GoKawiilLuminAid PackLite Nova ZDNET's key takeaways The LuminAid solar camping lantern is available now for $25.
It's the perfect lantern for emergencies with a very long runtime and chargeable with a solar panel or USB.
The lantern could blow away if not properly secured outdoors. $23.99 at Amazon
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One mistake I see a lot of people make with their portable power stations is hooking up mains-powered lights, like a desk or floor lamp. Despite the fact that your lamp might make use of a low-energy LED lightbulb (and it should, because those old incandescent bulbs are terribly wasteful), using the AC outlet on a power station is wasteful if low-voltage options exist.
This is why I recommend keeping emergency lighting like camping lanterns handy, both for use outdoors but also situations when you find yourself stuck in the darkness.
Also: How my portable wind turbine compares to solar panels - 2 years of testing later
I also like my lights to be compact, lightweight, and designed to be stored until needed. If they can be solar-charged, then so much the better. One light that ticks all these boxes -- and more -- is the LuminAid PackLite Nova inflatable solar camping light.
The LuminAID makes a number of different lights -- from the Nova Multicolor color-changing light to the beefy Survivor which has a 600 lumen output and the ability to charge two smartphones. But it's the PackLite Nova that ticks the boxes for me.
It's lightweight, at just five ounces, collapsible down to a package that's just 4.75 x 4.75 x 1 inches, inflatable to 4.75 x 4.75 x 4.75 inches, water and dustproof to IP67 standards, and is happy to be dropped or kicked about.
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