The Economical Focusing Camp Lamp
Written: May 14 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: lightweight, versatile, easily stored
Cons: does have some lighting limits
The Bottom Line: A nice addition to a camp area or a house's emergency gear. Lightweight, "light" price tag.
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| GuisBuild's Full Review: Focusing Camp Lamp |
Among my camping gear you'll find this little lamp. It's not grand, to be sure, nor is it a "lantern" in the classical sense of the term. What it lacks in size, it makes up for in usability.
A bit of a preface here - we camp in a not-so-roughing-it sense of the term. Living in a 5th wheel is the version of camping I now find myself engaging in. A wife and a few children (and a dog) have changed me from a true tent-toting roughing it sort, to a more 'uppity' sort of camper. That said, even those of us who pull "hotels on wheels" need gear from time to time.
This Focusing Camp Lamp was easily found in the outdoor section of a mjoar big box retailer. (The one with the big red bullseye for a trademark.) It came home for two primary reasons:
1) It's lightweight. My youngest daughter loves to kick around a campsight carrying supplies and looking like someone just in from the backwoods. The plastic swing handle on this approximately 6" high light easily folds to one side or the other. When up and being carried about, it weighs only about 3 pounds - with batteries!
2) It's moderately small. Too small of a light would be completely unpractical - a novelty with no use. This light is small but sure does serve a purpose. Some approximate numbers:
- 3 pounds with batteries
- about 4 inches high with handle down, 6 inches with it up
- about 5 inch diameter which reflects the space it covers
Some additional features include a swing handle that works in conjunction with a metal stand. Both handle and stand can be used to prop the light on an angle, using the light as a sort of spot light on an angle or upright. The metal stand is actually a thin piece of metal which can be used to hang this light upside down.
A sliding plastic switch on the side of light allows for a couple of different beam adjustments. A krypton bulb is included with the purchase, though 4-D batteries will have to be purchased.
What you should not purchase this light for....underwater lighting (probably goes without saying). This one is water-proof as it perteains to getting rained on. That's about the extent.
If you would like a light that tends to radiate out a bit - that is for reading and the like - this may not be the best bet (unless you're handing it upside down). Consider a more traditional lantern for a light that comes out the sides.
In the end, this camp light is a nice addition to our storehouse of increasing camp gear. It's size and weight make it easily stored when not in use, and it's even better when thought of as something a camping child can utilize with ease. It's versatiliy makes it a good purchase for both camper and as part of a home's emergency kit.
It's not a big investment, but it does have big potential.
Recommended:
Yes
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GuisBuild
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Location: USA
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to a man with a hammer everything looks like a nail
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