Streamlight 44931 Siege 540-Lumen Compact LED Camping Lantern with 360° Lighting for Power Outages, Hurricanes, and Emergencies, Coyote

Hey folks... this is GeezerSpeak the flashlight-wonk. I have a collection of flashlights and lanterns going back years and it includes close to 50 different types from the best of the brands. To date the Streamlight 44931 Siege LED 3-D-cell is still my very favorite camping lantern. I've purchase 15 of them since December 2018 and gave most of them as gifts. I've updated this review with some additional information.I also recently compared the 44931 Siege to the Rayovac "Virtually Indestructible" Camping Lantern, and the Streamlight is by far more versatile and feature laden. If you wish to see that comparison, click on my name and find the review there.There are some things I have come to appreciate about the Streamlight that are hard to explain. One is that the contacts inside the battery compartment can easily be readjusted and cleaned. For long-term use that's important. You will need to on a rare occasion adjust the contacts with your fingers because after you've slammed D-cells in and out of the battery compartment a few hundred times the contacts can get a little soft. But it is really easy to do, and it can be done in total darkness, no guesswork, once you are familiar with the battery compartment. This need for adjustment occurs on a lot of Alkaline-powered flashlights & lanterns, but many of those have contacts that are hard to access or adjust.Furthermore, I can actually determine the proper battery direction in total darkness because I can feel the contacts with my fingers. You can't do that with a lot of lanterns. I discovered this beneficial feature during a blackout, when I realized that all I had to do to determine battery orientation was to feel inside the battery compartment for the largest elevated contact,,, that being the only one that connected to the negative side of a D-cell. The other two batteries would then be inserted with the positive side going into the compartment.Another thing I have come to appreciate about the Siege 44931 is their durability. I have subjected the Streamlight to exceptionally abusive conditions and I've yet to have a failure or leak. I have dropped them, drowned them, and the one I keep in the shower has stayed wet continuously for two years. It is impressive.Another thing I love is the fact that the switch acts as a battery monitor to let me know when the batteries are running low. Ordinarily I use NiMH batteries in these lanterns, because they get used daily. This battery monitor feature is very beneficial. It keeps me from ruining my NiMH batteries by depleting them to zero.NOTE: Regarding NiMH batteries, I have found the most economical approach is to use AA cells in single-cell AA-to-D plastic adapters. Yes you swap batteries more often. But the adapters that use 2 or 3 cells each were introducing some variables that resulted in a few incidents of depleted cells... something to be avoided.This doesn’t happen with the single-cell adapters. Here's why. In the single-cell version all the cells are connected in series. In the multi-cell adapter versions some cells are in series but some are in parallel. That's where the problem comes in. Regardless, using the 1-cell-adapters I haven;t had any depleted NiMH cells, and it works well. Having said that... if I'm going camping I use regular D-cells.Another thing.... I know that rechargeable Li-Ion (Lithium) is all the rage these days... but I prefer lanterns that can take either NiMH or standard Alkaline cells. For one I am never without backups and I'm not exclusively dependent on a charger. Lithium Ion cells will eventually wear out, and if that happens while you're in the field, you're out of luck. I don't worry about that with the 44931 Siege. Also the Run-Times are typically longer for a given Lumen Output using either Alkaline or NiMH versus Li-Ion.But the biggest reason I prefer lanterns that use regular cells is because of our experience post hurricane Ike when we were without power for 10 days. If you are relying on a rechargeable and you DON't HAVE an inverter for your car or a really large solar panel... then you are at a loss. But there were plenty of Alkaline batteries we could get during Ike. So... everything that used regular batteries remained useful... but not the rechargeable flashlight and lanterns we had at the time. They were done in a couple of days. Oops. So lesson learned.The feature I like most on the 44931 is its light-diffusing globe. You can have the lantern right on the table while the gang plays