You guys remember Hydrox cookies? If you couldn’t pop for real Oreos, you bought Hydrox. Much like how if you’re on a budget, you don’t buy Frosted Flakes but rather the generic store brand ‘Frostie Flakes’ or some such (Slogan: “Theyrrrrrrrre….okay”.)
To me, Streamlight has always been the working-class version of SureFire. Yes, Streamlight has, as I read it, been around a tad longer than SureFire but SureFire gets the rep as the ‘high end’ tacticool product. (Interestingly, Hydrox came out before Oreos, as well.)
I’m kind of a gear snob, but I’m a pragmatists even more. A few years ago Streamlight came out with a product that, as far as I know, has no comparable version from SureFire…the Streamlight Siege. (Although, to be fair, Eveready and a few others make a similar product but I don’t believe it to be as rugged and well thought out as the Streamlight product.)
The Siege is an LED lantern for area lighting. Nothing remarkable about that, but as you look the product over more closely you get the idea that it was designed for a very particular demographic….we happy survivalists.
The Siege runs on three D-cell batteries….one of the most common sizes of batteries around. Just about everyone has a couple D-cell MagLites floating around the house or car..the Siege takes advantage of that common battery. If you really want to streamline things, there are battery adapters that allow you to run one size of battery in devices meant for a larger size. Most often we see this with adapters that let you run AA-batts in devices that were meant for D-cells. But, my logistics revolves around three battery sizes (AA,D, and CR123) so I have plenty of D-batts laying around. (Interestingly, it seems like virtually the only thing I have that runs on D’s these days are flashlights. The days of radios and other devices running on D-batteries is coming to a close. )
The light source for the Siege is four white LED’s, and a fifth red LED. Holding down the one control button toggles between red or white. When the white LEDs are selected you have a choice of three brightness levels, starting with the highest. When the red LED is selected you have one brightness level, but double-clicking the button puts the red LED into SOS blinky mode. The plastic ‘shade’ of the Siege diffuses the glow of the LEDs and is removable if you want more harsh lighting.
The top and bottom of the Siege has rugged rubber ‘bumpers’ making the light pretty resistant to being dropped, knocked over, or just banged around. Theres a foldaway clip on the underside of the light for hanging it upsidedown when you have the shade removed, and there’s a bail handle on the other end to hang it from whatever is handy when you do have the shade on.
The non-skid tread on the bumper-like bottom of the light keeps it from sliding on slick surfaces and provides an excellent grip for unscrewing the base to change batteries.
Light output on low is enough to illuminate a room so you don’t trip over anything, on high it’s bright enough to get things done but you’ll still feel like you’re in a power outage. Where this light seems to really shine (as it were) is as an emergency ‘area light’. When the power goes out its the light you turn on and stick high up in a corner of the room, hang in the stairwell, or put in your emergency gear storage area. It’s an awesome emergency light for when the power goes out and you need some light to get your gear together or start up your secondary systems (generator, transfer switch, etc.)
I haven’t beaten the crap out of it yet, but it has rolled off my desk a few times, and once bounced out of the truck….seems to still be doing just fine. Your mileage may vary. Personally, I’ve been very pleased with mine and will be getting three or four more as spares/backups/loaners.
They’re available at the usual sources, like Amazon, but once in a while you can find an outdoors-gear vendor having them on sale. Even at regular price, though, they’re a good purchase.
I recently got one of these; I liked the advertized long bettery life on low. It is going in ourtrailer with which we go “off-grid” camping with.
totally agree. i’ve used mine on canoe trips an still on the first set of batts. and yeah, i’m clumsy and usually had few, so it has took a beating and keeps on shining. you can tell the diff between the seige and the cheapos just by weight/ feel of it. i have several of the streamlight angle head firefighter lights too and they are tough and shine like light sabers on aa batts. love them. personally i think surefire is over rated and over priced. mine keep eating batts while in storage, always dead when i need it.
Have you had any experience, good or bad, with solar powered lights to fit the same purpose?
I have one of the d.light S20 and one of the d.light S2, and keep them on the window ledge above the bed for daily charging, but haven’t really put them through a torture test. Works well enough for occasional usage.
Hey Steve, I have some solar powered lanterns. The one I can’t say enough good things about is one called ‘Zonlight’. They were designed for reading at night in places like India. They were distributed by a company called Jade Mountain out of Boulder, CO awhile back.
I bought one, I think on CZ’s recommendation, and have used it in a couple of hurricanes and other power outages. It’s beside my bed. Works great, very solid, nice compact size, esp compared to the other LED “lanterns” that are sized like a typical colman lantern.
The hook on the bottom is a great touch and shows the thought that went into the design.
nick
I’ve had oen for years and I love it.
At the SHOT Show last year, they showed off a new model. It had one feature I really liked, a clip on “shade” thing that makes it like a bullseye lantern. But, unfortunately, it has a rechargeable battery and charges via USB.
I tried to explain to them why that was a bad idea for something that will likely be used while camping, but I don’t think I got the point across.
I always preferred oreos. LIGHTS I can’t comment on, never used them, but used an Army Surplus signal that took 6 or 8 D batteries in the fifties as a kid.
Chris out in left field
GoalZero makes a nice LED lantern. It’s rechargeable by USB (to complement the company’s portable solar panel product line), but also has a crank charger built in. The USB cord is also built in, so it’s one less thing to lose. It has a charge indicator, variable brightness, and can also charge other USB devices. Best of all, you can light just one side of the lantern, making it perfect for use adjacent to a wall or in a corner, when lighting the wall would be a waste of energy.
For all these reasons the GoalZero has become my default lantern. Highly recommend checking it out.
I’ve been looking at the that one, actually. Just haven’t gotten my hands on it yet to evaluate.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UL8KG2S/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1tern
This lantern is also available with capacity to repell mosquito. It is sold as “Thermacell Mosquito Repellent Camp Lantern”. The increased media attention to the Zika Virus after the virus appears to have established in S Florida, may awaken people to the danger. I’ve increased my mosquito repellent supplies.
Amazon:
Note: It is sold on Amazon in 3 colors at significant price differences. Actually, each is a different model, with different features. I went with the olive green model, which is very similar to the Streamlight Siege.
I also like Pelican brand lighting (and cases).
I do have both Streamlight, and Surefire devices as well.
But for general lighting, the Everready LED stuff is a hella bargain…I get it at Walmart, and it’s durable enough (unlike some cheap brands) to hold up and inexpensive enough that if I lose it it’s not a tragedy. Their various LED headlamps in particular are good.
I have one and love it. I standardized on aa batteries for logistical reasons. I simply use them with aa battery adapters and they work fine.
Bought one of these a few days ago, from a tool store. Same price as Amazon. ($20) Called the Lil Larry. Has a very good beam spread. The light panel runs down one side of the cylinder, and stands proud. Got it for a vehicle work light. Uses 3aaa batts. Has a magnet inset at one end, so it stands on end, and the switch at the other. Only bothersome thing is the body is steel, so it weighs a bit more than I would prefer. Consequently, I wouldn’t take it hiking, but around the home or truck, ok. 250Lumens on high. The blinking red might be visible from orbit. So far, it seems robust.
They make a slightly bigger version, called the Big Larry, with 400Lumens, for a few dollars more.
https://www.amazon.com/Flashlight-Magnetic-Worklight-EdisonBright-batteries/dp/B01G62AM3U/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&qid=1470609689&sr=8-17&keywords=nebo+larry
Thanks for the great review. I bought the D cell Siege right after reading it. Since then I have purchased the AA Siege and the Super Siege because I was so impressed with the first one.