An Ultralight Candle Lantern: The Glo Toob
For most Ul backpackers, heavy, bulky candle lanterns are out. But it's always convenient to have ambient light inside your tent or around your campsite. Here's a great alternative that is compact and super light.
The Glo-Toob comes in different colors and is practically indestructible. It's LED lights and array of settings give you a lot of versatility and ample battery life. The high and low settings are perfect for lighting up the inside of your tent while the various blinking settings can be used as "beacons" for finding your way back to the tent after a late-night bathroom run. I'm going to add this to my list of regular gear that I carry since the convenience factor far outweighs the weight. Did I intend that pun? Anyway, here are the specs:
Weight: 1.1 oz.
Battery Life: 30 hrs. useable light
Operating Temperature: 14 degrees to 176 degress F
Waterproof Depth: A mere 11,500 ft.
Battery Type: 24A 12 Volt
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An Ultralight Candle Lantern: The Glo Toob
Reviewed by Jason Klass
on
August 18, 2009
Rating:
Reviewed by Jason Klass
on
August 18, 2009
Rating:
14 comments
While it's great that the battery is small and all that, it just seems like the one time you need that non-standard size to replace a dying battery, you'll be in the General Store in Cornpone Co. and all they'll have are AA or AAAs
Battery's aside it is a good little light and I want one.
What is the pattern of light/shadows like from this thing? I've got a couple of other LED "lanterns" that have a vivid pattern of light & shadow that make then almost useless for reading. Since it's truly cylindrical is the light pretty even? Does it only come out the sides or out the bottom too?
Hi Steve,
Yes, I'd say it's pretty even. The light does not come out of the bottom. Only the sides.
I believe this company also makes IR versions for the military. Several different color versions
I bought a red version for bicycle riding at dark, but it was not intense enough.
Pretty indestructable though. I believe divers also use them as marker lights because of their very high depth range.
I love these things Jason. You mentioned them in a previous post. I did a little research and bought 2 of them. One white light and one blue. I hunt the blue one on the latrine at Boy Scout Camp and ran it all night for 6 nights. I have used it since and still haven't replaced the battery. I hang the white one on the ridge line of my hammock for nighttime use. I have had them since your first post and I still have not changed the battery in either one.
Sorry. That was "hung" the blue one in that previous post.
Hi Rich,
Thanks for the feedback! I'm curious, why blue? Also, on which setting was it left for 6 nights? The low, constant setting?
According to my friend who is in the US Military...that "unkown setting" is held over from the military IR/NVG version of the Glow Toob. It denotes a landing zone, or LZ.
I've had one for about 5 years and honestly -- I don't think I've ever taken it backpacking with me. I suppose if the battery life was good it might be okay. I just find that for anything I do at night -- even reading in my tent -- a directional light is better. I suppose you could rig it to a clip on your head, but why? Two Photon Freedom's with clip way less than this.
It's nice to see that the price has dropped over the years, but honestly, this is a $35 toddler toy now. Just not bright or directional enough for me.
Revolution in the world of electronics. Great innovation.
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This LED based gadget is very useful at the time of journey.
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Blue was and experiment and it did work great. This was Scout Camp for Webelos (4th & 5th graders). Many their first time away from home with no parent. Finding the latrine at night is tough if you walk out in pitch black and you are 9 or 10 even with your headlamp which they all had. Historically I hung a kerosene lantern or a candle lantern so the boys just had enough light to point in the right direction. From what I read the blue was a nice way to mark the landmark but not light up our camp. This proved out. Just a very simple night light with no smut or wax to clean up.
I actually had it set to full on setting so that is why it was really impressive.
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