cards and it doesn't blind you. But if you need to illuminate an area, take the globe off and hang the lantern upside-down overhead. It is plenty bright. By the way it is waterproof with the globe attached or not, doesn't matter. NOTE: If you're looking exclusively for table lighting take a look at the Mini-Siege Streamlight 44941, it is only 200 lumen and very civilized lighting for tabletop use. I own four of those.PROS:Very well designed and built...2 meter impact resistantIPX7 waterproofFloats in waterFull O-ring ProtectionOne-way-vented battery compartmentkey-post-guided battery cover for blind assemblylong run-times on all settingsrealistic run-time estimates3-basic light modes and...more...also has an eye-friendly red mode and SOSlight-diffusing globeremovable globe for down light tent-top uselighted battery-level indicator(on off switch turns colors)D-ring-clips top and bottom for hangingcarry handle with built-in hook-notchUses 3 D-Cells, but also works well with NiMHor Lithium batteries, and AA to D adaptersCONS:: ..... NONERECOMMENDED (Five Star)As a total LED wonk I heartily recommend this lantern. For one... unlike many of the lantern makers out there, Streamlight calculates their run-times to only 10% of initial value... NOT down to 1% as so many other companies do, so their run-time estimates are more accurate. There will still be some usable light output at the specified times, The lantern will tell you when you're close to exhausting your batteries. The built-in battery-level indicator goes from green to yellow to red as as you approach the end of charge. The button also flashes red if you install one of your D-Cells incorrectly (reversed polarity).The 3-levels of White light are enough to illuminate your work area, camp table or tent. Don't expect it to light up an entire yard though. The lantern provides useful light without being harsh on the eyes, thanks to the quality diffuser they use.. Another really well thought out feature is the red-light mode. What makes it unique is that it is totally separate from the 3-level white-light mode. You enter and exit it with a long-press of the power button (about 2 seconds). So when you're on a deer-stand and you're using red-mode it will NOT sequence back into white-light when you turn the lantern on and off. It stays red until you decide to switch it out of red-mode by long-pressing the power button.The Siege is extremely well built and comes with more than the usual amount of handy design features. If you research this lantern you will find that the vast majority of the reviews are excellent.As always... and for the record... My reviews are without any commercial bias or affiliations, and NEVER compensated in any way. I only review products that I purchase for my personal use. If I like a product or brand, or if I don't... I'll tell you honestly why. Thanks for reading..... GEEZER SPEAK

Perfect for short power outages. Provides ample light to see around the house and lasts long enough to get through a few hours of outage.

First of all I now own six of the Streamlight Siege and four of the Rayovac SE3DLN...I keep extras for my kids and their families if they need them.Points favoring the Streamlight Siege:1. The Siege has stronger top/bottom spring 'D' clips with retainers.2. The Siege top handle has enough tension to stay upright even at an angle whereas the (SE3DLN) will not.This comes in very handy in darkness when trying to lift the light.3. The Siege has 3 white modes and 2 red. The (SE3DLN) has 3 white modes, no red mode, and has no 30 lumen mode for super long use of 295 hours.The SOS mode on the Siege is red, whereas on the (SE3DLN) it is white.4. The Siege on/off button lights up when in use and also indicates the battery life that is left.5. The bottom cover is MUCH easier to re-install after changing batteries as you simply line up the large single triangle shaped shaft, push downand twist. Whereas with the (SE3DLN) one must line up 2 small 1/16" wide notches and then push down and twist. Anyone owning both lights canquickly determine the Siege can easily be reloaded in complete darkness by simple feel, whereas the (SE3DLN) cannot. Even though I've heard ofpeople marking the notches on the (SE3DLN) with a glow in the dark material to help.5. The Siege is rated at a full non-ANSI 340 lumens with the over off, whereas the (SE3DLN) is now ANSI 240, whereas it used to be non-ANSI 300. I'm not sure if the 240is with top on or off. Either way the Siege is clearly brighter when lighting up a room or an outdoor area. The Siege is not ANSI rated as of yet.6. The on/off button on the