The Xcursion is a mantle-style lantern, using Coleman's Powermax fuel. The lantern comes with instructions, a package of 2 mantles, and a "Green Key" that can be used to puncture empty Powermax cartridges.

Please see my Initial Report for a detailed description of the Xcursion Lantern. My Field Report has details of my first two months of useage.

Since my Field Report, I've taken the Xcursion lantern on an overnight trip to a state park, and on three or four after-dark dayhikes. I have also continued to light it in my backyard. We've had a rather warm winter so far in Metro Detroit, and I have not had the opportunity to test the lantern in temperatures lower than about 20 F (-7 C). To simulate actual backpacking use, I've stuffed the lantern, along with all my other regular gear, into my backpack and went on a few long dayhikes (about 7 miles/11 km).

The lantern has continued to work well, and I have only had to replace the mantle once so far. Though we haven't had much in the way of truly cold weather, we have had a bit of wind off and on, and the lantern works well when the breeze is blowing.

While testing the Xcursion lantern I've come to the conclusion that while it may be nice to take along on shorter trips during late fall or early spring when the temperatures aren't too cold (I'm not really a winter camper at all), I wouldn't have much use for it on my summer trips. Since my husband and I like to take leisurely hikes, we typically plan our itinerary so that we're in camp several hours before sunset. A lantern such as this wouldn't be needed to set up camp or to cook by. Since we hike a wee bit on the heavy side, we're usually ready to hit the sack after the twilight fades. About the only thing we'd stay up for is if we had a campfire going, or a particularly interesting conversation or card game going with other hikers.

For me, one of the largest drawbacks of this lantern is that it only uses Coleman's proprietary PowerMax fuel. If I want to ensure over 6 hours of use, I'd have to bring a canister along. This probably wouldn't be as much of an issue if I had a Coleman stove than ran off of the same fuel, but I'm already hauling standardized propane/isobutane canisters for my current stove. On summer trips, about the only light I need at night can easily be supplied by my LED headlamp. The Xcursion is a bit impractical to take on a late night/early morning latrine run.

Overall, while this type of lantern isn't a good match for the majority of my backpacking trips, the Xcursion is a sturdy, reliable mantle lantern. Six hours of burn time is more than enough for my two-night trips. I plan to bring it along on future fall/spring hikes, and on our car camping trips as well.

Reviews > Lighting > Lanterns > Coleman Exponent Xcursion Lantern > Becki Stacy > Long Term Report