Re: [Paddlewise] LED Camp Lantern

Yeah, let us know how it works out. I looked around too for something 
wilderness/backcountry/kayak-tripping worthy earlier this week but came up 
empty handed. See, I was off camping with the family north of Campbell River 
in the Sayward canoe route area of central Vancouver Island this past week. 
I have two Princeton-Tec headlamps, one an LEDand one with an incandesant 
bulb. Couldn't pry either one of them off either daughters head at night 
during reading time in the tents, so drove out to Spinners and picked up a 
Northstar propane lantern in frustration (I usually travel light family 
camping). Can't use lanterns in tents though, but lots of light for the camp 
chair reading enthusiast outside. Picked up a propane tent heater too - was 
rainy and cold - though the girls stole that too for their tent. Catalytic 
heater is fine in confined places. Well, I used to travel light. :-)

BTW, I noticed an incredible perfusion of kayak craft this year throughout 
the lakes - far out numbering canoes. Everyone and his dog had a kayak. I've 
been sick for two months with abdominal problems (was down to 160), so 
didn't get much kayaking in. Kids kayaked sun-up to sun-down (when it wasn't 
raining). Hiked out on the Ripple Rock Trail. Seymour Narrows was ebbing at 
11 knots - awesome whirlpools. Saw a fishboat go sideways for five minutes 
(displacement hull). We called off the Nootka Island portion of our vacation 
this weekend. Just a little too wet.

Got any devices that make the sunlight come on, Craig?

Doug L (whimping-out in my older years)



>I like to read at night but my wife likes to just roll over and go right to
> sleep. We've managed to get through 33 years of marriage by living with 
> this
> situation but when we're camping and I use my LED headlamp for reading she
> gets annoyed because every time I turn or change my head position the 
> light
> in the tent changes. She would prefer I use a lantern even though it 
> lights
> up more of the tent because at least it's constant but our only lantern is 
> a
> flourescent model and is large and bulky making it inconvenient for
> backpacking or kayaking.
>
> With the proliferation of LED lights (flashlights, headlamps, etc) I have
> been expecting low-cost camping lanterns to appear in the sporting-goods
> sections of the local department stores. The other day I looked at Big 5
> (nada) and then Wal-Mart (bingo!).
>
> The Wal-Mart here is offering several LED lanterns from about $25 to under
> $50. I chose a "Garrity" (is there someone in China named Garrity?) 20 LED
> model for about $42 and brought it home to test it. The key, of course, is
> whether I can read in bed by the light.
>
> This particular lantern has some nifty features. There are several methods
> for re-charging: 1) add new AA batteries (3 come with the unit); 2) Use 
> the
> provided DC charger from your cigarette lighter plug; 3) Use the provided 
> AC
> charger in your house; and, 4) Use the hand-crank. The last one is
> particularly handy for kayakers and was instrumental in the choice.
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