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Brunton Liberty Mantleless Lantern - Initial Report
by Mike Lipay - March 6, 2005
| Description |
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| Date Arrived | March 2, 2005 |
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| Manufacturer | Brunton |
| Year of Manufacturer | 2004 |
| Website | http://www.Brunton.com |
| MSRP | $115.00 USD |
| Fuel | Isobutane/Propane (IsoPro) |
| Ignition | Piezo electric |
| Light Output | 80 watts / 30 candlepower |
| Light Time | 6 hours at full power |
| Warranty | Lifetime, Limited to manufacturers defects |
| English | Metric |  |
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| Weight Listed | 8.3 oz | 235.3 g |
| Actual Weight | 7.2 oz | 204.1 g |
| Weight w/case | 9.1 oz | 258 g |
| Size Listed | 4" x 2.5" x 1.25" | 10.2 cm x 6.4 cm x 3.1 cm |
| Actual Size (closed) | 4.25" x 2" x 1.25" | 10.8 cm x 4.9 cm x 3.1 cm |
| Actual Size (open) | 4.25" x 2.16" x 3" | 10.8 cm x 5.5 cm x 7.8 cm |
| Case Size | 5.2" x 2.7" x 1.5" | 13.1 cm x 6.9 cm x 3.9 cm |
| Appearance | The Liberty lantern is surprisingly small (see dimensions above), and very light weight. Ignition is accomplished by means of a piezo electric spark activated by pressing a small red button in the lower rear of the lantern (see photos). This causes a spark to be sent from the thin spark wire that rests next to the platinum screen from which the fuel emerges. Two stainless steel mirrors fold out from the upper portion of the lantern, and are used to reflect the light forward (side and rear lighting are minimal). A bail wire in the lower front of the lantern is used to control the flow of fuel, combined with an air adjustment slide in the rear, which in turn controls the brightness of the light. |
| Personal Information |
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| Name | Mike Lipay |
| Age | 50 |
| Gender | Male |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in / 173 cm |
| Weight | 185 lbs / 83.9 kg |
| Email | hikingATwesternpaDOTus |
| City, State | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Background | I've been camping, hiking, and backpacking since the '60s, mostly with the Boy Scouts though I've put on quite a few miles solo, and with my kids. I am, by no means, an ultralight backpacker (my pack weighs in at 29-33 lbs / 13-15 kgs). I prefer an external frame pack because I like to have places to attach "things". I prefer a hiking staff to trekking poles, compass to GPS, film to digital, fire to fuel. My backpacking is pretty much limited to weekends, and one full-week per year (usually in the summer), with a long weekend canoe trip tossed in. I pretty much stick to the Allegheny Mountains (Pennsylvania and West Virginia); temps here range from a winter average of 20 F / -7 C to a summer average of 75 F / 25 C; elevation runs from sea level to 3,213 ft / 979 m; rains are heavy from late March through early June averaging 14 inches / 35.5 cm during that period. |
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| Delivery: | The package was delivered by Federal Express in a well-packed box; I like the fact that the Lantern was padded with packing paper (bio-degradable) rather than styrofoam peanuts, shows some level of concern for the environment. In keeping with an environmentally friendly theme, the lantern is packaged in a cardboard display box (rather than plastic blister package) and is just large enough to contain the lantern and it's padded case. |
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| Lantern: |   My first impression, looking at the lantern within its display packaging, was amazement at its small size - could this little thing really be a bright, fully-functioning lantern? After opening the package and holding the lantern in my hands I was impressed by it's heft, it really feels as if it weighs more than the 7.2 oz / 204.1 g that it weighed out at. Opening it up to its operational size gives a better view of its construction; I couldn't be more impressed at the precision-engineered appearance of the Liberty lantern. |
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| Booklet: |  Brunton provides two instructional booklets, one in English and one in French, probably due to their heavy marketing in the U.S. and Canada. It's interesting to note that the booklet, packaging, and web site, all disagree on some key points about the Liberty lantern. To a minor degree the dimensions are off, but only by fractions of an inch / cm; weight is the first real point of disagreement, with the package and website weight at 8.3 oz / 235.3 g, while the booklet lists the Liberty at 8.8 oz / 249.5 g, I know this is minor, but information should be consistent.
The booklet starts off with typical warnings against misuse of the product (not letting children play with it, keeping away from burnable objects, etc), nothing too surprising. The only item that caught my attention, and I must admit I'm not familiar with high-altitude environments, was a warning to carry matches when in higher altitudes because the Piezo ignition system may fail. Unfortunately, I will not be able to test this issue, the highest point in Pennsylvania is only 3,260 ft / 994 m, not exactly high altitude.
One warning point that I do intend to test is the heat factor. The warnings state not to touch the Liberty lantern until it has had time to cool off - I wonder how long this will take. I lead groups on night hikes, and I usually have a lantern (battery operated) at our meeting place. I want to try this as a better replacement (lighter weight, less expensive to operate), but I'm concerned about how long it will take to cool down to the point where the Liberty lantern can be stored in its case.
