Coleman Micro Packer LED Lantern, 100 L , Black, Silver

After reading the reviews for most of the mini lanterns available on Amazon it came down to this model and the old version of Coleman's Micro Packer LED mini lantern. I bought one of each to settle the question as to whether the newer version was worth the $5 extra cost. Both of them are good but the newer version is better. With three alkaline batteries installed, this unit weighs 6.9 ounces and it is 6 3/8" tall. It easily lights up a completely dark 10' x 10' room well enough that you can do pretty much anything and the lines that reviewers often mention about the old Micro Packer have mostly been eliminated. This unit is considerably brighter than the old version but do not expect them to be as bright as a Coleman liquid fuel or propane lantern. The battery life is claimed to be only about 24 hours vs. 125 hours for the old Micro Packer (I did not verify those numbers).This is an excellent mini lantern to take on backpacking trips or on car camping trips where packing space is at a premium. It is not built to military spec standards but it is tough enough for normal use (it survived a drop to the floor when I removed it from the packaging). As soon as I tested this unit I immediately ordered two more of them. There appears to be different models of these lanterns that all look alike and have nearly identical names so be careful about which unit you are ordering. This unit is rated at 100 lumens but I could not find a lumen rating for the old version Micro Packer. Happy camping.

This is a review of the Colman Micro Packer Lantern, 2nd generation in black, with a warmer yellow-hue LED light, and more evenly diffused. The 1st generation has a yellow body, a cool white-slightly blue LED tone, and the light is not quite evenly diffused in a tiny checkered pattern. Hopefully the pictures help illustrate this.Overall, I love both the 1st and 2nd generation lanterns. The 1st I rate a 4.5 of 5.0 stars and the 2nd generation I rate a 4.8 of 5.0 stars.Likes:- Battery runtime is great. In my testing, both lasted over 100 hours with my standard rechargeable Eneloop batteries. I did not run it until there was no light. Also note that these lanterns do not appear to have power regulators - meaning with new batteries the lights will be bright, but the lights will fade as power depletes. How useable the level of fading light is depends on your needs.- Uses 3 AA batteries whether 1st or 2nd generation. One of the most common battery types that your television remotes probably uses.- Rechargeable Eneloop batteries can be used. A very few electronic devices I have come across required higher voltage that the alkaline provides. Eneloops are my standard battery that I have used for over 15 years. They have not leaked, as alkaline ones often do and sometimes ruin some electronics. Plus, in the long run, they save money and extra trips to the store. Also in an emergency situation, it is easier to just recharge the Eneloops rather than fight the crowds at the store who are also looking for supplies such as batteries.- Both generations of the lantern are the same size, which is compact and can be easily held in the hand or stored away. With all the advancements in LED lighting, ways to diffuse light, and battery technology, it baffles me why a significant amount of companies still make their products overly large and bulky when they could make their lanterns more space saving and efficient.- Fairly lightweight. It is not recommended for ultralight-weight backpacking, where a single AAA battery lantern like the Glo-toob can be used. However, most lanterns with decent lighting will likely be heavier and more bulky.- Simple one button-press operation for on and off operation. I do not like complicated, sophisticated, and confusing mode-operations when I’m stumbling in the dark during an emergency.1st gen vs 2nd gen preferences:- The warm, yellowish hue of the 2nd gen is more pleasing compared to the very white, almost bluish tinge on the 1st gen.- The light on the 2nd gen is a lot brighter with a decent amount of battery life. Both fade out significantly after the 48 hour mark.- The 1st gen light appears dim compared to the 2nd gen with fresh batteries, but does not dim as fast as the 2nd gen.- The 2nd gen has a much more pleasing diffuser that has a much more even beam pattern. Again, the 1st gen is diffused by a piece of clear, checkered pattern plastic that results in uneven scattering of light.Dislikes:- The battery door can be difficult to open and may be the eventual breaking point over the long-term. It has been about 8 years with the 1st gen lantern with no breakage yet, but I don’t like pushing so hard on the plastic lever just to open the battery door.- The triangular battery holder can only be reinserted a certain way, which is not easily discernible if you are not paying close attention or are not familiar with the lantern.Overall, I really like both the 1st gen and 2nd gen Coleman Micro Packer Lanterns. Both can be improved by better battery access and replacement. 1st gen gets a 4.5 out of 5.0 stars that could be further improved with better diffusing. 2nd gen gets a 4.8 out of 5.0 stars that I wish had a little bit more regulation from the times the batteries are fresh all the way to the 100 hour mark, but that may not be realistic considering the length of time the light remains glowing.Bottom line, these are my dependable emergency lanterns at home and when camping.

The Coleman Micro Packer is my favorite of several different brands of tent lantern. The low price is a bonus too. Pros:light weight; switch/button is easy to find even in the dark; adequate light for reading in a small tent or working at a table; good size retractable hanging hook; and the best pro: the slide-up-and down shield that takes the 360 ° light to half that, preventing glare directly in your eyes -- a feature few (if any) lights have.Cons: not designed to be water resistant; inexpensive construction means it's less rugged than usual outdoor gear, so be careful in mistreating it; I would like to see a brighter bulb and a hi-lo setting. However, this lantern is still my favorite, beating the Black Diamond and the Petzel lanterns

We went hiking and I didn't have a lantern so my daughter brought one from home that wasn't very bright. Went hunting on Amazon for something good and came across this one. Had great review and the price was right. I haven't gotten to use it camping yet, so I tried it out at home. Went in bathroom, turned off the lights and it light up the bathroom fine. Way brighter then the other lantern we had. Not as bright as my my maglite LED flashlight, but i'm sure this one will last a lot longer.I picked this one since it uses AA batteries, which I have tons of. I like having same batteries for my flashlights, lantern, radio and headlamps. Makes life that much easier.To put in batteries, you have to open latch on bottom (wish they had a more secure one since I've had bad luck with this type before), pop in the batteries then figure out which way the battery pack goes back in. It will fit only one way. To turn it on, just press the rubberized button and you good to go.

Really fantastic little lantern. The light is pleasant and pretty bright. Definitely sufficient for playing cards while camping. A nice alternative to the bright and loud propane lantern for keeping a light on after others went to bed but some wanted to stay up and play cards etc. Love the piece that slides up, blocking the light from one side.... when my flashlight ran out of batteries I could use this to light my way without blinding myself. Great for illuminating the tent. It does not collapse down but stays tall as pictured. Very pleased with this compact, efficient, and versatile little lantern. Used on 5 campouts this summer and batteries are still going strong. Highly recommend.

Muy bueno , cumple su función . 100% recomendable

Not as bright as I was hoping for but will buy another as they are small and handy.

Very efficient, light, portable light. Great for blackout or just as a torch

Nice bright light

Nunca me decepcionan los productos de Coleman, esta lampara es muy pequeña y alumbra de una manera muy eficiente, como referencia de su iluminación, puedo mencionar que una recamara mediana la ilumina sin problema alguno, si estas acampando en un lugar que carece de iluminación es ideal. Siento que le falta un regulador de luminosidad para ser perfecta.