Reviews > Lighting > Lanterns > Brunton Glorb Lantern > Arron Robinson > Long Term Report

Long Term 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. 

Testing Information:

During the Long Term test phase, I had the opportunity to test the Glorb while on a number of weekend trips as well as one week long trip into the North Georgia Mountains, as well as a trip down the Edisto Rover in South Carolina. Elevations on these trips ranged between sea level and 1360 feet (415 M) above sea level, with temperatures ranging from 105 F (40 C) Highs to 40 F (5 C) lows at night. The temperature difference between the Field Test time frame and that of the Long Term test phase were significant enough to allow for much better light output from the Glorb. Unfortunately, I was not able to test the lantern with the variety of fuels that I had intended when I'd written my Field Report, so all Long Term testing was done using butane from standard fuel cells.

During this test phase, I carried the Glorb with me on every trip, using it in the place of a standard camp lantern. I found that, for me, the lantern provided enough light, when used with a mantle, to read, do small repairs and perform regular camp chores.  The lantern, in the warmer conditions of this later testing, was performing quite well.

I did run across one annoyance during this phase of the testing. There was an extended period where I could not get the Glorb to light using the igniter. I could see the spark, I could hear the fuel flowing, but I could not get ignition. I worked past this by lighting the lantern with a lighter, but it was annoying me. After close inspection, I noticed that the igniter was in contact with the mantle material. When I moved the material, which crumbled actually, the igniter was able to function.

A point of interest was that, in a fit of desperation after breaking my last Glorb mantle, I was able to retrofit a standard sock style mantle to work with the Glorb. In the photo above, the sock mantle can be seen in place on the lantern. When attaching the mantle, I tied the mantle on at the same point that the Brunton mantles get tied on to and noticed that the sock would stick out of the top of the Glorb. Figuring this would be a bad thing, I pushed the top of the sock mantle down and forced the loop of the mantle guide through the mesh of the mantle and burned the mantle off. The Glorb burns fine using this method with no apparent ill effect.

Test Findings:

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 provide too little light and need to be supplemented with additional equipment?
   I feel that the Glorb performed admirably in moderate temperatures. I will most likely limit my use of the Glorb to warmer weather use, due to the dimming that occurs at cooler temps.
   
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. 
3. Will the lantern perform after submersion? Like I said, I can be a bit of a klutz. I almost guarantee that I will dump this little beauty in the river at some point. Will it survive? What steps will I need to take to recover?
   I did not dump the Glorb into a river, but I did manage to knock it off a stump and into a fire bucket. As could be expected the mantle was destroyed, but no either lasting ill effects were apparent. I dried of the unit, replaced the mantle (see above), and lit it manually, since the piezo igniter would not spark. It lit up and burned like a champ.
4. Is the lantern easy to fill?
   After some initial difficulty, I feel that the Glorb is easy to fill and use. After continued use I can confirm that I had no further problems lighting the Glorb.
   
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, as well as getting the attention of many whom I camp with. It also held up to my typical rough handling and clumsiness.
   
6. Is the lantern light and compact enough to feasibly carry backpacking?
   Yes.

Impressions:

I actually really enjoy packing the Glorb. While I have been somewhat disappointed with the performance of the lantern in cooler temperatures, I can at least find solace in the fact that butane is recognized as having problems in these situations. 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 long term testing leave me with the following points of either excitement or concern:

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

Reviewer Info:

Name: Arron Robinson
Age: 34
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: 13 September 2005

Reviews > Lighting > Lanterns > Brunton Glorb Lantern > Arron Robinson > Long Term Report