It’s completely pitch black once I push the button. “Shock!” I exclaim as a jolt of white gentle floods the within of the wall tent. Two of my buddies grumble and roll away from the sunshine — 4:30 a.m. comes early in elk looking camp.
I click on the button on the Duracell 2000 Lumen Tri-Energy Lantern a pair extra instances, and the brightness fades to tolerable. Now, with the within of the tent lit and a heater warming the air, it was time to make espresso and costume for the morning hunt.
The $30 gentle hanging on the middle pole would go about its job, principally forgotten once more till dusk.
However actually, can a $30 lantern be efficient sufficient for the pains of weeks-long elk looking camps? That’s what I hoped to seek out out testing the Duracell 2000 Lumen Tri-Energy Lantern. Bought at Costco, Amazon, and different huge field shops, that is one downright reasonably priced lantern. May it actually be any good?
Briefly: The Duracell 2000 Lumen Tri-Energy Lantern is an unimaginable worth. It packs photo voltaic charging, an inner rechargeable battery, three energy modes, and a surprisingly future time into an efficient lighting supply that prices lower than a tank of gasoline (in a Prius). Should you want a camp lantern, it’s a no brainer. However don’t anticipate a lot from the photo voltaic charging and recharge instances are gradual.
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Lumens
2,000 lumens max -
Energy supply
Built-in rechargeable battery, photo voltaic panel, or 4 D batteries -
Burn time
50 hrs. (low 65-lumen setting) - Water resistance IPX4 water-proof
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Weight
30 oz. -
USB port
USB-A out, USB-C in
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Nice value -
Ample lighting for big tent or prepare dinner area -
Good runtime
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No regular crimson gentle -
Activates at full energy -
Sluggish charging
Duracell 2000 Lumen Tri-Energy Lantern Evaluation
As I famous within the introduction, while you push the button of the Duracell 2000 Lumen Tri-Energy Lantern, you get all 2,000 lumens instantly. My looking buddies and I dubbed it the “shock gentle” for this very purpose. Once you’re deep in slumber, 2,000 lumens is so much.
Thus, I’m very puzzled as to why this gentle activates at full energy. It’s one of many first quirks you’ll discover in regards to the gentle. There’s nothing really unsuitable with that; it really works. However I’d choose it to activate at “low” and dial up as a substitute of vice versa.
As soon as on and adjusted to your most well-liked energy output of excessive, medium, or low, this lantern merely works. The sunshine is a bit of harsh and funky, however that’s to be anticipated at this value vary. It’s the simplest option to create a high-output gentle and use decrease quantities of electrical energy. And at $30, what do you anticipate?
However the gentle is solely helpful if not precisely pleasing to the attention. Waking up within the morning or going to mattress within the night, my crew used this gentle for about 3 weeks up to now. It’s precisely what we’ve wanted and nothing extra. It lights the within of a 14-foot White Duck Regatta Bell Tent evenly and brightly sufficient that I might put away my headlamp besides when rifling by way of packs for gear.
It’s price noting that the lantern has a built-on photo voltaic panel and inner battery. It additionally has area so as to add D batteries when you so want. It’s a pleasant backup system, however it feels pointless when you have moveable battery chargers to maintain the rechargeable battery topped up.
Charging, Runtime, Lighting
Due to the built-in photo voltaic charger and long-term check, I by no means acquired a stable learn on this lantern’s runtime. It could refuel a bit of day by day, and solely ran out of juice after tenting for about 2 weeks. Then, an evening on the charger acquired it topped up sufficient to run for the remainder of my testing.
When residence, I did a bench check on the empty battery and did discover that it fees actually slowly. When plugged in with a USB-A to USB-C cable, it took greater than 4 hours to cost.
The lantern can even operate as a battery financial institution to cost units like telephones or headlamps. It has a USB-A out port for this goal.
Does the photo voltaic charger work quick? Not likely. But when the battery is useless within the morning and the lantern sits within the solar all day, it’ll have sufficient juice by night to run for a few hours on medium that night time.
Equally, the battery charger isn’t quick or very highly effective, however it’s sufficient to get a cellphone partially charged in an emergency.
And actually, for $30, it’s remarkably good.
Now, one legit gripe: Whereas the lantern does have crimson LEDs inbuilt, they solely work in a flashing strobe mode. This looks like an enormous oversight. A gradual crimson gentle is ideal for earlier than mattress or morning wakeup in a darkish tent. However for some purpose, the crimson gentle will solely flash, not stay on and regular.
I suppose Duracell intends it as an emergency use case, however given the model went by way of the hassle of including crimson LEDs, simply allow them to keep on! It doesn’t appear to be it ought to change the fee and would make the lantern a lot nicer.
However till Duracell fixes that difficulty, it is going to stay the “Shock Mild.” Push that button within the morning, and it’ll shock you awake sooner than a crowing rooster in your sleeping bag.
So, when you want a lantern on a finances, this one will actually do the job. It isn’t excellent, however for the cash, you’ll have a superb gentle supply with rechargeable batteries, efficient lighting, and a bit of photo voltaic charging in addition.
For the value, it’s very powerful to beat.
