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Long Term Report: Brunton Glorb
Lantern
Date: August 30, 2005
Tester
Information:
Name: Pam Wyant
Age: 47
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 5 in
(1.65 m)
Weight: 165 lb (77
kg)
E-mail address: pamwyant(at)yahoo(dot)com
Location: Western
West Virginia, U.S.A.
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Backpacking Background:
Last year I finally acted on a long time
interest in backpacking, starting out slowly by day hiking, researching
backpacking products and
techniques, purchasing gear, and doing a few
overnight trips, including one solo. This year I’ve turned into a
“weekend
warrior”, taking a number of short trips, and hoping to take a longer
trip this
fall. I hike and backpack mainly in the
hills and valleys of West Virginia, and use a hammock sleeping system.
For a
two-day trip my typical pack weighs 22-30 lb (10-14 kg), and I’m
striving to
lighten that a bit. |
Product Information
-
Manufacturer:
Brunton
Year of manufacture:
2005
Date of Delivery:
March 1, 2005
Advertised weight: 8
oz (227 g)
Delivered weight: 7
oz (198 g) lantern only; 9.5 oz (269 g) lantern, case, & 2 mantles
Loaded
weight: 7.5 oz (213 g) lantern &
fuel only; 10 oz. (283 g) lantern, fuel, case, & 2
mantles
Advertised measurement:
5.5 x 2.3 in (14 x 5.8 cm)
Actual measurements: 5.5 in high x 2.3 in wide (14
cm high x
5.8 cm wide)
Color: Black lantern
with black case
Manufacturer Website: http://www.brunton.com/
MSRP: $55.00
US
Listed Replacement Parts:
Mantles, set of 3 (MSRP $7.50 US); Globe (MSRP $14 US)
Advertised Features:
Piezo electric ignition
60 watts of bright
light with a
mantle
Use as a candle
lantern without a
mantle
Durable heat-resistant
glass globe
Adjustable brightness
control
Refillable
Tri-leg base for
increased
stability
Hardcase included
Two mantles included
Burn time (display
box) – 1.5 hours
with mantle & 2 hours without mantle
Burn time (web site) –
up to 2
hours with mantle & 4 hours without mantle
Physical description:
The Brunton Glorb is a small compact lantern featuring a glass globe
with protective wire guards, a unique burner
head that allows it to be used in either candle mode or mantle mode, a
piezo
electric ignition, integrated fuel storage compartment, and stabilizing
legs. The lantern is
made to stand on a flat surface and no provisions are made for hanging
it. For a more detailed physical description and detailed
information on fuel, filling, lighting, and using the lantern see my Initial
Report.
Field Use -
Conditions:
Over the course of the test, I've used the
Brunton Glorb Lantern in temperatures ranging
from approximately 20F (-7C) to 70F (21C) . I've used the Glorb
at elevations ranging from approximately 600 ft (185
m) to 3600 ft (1100 m). This summer turned out to be relatively
dry, and I did not end up testing the Glorb while it was
raining, although humidity was often very high.
Use:
Since my earlier field testing experiences, the Glorb has gone
along mainly on small group backpacking trips (4-10 people). I've
used it on two trips in candle mode (on the Greenbrier River Trail and
in the George Washington National Forest). I've used it in mantle
mode on the Greenbrier River Trail, and in the Otter Creek
Wilderness. I also used it in mantle mode at a couple of Girl
Scout camping events, but probably the most unique test location was in
a motel during a power failure.
The Glorb has provided light to play cards, read, write, prepare food,
eat, and clean up. It's been used as an alternate to a campfire
on several occasions. I've used four mantles during
the test period and just installed the fifth. I did
purchase a "fuel tool", an accessory which allows the use of
isobutane/propane canister fuel, and have used the lantern with
canister fuel and premium butane.
Findings:
 The Glorb is a well constructed lantern. I've had no
trouble with
anything breaking other than mantles, and no parts of the lantern are
showing any wear. The Piezo
electric ignition works well, although it sometimes takes a few clicks
for the fuel to ignite. Fuel cost and burn time
are relatively reasonable when compared to fuel used in stoves, and I
still haven't completely used up the first can of premium butane I
bought to use with the lantern. I like that the fuel tool will
allow me to use fuel from canisters, especially since I can fill the
lantern from an almost empty canister at home before a trip, allowing
efficient use of fuel that otherwise would likely go to waste, since it
isn't really enough to take along on a trip for cooking purposes.
It's also nice that the lantern can use the same canister as my stove
so I'm not carrying two containers of fuel on my trip.
