Guest - Not logged in | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reviews > Lighting > Lanterns > Eureka Glide 51 Lantern > Test Report by Michael Mosack
EUREKA GLIDE 51 LANTERN
CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE FIELD REPORT
TESTER INFORMATION
I've been backpacking for over 30 years, doing solo and group trips, with and without kids. I do day trips, weekenders and week-long or longer trips throughout the year. I backpack in all climates and seasons, from summer desert trips to Spring/Winter camping in Michigan, Canada California and Grand Canyon, Arizona to Afghanistan and rely on my backpacking equipment constantly. I prefer to go lighter whenever possible and am always trying new items. Quality and reliability of items I carry are paramount to me over price and weight
INITIAL REPORT
PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS
Manufacturer: Eureka Year of Manufacture: 2010 Manufacturer's Website: www.eurekatent.com MSRP: US $39.99 Listed Weight: 3.9 oz (111 g) with batteries Measured Weight: 3.88 oz (110 g) with batteries, without lanyard or included carabiner Other details: Listed light output is up to 51 Lumens (641 Candlepower) Batteries - 3 AAA size 1.5 v alkaline PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
The Eureka Glide 51 Lantern, also referred to hereafter as the lantern or light, is a small handheld single bulb L.E.D. flashlight that has the added feature of having a portion of the housing slide apart to offer the choice of a flashlight or a 360 degree "lantern" style light that can be hung upside down or stood on its base. The light is constructed of aluminum and plastic and its shape is cylindrical but also octagonal so that if it is laid on its side, it will not roll around on mostly flat surfaces. The housing is ridged for grip and has a lever type "On/Off" switch and separate hook that folds and locks and both of these are located at the base/end cap portion of the light. The battery compartment is in the body of the housing and can be accessed via the tail or end cap and is readily marked. This light uses three AAA size batteries which are also included, but I found that the markings / diagram inside the battery compartment for how to install the batteries to be very difficult to read. Still with my first attempt, they went in correctly and the light worked fine. INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
I found that the sturdy packaging was attractive, clear and had a good amount of specific information about the product listed in an easy to read format in both English and French languages. The light came with a small carabiner, wrist lanyard and 3 batteries, which made this almost ready to use right out of the package and was very convenient. Opening the package would have proven very difficult without a knife and I was fortunate to have mine available. It should be noted that the website seems to give conflicting information and says under "General Features" that this light has 3 AAA batteries included (which it does and is correct), then under that it says that this requires 2 AAA size batteries, You can see this when you look under "Specifications" then the "Battery Type" heading. READING THE INSTRUCTIONS On the package, there are simplified instructions covering basic battery replacement and a cautionary warning note to not look directly into the LED light and to keep this light away from children. These instructions appear in both English and French languages. TRYING IT OUT
My initial experience with this light has been positive. I found that the little light appears powerful enough for light trail work and inside a tent at night. I like that the fit of the housing is tight enough that when I move it from lantern to flashlight, it seems snug and well made. I am confident that I will have the light style I set regardless of any minor bumps it may receive along the way. The On/Off switch is designed to blend in to the product's end cap and unless I look directly at the switch, it is difficult to locate. With some practice, it gets easier to find. The ridged edge of the switch makes it easy to manipulate with my thumb.
The hanging hook is designed to fold and lock securely into the end cap of this light. It appears its designed so the light can be "hooked" onto a taught line, loop or the included carabiner or similar method. This seems convenient, but also fails to allow me to hook the light onto my gear during hiking and be confident that it won't fall. I have no idea what to do with the lanyard "wrist strap" as there is no little hole or obvious way to securely connect it to the light. SUMMARY Overall, I like this light for its sturdiness and compactness and the option to pick different lighting styles. This appears to be a light that is pack friendly and I look forward to testing this. FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS During this testing phase, I have used this lantern as my primary artificial light in Afghanistan, on over 30 days and nights in the field. I have experienced different weather conditions to include rain, overcast and sunny / clear skies. The temperatures have ranged from approximately 25 F (-4 C) to over 115 F (46 C) at night. Daytime temperatures have reached 133 F (56 C), in full sun. The terrain has been mostly dry desert conditions consisting of extreme dust, dirt and barren rocky areas with flat to rolling hills and crevasses. CONTACT CUSTOMER SERVICE
I added this heading because there were a couple of minor concerns I found with this product and the website and I felt them important enough to comment on. PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD
I have found so far, that the lantern is a well made light. It is just a little bit heavy for its size, but the quality of construction is evident and I feel that it is worth its weight. I have hiked with others who did not like a head lamp and preferred to have a light in their hand or hung from their gear and this will do that. I like my equipment to be backpack proof so that when I pack something, it will still work when I pull it out and not have been crushed. With this lantern, there is no worry of that. The lantern has a decent beam when used in the flashlight configuration and it is quite bright. The lantern configuration is easily bright enough for my night time trail work when hiking or when doing tasks or playing cards around camp. SUMMARY
I have carried this little light with me almost constantly throughout this testing phase and during this time, I have found that while there are some things about this light I wish were different, overall I have found so far that the light is an asset to my daily adventures. The light has worked flawlessly throughout this testing period and still looks new. LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS
I have used this lantern approximately 20 times, covering approximately 30 miles during my nightly travels in Afghanistan. The temperatures have ranged from 55 F (13 C) to 131 F (55 C). This is a desert type terrain with a surface ranging from a fine powder type dust to very rocky areas and bright clear sunny skies throughout. PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD I have found that the lantern performed very well during this test period. I have carried the light, hung the light, set it on its side, even set it upside down and used it both as a lantern and a flashlight too. I have changed batteries twice. The original batteries supplied by Eureka were replaced by Energizer AAA alkalines and then Energizer AAA Lithium batteries. Without question, the Lithium batteries lasted the longest and I found no negative issues in using them in this lantern, despite Eureka recommending against Lithium batteries being used. I still have some issues in locating the on/off switch and repeatedly find myself rotating the lantern around in my hand searching for the switch and occasionally missing it the first couple of times. There is no way to really connect or use the manufacture supplied wrist lanyard and the carabiner is kind of useless when the lantern already has a hook feature on it that works well. SUMMARY
I still carry this with me where ever I go and friends and family alike have commented on it with many positive remarks. It gets passed around camp and in the house and its convenient size and sturdy construction ensures it always has a place in my backpack. I know I'll continue to use this as long as I can find it, provided someone else hasn't stuck it in their own pack. Read more reviews of Eureka gear Read more gear reviews by Michael Mosack Reviews > Lighting > Lanterns > Eureka Glide 51 Lantern > Test Report by Michael Mosack |