Snow Peak GigaPower Lantern, Auto

The Snow Peak GL-100A is a brilliantly designed gas lantern. This is a compact and lightweight lantern that puts out a lot of light for its size. It's simple to use. It uses widely available isobutane/propane canisters that are used by most compact backpacking stoves.

I'm on my second GL-100A. I bought the first one in 2009 when they were plentiful. It was great for car camping and backpacking. I kept it in the back of my Cherokee along with other compact camping gear for those instances when I go camping on a whim. I also took it backpacking.

This lantern only takes up a small amount of space and its weight is negligible. The GL-100A is a brilliantly simple design that is well crafted. The main body is machined from aluminum. The gas fittings are brass. Everything subjected to high temperatures, besides the globe, are made from stainless steel.

The GL-100A has an attached piezoelectric igniter and it uses isobutane-propane fuel canisters, the same fuel used by the Snow Peak GS-100 GigaPower stove. Operation is simple: attach the gas canister; open the valve; push the igniter; adjust the valve to the desired level of illumination.

My first GL-100A was stolen out of my Jeep, along with the rest of my kit. For some reason Snow Peak pulled the GL-100A off the U.S. market. They were available on e-Bay, shipped from Japan. Recently (August 2018) Backcountry Gear started selling them on their website at a price that is half as much as e-Bay's. I hope this means Snow Peak is bringing the GL-100A back to the U.S. market.

This is a great lantern that can be used for different types of outdoor activities. I use mine for both backpacking and kayak camping.

A great feature to consider is the piezo electric start, makes lighting it much easier than dealing with matches or lighter. Adjustable fuel valve allows brightness from very faint to super bright. Moderate opening of valve will conserve fuel and still get you the light you need.

I converted the glass globe to mesh screen globe (available from Snow Peak). Light output somewhat diminished but not an issue for me.

2 things to note, top of lantern gets hot (to be expected) so just be aware of anything that could burn or melt near it. Also it doesn't have any way to hang it from a nail or tree branch. I made a hanger from a piece of piano wire that works great.

Overall great quality as usual from Snow Peak.

I bought one of these in a package deal off of eBay I got for an awesome price. I have used it once on a weekend trip it worked very nice it was very soft and pleasant unlike the light from a LED lantern. I have used many different lanterns candles, white gas, kerosene, propane, led and bulb types.

The only bad point to this lantern I have came across is fuel it is a little pricey and heavy but not too bad and no lanyard for hanging.

The good points are its light weight, adjustable lamination, optional mesh globe, small and compact. There are a few more I didn’t cove but I got the basics. The auto light is nice but I would also pack a lighter or matches just in case.

Bottom line this is a good product that I would definitely recommend to a friend.

80 Watts of light in this tiny package -- sweet. Two weeks after I bought it, they came out with a 120 watt. You may want to consider that. The best thing about this model is its compactness and brightness. Light is bright and easily adjustable down to candle brightness. It is quiet too. Mantels are moderately easy to put on, but you kind of need a little trail and error to get the igniter wire to poke out of the mantel at the correct position.

One minor complaint: The gas does not always ignite right away. It takes a few tries to get it started all the while you get a little nervous about a flareup from too much gas, so keep your face back.