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My plan was to use this lightweight, palm-sized lantern for a go bag and stay box I've spent way too much time fussing over. (Here's the multitool I finally chose for my emergency kit.) It turns out that I needed a little lamp before a full-on emergency. I'll explain.
When looking for a portable light source, I didn't want to spend too much money. Sometimes these cool small things come with premium price tags.
Someone gave me advice that helped: Packing a go bag isn't that much different than packing for a camping trip. Both include items you'll need to survive away from your home for some time. With that in mind, I started looking for items that could do double duty, and the BioLite Alpenglow Mini 150 Lumen Rechargeable Lantern ticks both boxes. And during Amazon's Fall Prime Day sale, you can get this mini lantern in a four-pack bundle for 10% off.
This palm-size light source is smaller than a can of tuna and half its weight, and I don't notice its weight or size when stowed in my backpack. Charged via USB-C cable, which cuts down all the chargers I need to keep track of, the lamp casts enough light for 40 hours set on low and 5 hours on high before it needs to recharge.
I can vouch for that battery life. This summer we were having major electrical work done in our house, and the power was out in our bedrooms for most of a week. I pulled this portable light source out of our emergency gear and set it in our bedroom, where it lit up the room each night, set on high. After three nights, I gave it a charge and put it back to work.
By default, I can set the pint-size lantern to white, or adjust the brightness and pick different colors, including a multilight cycle by pressing the top. ("A party light!" declared former CNET colleague Mary-Elisabeth Combs when I gave her a quick demo.)
The BioLite Alpenglow Mini 150 comes with a clever bungee cord attached to the bottom that lets me hang the lantern from a tree branch or tent pole. It also has a battery meter so I can keep an eye on the charge. Now I just need to pair it with a portable solar panel, and I'm set.
For more of our favorites and deals, don't miss the Govee floor lamp that's $50 off as is this portable car jump starter battery pack.