I have this one branded as the "Rayovac SE3DLN Sportsman Extreme 3D LED Lantern - 300 Lumens". I'm still on the original set of D cell alkalines and I've used it A LOT! I've owned it for 3 years now. Not modded in any way. Low isn't much different from high but conserves more battery power. Ordered mine on Amazon for about $25 but later saw Lowes had it for around the low 20's. Searching around it seems difficult to find now (Amazon listing it for $60.48 which is absurd!). For me this lantern performs best with the diffuser pulled off and the lantern hung upside down (I use a shepherds hook which hangs it about 5 feet above ground).
Wow some really great posts here! It will take me a little time to check out some of these options. I have no skill or experiencet at modding but it sure sounds like fun.
This is a pretty decent lantern, can use either 3 AA or 3 D. Comes supplied with 3 AA batteries. Can be found at Walmart & Target stores around the same price.
What are you going to use that lantern for? How long, what temps, how much does weight and size matter. Budget?
I have the SF lights and adaptors and diffusers too. They all work, more or less for what I bought them for. (Canoe & kayak camping where size is quite important)
Also own several of the Ray-O-Vac, tried and true and about the best of that type. Not XML though. There is a cheapo XML version out there, sort of a knock off. Wasn’t too bright and very glarey. (car camping, household emergency usage)
Streamlight has a nice new C4 led lantern, have that and it impresses me more than the Ray-O-Vacs that I own multiples of. Same size, better output, a few more $$.
Flashpilot notes the GE, haven’t seen or heard about it, but will look for it now.
And for car camping or house emergency, any 12v bulbs will kick some ass over most battery units for quality of light, lumens, longevity, etc.
that IS pretty impressive, though it would be AWESOME if they’d used remote phosphor (and the appropriate emitters) for the clear dome that is over the C4s
I have been pretty happy w most Streamlight stuff I have bought over the years…well engineered, well designed, well made. But they (say, like SolarForce) don’t push the systems too hard… Underachievers? Same w this lantern. They just copied the best features of the Ray-O-Vac, made some minor changes and improvements and figured that they would sell a bunch to the faithful.
And its good, but disappointing that they set the bar so low.
I have those same C4’s in LightBox lantern that is wet cell from Streamlight. The output is very good (I have the flood model, itching to just try the spot unit) and w the big battery, longevity is wonderful (way, way too big to take camping in the ADKs).
…got me to wondering, are bears attracted to red light - they certainly don’t need the help to raid a camp in the dark woods!
Just a little background to explain my answer. I have a several XM-L lights, two are single LED dive lights, and the other is a triple LED Trustfire. I love them all, and thought it would make sense to have an XM-L camp light. However, some of the comments here have made me rethink that conclusion.
Now, to answer your question. I want a lantern for tent camping. I’m looking for something first of all that is small (single 1850, or one or two AA or AAA). I would use it for anywhere from 2 minutes to an hour at a time depending on what was going on. Normal temps, nothing extreme either way. Weight and size are very important, more than brightness.
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As I said, size is my primary concern and all of the XM-L lanterns I’ve seen so far are too large for my taste. I’m really drawn to the idea of tailstanding a smallish light with a diffuser. I like the idea of modding, but I don’t know anything about it, and I know I’m not currently very good at soldering, and I assume that many mods require soldering.
I know it’s a big drop in lumens, but I’m considering using an 18650 XM-L or even one a Tank 001 E09 or Thrunite Ti with a diffuser. I just did a quick search and saw something about using a chapstick cap as a diffuser for the smaller lights! I don’t know about that, I was thinking of something larger, but anyway, after all of your fantastic advice, that is the general direction I’m leaning toward. I saw some photos of really nice looking diffusers. Did you make those, or are they available for sale somewhere?
Sounds like you might be interested in this 4AA Coleman Pack-Away (collapsible) Lantern. I really like my Coleman 4AA Pack-away (collapsible) lantern. Think I paid $14 at my local Walmart 2 years ago and it seems to have gone up to around $20. The one in the Amazon link is the "old model" I believe though I don't have the new specs. Low isn't much dimmer than high but conserves battery power. Does have strobe. I did the glass frosting spray mod shown over at CPF. The beam of the Coleman Pack-Away is very nice after spraying the lens with glass frosting spray. Here's the CPF thread. Amazon says 20 hours on low and 8 hours on high.
For camping, I have typically used Solarforce hosts w lantern adaptor and several diffusers, even a paper cone will do a decent job. The advantages (to me) of the adaptor is that it diffuses light nicely and can be hung easily and will tailstand nicely on the ground or a table,etc.
I also have used and really like the SF L2M shorty w 18350 as my primary camp EDC and/or donor light for the tent. It will run plenty long on a lower mode for one-two nights time.
Any decent light (and there are dozens of single AA or 18650 that fit the bill) will give plenty of spot or flood like lumens around camp. I have also used Black Diamond Apollo (my favorite by far AA lantern) and the Coleman as well as a non collapsing AA that was under the River Rock label that I have seen other manufacturers rebranding. Even on high none of those lights puts out any appreciable heat and would be fine for your minute to an hour usage - about the same as my needs to.
SF offers a taller diffuser set that I just keep forgetting to buy - it fits better than these here…bit of clear tape keeps them on easy. Film container and a Fenix style diffuser. LOL, we had a paper cone filter that was one of the best ever…!
It was a model from last spring, ( not sure if it was the older or newer model) i wasnt’ fussy how it projected most fo the light upwards and was a bit glary on the eyes. when we used it on one camping trip.
I've been very satisfied using flashlights with diffusers hanging from the ceiling of my tent on my last few camping trips. The type of tent made a bigger difference. With my 2-man yellow single wall tent, it didn't take much light to make the interior feel well lit. The interior of my 4-man tent required much more light to feel the same, and part of that was surely the larger size, but I think it was mostly the black mesh sucking up all the light.
I will certainly use it some in the tent, but probably more outside. I picked up a lantern yesterday at a second hand store for a few pennies, and may use its diffuser for one of my flashlights. I’ll play around a bit more and see what seems to work.
I aquired a broken LED lantern the other day, and tore into it yesterday to harvest the diffuser. It worked really nicely attached to the end of my flashlight. I playing around with for a few minutes, went out of the room, and my two-year-old got a hold of it and carried it off. Before I noticed it was gone the 2-year-old dropped it on the floor leaving it perfectly in place for my 5-year-old to step on and smash to smitherines! Oh well, easy come easy go. And I thought I had the perfect solution!
