Three years ago, a Chinese startup called Outask had a vision for a more versatile lantern, one with an upper body shell that splits out into a tripod with magnetic mounting – pretty cool, but ultimately not cool enough for the folks who built it. It's now back with a V2.0, and the light has advanced into something even more versatile that will see many different uses at home, on the road and in the field. Small enough to slide into a jacket pocket, the new TD2 triples light output inside a versatile multi-axis chassis that makes it a pocket flashlight, table lamp, magnetic work light, area light and more.
The original Outask expandable lantern – we'll call it the "TD1" – is a linear lamp built to extend around a single central axis. The new design injects multiple axes into the equation, allowing the TD2 to flip, swivel and rotate around to shine light more precisely where you need it. In the process, it gains enough versatility to do the work of many different styles of light, from flashlight to overhead dining light.
While a couple ounces heavier than the TD1, the 1.8-lb (795-g) TD2 features a flatter package that promises to make it more pocket-friendly. You won't want to carry it around in a front jeans pocket, but it should fit neatly in a large jacket pocket or a backpack compartment. And it won't roll around if you store it in a vehicle glove box or console.
In place of the 2.4-in-thick (6-cm) cylindrical body of the TD1, the TD2 folds into a slimmer package measuring 1.7 in (4.2 cm) thick and 2.4 in (6 cm) wide. It's also nearly an inch shorter at 9.4 in (24 cm), and while the TD1 looked the part of a flashlight or lantern, the TD2 looks nothing of the sort when all packed up. It does look like some kind of folding tool – a camera tripod or telescoping magnetic grabber, perhaps, but not a light.
The really big changes come inside that slightly slimmed chassis, where Outask trades out the single expandable cylinder for separate tripod and lamp cylinders. When fully folded, the TD2 works like a handheld flashlight. To open it up, flip the lamp on the end over to free the components.
The telescopic lamp pole flips upward, and the three legs slide down around their own pole and click into open tripod position. Like that, you have yourself a tripod table lamp with two-sided swiveling head. And not only does the telescopic lamp arm fold up and down, it rotates 360 degrees via a swivel base. So you can pinpoint the light exactly where you need it.
The TD2 moves beyond the table or desktop when its telescopic pole is extended up to its full 3-foot (93-cm) length. Now you have a tall campsite or deck area light you can stand up on the ground. Switch between spotlight and floodlight settings, depending on how wide of an area you need illuminated, and set lamp power and temperature just right with a knurled dial that delivers step-less dimming from 1,500 to 40 lumens and cool-to-warm beam tinting.
As with the original TD1, the feet of the TD2 include integrated magnets so that you can secure the lamp to magnetic surfaces. Attach it to the roof or side of the car, extend out the lamp, and you have an overhead light right in the middle of the great outdoors. Stick it under an SUV liftgate when unloading the trunk or cooking on a slide-out kitchen after dark. Attach it under the hood when working in the engine bay, or stick it to the side of the grill.
The TD2 also includes a dual-sided lamp, providing more options for illumination. For instance, Outask shows how you can use the main lamp to light your tire when fixing a flat at night, then turn the back lamp to emergency flashing mode to ensure you're more visible to approaching drivers.
With all its potential functions at camp, the TD2 is sure to see a lot of use. You'll want to turn brightness down when you can because Outask estimates a runtime of just 2.5 hours on 1,100-lumen mode. Dialing that back to 300 lumens bumps runtime to 16 hours, much more in line with a camping trip on which you're using it as a table or area light throughout the evenings. Maximum runtime is listed as 125 hours at 40 lumens.
When the battery does run out, users can recharge the pack in roughly four hours via USB-C, swap in a spare TD2 custom battery pack, or use two standard 21700 batteries. The light also offers USB-C output for charging a phone and other external gadgets from the TD2's battery reserves.
Outask is introducing the TD2 by way of Kickstarter campaign, where supporters can pledge US$149 for one of the first early bird models. Outask is also advertising a package with a TD2, lantern-style lamp diffuser, wall mount and carry case at a $189 pledge level.
The campaign looks like it might be even more successful than Outask's $873K TD1 Kickstarter, as the TD2 effort is very close to $800,000 with four weeks left to go. If everything else goes as successfully, Outask will begin deliveries this December.
Intro video below:
Source: Outask
