Makers of Brilliant Things .
As a response to the humanitarian disaster following the Haiti earthquake , a need for a cost effective , solar powered lighting system resulted in LuminAID forming in 2010 and since then they have aided with humanitarian needs across the globe , thankfully they also sell retail and offer a number of lighting and recharging options that fit perfectly with the motorcycle travel community .
One such product is the PackLite Nova USB solar inflatable lantern . A what ? Yes , a solar inflatable lantern . The beauty of the LuminAID PackLite Nova is that it , well , packs lite , in fact weighing in at just 140 grams , and when collapsed is just 2 centimetres thick , the overall size is 12x12cm . It ’ s light weight , small in size and yet we ’ ve found it to be one of the best camping lanterns we ’ ve come across .
The PackLite Nova requires no batteries , power comes via charging through a high efficiency solar panel or even micro USB input . Solar charging is said to take 10 hours , we found that a full charge only took 8 hours , with similar results for the USB , said to take 1 to 2 hours , our tests averaged just over an hour .
Using the lantern is as simple as inflating , a couple of good puffs of the breathes does the job and switch it on . Initially it lights in what LuminAID call ‘ turbo ’ or 75 lumens , which provides up to 5 hours of the brightest light . Continually pressing the power switch will adjust brightness down to 12 lumens which is said to provide up to 24 hours of light before needing a recharge , we can ’ t confirm this however we don ’ t doubt it and know that this light is bright enough to read by .
Inflated and lit the LuminAID PackLite Nova is a perfect lantern to illuminate a tent or beside a campfire . The simplicity of this lantern is the beauty of it , it ’ s sturdy enough to be packed in a bag or panier without fear of too much damage . While riding we recharged the LuminAID PackLite Nova by either attaching to a bag on the back of the bike or even in the clear pocket that comes with most
TRAVERSE 124