REVIEW: Nextorch 360 Utility Pocket Lantern

Catch the light ... no, this is not from another star. And you don't have to hold onto it, on the contrary, you can hand it over so that you have your hands free. Very unusual for a flashlight and that's why it's great: the name says it all. It's the 360 Degree Utility Pocket Lantern from Nextorch, a multi-purpose lantern.

This is how it looks, in a box, explaining that this good piece was also a prize winner at the ISPO Outdoormesse 2016/2017.

UL360 in all its glory. So small and already a lantern - an unusual name for a flashlight - here already out of the box.

Accessories: Two O-rings as replacements to keep UL360 waterproof when it's "raining" outside. Paperwork and elastic lanyard with a small hook.

Looks like a dildo, but it's not. Thumb-sized, if you have a big thumb, and a silver stand for the diffuser. We'll give you the technical data from the manufacturer:

• max. 70 lumen output up to 5 square meters of light range
• Magnetic base for attachment to metal surfaces
• Quickly and easily attachable anywhere with S-Biner and elastic band
• UL360 lantern is 360 degrees rotatable and tiltable
• Dimensions: 78 mm x 34 mm x 21 mm
• Weight: 50 g (without battery)

Battery compartment open, view into the front end: that's where the LED with its circuit board is located. The UL360 has a runtime of about 3.5 hours in high mode and 30 hours in low mode. Both very practical.

It is powered, particularly satisfyingly, by AA batteries which are easily available and affordable for us.

Now, let's see what this universal lantern can do. By default, its base is magnetic. So anywhere there is suitable material, you can easily attach it. And the light body itself can rotate 360 degrees, hence the name.

Here too, UL360 holds on, to a radiator.

The cord with carabiner greatly expands its range of applications. You can hang the lantern on your gear while marching to mark your position, or tie it to a branch or hang it in the tent. The latter is a particularly hot tip. The light source also doesn't get very hot, but provides a warm light everywhere.

Excerpt in total darkness. It's enough, the diffuser creates a bubble of light. We wouldn't want to read Karl May or the battle regulations for hours there, but the light is good. Everyone knows the shadows cast when a headlamp or flashlight is used in a tent. The UL360 as a lantern, on the other hand, provides nice room lighting.

CONCLUSION: Small, cheap, super practical. It doesn't always have to be the super tactical searchlight with which you blind Darth Vader as a junior Jedi. Ideal for the campsite, in the tent, in bunkers and tanks, while marching as positional lighting when light camouflage is not required. Also ideal for the prepared person of the world who doesn't want to rely on the fact that their light bulb at home always works. Great that the 360 Utility Pocket Lantern simply eats AA batteries.

The Nextorch 360 Utility Pocket Lantern is available directly from EMERTAC for 26.90 euros.

EMERTAC online: https://emertac.at

NEXTORCH online: www.nextorch.de