All set to camp

With all of the camping my boys do in Boy Scouts, we have a lot of different styles of lanterns in the cabinet. Since I have so many, I decided it wouldn't hurt to pick up a few extras for prizes for the Scouts for fundraising. This set has four lanterns in it, so it was the perfect pack to pick up to start out the prize bin.

These lanterns are similar to one I have in the cabinet that I like to use when I am camping, but much smaller and more compact. They collapse in on themselves when not in use and you pop the top up when you want to use light. I like the fact that you don't have to pop it all the way up to get light from it, though. You can only open it part way and switch it on, limiting the amount of light you use.

Though smaller, they are a bit heavier and bulkier than some of the other light weight lanterns we have, so might not be the best choice for the boys when camping. Of course, they might be a great addition to the patrol boxes since you never know who might need light on a campout. But if you are a car camper and have tubs, this is a great addition. They are small enough to easily fit in your supply tub or bag, but not bulky or cumbersome. And having four of them makes it possible to light up more areas or use them in different tents.

They have magnets on the bottom that you can use to attach to things (you can even hang them upside down on the inside of a metal cover) so work great for sheds and other tight spaces. They also have a hook on the bottom you can pull out to hang them from. It seemed strange to me to hang a lantern from the bottom, letting the top pop down instead of up, but works just the same.

They are quite bright for being such a small lantern and work great. They are battery operated, requiring 3 double A batteries to power them up. If this was solar powered, it would be perfect. But the boys are used to dealing with batteries, especially when it comes to the convenience of a small, compact light that is bright and powerful.