Following the warnings, the booklet proceeds to the instructions of attaching the fuel canister, opening the lantern, and lighting the lantern. All very basic and easy to follow. This is followed by information on keeping an appropriate safety zone from the Liberty lantern during its operation.
The only point of concern that I had at all was a caution to use only Bruntane fuel (Brunton's Isobutane/propane mixture). This concerned me because of the availability of Bruntane fuel - there are no local outfitters who carry this brand. Since Bruntane is a chemical mixture my concern was that other brands might not contain an appropriate blend. Speaking with someone at Brunton I was informed that they have experienced issues with third-party fuels, and recommended staying with either Brunton or MSR's fuels, this works for me since I do have access to MSR. |
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| Expectations: | Brunton's website doesn't give much information regarding the lantern, and so initial expectations were few. I did expect a small, light weight, lantern, since most of the trappings usually associated with a lantern (large surrounding case, glass tube, carrying handle, case) are all missing. I also wasn't expecting much in the amount of light, with only a single burner and not mantle. The appearance on the site led me to believe that the lantern would be fragile and not stand up to much abuse. Finally, I was seriously concerned about water getting into the burn area and extinguishing the light.
I have to say that, after receiving the lantern and examining it that some of my first impressions were off. It is small, and pretty light weight, and the carrying case should do a good job of protecting the lantern during transport. The construction is very good, giving the feel that it will hold up to quite a deal of abuse (I am not gentle on equipment).
Two areas where I am still concerned: with a single burner I am still not expecting much light, I'm not convinced that the platinum element will provide enough lighting. The other concern is with rain, the top, even with a small upper shield, still seems very open to me, and the lantern will have to prove to me that it will not extinguish in light or heavy rain. |
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| First Use: |  Since I hate running out of fuel while on a trip I always test equipment at home before I take it into the field, and this lantern was going to be no exception. My question was: is the 6 hours accurate, or will then lantern fall short of Brunton's estimate?
To use the Liberty lantern I first attached the lantern to the fuel bottle via standard threaded connections. Next I fully opened the reflector wings; then opened the air flow by sliding the control lever fully to the right; the fuel flow is started by turning the bail wire counterclockwise. I then pushed the ignition button until the lantern lit (this took 3 attempts). Next, I closed the air flow by moving the slide to the left. |
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|  In order to check Brunton's 6-hour estimate, I fully opened the fuel flow by turning the bail wire counterclockwise until it stopped. I noted the time as 5:40 PM, and began my watch. When darkness hit, I took pictures to show the area which the lantern illuminated. The area I consider fully lit covered 10 feet / 3 m (fire ring), partial illumination extended to 15 feet / 4.6 m (back of swing). At 4 hours the amount of light started lessening, to a point where full illumination covered only about 5 feet / 1.5 m in front of the lantern. Light levels continued to diminish (very slowly) until the fuel finally ran out at 12:25 AM (a total of 6 hours, 45 minutes). Over all I am pleased with the burn time, and moderately pleased with the amount of light - sufficient for assembling a tent late at night. Further usefulness will be determined in actual testing. |
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| Test Plan: | Check the following items: |
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- How much real estate will the lantern and fuel take in my pack
- Since it is open-air, how will it do in the rain?
- How easily/quickly does the igniter lite the lamp? One trial is not enough
- What is the availability of the fuel?
- How bright is the light, what area will it illuminate?
- How quickly will it cool off? This is a concern since it has to cool down before you can safely change canisters
- On a night hike, is it too bright to use for "lunch" breaks?
- Will the light be affected by wind, or are the reflectors enough to protect it?
- With no stand, how stable will it be?
- How easy is it to use when you arrive in total darkness
- Can it be easily lit in a strong wind? In the rain?
- Is it a mosquito magnet, or will the little buggers stay away?
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| Planned Outings: |
| I plan on using the Liberty lantern extensively over the next few months. One of the greatest tests will be during the rainy season, which begins in 3-4 weeks here (Southwestern Pennsylvania). This will be a real test of how it lights in windy, rainy weather, and if it can remain lit in these conditions.
The first test will be this coming weekend, where I will be camping in the Laurel Mountains. At this time of year, I arrive well after dark and need good lighting to assemble my tent. I also have several trips planned during the upcoming spring, when rain, and the wind will challenge the lanterns abilities to lite. Finally, in my current plans, will be two nighttime hikes which I will be leading in local parks. We usually assemble in a pavilion to go over maps and plans, and this will test the lantern's ability to provide enough light for a small group to read and plan by.
Other trips will be planned for the summer months to round out the testing period. I am really looking forward to putting this lantern through it's paces, and if it passes well I will be happy to include it with my regular gear. |
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