Often a big part of volunteering is spending time in the outdoors or sometimes even in a place that doesn’t have good access to electricity. But also if you just go on a lot of outdoor adventures in your free time, this week’s travel gadget might be interesting for you: The Luci Solar Light.
The idea behind the Luci Solar Light is pretty awesome: Making an affordable light source that can be used everywhere around the world. Sounds good? We thought the same and took the Luci Solar Light on a little adventure to test it, and recommend it as a gadget for your volunteer trip.
What is the Luci Solar Light?
The Luci Solar Light is an inflatable lantern that can be used everywhere and by everyone around the planet. The company that makes the Luci Solar Light has the goal to create a light for any situation – from camping, to outdoor parties and everyday use in parts of the world that don’t have access to electricity. The best part: The Luci Solar Light only needs sunlight to charge, making it an environmental friendly product.
Why is the Luci Solar Light great for your volunteer trip?
There are many different opportunities to volunteer abroad, which makes it impossible to think of the one typical situation you’ll find yourself in as a volunteer. You might be spending time renovating a school, working in conservation or supporting a project that’s dedicated to protecting the environment. And for all of these possibilities the Luci Solar Light would be a great gadget to have.
The Luci Solar Light is good for working inside, when there’s no electricity source available. Another situation would be your early morning walks through the forest or along the beach, when you’re monitoring the environment or looking for baby turtles. You might also need it for your free time adventures – maybe a weekend camping trip? The list goes on… Apart from its versatility, the Luci Solar Light is inflatable and therefore easy to fit in your bag, which is a must for volunteers and travelers in general.
Pro’s of using the Luci Solar Light:
- It’s affordable.
- It’s small and therefore great for light packing.
- It’s environmental friendly.
- It’s useful in a variety of situations.
- It has 3 lighting options: low, bright, and 1- sec blinking light.
Why could the Luci Solar Light not work for you?
There is really not much you can do wrong when bringing the Luci Solar Light to your volunteer or outdoor adventures. The only reason it might not work for you, is if you know you won’t need it.
The Luci Solar Light might not be for you, if you won’t be needing a flashlight/camping light during your stay OR aren’t a big fan of camping in general. Also, it won’t be necessary to carry it around, if you already know that you’ll be working during the day. Or, if the location you are volunteering in, is close to your residence and you have access to electricity.
Con’s of using the Luci Solar Light when volunteering:
- Not really necessary, if you have access to electricity-powered lights.
- You don’t spend a lot of time in the outdoors.
- Your volunteer work takes place only during the day/ inside.
How to use the Luci Solar Light
There’s really not much to know when using the Luci light. First of all, let it charge directly under the sun. It should be fully charged after 8 hours. After that, here’s how to use it:
- On the right you can see what the Luci light looks light before it’s inflated.
- You won’t need to fill it with too much air, to bring it to its full size – it only takes 2 seconds.
- You can now either use its strap to place it in a tree (or wherever it can hang), bring some string with you to hang it, or just leave it on the floor.
- And that’s it! You’re all set up for the night.
My personal opinion
In my opinion, the Luci Solar light is a great product. You’ve read all of its advantages above, but what I like most is its versatility. You can carry it with you during your volunteer trip or while exploring the country in your free time. However you decide to use it, this light is great to have! The fact that the Luci light is waterproof – which I’d say is a must for an outdoor light, was a decisive factor for me.
Best part is that the lights are still useful when you come back home. And they will last a long time, if you take proper care of them. They’re not just travel gadgets, but also nice items to light up during barbecues, parties outside and the unexpected power outage. Maybe even as a decoration for your balcony at home – until you’re off to the next adventure.
If you want to know more about these and other products of MPOWERD, vist their website and learn more about these awesome products.
These are great lights – at first glance. But as with most Asian imports, poorly made and not reliable or long lasting.
We bought two Lucis, Base and Pro, and less than a year and a half later both have sprung leaks around the seams and USB connections that cannot be fixed. And this is only with careful and irregular use for camping, they would definitely deteriorate more quickly when left outside with UV exposure. The straps also broke on both early on. And as mentioned in many reviews, the solar charger is a total gimmick, with the panels so small and cells so low quality that multiple days of full sun are needed for a full charge (when new).
We loved the concept – lightweight and solar powered packable – but reality is $50 a pop for more plastic junk that will eventually just pollute the oceans so a pretty poor value. Quality outdoors lighting options may cost more but they last much longer and can often be repaired, saving money over the long run.