Out Task Lantern Review: A Telescoping Camping Light Built for Years of Use

Introduction

The Out Task Lantern is a rechargeable camping light built around a telescoping, rotating head and a 12,000 mAh battery that can also top up a phone. Collapsed, it measures about 10.2 inches long and 2.3 inches wide. Extend the head and it reaches 36.6 inches, which is enough to throw light across a whole campsite from a standing position.

This is not a casual purchase. At $140 it costs more than most people expect to pay for a lantern, and the lantern plus its case weighs a little over 1.5 pounds. What it returns is runtime, output, and weather tolerance that are hard to match in a portable light.

After three years of steady use on backpacking and overland trips, through thunderstorms, snow, ice, and sub-freezing nights, this lantern still behaves much like it did when it was new, with one mechanical exception covered further down.

Who This Lantern Is For

This lantern makes the most sense for people who camp often and want a single light that covers many jobs. It works as an area lantern, a handheld flashlight, a work light, and a backup power bank, which means it can replace several smaller items in a pack.

It suits overlanders, car campers, and backpackers who are not chasing the lowest possible pack weight. At around 1.5 pounds it is not an ultralight choice, and anyone counting grams for a long through-hike will feel that weight. For ordinary weekend and week-long trips, the trade is easy to accept because the light does so much.

It is also a reasonable candidate for a vehicle kit. The magnetic feet let it attach to a car body, and the rotating head can be aimed at whatever needs attention.

It is a harder sell for households that camp once or twice a year. A $140 lantern is a real expense for occasional use, and simpler lights will cover basic needs at a fraction of the cost.

Main Strengths

Battery Life and Light Output

The battery is the headline feature. The 12,000 mAh cell charges in about five hours over USB-C, and it holds up remarkably well over time. After three years of frequent charging cycles, runtime is still effectively indistinguishable from new.

Output runs through three levels in white light at 6,500 K: 40 lumens for 65 hours, 250 lumens for 17 hours, and 500 lumens for 6.5 hours. A warm mode at 3,500 K provides a softer, less clinical light for evenings in camp, and an SOS mode is available as well. Medium, at 250 lumens, is enough to illuminate a full campsite, and the highest level is rarely needed.

A small switch on the body lights a battery indicator when tapped. A covered port on the other side holds the USB-C charging input and a USB-A output for charging a phone, headlamp, or other small device.

Controls are simple: press and hold to switch on, tap to step up through brightness, tap twice for the warm mode, and press and hold to switch off.

Build, Portability, and Versatility

The body mixes ABS plastic, aluminum, and rubber, with stainless steel screws and springs. The lantern is available in green, orange, black, brown, and silver.

Setup takes seconds. A button on the base releases the legs, the head telescopes upward, and the head rotates to point wherever the light is needed. Breaking it down is the same process in reverse. The telescoping range means the head can sit low over a table or rise well above head height, and 36.6 inches has proven more than sufficient for camp tasks.

The magnetic feet are a genuinely useful addition. Each foot holds a strong rare earth magnet, so the lantern can be fixed to a car hood, a fender, or any steel surface and aimed at the job at hand, whether that is changing a tire or working under a hood.

Weather Resistance and Long-Term Durability

The lantern is rated IPX7 and IPX6 for water resistance. It has been used in driving rain with sideways moisture, left soaking wet, frozen solid, and buried in snow, and it has kept working throughout.

Long-term reliability is the strongest argument for the price. Three years of regular use, thousands of charging cycles, and repeated falls onto hard ground have not changed how the light performs.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The Telescoping Post Loses Tension

The clearest product-level flaw is the telescoping post. Over time the upper section loses tension and slides back down once the head is fully extended, so the lantern cannot hold its maximum height without help. A strip of tape around the post is a workable field fix, but it is a compromise on a premium product.

A short has also developed in the head, causing occasional flickering at certain extension positions. That issue followed years of the lantern being knocked over repeatedly and hitting the ground, so it is best read as a consequence of rough handling rather than a design fault. In normal use the flicker does not appear.

Price and Look-Alike Products

At $140, this is expensive for a light. The price has come down from roughly $170 a few years ago, which softens the cost, but it remains a serious outlay. Anyone who camps a few times a year can find lanterns, headlamps, and flashlights for very little money that will do the basic job.

The other caution is look-alike products. Copies of this design are widely sold, and the common complaints about them are a head that cannot rotate and substantially shorter battery life. The resemblance is largely cosmetic. Out Task also offers a second version of this lantern that is described as stronger and more robust with additional features.

Buying Advice

Buy this lantern if you want one light that can do the work of several and you camp often enough to justify the cost. Its runtime, output, rotating head, and magnetic feet make it a genuine multi-purpose tool, and the durability record backs up the asking price.

Skip it if you are packing ultralight, if your trips are rare, or if $140 is more than you want to spend on illumination. A cheaper lantern will still light your camp. The value here is in long-term reliability, wide coverage, and the flexibility to light a tent, a table, a trail, or an engine bay with the same device.

Conclusion

The Out Task Lantern is a specialist tool with a specialist price. Its battery life, output, and weather resistance are excellent, its magnetic feet and telescoping head add real versatility, and three years of hard use have not diminished its performance. The telescoping post is the one weakness to keep in mind, and the price will rule it out for casual campers. For anyone who spends a lot of nights outdoors, it earns its place.