Reviews > Lighting > Lanterns > UCO Duo LED Light Retrofit > Owner Review by Luke Middleton

Owner Review- UCO Duo LED Light Retrofit
for UCO Candle Lanterns

Biography

Backpacking Background: I've been camping for longer than I can remember (which some days, isn't very long), but I probably began backpacking about 15 years ago when I became a teenager. During that time I've camped in quite a variety of conditions, but in the more recent years I've remained mostly in the Midwest, taking short weekend trips several times a year, and a longer excursion in Colorado about once a year. As a backpacker I probably can not be considered one who packs light. For example, I once strapped my very heavy feather pillow to my pack for an extended trip in the Rockies. My aging body no longer allows such extreme extravagances, but still, my goal on a packing trip is comfort. If that means toughing it out on the trail with a pack a bit heavier than absolutely necessary, so be it. I'll reap the rewards in camp, whether it be from a softer bed and better rest or from a more tasty meal. This isn't to say I strap on weight willy-nilly, but I'm also not going to be drilling holes in my toothbrush handle or cutting off the bon-bon on top of my ski cap.

Product Information

Review

I suspect I'm not the only one who, years ago when they hit the shelves, saw the UCO candle lanterns and couldn't resist immediately buying one. They were neat looking; miniature but fully functional little lanterns that one could hang in the tent without risk of burning it down or asphyxiating from lack of oxygen. Something about the idea of a small and intimate personal fire seemed comforting to me, as if by bringing into the tent a fragment of the larger campfire outside I could prolong my connection with the psychological comfort and bliss that a campfire can provide. I could own and control my very own (albeit much tamer) campfire right inside the tent with me; how perfect! Forget those heavy, man-made batteries. A natural candle flame was the way to go. It would undoubtedly allow me to feel more in tune with nature that way, reading my worn paperback copy of Ivanhoe in my tent in the woods. Not only did I buy the lantern, but I immediately accessorized with a fleece pouch, sheet metal reflectors, and dare I admit it, probably about a dozen extra candles.

Yes, the allure was irresistible. However, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people, like myself, found out soon enough that the practical reality didn't quite live up to the undeniable conceptual appeal of a portable fire. The flame really didn't put out all that much light. Even with the metal reflector to focus the light downwards, reading a book would still have been impossible without going blind in short order. Although I must say the reflectors certainly added to the visual attractiveness of my candle lantern, since they caused it to actually look like a lantern rather than a tin cylinder. I thought perhaps my candle lantern would be useful for cooking at night (it simply lit up one edge of the pot, all else remained in darkness), or as a source of light inside the tent so that I could find my way to it in the dark (I could trip over the vestibule before I might see the feeble glow of the candle through my tent's dark fabric). When I was ready to sleep at night I somehow always wanted to pull the glass chimney down to blow the flame out, and I never seemed to learn my lesson that doing so would not only burn my fingers, but likely spill wax on my sleeping bag (to UCO's credit, the correct way to extinguish the flame doesn't involve these hazards; it's as simple as blowing in the top of the lantern. For such an intricate and beautiful device, I guess that always seemed too easy to me.) When the lamp is lit it must be fully extended, which always caused it to hang so low from my tent ceiling that it seemed to take up as much effective space as a third person. And when the flame was blown out and the lantern retracted, it hung at just the right height for me to (invariably) bash my head against it when I sat up at night to listen to some strange noise in the outside darkness.

As might be imagined, I quit taking the lantern on my campouts. It weighed just as much as a flashlight, but didn't perform nearly as well. Yes, a battery-powered flashlight is an undeniable reminder of technology in a setting where we're trying to escape it, but at the end of the day the performance is key. And besides, if I really wanted to escape technology completely I'd need to camp nearly naked, if advertising for even the most trivial pieces of gear is to be believed. It's hard to get an undershirt these days that doesn't incorporate super-wicking thermo fibers or some such.

After I'd completely given up on my candle lantern I noticed that UCO had gone high-tech themselves, and what's more, done so by jumping on the LED bandwagon: they introduced the UCO Duo LED light retrofit for the standard UCO candle lantern. "What is this world coming to," I thought to myself... but I instantly bought the Duo LED lamp.

The UCO Duo LED lamp can now be purchased in conjunction with a UCO candle lantern, but the version I bought was the retrofit, officially titled the "UCO Duo LED Light Retrofit." Quite a mouthful. In this review I'll just refer to the LED lamp as the UCO Duo. It comes with the small, LED light itself, a new base for the candle lantern, a longer bail for the candle lantern (this is the wire piece which the lantern hangs from, and which keeps the lantern shut when stored), and an 18 in (45.7 cm) long elastic band which serves as a removable headband for the Duo.

The specific dimensions of the UCO Duo are listed above, but it's the exact shape of a poker chip, only a bit bigger. I couldn't find a weight for it listed on the manufacturer's website, or on any retailer's site. Not surprising, since when I tried to weigh it on my kitchen scale, the UCO Duo and elastic headband combined didn't even come to 1 oz (28.4 g).