Siege does not blink when not in use to run the batteries down, whereas the (SE3DLN) does.Some like the (SE3DLN) blinking as it make it easier to find the light in total darkness and others like myself do not.Points favoring the (SE3DLN):1. The (SE3DLN) costs around $25, whereas the Siege is around $40.2. The (SE3DLN) has a limited lifetime warranty on the entire light, whereas the Siege has only a 2 year warranty on the electronics and switches.They both have the option not to cover is misuse or abuse is determined.Even though I really like my older Rayovac (SE3DLN) lights and they have served me well, I much prefer the newer Streamlight Siege. The primary reasons are the ease of changing batteries and the 295 hour low light mode. I can change batteries on the Siege in total darkness without my glasses, whereas with the (SE3DLN) I need my glasses and some light.For me the extra features on the Siege are easily worth the extra $15 price tag.As some others have noted, I can't find anything on the Siege I don't like and honestly can't think on any improvements within reason I would make.Both are excellent lights and you can't go wrong with either, but the Siege is the clear winner for my needs.Buy the Streamlight Siege and you'll see what myself and others have been raving about.*****Update 10-24-2013:I have discovered the Siege is NOT ANSI rated so I've changed the review above. Also, I've tested 4 different sets of alkaline and rechargeable batteries from 4 different companies and they run only 15 continuous hours on high, rather than the advertised 30 hours. The 15 hours runtime was until the red light came on and not until it went completely dim. All of the lights I've tested, including the Rayovac SE3DLN, way over state the runtimes so I guess they do this to not look inferior to their competitors, hoping nobody will actually check.Overall, I still rate the Siege as a solid "5"*****Update 10-28-2013:I emailed Streamlight with questions about the ANSI rating and the 30 hour runtime. Here is their response:The ANSI standard is for "directional lighting" and doesn't really cover lanterns like the Siege. Therefore we can't use the ANSI symbols in our claims.However, ANSI procedures were used to take the measurements that were used for our advertising claims.340 lumens (our HIGH mode claim) is a totally valid measurement taken in one of our calibrated integrating spheres that is also used for ANSI-rated products.The 30 hour run time on HIGH also conforms to ANSI protocols. ANSI run time starts 30 seconds into a run with new batteries (which is where the lumen claim is taken) and the ANSI run time ends when the lumen output falls to 10% of the initial 30 second reading. (In the case of the Siege on HIGH, end of run time to ANSI protocols occurs when the output drops to 34 lumens.) I realize that you may take exception to the 10% figure, but it is according to the ANSI standard.I have attached the Product Fact Sheet for the Siege. These sheets are readily available to customers, for all products, under the "Docs/Info" tab on the individual product pages of our website. The Runtime section of the Siege Fact Sheet states "to 10% of initial lumen output."Charlie CraftCharles W. Craft, BSMETChief EngineerISO Management Representativekd

Power outages are common at my house because I live in a rural area in a state that has more than its fair share of thunderstorms, tornadoes and hurricanes. Oh, and let's not forget ice storms. So, it's not a matter of if you'll need backup lighting, it's a matter of when and for how long. I have a number of lanterns including battery-powered, pressurized kerosene, kerosene and white gas models. I've determined that no lantern is perfect, but the Streamlight Siege that runs on three D cells is as close as I've found. I purchased two initially and was so impressed, I ordered two more. The high setting with the globe removed lights my entire kitchen and pretty evenly, too. The kitchen is only about10x15 or so, but it's very well-lighted with this lantern. On the low setting it's reasonably bright and runs for almost 300 hours. That's a big deal because you can run it all night on low and not use up a lot of energy. The build is high quality and the handle and rings allow it to be hung on most anything. And then there's the price. At $38, it's $18 more than some similar lights I have, but the quality of the Siege is so much better. It's also much easier to change the batteries in the Siege than my cheaper lanterns. At that price, I consider it a bargain. The one thing it lacks is a true "nightlight" setting, but I can live without it.