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Ozark Trail Fluorescent Camping Lantern

rated 2.0 of 5 stars

The Fluorescent Camping Lantern has been discontinued. If you're looking for something new, check out the best battery-powered lanterns for 2024.

For ten bucks, I wasn't sure if I'd like this light. But it costs me a tenner to find out. Why not?

The light was displayed "loose" at the camping section of Walmart. Didn't come with a fancy box, or instruction manual. The main thing that I liked, is that the lantern runs on D cells. So, I can mix and match with my mag lights, and other equipment. Cheaper than lantern batteries. Lasts longer than AA cells.

I brought the lantern home, and put in four cheap junk carbon batteries, from Dollar Tree. Screw the bottom back on, and turn the lantern right side up. The power switch is on the top. Some how, I'd expect a switch on the base some where.

The top unscrews, and the nine watt fluorescent tube lifts out easily for replacement. It may be same as Coleman tube, but I haven't tried it. The replacmeent tubes cost about as much as the entire ten dollar light, so I'd likely just buy another entire light.

Anyhow, turn the on switch. The light output was incredible. Really lit up the room. I found that with the lamp on a high shelf, it would light up the room easily well enough to walk around. By carrying the light by the handle, it lit the ground around me, so I could walk easily. The plastic ring around the top directs the light a very little bit. So that the light doesn't blind me as I'm walking along the trail. But lights up the ground so I can walk safely.

I didn't check the current draw, or the battery life. Of course, on the trail I'd use alkalines. Heavier, but the longer life is worth it. Alkalines last four times longer than cheap carbon cells.

Well worth ten bucks, in my opinion. For the cost of a $30 Coleman, I can get an Ozark and a life time supply of alkaline batteries.

Since the light doesn't burn fuel, it will run cool. So I can use it indoors in case of summer time power cut. When I don't want to use a fuel powered light. Got my ten bucks worth, easy.

Price Paid: $9.97

I was not a member of this site, but I'm glad I found it.

So I could complain about this lantern.

Mind you, I've got Ozark Trail inflatable mattresses, which work GREAT!!!, and some other equipment by this company, too.  I'm a 57-yr-old  "princess camper," which means I don't sleep on the ground anymore like I did 40 years ago, I use a fold-out bed with the air mattress; I want a tent I can STAND UP IN to move around; I have "kitchen stands" for my cookstove and BBQ/hibachi; and when I check out all my equipment the previous weekend and it all works, I expect it to work when I get to the campsite. 

Thank goodness I've been warned about NOT trusting Ozark Trail for lanterns. I thought it was something WE did wrong! Several other people camping with us took the lantern apart, swapped out different brands of batteries, made sure I hadn't cross-threaded it when I closed it. 

To make matters worse, we drove to the nearby WalMart AND BOUGHT ANOTHER ONE!!! So now I am the owner of TWO of these clunkers!  If anybody can find a way for me to complain directly to Ozark Trail (or whoever makes these lanterns for this label,) please email me attrekmamaleslie@gmail.com.  I thank you, in advance.

To the respondent who said he's got this lantern, and is depending on it during a power failure: dude/grrl, I will pray for you. I hope you don't live in one of the places here in the TriStateArea that suffered flooding this summer, or "the Halloween Snowstorm," and if you did, I hope the lantern didn't fail you.  But, I strongly suggest you not depend on it for your next emergency.

Price Paid: $10

This is a complete waste of money! Only used a few times and won't work properly. Tried new batteries and spent $13 buying a new bulb on Ebay!

Pros

  • Not a single thing!

Cons

  • Can't find replacement bulbs easily
  • It doesn't work 95% of the time

I should've read reviews on this! And wish I could complain directly to the company! Will NEVER purchase another one of their products!

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $10.95

This is a dangerously bad light. We bought it for use camping (our tent is from Ozark Trail and it's great) and it stopped working within 30 minutes.

We spent a night trying to fix it by flashlight after we got rained into our tent. Not fun. I fiddled with the battery contacts and it worked again. For a day. Until it died again. This time it was the bulb, which I kept having to twiddle with every time I turned it on. Then, one day, it stopped turning off. The battery finally died and we through it in the garbage.

Extremely poor construction! Do not buy!

Price Paid: $9.99

Our lantern worked great until it didn't. The bulb went out and haven't found a new one as of yet. It has a u-tube florescent bulb. And I matched the numbers on it to a new one in the store but while trying to install it, broke it. The new one is longer, too long, when tightening the top of the unit it hit the bottom and broke.

Price Paid: $10

This lantern works really well and the kids have enjoyed them. They came in different colors so each of the kids could tell which one was theirs.

The only drawback is that you cannot buy replacement bulbs for them - have looked everywhere! So when you consider buying it, think of it as a temporary.

Price Paid: $9.95

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Price Reviewers Paid: $9.95-$10.95

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