I've compared the Glorb to two small battery operated lanterns, both
using four AA batteries to operate. One is a flashlight which
converts into a lantern weight 6 oz (170 g) with batteries, and the
other is a LED lantern with neck lanyard weighing 6.5 oz (184 g) with
batteries. An extra set of four alkaline batteries for these
lanterns weighs 4 oz (113 g). So, for a two night trip,
allowing for a change of batteries, weight of the battery operated
lanterns would be relatively similar to weight of the Glorb lantern
with the case, however the Glorb would require bringing along a fuel
canister or can of butane to allow filling the second night. If I
use my pocket rocket, the Glorb can share its fuel, making the weight
of the extra fuel negligible, but if I choose to use a lighter weight
alcohol stove, I'll end up carrying several ounces more. I've
also compared the Glorb to my Princeton Tec headlamp. The
headlamp is the clear winner as far as efficiency for weight is
concerned, providing a more focused light for a much longer period of
time at a weight of just under 3 oz (85 g).
When testing the various lanterns, I measured the radius that each put
out light of varying brightness. In the photo above, the Glorb is
on the left, the LED lantern in the center, and the flashlight lantern
on the right. This test was performed soon
after lighting the Glorb with a full load of premium butane fuel and
with fresh batteries in each lantern. I found the Glorb put out
bright light to about 7 in (18 cm), moderate light to about 14 in (36
cm), and low light to about 20 in (51 cm). The flashlight lantern
put out bright light to about 4 in (10 cm), moderate light to about 7
in (18 cm), and low light to about 11 in (28 cm). The LED lantern
put out bright light to about 7 in (18 cm), moderate light to about 10
in (25 cm), and low light to about 13 in (33 cm). Next I tested
how far I could hold a paper with hand written notes on it, tilted at
an angle toward the light from each lantern, and still read it.
The note was legible about 45 in (114 cm) from the Glorb, 55 in (140
cm) from the flashlight lantern, and 65 in (165 cm) from the LED
lantern. I also tested the Glorb Lantern and the headlamp in map
reading, where the headlamp was a clear winner as shown by the
legibility of the maps below. The Glorb is shown next to a map on
the left, and my headlamp light is focused on the same map to the right.
The Glorb dims noticeably after approximately 30 minutes of burn time,
in both candle and mantle mode, while the other lanterns and headlamps
remain at about the same level of brightness in this same length of
time. After another 30 minutes, the Glorb becomes extremely dim
in candle mode, providing only a faint glow. In mantle mode the
Glorb generally burns out in about an hour on high, while it burns
about an hour and a half in candle mode. Burning it on low seems
to only add about 15 minutes to the burn times in my experience.
I've found the candle mode in general just isn't very usable to do camp
chores or read by. In mantle mode, it's best to perform these
tasks within 30 minutes of lighting the lantern to take advantage of
the brightest light.
Sub-freezing temperatures adversely affect the amount of light given
off, but increase the fuel burn time. Other than sub-freezing
ranges, temperatures seem to have little effect on its
performance. The Glorb produces noticeable fumes when lit, so
good ventilation is very important if it is being used in an enclosed
space. When we used it in a motel room, we used it near an open
window for ventilation. Since I'm a hammock camper, I haven't
tried it inside a tent, but I would be certain to have good ventilation
if I decided to do so. The Glorb sometime flames up when first
lit, so I always made sure to light it away from my hammock tarp, but
could move it near or even under the tarp once it was lit, without
worrying about catching the tarp on fire
Where the Glorb really shines is as a campfire substitute. I've
found it great for this when fires are prohibited, or after a long day
on the trail when our group is really just too tired to make the effort
to scrounge up wood, light a fire, tend it, and have to go through the
process of extinguishing it safely before going to bed. Using the
Glorb instead provides a glowing focal point for group conversation
similar to a campfire, but is much easier to light and extinguish.
 Although I've become much better at installing
them, the biggest drawback to the Glorb is that
the mantles are pretty fragile. I haven't ruined any more upon
installation since the field test phase, but the longest I've had one
survive is about six burnings. It's easier for me to properly
install them during daylight hours, although I have managed to do it in
the dark once. At $2.50 US apiece, this adds considerably to the
cost of operation. I've been unable to find the mantles in my
area, so I've ordered replacement mantles from the manufacturer
directly, which adds shipping to my cost. I did find I could get
them shipped more economically when I ordered them by telephone and
requested they be shipped standard U.S. mail, instead of ordering them
from the website, where the only shipping choice was Fed-Ex.
Conclusions:
As much as I like the quality of the
Brunton Glorb lantern, I've concluded that I won't be taking it along
on every trip in the future. I'm trying hard to shave some weight
from my pack, so for solo trips and trips where I anticipate our group
having a campfire, I will be leaving the Glorb home to save
weight. However, on group trips that involve long distances or
take place in areas that don't allow campfires, it will likely be going
along, as I've found it very useful for a campfire substitute.
Likes
–
Compact
size
Appealing design
Easy to operate
Good as a substitute campfire
Dislikes –
Mantles
are fragile, require care in installation, and aren't readily available
in my area
Candle mode doesn't produce much light
Lantern becomes noticeably dim as burn time increases
Thanks to Brunton and BackpackGearTest for
the
opportunity to test the Brunton Glorb Lantern.
Read more reviews of Brunton gear
Read more gear reviews by Pamela Wyant
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