This little thing is truly a marvel. It can be used in three different ways: First, attached to the bottom of the UCO candle lantern. The retrofit kit comes with a nifty new base that replaces the old one on the lantern. Because it's a bit bigger than the original base, a slightly longer bail is included as well. The bottom of the new base has a socket into which the UCO Duo snaps into place. Then, when I hang the lantern in my tent, I just switch the UCO Duo on (the lens cap doubles as a very solid switch) and presto, I have light streaming downwards from my lantern in a way the candle couldn't produce. Even though the lantern is a bit longer than it was previously, I found that it still fits into my fleece UCO pouch, with enough room to spare for the elastic headband.

The second way the Duo can be used is on its own. This is the way I prefer. It isn't necessary to swap between the old lantern base and the new one whenever I want to remove the Duo from the candle lantern, it simply unsnaps. Alone it serves as a very handy and small flashlight I carry around with me. On the back of the light is a little wire stand that bends out, which makes it possible to prop the Duo vertically on any surface. Think of the little legs that flip out of the back of picture frames, this is the same principle. I use it propped up like this when I cook dinner in the dark, or when I'm trying to start a fire. I've personally found that I still don't want to bring my UCO candle lantern on my campouts because of its weight, but with a trick my brother taught me I can still have the UCO Duo shine downwards in my tent. All I do is lay it face down on my gear loft, and the light shines right through the mesh. The light it produces is sufficient to illuminates the entire tent, making it easy for me to see what I'm doing while changing clothes or finding whatever it is I've lost in the folds of my sleeping bag.

And finally, the UCO Duo can also be worn around the head. The elastic headband that comes with the Duo snaps on to the same wire 'leg' that's used to prop it up. Then it fits on my head just like any other headlamp. Because the 'leg' to which the headband is attached actually folds in and out, the result is that I can tilt the Duo through an incredible range upwards or downwards, depending on which way I need the light. What features!

How does it perform? Well, the UCO Duo consists of only one white LED, but it's very bright. It's powered by two Sony 3 volt button-cell lithium batteries which UCO claims will power this light for 40 hours. I've had mine for a year and it's still shining bright, though it's also true that I haven't it used it for 40 hours yet. The light can easily illuminate to a distance of 20 ft (6.1 m), though like most LED lamps, the light is very dispersed and unfocused. Many times this can be a good thing. For example, when I use it to light my tent it works infinitely better than the pinpoint light from my old, focused-beam Maglite.

I also own the Petzl Zipka headlamp and I've compared it with the light strength of the UCO Duo. When viewed side by side in the complete dark, it is easily apparent that the UCO Duo LED is just as bright, intense, and penetrating as the LEDs on the Zipka: the only difference is that the Duo has one LED, and the Zipka three. The Zipka also costs three times as much, and weighs even more (but I'm not bashing my Zipka, I love it too).

The batteries on the UCO Duo are very easy to replace, much easier than on my Zipka, though because of its design the Duo is certainly not waterproof or even water-resistant. The elastic headband is long enough that it doesn't constrict my head but tight enough that I don't worry the Duo will fall off when wearing it. However, the point where the strap attaches to the Duo isn't padded at all, and that's the part that presses against the forehead. It's not comfortable, especially for extended periods of time, but it's certainly bearable.

This review started off talking about the UCO candle lantern, which over time I concluded was not nearly as practical (weight- and performance-wise) as I would have liked. Ultimately, the UCO Duo LED lamp, in my opinion, doesn't redeem the candle lantern from my negative conclusions. However, although it is designed to attach and work in tandem with the UCO candle lantern, because of its novel design, the UCO Duo's versatility is in no way restricted if I don't bring my candle lantern with me, or if I didn't even own one. In fact, it's greatest practicality is when used for other purposes besides as an attachment. In short, it stands on its own as a wonderful piece of gear.

Summary

The UCO Duo is a very intense and lightweight LED lamp that costs about as much as a keychain LED, but offers some of the features found on much more expensive LED headlamps. Weight-wise, I can't find a single object in my entire backpack that is lighter. I think the metal zippers on my pack's sleeping bag compartment probably weigh more than this light. Because the UCO Duo only sports one LED, it won't illuminate as broad an area as a true headlamp, nor can I say it is as comfortable to wear. However, even though I also own a more expensive LED headlamp, my UCO Duo is in no danger of being left behind on any campout. Why wouldn't I bring an extra light, when it weighs almost nothing at all and works so well?

Things I like:
1. Extremely lightweight
2. Ease of use
3. Versatility
4. Price!
5. Just about everything

Things I don't like:
1. Slight discomfort when worn on head
2. Replacing the lithium batteries costs about half as much as the light itself, but they do last a very long time

Reviews > Lighting > Lanterns > UCO Duo LED Light Retrofit > Owner Review by Luke Middleton