Coleman Exponent Pack-Away LED Lantern

Comments about Coleman Exponent Pack-Away LED Lantern:

I mainly want to give a different perspective then some of the other reviews written so far. I think this product deserves better credit and the lack of understanding from the consumer shall be addressed.

First of all, battery choice - I think Coleman made a great decision. CR123 is the most common battery choice for professional flash lights for several reasons:

1) It has a 10+ year shelve life. Not so for AA or AAA batteries (except the Lithium versions, which are equally, or more, expensive)

2) CR123 packs far more energy per ounce then common AA or AAA batteries: Lithium-based batteries have one of the highest energy-density, and of all the Lithium-based batteries, CR123 is by far the most popular.

3) CR123 has become far more common in the recent years. Since almost all professional flashlights now use CR123, you can find it in almost every camping store, grocery store (except they want an arm and a leg), and I've even seen them even in gas stations. There is no shortage of them if you need a few extra in a pinch.

4) There are even rechargeable CR123 on the market now; although I am not sure if this unit is capable of handling the voltage fluctuation (rechargeable CR123, even the 3V-rated version, can read as high as 3.9-4.0v when they are "fresh off the charger").

As you can see, the battery choice has great merits from a technology standpoint. There is a reason why all my camping flashlights (including my headlight) are now exclusively CR123. The only thing in my backpack that still use AA battery is my Garmin 60CSx... talk about technology going backwards!!

Next up, bulb. I saw a reviewer concerned about replacement bulbs. I think most of us already know, but it wouldn't hurt to mention again... LED bulbs are darn-near indestructible and is a great choice in itself.

1) Unlike old MAG Light bulbs, which tend to burn out at the most opportune moment, LED bulbs are commonly rated for 100,000 hours of useful life. That is 11+ years of running 24x7x365, or 137 years at 2 hours per day. Most of my LED flashlights will survive far longer then I go buy the farm!!

2) LED bulbs don't fail simply because you drop it etc. - they have no filament to break, and are virtually shock-proof. They can even mount them on guns (i.e. recoil-proof). To ruin a LED bulb, you will have to literally crush it into pieces. Therefore, looking for replacement bulbs are utterly pointless... You will have to replace the housing FAR sooner then any need to replace the bulb. As a matter of fact, it would not be unfair to say that "the most durable parts in this whole package is the bulb itself".

3) Cree is currently the state-of-the-art bulb manufacturer. I am glad that Coleman did not cut corner and ended up buying some cheaper, less powerful bulbs... because Cree is the top-performer in terms of light output per watt. Now, granted I doubt Coleman would be paying premium for the top-bin (Q4/Q5) XR-E bulbs (there are several different "level" of XR-E bulbs), but you can't go wrong with anything having a Cree name on it right now. Kudos to Coleman.

Ok, good things aside, I do have a couple minor complains (or else I would've given a 5-star rating). First of all, the light can really use another low-power mode. 100 lumens are waaaay too bright for anything inside a tent; even the low setting is plenty bright enough. It would be great to see a 3-way, 100/60/20 lumens settings - 100 when the whole boyscout camp is using this light to pitch their tents, 60 to light up a small camp site or around the fire ring, and 20 to use inside your tent. Plus, with modern electronic circuits, the efficiency should allow it to run in excess of 25 hours at 20 lumens - enough for a week-long trip with the light set to medium / high when pitching tents, and keep it low for several hours per night.

Secondly (and this is really nick-picking), I don't understand any product that use "odd" number of batteries. When you buy CR123, they almost always come in pair... and when you use rechargeable, most CR123 chargers can only charge 2 batteries at at time. So a 3-batteries setup would be quite inconvenience. I understand the triangle design of their light would be best suit for using 3x battery, but still its a minor inconvenience that I've been whining for years.

Finally, as compare to traditional fuel-based lanterns, LED lanterns cannot be used as a heat source. I used to have their first-generation eXponent lantern (the one you recharge butane into the base), and in a very cold night I can use the lantern to warm up my tent before going to sleep. Can't do that with the new LED lanterns anymore... but I guess it beats taking the risk of burning my tent down?

All in all, I think Coleman had indeed done their homework and have made several great choices in selecting the best technologies available for this product. What is most unfortunate is that most consumers are not well-educated to understand WHY these choices are made; and in turn could hurt their sales.



Wallace

Comments about Coleman Exponent Pack-Away LED Lantern:

I would like to give this product a review after last night’s loss of power.

Well, the light is bright, very bright. To light a lot of space this is it. I placed it on top a book shelf in the Family room and it light the whole room, and even threw light into the adjoining kitchen.

