Field Report - Brunton  Glorb™ Lantern

Product information: Manufacturer:  Brunton URL: http://www.brunton.com/ Listed weight: 8 oz (227 g) Listed Dimensions: 5.5 x 2.3 in (140 x 58 mm) Actual Weight (dry):  7.6 oz (214 g) Packed Weight (dry lantern, case and mantle): 10.1 oz (286 g) Actual Dimensions:  5.5 x 2.3 in (140 x 58 mm) Fuel Requirements (per instructions): Premium Butane (see below) MSRP: $55.00

Product Description | Testing Information |  Test Findings
Impressions | Reviewer Info

Product Description:

The Brunton Glorb lantern is a compact, self contained unit about the size of a can of soda. It is hard for me, when reading specifications on a website, to get an accurate visual as to what size the item will be. The included instructions were clear to follow and I had the lantern ready to light up after about 10 minutes. 

All of the controls of the lantern seem to be engineered to minimize accidental contact or breakage. The switch for the piezo igniter is recessed into the body of the lantern, and the fuel control is a small lever situated between the igniter housing and the globe supports. The air flow is controlled by rotating the fuel chamber, which is surrounded by a  rubber-like grip.

For a full description of the lantern design and setup see my Initial Report.

Testing Information:

During the Field Test phase, I had the opportunity to test the Glorb while on a number of weekend trips into the North Georgia Mountains, as well as a trip into south Georgia. Elevations on these trips ranged between 300 feet (91 M) and 1360 feet (415 M) above sea level, with temperatures ranging from 75 F (24 C) Highs to 20 F (-6 C) lows at night. At least during the Field Test phase, I wanted to conform to the instructions that shipped with the lantern. This may have limited my options a bit, but I think it may have brought to light a limitation of the lantern, or at least with the manufacturer's fuel recommendation. The instructions included with the lantern specify premium butane for use with the lantern. This is not the type of canister I normally purchase, so I was a bit unfamiliar with its use. During my first experience with the lantern I had some difficulty filling the lantern without spewing butane all over the place. After doing this procedure a number of times, I am able to say that this is most certainly an operator issue as opposed to a design flaw. During my field testing I have noticed a few shortcomings regarding butane use in cooler weather. The symptom of this problem is that as temperature falls, the light output of the lantern drops off quickly until ultimately, at around 40 F (4 C) the Glorb has nothing left but a faint blue glow in the globe.

Now that I've done due diligence, I am going to change my fuel choice a bit. Brunton offers an adapter called the FuelTool, which will allow for the use of thread mounted butane canisters as fuel sources. This will allow me to test isobutane mixes as well as propane/butane mixes with the Glorb. I am hoping that this will increase usable light output into lower temperature ranges.

During a short weekend trip to work on backpacking skills with new Boy Scouts, I ran into another problem with the lantern which, frankly, did not surprise me. As with other lanterns I have worked with, I cannot seem to keep the mantles intact. I used one mantle when testing for my initial report. After that report, I packed the lantern and during my next trip, when setting up camp for the night, noticed a tear in the mantle. I had no problem lighting the Glorb, and it gave off significant amounts of light for about 10 minutes, when the temperature caused the light output to drop. The next night, upon pulling the lantern out of it's case, I was able to find the string that attaches the mantle to the bayonet of the lantern, still holding on, but the rest of the mantle was reduced to a fine powder in the bottom of the case. For the remainder of the trip, I used the Glorb as a candle lantern, hoping to conserve the remaining mantle for another trip. This mantle is still intact, but there is a small tear in it.

Test Findings:

The outings I have planned for the remainder of the test cycle will provide a wide array of conditions. The specific issues I am hoping to determine are:

1. Will the lantern provide adequate light when using a mantle? I generally camp with a group. Will the lantern work as a general camp lantern, or will it not provide enough light and need to be supplemented with additional equipment.
   I think that either a change of fuel type or limiting the Glorb to temperatures above 55 F (13 C) will allow for adequate light. I will address this further with more testing.
   
2. Does the candle lantern functionality provide a substantial amount of light? Can you read by it or does it simply look like a large birthday candle?
   As above, as long as the temperature stays above 55 F (13 C) I did not see this as a problem. Switching out to a blended fuel may address this concern.
3. Will the lantern burn efficiently using a wide variety of brands of fuel, or only Brunton brand fuel?
   I will explore this further during Long Term Testing.
4. Is the lantern easy to fill?
   After some initial difficulty, I feel that the Glorb is easy to fill and use.
   
5. Does the lantern hold up to the rougher handling that is dished out by older children who are unfamiliar with the gear or any sense of restraint? While I carry my own gear, there are usually kids around when I camp. They will probably get a hold of the Glorb at some point while my back is turned.
   The lantern held up well to scrutiny from all who got a hold of it. and it definitely got the attention of many whom I camp with.
   
6. Is the lantern light and compact enough to feasibly carry backpacking?
   Yes.

Impressions:

I am looking forward to continued testing of this lantern. While I have been somewhat disappointed with the performance of the lantern, I can at least find solace in the fact that butane is recognized as having problems in lower temperatures. I can also not really blame the mantle problem on the lantern design or packaging, because I was having similar problems in the past with other lanterns. The small lightweight design of the lantern seem to be an ideal fit to my style of camping, which is basically lightweight gear in a group setting. My impressions of the lantern after field testing leave me with the following points of either excitement or concern:

Excitement: It is really small and light No parts that are sticking out to get broken Fit of the case is ideal, not allowing for rattling around but able to be securely closed.

Concerns: In colder temperatures, the Glorb does not give usable light. Perhaps a fuel change will compensate for this. I need to figure out what my problem is with mantles. I don't really bounce a lot while I hike and while I am often tough on equipment, I was particularly careful with this piece of gear in hopes that I might keep a mantle intact between two trips.

Thanks to Backpackgeartest.org and Brunton for the opportunity to share my experiences!

Reviewer Info:

Name: Arron Robinson
Age: 33
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 9.5" (1.77 m)
Weight: 230 lb (104.3 kg)
Email address: mouserar-at-gmail-dot-com
City, State, Country: Dallas, Georgia, USA
Date: 09 March 2005

Backpacking Background:  Camping and hiking since 11, I've been in a constant search for the perfect balance between usability, durability and weight. These days my camping is generally a mix of Boy Scout style crew camping, kayak or canoe camping or light to mid weight hiking. I generally carry 20-25 lb (9-11.3 kg) and sleep in a hammock system.