Traditional camping lanterns are bulky, heavy to carry, and limited in application — but the Helio shatters all expectations with its pocket-sized shape and 45-gram weight.
Flextail Gear is a team of outdoor enthusiasts based out of Changzhou City, China, that strives to develop the lightest-weight outdoor equipment. The Helio serves as the first of an entirely new generation of camping lanterns — one that can be plugged into a power bank.
Utilizing high-quality LED technology, the Helio is capable of producing 220 lumens of light, greatly exceeding the brightness of other camping lanterns currently on the market. Not only is the light extremely bright but it can travel a distance of 20 meters, providing for a large enough lit up area for an entire group to set up a campsite while eliminating the need for headlamps.
The product is one-fifth the size of traditional lanterns and boasts a key ring attachment feature in addition to a magnetized back that allows it to affix to any steel or iron surface. You can attach it to the hood of your car in an emergency, stick it to your bicycle for a late night ride, hang it from your tent on an expedition, or clip it to your clothes during an evening run. The product’s innovative adaptability features make for endless lighting opportunities.
The Helio can be connected to any USB port and charged by a power bank, portable charger, or laptop. It takes 20 minutes to fully charge the product which can then be used continuously for six hours without diminishing in brightness.
When utilizing a 10,000mAh power bank, the lantern boasts over 400 hours of uninterrupted light and is 30 percent more efficient than traditional camping lanterns. The Helio is rated 4/5 on the IPX waterproofing scale, meaning it can withstand a moderate amount of exposure to rain or water, making for ideal use in unpredictable weather conditions.
The company will be offering Helio accessories, including a lampshade, bicycle attachment device, and multifunction extender.
The world’s smallest camping lantern can easily be shoved into a jean pocket, nook of a backpack, or kept in the glovebox of your car. Its fast charging feature and adaptability make for one of the best all-around lanterns ever engineered for the outdoors. A pledge of $29 on Kickstarter guarantees you one Helio lantern as soon as they go into production.
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