Goal Zero Lighthouse Micro Charge Lantern

The ultimate EDC flashlight/lantern? It’s great for backpacking/camping, that’s for sure. The Lighthouse Micro Charge is a minimalist, portable yet powerful dual-use light with an USB outlet to double as an emergency power bank (hence the Charge in its name).

The Lighthouse Mini Charge is a versatile piece of gear that gets a lot of use on every kind of trip. Besides working very well for nocturnal backpacking and camping tasks, it can charge external devices (with limitations) and will make for a great EDC light, too. All in all, I’d give it 9 as a lantern, 7 as a flashlight, and 6 as a backup charger. Not bad, not bad at all. 

It’s small and lightweight but relatively powerful, especially in lantern mode where it pumps out 150 lumens (120 lumens in flashlight mode). All modes have adjustable brightness though there’s no memory function; it will return to default (brightest) once turned off and on again. Pushing the small green button located on top cycles between modes and adjusts output. 

The switch button is small and low-profile, and shaped just like the battery indicator on the other side of the flashlight LED cover, making it harder to locate using the fingers, particularly if wearing gloves. Each push cycles it through the modes: Flashlight > Lantern (full) > Lantern (half). Keeping it pushed changes brightness down then up. 

Modes and light:

Lantern has two modes, first is what I call “full” with all the LEDs ON. Mode 2 turns half the LEDs off, keeping a half-circle of small LEDs shining. This is great to save power and still offers very decent illumination. The small dome has frosted plastic and throws a soft, white-ish light around. It’s perfect to cook, read, or do other stuff especially inside or around the tent.

Light is a pleasant, white-ish 3800K for the lantern and a warmer 3000K for the flashlight. I prefer it was the other way around, i.e. a whiter flashlight and a warmer lantern. The lantern light is not unpleasant, but the flashlight is a bit too yellow. It can reach a good 20-30m though, which is more than enough for regular use. 

Extra features: 

There’s a folding ring at the top to hang it inside the tent or onto something else, and it also comes with a small carabiner. The bottom part has the USB plug that folds inwards, and another USB outlet to charge external devices. Both are open and subject to dirt and water, though I read somewhere that IPX is around 6 so it should resist some humidity and a bit of dust. I prefer not to take chances and treat it with care though. 

Other specs are: 

• Small handheld flashlight format - 4.4 inches / 3oz. with included 18650 battery
• 9.62Wh/2600mAh recharger will charge your smartphone one time (depending on phone capacity), or run on low lantern or flashlight for over 100 hours
• Recharges from a USB power source (works irregularly with solar panels)
• Built-in battery indicator light on top
• USB output port is 5V, up to 1A (5W max)
• Max brightness of 150 lumens (lantern) and 120 lumens (Flashlight) with fully charged battery (average 135 lumens for the lantern)

Using as charger:

Charging capacity is somewhat limited (2600mAh battery) but will get an empty smartphone or headlamp some juice to keep going. It won’t move the needle much on more powerful devices such as tables, though. It can charge while in use, i.e. LEDs on. That will eat through the battery and you see the small blue LEDs of the indicator going off. 

When used only as a lantern/flashlight, though, it’s extremely frugal. I can use it in multiple trips before I have to recharge it. Sometimes it won’t even show a blue LED going blank. Pretty impressive. 

Charging is normal, not super fast nor slow. I prefer to use slow, low capacity chargers (5V/0.5 or 1A max) to charge it so not to push the Li-Ion battery too much. Slow charging is good for longevity of Lithium rechargeables. It can be charged by solar panels though I’ve found that to be inconsistent. Sometimes it will work, others it will go crazy and stop charging. I have no idea why.

Background

I’m a sucker for flashlights, lanterns, and lights in general, not just for backpacking or camping but also night bike riding (on and off road) and emergency/survival as well.

I’ve found the Goal Zero Lighthouse Mini Charger to be inexpensive, compact, and lightweight enough to fit anywhere, be that a backpack, an EDC, or a glove compartment. To the point that I’m purchasing a couple more to keep one always close.