LED light strips are pretty versatile, because you can stick them where traditional bulbs can’t go. This is great for giving you some extra light on dark stairways or underneath cabinets in the kitchen. But what about when you venture into the great outdoors?
That’s often the terrain suited toward lanterns and flashlights. But Salt Lake City-based Power Practical has come up with an outdoor light source that strays pretty far beyond the usual shape of a lantern. It’s more like a rope light but fully portable. The Luminoodle (don’t tease about the name) is meant to go anywhere, thanks to its flexible shape and battery pack. You can also power it with a USB port.
“We know camp lighting is great but we wanted to be able to use our light/lantern away from the campsite,” says Wafiq Ali, director of sales for Power Practical. “Whether you are riding a bike in the city or just on the back porch reading, the Luminoodle will come handy.” You can truss yourself up like a Christmas tree, draping the lights around your body and affixing them with the special “Noodle Ties,” which sort of look like a cross between zip ties and Quidditch goals. There’s also a magnetic option, so you can hang the lights from your car.
At 180 lumens, the lights are brighter than Christmas lights but not the most dazzling LEDs we’ve seen for a lantern. The five-foot strip comes encased in a silicone tube, making it waterproof to 3 feet. You also have the option of putting them in the included rip-stop bag to concentrate the light and give it a more lantern-like feel. While the Luminoodle is well beyond its $10,000 goal, it still has just over $20,000 to go to reach its stretch of $150,000. If Practical Power pulls that off, backers will receive a dry bag instead, which will protect the contents from rain.
The early-bird options are sold out, but you can get a Luminoodle for $19; for $39, the company will throw in a battery pack. It should last six hours, long enough to get you through a few rounds of “Kumbaya” by the campfire.
