Eddie Bauer's LED Lantern Provides Illumination Without Propane

As someone who somehow survived the Boy Scouts, which involved activities such as "what does a battery do in a campfire," I have reasons to be worried a bit about propane. While I do use this gas to power up my camping stove, which of course has an electronic ignition button, I've had bad luck with it in lanterns. Have you ever lost your eyebrows lighting a lantern? I have, because it was defective, and exploded. Thankfully, other than my eyebrows being blown away, I was able to walk away from this experience with just a scarred psyche. That's why all of my lanterns when camping are battery powered, and one of them is Eddie Bauer's LED version.

True, you are not going to find a battery powered lantern that's a bright as a propane one. That's a major disadvantage, and why some scoff at the idea of using anything but gas lanterns. Yet some of them are better than others, and the Eddie Bauer one is only $20. That's an affordable price for camping equipment, and its 20 LED's offer enough light for most camping excursions. You can expect to see well in the dark with this, as it provides around 10 feet of visibility around it. While that wouldn't be considered acceptable on a deep woods excursion, it works just fine for regular camping spots.

The best part about this lantern, other than its obvious safety, is that the batteries last a long time. I believe the package is accurate, in stating that you'll get forty hours of illuminiation with four D batteries. While that can be a bit expensive, you can always buy the rechargeable variety, and you can actually bring this lantern in your tent. The batteries are easy to install. All you have to do is unscrew the bottom portion, line them up in the proper arrangement, and seal it again.

This lantern is easy to use as well. All it has is an on/off switch, that's easy to toggle for either purpose. It also has a hook that is attached, which will allow you to tie this to an overhanging canopy or nearby tree branch. As for the build quality, be a bit careful with it. Its durable for most camping trips, but there are some cheap plastic parts used for the light cylinder and lantern. This plastic will hold up, but don't drop it on the cement, or have it get blown away by a strong wind. Its very light, so at least its easy to bring out of the truck and into your camping area.

I think this is a fine product for those who just go to campsites where they can park and set up their tents. Its a useful item during power outages as well, and the price just cannot be beat. Eddie Bauer has been producing quality products for almost 100 years, and this is one of their least expensive selections. Aside from the minor deficiencies of build quality, I think most campers and outdoorsmen would find this useful. It doesn't take up a lot of space either, so if you are hiking and then camping, it would be fine for that as well. Give it a try and see, because while it isn't propane powered, at least you'll keep your eyebrows in impeccable shape.