sun goes down while camping. We’ve looked for years trying to find a decent light source.
I’m not a fan of the Coleman gas lanterns, although I know how well they can work. The fuel is messy, I tend to spill it, and the wife gets mad at me. I know my weaknesses, and gas lanterns play directly into several, so I avoid liquid fuel lanterns.
The wife likes to enjoy the evenings around the camp, so I have tried seven different light options, mostly LED lanterns, and none have stood up the the use and abuse I dish out. Each would last for a trip or two, then break, stop working, or once, fell apart from dropping off a picnic table. We needed something that worked, and was more robust.
We finally found it in the Coleman 4D CPX 6 Classic LED Lantern (now redesigned as of Jan 2013-ish). I was VERY hesitant to drop $30 on yet another LED light doomed to fail, but we needed something for an upcoming camping trip, so I tried it. The performance of the 4 “D” batteries was impressive. The sturdiness, while not made of solid metal, was sturdy enough for my needs. The amount of light generated was also beyond my expectations.
My only real complaint was the fact that it needed “D” batteries, something we don’t normally stock.
Like gun calibers, I try to keep as few options as needed. This means I don’t have a large number of different calibers, I try to keep all my firearms in as few calibers as possible. I try to do the same with batteries, keeping all battery requirements to “AA” and “AAA” only. It just makes things simple when stocking up.
So I looked into the CPX product line, and found they offered a CPX Rechargeable Power Cartridge. Perfect! Well, almost. If I had any complaint, it would be that they do not offer a power cartridge in lithium batteries. This would extend run time and also cut the weight by more than half.
I liked the CPX Rechargeable Power Cartridges so much, I bought two of them. The original “D” battery cartridges are for backups now. We keep the rechargeable cartridges charged up, and they sit next to the lantern. We keep the lantern centrally located in the living room on a computer hutch. Throughout the house, we have emergency lighting provided by four plug-in Energizer Weather Ready flashlights. They can act as nightlights, or sit until a power failure, then turn on like emergency lighting, allowing us to get to the REAL lights.
But more on the will be saved for a future post.
Peace,
db
Notes:
Coleman 4D CPX 6 Classic LED Lantern utilizes a Cree® XLamp® XR-E LED to kick out 190 lumens on high setting and 100 lumens on low.
Diffuser tube creates perfect illumination.
Runtime: 25 hours on high, 60 hours on low.
Weather resistant construction.
Runs on four D batteries (not included).
Compatible with the CPX Rechargeable Power Cartridge (sold separately)
No fumes No wicks, fuel, pumping, etc
Great for emergencies or camping
A nice soft light
The CPX Rechargeable Power Cartridge are compatible with at least 16 different lights, including spotlights, flashlights, and lanterns; a couple fans, an airbed pump, an air pump, and an electronics recharging station.
My video review:
Nice review. I’ve been looking for something like that. Where did you get the lantern and the power cartridge?
I got that particular lantern from WalMart….the batteries I got online, probably Amazon or ebay
Very nice. great review. I’m glad you did too, I had no idea it had a rechargeable pack.
Do you know if it’s a 12 volt system? I assume so with the car charger????
Because if it is….I’m wiring one of those plug in packs to a 12 volt deep cycle battery….turn the 25 hours into 125 hours….lol…hook a solar powered trickle charger to that battery….endless light.
I can dream, can’t I. 😀
its a 6 volt system…and I’ve already got a couple solar panels, and the means to charge the battery packs from the 12v solar setup. The battery packs come with a cigarette lighter adapter (cuts the 12v down to 6v), simply wire it in, or in my case, plug it into the 12v receptacle I’ve got already.
Endless light is a GOOD thing…to keep the wife happy 🙂
Ask me how I know that 😛
BTW, thanks for the shout out…;-)
Hey man, I wanted to add you to my blogroll. If you’re cool with that what section should I add your blog to- “Real Homesteaders” or “Prepping”?
Either…I’m both 🙂
Probably more prepping, as I”m about maxed out on the homesteading…wife has put her foot down 😛
maxed out on the homesteading?? whyyy???
I live in town, 1/4 acre lot. I have 5 raised beds for gardening. I raise ducks, rabbits, quail and chickens. I have a several fruit trees scattered across the yard. I have a 12v two-panel solar setup I use to power a fan for the rabbits and a pump for my aquaponics setup I’m in the process of finishing (stay tuned!).
I just don’t know what else I can incorporate that I can get away with between the wife and the local zoning. I’l love to have a couple goats (milk & meat) and/or pot-bellied pigs (to eat, of course), but cannot justify then due to limited space.
We already can, dehydrate, lacto-ferment, and freeze our excess. We harvest wild fish (including lobsters, crabs, and shellfish), game, plants and fruits.
Maybe “maxed out” isn’t the right phrase…maybe I should say I just don’t have any more room for advancement, and feel homesteading is a constant evolution…
Or maybe it’s just that I dislike labels 🙂 I think homesteaders ARE preppers! But preppers aren’t necessarily homesteaders. WE are simply more self reliant and self sufficient than most. You pigeon-hole me as you see fit, any publicity is still publicity 🙂
Great answer. You’re doing awesome. Yeah, I have some reservations about labels as well but I’d say you are more a homesteader..