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Coleman Exponent 4AA Pack-Away Lantern

rated 4.0 of 5 stars
photo: Coleman Exponent 4AA Pack-Away Lantern battery-powered lantern

While not ultra light, this collapsible lantern provides good wide area lighting. Good for those times when a static, area light is better than a headlamp.

Pros

  • Packs small
  • Good light
  • Auto shut off when fully collapsed

Cons

  • Weight 8.3 oz including 4AA batteries

At 8.3 oz (Coleman says 8.0) this is not for minimalists, but for those who like to have the ability to light up an area this lantern may be worth the weight. Features include High/Low/Strobe settings and an automatic shut off when fully collapsed which is great for preventing accidentally burning out the batteries. 

Manufacturer claims High: 105 lumens, up to 5 hours of runtime Low: 68 lumens, up to 13 hours of runtime Emergency strobe: up to 40 hours of runtime and provides a 3 year warranty.

The single LED provides a good amount of light due to a well designed reflector system.  I purchased the lantern two years ago and have yet to replace the batteries despite using it on multiple backpacking trips as well as several car camping trips with the family.

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Fully collapsed the lantern measures 3.125 H" x 2.5" W x 1.75" D


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Fully expanded the lantern is 4.75" H


It comes with the minibiner making it easy to hang from a tree, shelter or even a gear loft tab inside a tent.  Light can be muted by mostly collapsing the unit leaving only a small opening for light to escape.

The unit continues to expand/collapse smoothly after several years of use.  It has been exposed to rainy conditions but never submerged as well as mud and grit.

I would recommend this lantern to anyone who prefers to have the ability to light up an area and is willing to carry it.  The size and weight make it too large for minimalists but for family trips, setting up a late camp or a midnight latrine run it can be a very useful tool

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $15.90

Compact light with a punch.

Pros

  • Durable
  • Bright for its size
  • Storage

Cons

  • Dark and bright bands in light distribution (not a deal breaker though)
  • Plastic lens scratches easily

If you're looking for a small compact light, this won't disappoint you. This small light will perform just as good if not better then some other lights to this size or a bit bigger and it doesn't break the bank. Works great for camping, sitting on the deck, power outages, etc.

I own several of these little guys cause several of these going at once makes terrific lighting. Totally recommend this product.

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $29

Okay, so I had considered fuel-powered mantle lanterns, candle powered, and led. Then I saw this one on sale and had to have it.

It is compact, very durable with a hard rubber finish all around, and extremely bright. I would not dispute the 105 lumen claim (on high-has low, high, and flashing modes).

The built in hanger loop functions perfectly, it is water resistent (light rain exposure for 15 minutes), and runs on plain ol' AA's (included!). I will replace with rechargeables when the duracells run out.

It isn't the lightest out there for the size, but I have not seen anything nearly as bright without being twice as big. Incredible power. It does not provide the ambiant, even glow of a mantle lantern, but for an led lantern, it is very impressive.

Price Paid: $19

This is a very bright and portable lantern. It feels a tad heavy in your hand, but what it affords you easily makes up for it.

It does develop a few dark spots and bands, but I do not at all find this bothersome. It is impressively bright, the advertised 105 lumens seems to be pretty accurate. As a self described "flashaholic" I can honestly say this is the finest portable lantern I have used.

The price is typical of Coleman, very affordable. Competitors start theirs around $55, and do not seem quite as bright. It also shuts off automatically once closed. If you want to save a little weight go with the 123a model, but it is smaller and more expensive (not to mention 123a battery prices!).

Price Paid: $34

I was on the hunt for a moderately priced led lamp. I found this and liked the compacting feature a lot. It saves space and protects the globe when packed. The 95 lumens on high is great and the 65 on low is quite adequate for playing cards, cooking or checking a campguide.

The best part is that it uses AA batteries. This is the best part since all my battery equipment uses these, keeping me from having to carry lots of weight by carrying all types of batteries. I rated it at 4 stars because nothing is perfect.

Price Paid: $37.99

The build and engineering on this lantern is excellent. It is compact and easy to use, suitable for mounting in different ways.

Unfortunately the light distribution was very uneven. The design of the protective plastic shroud caused distortion and a series of light bands (dark and bright lines) from the sides of the unit. This was distracting and irritating to the point that I returned the unit.

Given that this is a battery powered LED unit, perhaps the product would be better without the shroud.

Price Paid: $34

Great little light for the money. Light weight and doesn't take up much room in the pack, which in my case is very important because I tend to carry everything in my pack and usually end up having too much weight. The batteries last a good length of time and secondly, this little unit sure beats the gas models by far. A+

Price Paid: $35

I'm a Boy Scout and use this light every campout on my tent. It shines plenty of light everywhere in the tent. I can't go on a camping trip without it!

If it doesn't say this in the description, the lantern has three modes. High, Low, and Flashing. I love this little thing and it works really well!

Price Paid: $40

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Specs

Price MSRP: $34.99
Historic Range: $19.97-$34.99
Reviewers Paid: $15.90-$40.00
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