Quick Take Review
At the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, the guys at Energizer introduced a handful of new lighting products for camping, hiking, backpacking and fitness activities. GearGuide had a chance to try two of these products recently: the Carabiner LED Area Light and the LED Safety Flasher.
Normally, we don’t get too excited about a new flashlight (although we were pretty enamored with Kelty’s LumaPivot earlier this year), so the arrival of the Energizer products was not met with a huge amount of anticipation. Once in hand, however, the two lights proved surprisingly useful and versatile. Here’s a quick rundown:
The Energizer Carabiner LED Area Light – Three lighting surfaces (two LED banks, one on each side of the unit plus a single LED directional flashlight); three lighting modes including bright, dim and flashlight; compact size 6 inches x 1.5 inches x 0.75 inches; comes with four AAA batteries and a carabiner clip. It put out a decent amount of light, although not quite enough to read by even in bright mode. The small size makes it easy to carry and the clip was a convenient way to hang from the ceiling of a small tent. If you’re looking for something to throw into a daypack or fishing vest just in case you’re caught outdoors after dark, this is a great choice.
The Energizer LED Safety Flasher – Speaking of being caught outdoors after dark, it’s hard not to be when you’re training in the winter months. That’s where this little beauty literally shines. This Energizer product is roughly 1.5 inches in diameter and 0.5 inches tall (excluding the built-in clip) so it’s very compact. Power comes from the two included lithium ion button batteries. The red lens LED flashes 80 times per minute. In our tests, it was bright enough to be seen at several hundred feet. It’s featherweight at 0.75 ounces and the rugged clip can hold the light to almost anything. I wore it on early morning runs clipped to my hat and I never knew it was there because of its lightness and the no-slip clip. If you’re looking for a little more piece of mind as you train in the dark, this is the ticket.