The UCO Leschi Lantern + Flashlight combines a camp lantern and flashlight into one small package. I ran the Leschi through its paces and I think it is a pretty handy light. Using the Leschi in either mode, it provides good lighting for its size. Task lighting from a flashlight is just about a necessity when camping. And sometimes ambient light from a lantern is really handy. With the Leschi, you get a multi-purpose light source.
The UCO Leschi uses a pretty clever sliding section to convert between flashlight and lantern modes. Just extend the sliding section to make the lantern. Then collapse the light down to use the flashlight. Light is either focused out of the end or reflected down into the globe of the lantern. The movable half of the light lightly snaps into place and does not easily pull off of the light.
Like any good light, the UCO Leschi has low, high, and flashing modes. For ease of use, it cycles through the settings in that order. Either fully click the power button for on and off, or lightly press the button to cycle through the modes. Note that the Leschi changes modes on each on/off cycle. This isn‘t a huge problem but since I generally used the light on high, but the flashing mode surprised me more than a few times. A press of the button cycles the Leschi to the next mode but that flashing light can be a shocker. Note that the power button is easy to press, so pack the light in a way to prevent accidentally turning it on.
It takes just a single AA battery to power the UCO Leschi. Swapping batteries is easy to do by unscrewing the bottom power button section from the light. UCO says the light should burn 4 hours on low while putting out 34 lumens, and 2.5 hours on high pumping out 110 lumens of light. After several hours over 3 or 4 evenings on one battery, I‘d say run times are at least as long as advertised.
Compact in size, the Leschi measures 1.6 inches by 3.9 inches when collapsed and stretches out to 5.2 inches in lantern mode. With the battery installed the light weighs in at 2.14 ounces or about 60 grams. This light will be in my backpack along with a headlamp, as I always carry at least two battery powered lights. Since you get both a lantern and a flashlight, the Leschi is definitely worth carrying in my opinion.
Smartly, UCO put a small shock cord strap on the side of the Leschi to make it easy to place the light. To use it, unhook the loop of cord to hang from a tree branch or the top of a tent. Or stretch the cord around a tent pole, stick, or other item to hold it in place as well.
The UCO Leschi Lantern + Flashlight sells for $14.99 and it comes in 3 colors. The multi-use feature, integrated shock cord strap, and small size are some of the pros to this light. If there are any cons, it’s the way the light cycles through the modes without memory, and maybe the power button might allow the light to turn on accidentally. Overall, this lantern, flashlight combo is well worth the cash. For more info, click here to visit the UCO website.
Mark
I‘d like to thank UCO for sending the Leschi out for testing and review. I have limited resources just like everyone else, so it is a privilege to test out gear and pass along information that hopefully benefits everyone.