Everyone has seen those mass produced little solar path lights that line walkways in the Summer and are falling over, broken, or otherwise trashed come the start of Winter. With the amount of rain we get here in Southeast Alaska, I made the mistake of buying them only once. When they worked they were great and looked charming in the evenings but when they only last a month at most, it isn’t worth it! I had given up on getting them again and then something wonderful happened. I discovered the cutest little solar ‘lanterns’ that would serve not only to light a path, they can be carried around with you wherever you go and light your way when you need it. Allow me to introduce you to Montana Solar Creations (www.montanasolarcreations.com) who sells these versatile and eco-friendly canning jar lanterns.
When I opened the box, the first thing I noticed was how well it was packaged. When you live rurally, packaging is important and this was well done. Even though the box was beat up, the contents were safe and sound. I ripped into it with glee and pulled out the pieces that took all of 60 seconds to put together: everything is so easy! I wanted to rip the green tab out and see it light up right away but waited until later that evening before testing it out. Specifically, I took it out to the garden for my nightly slug battle to see how well it would do versus a flashlight. I admit I was a little skeptical about how much light it would really put off and thought, “If there was no jar, maybe I would get more light out of it.” Well I was wrong. Having the jar in place actually magnifies the amount of light and casts it further out. I admit my geeky side liked the pattern from the canning jar, too. 🙂 By the time I reached the garden, I was in love with this lantern. It can be used in the rain and wind and served perfectly for walking along without having to worry about burning your fingers from the fire of a traditional lantern. The light is also not so bright as to blind you which is a good thing when walking in the forest!
The ‘negative’ (not only one) I see on this item is not too big of a deal but in fairness, I will share it here. The wiring used needs to be tweaked so that it will remain in place when carrying it. It slides around and makes the lantern hang at an odd angle. Since the handle part is open on the ends, it would be very easy to correct this minor issue. I was looking at it and I think a simple loop bent onto the opposite side of the clasp would hold it in place and keep it stable when carrying it and walking to say, the outhouse or something.
The thing that blew me away was the quality of the solar unit itself. If any light is present, it turns itself off. The timing of when it will turn itself on is uncanny in that you are just about to think to yourself, OK I need the light to turn on now, it does. Another feature I really like about this solar lantern is that you can remove the rechargeable batteries for long term storage without worrying about corrosion. I have yet to use it so long that the batteries are dead. It has stayed on all night long and I tested it the next morning and it still turned on for me. Then again, right now we get about 18 hours of daylight. Winter may be the real test!
I see us using them for camping at the very least. When we are able to get our own property, I can see these being spaced out on the porch, stairs, and walkway as well. I plan on getting a few more of these for camping and I would like to have one stashed in the car as well. A flameless, rechargeable lantern is truly a wonderful piece of gear for pretty much any survival set up. If you really had to, you can ditch the jar portion and just keep the charger/light unit in a pocket! They are inexpensive and if you already have the jars, you can buy just the solar charger/light part of the set up. You can buy them singly, in pairs or 4 at a time. I contacted them to ask about a possible larger order and they were most accommodating not only on price but on shipping (shipping to Alaska is tricky). They got back to me very quickly. I am incredibly happy I found this great little company that is based in the USA, is a family business, and helps to support fellow homesteader type folk.
Here are all the ways to connect with Montana Solar Creations!
Blog: www.montanasolarcreations.com
Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/MontanaSolarCreation
FB: https://www.facebook.com/MontanaSolarCreations
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MTsolarCreation
A big THANK YOU to Annie at Montana Solar Creations. Check them out, discover a really great eco-friendly business, and help support a family business!