Gear Review: Secur SP-1100 Four-in-One Light

Should every piece of gear be indestructible? No, even though that’d be nice. But should every piece of gear be reliable and useful? Absolutely. For backcountry trekkers, this is a no brainer. You don’t want to waste an or an inch on gear that won’t work when it should.

The SP-1100 from Secur Products ($44.99) falls into the reliable and useful camp. It’s a four-in-one LED light and USB station that’s powered by a rechargeable lithium ion battery. The battery won’t charge up in sunlight like GoalZero products, but it holds juice for just as long. It lasted 14 hours straight while I was running the flashlight and charging a Galaxy S6. The phone charged in about three hours — not too shabby for a palm-sized power bank (8.8 ounces).

The four-in-one name is a bit misleading (three lights, one charging bank), but that means no strange add-ons like a cheap compass. The plastic pull-out lantern is tiny yet bright, and the emergency signal can supposedly last up to 34 hours. It even has a magnetic base to mount on a car or, well, anything metal. The features are useful without getting in the way, and everything just seems to make sense. Plus, the size is a major benefit. Similar charging banks and mobile batteries are about the same size and weight, and they often come without an LED light.

The SP-1100 is a choice accessory for three-season camping. It handles rain, snow and bumps just fine — I banged it around a bit on a mountain bike ride. Expect eight to 10 hours on a single charge in the cold.