If you’re stuck in your tent playing cards, this light might actually be too bright. There is a lower setting, but really not significant lower; it seems maybe a 10% drop in brightness. I would like to even see a 3rd power setting.

For the late night roasts around the campfire, making your pie-irons, or making smores, this would do just fine.

For the weight conscious, I weighed the light with the batteries, less the small carabineer clip, and it weighed 5.3 oz. The product specs report a 4.8oz.

Maybe they had been using it for some time and the batteries got lighter with use.

Comments about Coleman Exponent Pack-Away LED Lantern:

Things that go bump in the night can be avoided with this little gem. I liked its small form factor and since I'm already using similar batteries for flashlights, this works out well. The light output is perfect for a tent and ok for light around a campsite. It includes a hanger to attach inside the tent easily. Not sure about the strobe feature but in an emergency, I suppose it would help. Get a couple, they weigh nothing.

Comments about Coleman Exponent Pack-Away LED Lantern:

An excellent Product. It's nice to see Coleman trying to get back in the game again. This product fills a very nice niche that has been void. However, there is a detail about this product that is odd. The choice to go with CR123 batteries is disappointing. It's not likely you will find this size in a local "mountain" store. I wonder why they didn't make it a hair taller and use standard AAA? This unit is more efficient than its larger cousin that uses 4xAA batteries, and half the weight, which can be a plus. But again, the use of CR123 batteries killed this unit for me.

Comments about Coleman Exponent Pack-Away LED Lantern:

I love this light, its very bright and light weight. I was concerned about the bulb. It is not a standard LED. Rather it’s a Cree Bulb. Part Number: 7090 XR-E. According to the Coleman Customer Service, they do not have replacement bulbs for sale. However, the lantern has a 5 yr replacement warranty. The Coleman rep told me to save my receipt and they would replace the lantern if the bulb broke within 5 years.

Comments about Coleman Exponent Pack-Away LED Lantern:

I bought this lantern because it's light and puts out a lot of light. I regret my purchase because of what I discovered after I bought it.

See those posts at each corner of the globe? They cast very weird shadows that make it hard to see things.

I'm concerned about adding batteries to the landfill. If you search online you will find rechargeable 123 cree batteries. They aren't available in local stores. AND: according to Coleman (I contacted them directly about this), the rechargeables have too much voltage and will damage the lantern. Of course you would need to buy a 123 recharger as well.

When you consider the short run time, the nonrechargeability, and the cost of 123 batteries, this lantern will be expensive to run and will add batteries to the landfill.

Coleman makes another Exponent Packaway that runs on 4AA batteries. It's a bit heavier, but using rechargeables would be cheaper and environmentally friendlier.

By the way, this lantern was recently discontinued by Coleman.

Comments about Coleman Exponent Pack-Away LED Lantern:

A very bright little light. I bought it for backpacking, but found it useful during a recent power outtage. It lit up my child's entire bedroom more than adequately until the power came back on. One negative is that the light seems to cast alot of shadow from the lens. Still, everyone I show it to is amazed that so much bright, white light can come out of something so small.

Comments about Coleman Exponent Pack-Away LED Lantern:

This is an excellent small/light lantern and an outstanding choice for backpacking.If you cannot tell from the photos, this triangular unit, when collapsed, is less than half the height of a 12 beer can (we cannot use soda cans, due to sugar...hahhah!) and about the same diameter at the points of the triangle. When extended, it's about 4/5 the height of your favorite bear's can of Hamm's.The light is lite. The 4.8 ounces listed with batteries is right on and that is light! For this weight, it packs a very bright punch...so much so that we use it on the "low" setting for the most part. Since it doesn't use a frosted globe, you may find it sears the retinas of those who gaze upon it carelessly, as the Cree bulb is like a little piece of the sun. The light throws an odd pattern, due to the corners of the triangle, but the areas of smooth beam are very well lit and this is excellent for using in your dishwash station, to play cards by or hanging in your camp kitchen.It's also great for use in the tent but be aware: this is bright enough that you will silhouette those inside like a burlesque show. The tiny carabiner it comes with for use with the onboard hanging loop is excellent--just right in size and very light, also. However, you cannot fold the hanging loop flat with the carabiner on, so figure out how not to lose that piece. We put ours on a zipper pull.Folks below have exhaustively reviewed the merits of various batteries. Our call is that this one's light enough to backpack with and it puts out a lot of light, all week for dinner (using low), without much weight at all. One lantern per Scout Patrol and a headlamp for each lad..you're done.

Comments about Coleman Exponent Pack-Away LED Lantern:

Used this for motorcycle camping through Alaska - worked great. On first car camping trip after returning - it failed - just give a blink and died. New batteries did NOT help.