The LuminAID PackLite Titan 2-in-1 Solar Lantern Charger is a multipurpose camping lantern that’s capable of charging your phone or mobile devices. As a lantern, it delivers crisp and bright light. As a solar charger and battery pack for your phone, it uses a surprisingly powerful 4000mAh battery for recharging.
To get us a closer look, LuminAID sent Man Makes Fire a review unit. After testing the LuminAid PackLite Titan 2-in-1 Solar Lantern Charger while camping, this is what we learned:
LuminAid PackLite Titan 2-in-1 Solar Lantern Charger Review
The LuminAid PackLite Titan 2-in-1 Solar Lantern Charger has a built-in battery that’s large enough to recharge mobile phones.Because I test a lot of camping gear for Man Makes Fire, I usually have a few lanterns on hand — in addition to any lanterns I might be testing. While I already knew the LuminAid PackLite Titan was a great lantern, it wasn’t until I was on a September archery elk hunt that I realized it was truly excellent. What happened? Even though I had already tested the LuminAID Titan, I found myself seeking it out specifically to use as we pitched camp each night. And then, during the day, I was sure to set it up so it could charge in the sunlight while we were gone.
I wanted to use the LuminAID PackLite Titan because it put out such great light. The quality of light is bright but not harsh and it’s devoid of any lens or reflective aberrations. The light is also great for cooking with.
The boxy shape of the Titan lets you stand it most anywhere and still get decent light. In fact, sometimes I would place it on top of my pickup’s cab to illuminate a camp table setup off to the side of my pickup. Or I’d prop it up or hang it somewhere near my tailgate to work on gear or packing in the dark. I also like the long velcro straps, which let you attach the lantern to tree branches or lantern hooks inside of tents and under screen houses.
More Than Just a Great Lantern
The 300-lumen ‘Turbo’ mode produces a lot of crisp, clean light that’s great for camping or working with gear in the dark. Photo credit: LuminAID
The key benefit to the LuminAID PackLite Titan 2-in-1 Solar Lantern Charger is that it’s not just one of the best camping lanterns. No, the key benefit is that it’s a lantern that’s rechargeable, as well as solar-chargeable. Better yet, you let the Titan’s battery charge during the day through solar power . . . and then you can top off your phone battery before you go to bed.
The LuminAID PackLite Titan is bright, powerful and must-have versatile.
Because the Titan has one of the largest built-in batteries compared to its solar lantern charging competition, it’s more versatile than most other options. How so? Most other options have smaller batteries, which means you’re less likely to have any power available for your devices. In addition, in an emergency situation, having more battery is usually best.
For most of us reading this PackLite Titan review, the lantern is something we’re thinking about for outdoor recreation and maybe as a home emergency light. LuminAID, however, is a company that got its start by making many rechargeable lanterns available for distribution to people struggling through natural disasters around the world. For those kinds of situations and for people living off-grid in less developed nations, having a big battery and a bright light is a big deal. We’re lucky that most of us get to take the PackLite Titan camping for fun.
Battery Life & Light Settings
The buttons are easy to use.The LuminAID PackLite Titan 2-in-1 Solar Lantern Charger has both a white and a red light mode. Each mode has five power settings with a maximum output of 300 lumens. On low, you can get up to 100 hours of light — but there is a drawback: To get 100 hours of light, you’ll only get 15 lumens of output. That’s pretty dim for camping situations . . . but it could still be very important for emergency use.
Meanwhile, here is the lumens and run times on each setting level:
Turbo — 300 lumens for 3-5 hours
High — 150 lumens for 8-10 hours
Medium — 75 lumens for 14-16 hours
Low — 10 lumens for 72-100 hours
SOS — 15 lumens for 100+ hours
When I primarily used the PackLite Titan on Turbo mode, I was able to get nearly 4 hours. I’m not sure why LuminAID rates the runtime as a range, but I’m guessing the biggest factor would be ambient temperature — cold vs warm nights.
My typical use is to run the Titan on Turbo while I’m cooking or messing with gear, then drop it down a notch or two when I’m sitting around a campfire or having a beer with my buddies.
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Solar Charging
Solar charging is super easy — just point the solar panel toward the sun!One drawback to solar charging is that solar charging isn’t as fast as you want it to be. It’ll take 16-20 hours of full sun to fully charge the PackLite Titan. That’s hard to get because the angle of the solar panel and the angle and power of the sun changes during the course of a single day.
For most weekend camping trips, you’ll be able to use lower power settings, leave the Titan out in the sun, and end up with enough charge to get you through. Your amount of use — and how much energy you decide to transfer to your phone — will determine how long your lantern will last.
Of course, you can fully recharge it in a couple hours with a Micro-USB charger cable used with a household USB charger plug or via your vehicle or even a typical USB battery pack charger.
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Packs Down Small
With a simple twist, you can ‘deflate’ the PackLite Titan so that it folds up into a tidy size for travel or storage.For camping and storage, either in your vehicle or home, the LuminAid PackLite Titan 2-in-1 Solar Lantern Charger packs down small. To use it, you basically twist to ‘inflate’ it . . . and twist to deflate it for storage. Just know that you’re not actually blowing air inside of it like some other inflatable lanterns. The structure of the Titan holds it expanded or compacted.
This design works surprisingly well. I appreciate the storage size most because I can fit a Titan inside of a camp box easily, which is just another reason why the PackLite Titan made it into our guide to the best camping gifts this year . . . as well as into our guide to the best outdoor gifts for men.
Competitive Alternatives & Options
If you’re considering the LuminAid PackLite Titan 2-in-1 Solar Lantern Charger, there are a few competitive options that might also work for you.
LuminAID PackLite Max 2-in-1 Power Lantern — As you might expect, LuminAID makes a smaller sized option — the PackLite Max. The design is very similar in overall size but it weighs 4 ounces less than the PackLite Titan. With the weight savings, you have some drawbacks: The battery is half the size at 2000mAh and the max lumen output is reduced to 150 lumens. One key benefit is that the Max version costs less than the Titan, which could be a critical factor if you’re looking to buy a bundle for friends, family, or emergencies.
MPOWERD Luci Pro Series — The MPOWERD Luci Pro Series comes in a few color options, most notably with a clear vinyl or matte finish. The matte ‘Moonstone’ color option delivers softer, more uniform light output but the output is a bit muted compared to the 150-lumen clear options. The biggest benefit compared to the PackLite Titan is that the Luci Pro weighs nearly half as much as the Titan — just 6.5 ounces compared to the Titan’s 12.5 ounces. The biggest drawback is the smaller built-in battery.
Goal Zero Torch 500 Multi-Purpose Light — The Goal Zero Torch 500 Multi-Purpose Light is both a flashlight and a floodlight style lantern. Its shape is far more directional than the 360-degree PackLite Titan, but the Torch 500 can be hung or stood in multiple ways. Like the Titan, you can charge it via the sun through its built-in solar panel as well as from a USB power source. The biggest benefit of the Torch 500 is its massive 5200mAh battery, which gives you a bit more power to charge devices. The biggest drawback is fewer light settings, which also limits your total emergency runtime down to 50 hours on low power.
The Bottom Line
All-in-all, the LuminAID PackLite Titan is bright, powerful and must-have versatile. We like the PackLite Titan best for camping and appreciate its ability to charge mobile devices in emergencies, either outdoors or around the home. Very highly recommended.
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